Favourite 9 things people said about the BBC ‘targeting left-wing comedy’

New BBC director general Tim Davie is reported to have some of the corporation’s ‘left-wing’ comedy shows in his sights.

Davie, who started in his new job today, is said to be keen to redress what he sees as bias against the Tories, Donald Trump, Brexit, all that kind of stuff, according to the Daily Telegraph (the BBC hasn’t so far commented).

It’s probably to be filed under ‘we’ll believe it when we see it’ but in the meantime here are our favourite responses.

1.

Can't wait for the new right wing comedy from the BBC which such great shows as:
Have I got Gender Identity Jokes for You
Would I Lie To You (Yes)
Mock The Weak
Literally just a show where they make their one joke about lefties identifying as attack helicopters
Mrs Brown's Boys

— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) September 1, 2020

2.

On 24th April 1997 I wrote the last sketch on ‘Weekending’ mocking John Major’s government. On the morning of May 1st 1997 I walked into work and wrote the first sketch mocking Tony Blair’s government.

That’s how it works.

— Nev Fountain (@Nevfountain) September 1, 2020

3.

Knock knock

Fuck off back to where you came from#RightWingJokes

— Nick Harvey (@mrnickharvey) September 1, 2020

4.

I imagine right wing comedians will refuse to support the BBC in any affirmative action to counteract left wing bias in case they’re seen as ‘token’.

— Moose Allain Ꙭ (@MooseAllain) September 1, 2020

5.

The only pieces of satire I can think of that have contributed to real political change during my lifetime were right-wing: Boris Johnson’s dispatches from Brussels in the 1990s. They helped sow the seeds for Brexit and their author is now Prime Minister. https://t.co/FAoIXJEmNQ

— Jonathan Coe (@jonathancoe) September 1, 2020

6.

https://twitter.com/KatyFBrand/status/1300708940163035136?s=20

7.

Comedy after the left wing bias has been removed pic.twitter.com/sY9KN9VSyj

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) September 1, 2020

8.

Having nailed a great gag about Diane Abbot, right-wing comedy writers start work on that tricky second joke pic.twitter.com/1C6Idcz8Wz

— Robin Flavell (@RobinFlavell) September 1, 2020

9.

Comedy about the party who is in charge of the country & at a time when everything is clearly going so bloody well MUST BE STOPPED. Communist-edians Out! https://t.co/1EawFYLBGI

— Aisling Bea (@WeeMissBea) September 1, 2020

To conclude …

When Labour was in government we wrote about them.
I remember doing it.
I remember the day I wrote 4 pages about the new Brown led labour govt in 2010 then watched him resign on TV & threw it away & rewrote 4 pages about Cameron.

We write about power.
That's what satire is.

— Meryl O'Rourke (@MerylORourke) September 1, 2020

And this.

Right-wing comedy is perfectly possible. Anything can be funny. Satire is not innately left wing. There are Tory-voting comedians. But some things are just harder to write good jokes about. And it’s more cathartic to mock those in power.

— Greg Jenner (@greg_jenner) September 1, 2020

And this!

Imagine winning every election for a decade and still feeling hard done by.

— Sooz Kempner (@SoozUK) September 1, 2020

Last one, promise.

good morning to you as well https://t.co/aXeEZKX9uo

— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) September 1, 2020

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