The greatest moment in The Day Today

[kalowski]

Let's get it sorted for once and for all.

It's surely one of...

• The reanimated execution with the Louis Armstrong voice
• The Sinn Fein politician taking helium to reduce credibility
• Partridge at the races

[Tony Yeboah]

Swimming Pool Security Guard

[kalowski]

Swimming Pool Security Guard

Fucking hell, close my thread.

[alan nagsworth]

That bit in the bomb dog sketch with the footage of police guarding the explosion site, where Morris is commentating that police "told the public to clear off" and the officer is doing an extremely patronising cuntish gesture right up in the civilian's face.

Either that or my personal favourite line "There was another ritual. The ritual ... of the bullying ritual".

[thenoise]

That bit in the bomb dog sketch with the footage of police guarding the explosion site, where Morris is commentating that police "told the public to clear off" and the officer is doing an extremely patronising cuntish gesture right up in the civilian's face.

Either that or my personal favourite line "There was another ritual. The ritual ... of the bullying ritual".

I love it the bit where she puts her arm around the vicar, then changes her mind. Or the bit where she and the vicar kiss.

The really dense and laugh filled Rok-TV section as got to be up there too.

[petril]

only fair way to do it is a knockout vote competition. on an annual basis. which is abandoned before the final. except for one year. etc

[rasta-spouse]

Roq Tv comes to mind, Jam Festival, Old Woman on a Pole emergency, O'Hanrahan getting busted.

[DeGrise]

Robin Cock.

[An Actual Propeller]

The John Fashanu bit is as simple and as brilliant as it gets.

[Beep Cleep Chimney]

"IS THIS COOOOL?"

[Jumblegraws]

Hannity's silent chuckling in one of The Bureau sketches

[Bennett Brauer]

Episode 5 I think, Morris's organ glissando at the end of the opening theme. The next minute or so was lost to me the first time I saw it, I was laughing so much.

[Jumblegraws]

Episode 5 I think, Morris's organ glissando at the end of the opening theme. The next minute or so was lost to me the first time I saw it, I was laughing so much.

Whoah, I didn't remember that bit at all and had to go check for myself (you're right btw, it is episode 5).

[alan nagsworth]

Hannity's silent chuckling in one of The Bureau sketches

Actually, I think The Bureau in its entirety might be my favourite single thing about the show. Another side of it that Coogan just slays. Staggering how he can be the most stereotypically ruthless soap opera bastard but also be completely hilarious with every word and gesture. It's that fucking curling of the top lip, it's unreal.

"Yeah, yeah. What'd you say?"
"I'm gay."
"You're fired."

[petril]

a special desk of sport this week, as we look forward to all the sporting action that'll take place in this year's 1994 world cup finals in america in Alan Partridge's world cup countdown to 94

[beanheadmcginty]

This will no doubt mark me out as a mainstream cunt who only goes for the obvious bits, but "he didn't like it, but he'd have to go along with it" has provided more enjoyment to me and my friends over the years than anything else.
Has added depth in these Brexit times too.

[magval]

Partridge's "agh" when he walks into a branch of his World Cup contraption.

Morris saying "a load of old rubbish" impersonating people speaking about UK Buildings.

[grassbath]

Actually, I think The Bureau in its entirety might be my favourite single thing about the show. Another side of it that Coogan just slays. Staggering how he can be the most stereotypically ruthless soap opera bastard but also be completely hilarious with every word and gesture. It's that fucking curling of the top lip, it's unreal.

"Yeah, yeah. What'd you say?"
"I'm gay."
"You're fired."

Yeah, agreed. The Bureau is perfect.

Even the concept is hilarious - that it's set in a tiny (and ridiculously mundane) space, forcing completely unnatural entrances and exits and scenes occurring alongside each other. The implication that the writers thought 'this will be a good gimmick' and completely trapped themselves.

That this crap soap is popular enough to be discussed on a major (inter?)national news programme - even Morris isn't entirely disdainful - 'let's take a look shall we?'

Schneider's OTT teeth-acting.

Just so the writers are sure you know: 'Just because I'm gay! I'm gay, I'm gay, I'm gay, I'm gay...' And the character is called Guy (gay).

The Italian female TV pundits bizarrely interpreting Coogan's character as some sort of hyper-masculine figure.

'Maria! Mariaaaa!'

[bomb_dog]

"Bang after bang after bang after bang!"

And Schneider doing that strange arm-and-leg outstretched bit with a gun, in the same sketch.

[alan nagsworth]

'Maria! Mariaaaa!'

Haha yesss. Well put, nice one.

[Bennett Brauer]

Whoah, I didn't remember that bit at all and had to go check for myself (you're right btw, it is episode 5).

The same episode has the touring version of The Bureau seen briefly in the background during the clamping the homeless piece.

[the]

There is something indestructibly fantastic about The Bureau. Perfectly weighted skewering of soap opera tropes.

I wonder whether Albion Market was one inspiration for it, with its apparent intent to find the dullest setting for a soap opera imaginable. The 'doomed in the ratings' element has got to come from Eldorado.

The theme tune even manages to be a perfect meld between Brookside and Eastenders, with 'jangling change' percussion thrown in (the sort of thing a sig tune composer would put in thinking that they're being clever).

How the hell Coogan manages not to corpse during the 'I'm closing the bureau' line, I do not know.

Edit: and the way Ange completely unnecessarily says "get him into the bureau de change!", as if people that actually worked in one would feel obliged to state that. Incredible.

[fucking ponderous]

Always loved that The Bureau somehow hits its 2000th episode between the first and second TDT episodes where it appears.

[Scrapey Fish]

The bit where Morris declares war and the wide studio shot exposes those giant letters is the bit that always floored me more than anything. Satirical, dark and hilarious all at once.

[fucking ponderous]

This is the greatest moment
https://youtu.be/T72TopWbXJg
Perfectly captures meaningless jingoism and undermines it at the same time. The Union Jack immediately followed by a scowling dog. The woman throwing the baby. The two men fighting in front of the setting sun, embracing when one of them unveils the flag.
The nervous instance that "it's FINE". The perfect blend of funny and paranoid and sinister.

It's either this or Steve Coogan summing it up in a sound.

[the]

The bit where Morris declares war and the wide studio shot exposes those giant letters is the bit that always floored me more than anything. Satirical, dark and hilarious all at once.

The funniest thing about that is how the end of the desk detaches, and the Foreign Office minister gets immediately jettisoned as a triviality, despite being instrumental in the war starting in the first place.

There is this implication that the entire news organisation is primed 24/7 for the outbreak of war, deployable instantly.

[grassbath]

The nervous instance that "it's FINE". The perfect blend of funny and paranoid and sinister.

That's an interesting one - for years I thought it was a kind of 'nervously soothing' tone, but then very recently realised it could also be interpreted as classic British passive-aggressiveness. 'It's okay. It's FINE.' Which is a more complex joke, and funnier, I think.

Seconding whoever said the 'WAR' moment when the evil version of the theme plays and the camera pans out to the studio bathed in red light. Absolutely perfect satire. And an honourable mention to the subsequent line:

'Absolutely bang, that's the Day Today bringing you another tear on the face of the world's mother; Alan, SPORT!!!'

[alan nagsworth]

Ahh. I love this forum.

[Cuellar]

Coogan lurking in the background during the interview with the model who's dating the reanimated corpse of Chapman Baxter's victim is hilarious. Also the way he says 'corpses' as that character. Alright not the 'greatest' moment but I love it.

[Phil_A]

Partridge's strangulated "Nooo!" when the Judo expert tries to grab him from behind, followed by "GERROFF! Chris."