'No Paxo interviews': Politicians meet Peep Show

Monday, 17 January 2011 4:12 PM

By Ian Dunt

Leading politicians appearing on a new satirical news show will not have to face the 'Paxo treatment', the programme's host has confirmed.

David Mitchell, of popular Channel 4 comedy peep Show, will host the 10 O Clock Show with Guardian columnist Charlie Brooker, and celebrities Jimmy Carr and Lauren Laverne.

Channel 4 is hoping the programme, which will be shown on Thursdays at the same time as Newsnight and Question Time, will become the British equivalent of the Daily Show, the intensely popular satirical show in the US, hosted by Jon Stewart.

A leading politican will appear to be interviewed every week, but Mr Mitchell promised that he would refrain from trying to mimic the style of Jeremy Paxman.

"I think you've got to allow people to talk," he told the Guardian.

"I think too much of political journalism is thoughtlessly scrutinising. It's always about contradicting the thing they've just said and crucially finding the difference of opinion they may have had with someone else they work with. Apparently, that's what you get 1,000 points for."

He continued: "We know those disagreements exist. So what have we done by getting them to agree it? It's just like getting someone to admit that they snore. It doesn't really mean anything.

"That very approach to interviewing them leads them to say less and become more boring and more unwilling to engage. It's a vicious circle."

The programme follows the success of a similar Alternative Election Night broadcast featuring the same four hosts, which netted 1.6 million viewers.

Most politicians are naturally nervous about appearing on humo9ur shows after they watched their colleagues be humiliated by Ali G or Chris Morris, on the cult Brass Eye series.

But Mr Mitchell suggests that the pitfalls of appearing on the Ten O Clock Show were balanced by the fact that politicians could speak unedited in a live TV format.

"It is a gamble for politicians but it's live so we can't edit it," he said.

"What they say is what goes on TV. If I ask a question that they consider inappropriate and offensive then they can say that and that is what will go out. So hopefully there's less scope for us to be dishonest and therefore them to be suspicious as the series goes on."

The team enjoyed "positive" talks in Downing Street with Michael Salter, David Cameron's chief broadcasting adviser, in negotiations over ministerial cooperation.

Tags: