This tape opens with the end of Short Change, and a bit of CBBC presentation.

There’s a trailer for Robot Wars.

Then, it’s the first ever episode of This Morning with Richard Not Judy. I love this programme. I liked Fist of Fun before it, but I feel like TMWRNJ is the secret comedy gem of the 90s. Going out live at 12:15 on a Sunday afternoon is the oddest timeslot for an act like Lee & Herring, but it produced so many moments that I still remember and reference now.

It’s not quite as flash-frame heavy as Fist of Fun, but there’s quite a bit of stuff going on, so this’ll be a picture-heavy entry today.

Naturally, I love the bits outside Television Centre in the titles (many of the words of which I still remember).

We meet regular pianist Richard Thomas, who would go on to write Jerry Springer The Opera with Stewart Lee.

Here’s all the Why Not Try suggestions in the first batch

Someone couldn’t spell ‘Assassinate’

There’s the first outing for the Unusual Priest, the first of several appearances of the Actor Kevin Eldon.

Today’s Phone Poll. I love that they ran the 0898 number for real.

Show Fact. This show went out at Sunday Lunchtime.

There’s a running gag about Danbert Nobacon from Chumbawumba chucking water over John Prescott at the Brit Awards. I think this is the reason that I can remember the name Danbert Nobacon, because I hadn’t otherwise heard of Chumbawumba because I am old.

Coming Up

We meet Trevor and Natalie for the first time. I do love the hints that there is already a huge animosity between Trevor and Stew and Rich, but he’s contractually bound not to say anything.

There’s another Why Not Try but it’s the same as the first one. And yes, I did check there weren’t any differences just in case.

Here’s the first Queen of the Show.

The Actor Kevin Eldon plays himself.

And Jo Unwin.

Hooray, it’s Histor and Pliny. I still make egg puns myself because of this.

They are explaining the National Lottery, featuring the first appearance of friend of the blog Paul Putner as King Arthur of Camelot PLC.

Kevin Eldon is a peasant. “Pheasant! Like the bird!”

Talking of Paul Putner, he’s back right after this, in the studio, as The Curious Orange. I love the fact that this could have been a one-off gag based on an obscure Fall reference (can a Fall reference be anything other than obscure?) but he ends up having a major character arc.

This morning chat show does actually have a guest – it’s Jenny Eclair.

When Insects Attack, narrated by Greg Evigan. Isn’t it actually Mark Gatiss doing the voice?

Richard explains how there are five types of woman, using the Spice Girls as archetypes.

I don’t think I’d noticed before that the Ironic Review titles said ‘Aaaaah’ at the bottom.

Roger Crowley interrupts the broadcast. “Let the mayhem begin.”

This is what email addresses and website URLs looked like in 1998, before the BBC finally cottoned on to the Internet. Who the hell used a .uk.com domain?

Amusingly, it’s a different URL for the end board, with an ac.uk address. Was that Rob Sedgebeer’s Uni domain?

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 15th February 1998 – 12:15

Before the next episode there’s the end credits of Robot Wars and a trailer for the Dylan Moran comedy How Do You Want Me?

Then, another This Morning with Richard Not Judy. Introduced by Jeremy Clarksons.

I like the slight changes to the titles – Richard now has a partner in bed.

And a different picture on the fridge.

This week’s phone poll.

Coming Up

First sighting in the wild of TMWRNJ

The King of the show, the audience member with the smallest amount of money in their pocket, is the young James Whittam Smith. Any relation to newspaper editor Andreas Whittam Smith?

The first appearance of the Organ Gang.

Why Not Try is back, and is the same as last week, except we see a little more of them.

Another appearance from The Curious Orange. “You’ll be doing it in the playground in a month’s time” says Richard.

I genuinely didn’t twig that Richard’s character in the Ironic Review was dressing the same as Kevin’s character.

The guest this week is Peter Baynham. They even force him to do his Pot Noodle catchphrase (“Too Gorgeous”).

Nice niche mention of Paul Squire.

We finally get to the end of Why Not Try

There’s a slight mixing glitch, as the Unusual priest is talking, but the picture is from The Organ Gang.

Nice to see Roger Mann on the credits this week, and an apology for forgetting him last week.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 22nd February 1998 – 12:15

Before the next episode there’s the end of Robot Wars. There’s a slight presentation glitch.

There’s a trailer for Citizen Caine.

Then, episode three of This Morning with Richard Not Judy. Richard’s got a new bedfellow.

And a new Fridge Picture

The King of the Show is the oldest member of the audience. He’s 54. I am now older than he is.

I do love the running gag about Anthony Hopkins writing to his co stars of various films, starting with Anne Bancroft, from 84 Charing Cross Road. If I weren’t such a polite man, I would use the punchline “I’m wanking as I write this” a lot more often. It might be Mark Gatiss doing the voice again. Also, he writes incredibly fast.

Coming Up

The Lord of the Dance Settee

The second part of the Organ Gang has ‘credits’. I can spot a lot of familiar names there, but far too many to list. So why not fill in the blanks yourself?

It’s Paul Putner’s turn to appear on When Insects Attack. I love the line at the end. “Yes, that’s exactly the kind of ammunition she’s after.”

The Curious Orange is getting more confident. “Yeah, well once you get used to being on TV it’s easy, isn’t it?” And at the end, Rich and Stew say that he’s changed since he’s been on the TV, there’s quite a melancholy “I haven’t.” I do love character development on stupid visual puns.

“I’m going to propose that the rape of animals is a good thing, and should be made compulsory.”

Voice of the working class Gary Putner is pressed over his authenticity. “Because one of our researchers claims he went to Eton with you.” And later he’s overheard on the phone. “Yes, I’ll see you at Ascot on Saturday.”

Another segment of Histor’s Eye, sees Paul Putner as another King, Harold this time. I do love the cheapness, and it can be excused because this is supposedly recorded off a satellite channel.

Flash forward to the present day. “It’s an outrage. I will certainly vote against us joining any kind of European Union. And I would advise all the children at home to tell their parents to do the same.” So Paul Putner was the architect of Brexit. The truth is out.

Rich loves Big Daddy for some reason.

God, remember beeb.com? That didn’t last very long, did it. I can barely remember what it was.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 1st March 1998 – 12:15

Another bit of Robot Wars credits before the next episode, with a trailer for Playing The Field. And for comedy on Friday.

Then, episode four of This Morning with Richard Not Judy and Rich gets the audience to say TMWRNJ. Was this the first use of this gag, or did he use it on the radio before this? It’s a gag that’s stood the test of time.

Rich sleeps with an alien.

Different Fridge ‘art’.

Anthony Hopkins has written in to complain about last week’s sketches with him writing letters.

Ben Moor plays Rich’s foreign exchange student.

This week’s Phone Poll is “Is Humanity really responsible enough to play God. What kind of choices would you make if the genes of famous people and various animals were left in your hands?” And the choices are Lee Hurst and a Llama.

Pat Sharpe/Lizard’s Body/Eye of Fly

Natalie Imbriglia/Head of Ant

There’s a new batch of Why Not Try. One of which is “Why not try being so obsessive and anal that you not only tape this show, then freeze frame this section so you can read it all, but also write in to complain about spelling mistakes and grammatical errors that inevitably crop up because the person typing them has to do loads of them in a very short space of time?” I feel attacked.

Coming Up

There was a competition to be the King or Queen of the show, to send in ideas for what should go in the Millennium Dome, Here’s the winner.

The winner was Jason Richardson

There’s another episode of The Organ Gang, Liver Let Die.

It’s Stew’s turn on When Insects Attack.

Show Fact

As Kevin Eldon destroys this radio I wondered if they had a spare for a retake. Then he almost had to fish it out from under the desk at the back, and so I suspect this was the only take.

“or are you the bad observational comedy orange?”

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 8th March 1998 – 12:15

before the next episode there’s a trailer for Friday Night comedy, and one for Ainsley’s Meals in Minutes.

Then, episode five of This Morning with Richard Not Judy. “I’m Stewart Lee.” “And I’m Richard Herring, from Cheddar.”

Rich has a familiar bed partner this week. It’s Rod Hull.

More Fridge Art

The contents are worse.

Because John Major’s son has been going out with a game show hostess, Rich decides to get the son of a cabinet minister set up with Nathalie. There’s only one small problem.

Trevor is looking nice.

Coming Up

There’s a gallery of human animal hybrids sent in by the audience at home, including one by now famous comedian and podcaster Danielle Ward. I would claim this as an amazing scoop, if she hadn’t tweeted it ages ago.

King of the show is Toby Poole

The Golden Grahams thing is getting out of hadm and now the trolley is adorned with famous Grahams, including Graham Linehan. “Look there’s Graham Linehan. He’s just a bloke we know. He wrote Paris.” So not the writer of Father Ted?

The Actor Kevin Eldon does his usual bit about Tony Blairs, but it’s interrupted by Roger Crowley, and when we return he’s finished the bit and is getting a huge ovation. “That joke could actually bring down the government.”

Paul Putner and Kevin Eldon play Lennon and McCartney in Histor’s Eye reenactment of how the Beatles met.

Rich does Ringo Starr, and it’s actually one of his better impressions.

“I’M GEORGE HARRISON. I’M QUIET!”

At one point in this sketch, Histor is suddenly voiced by Roy Skelton, legendary voice artist – the voice of Zippy in Rainbow.

Guests on the sofa are Mel and Sue.

The Curious Orange is heading towards madness. “Curse you God for making me this way.” And the first outing for his Body Snatchers-style scream.

I wonder if the really obviously too old for school class in The School is deliberate?

Another batch of Why Not Try

More teeny tiny Organ Gang credits, including a shout-out to Louis Barfe.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 15th March 1998 – 12:15

That’s the last episode here, so recording continues with a trailer for Stand and Deliver.

Then, the start of Around Westminster. After a few minutes of this, the recording stops, and underneath there’s a bit of Sunday Grandstand with Sue Barker.

The tape ends during this.