BBC Radio to try U.S. version of “The News Quiz,” hosted by Lewis Black
You may be familiar with the NPR quiz-show staple, "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me." But in Britain, they'd already been having fun with the news on a weekly basis for two decades before "Wait Wait" with "The News Quiz." And with the 2012 U.S. Presidential campaign hitting full stride, the BBC has decided to try out an American version of its long-running news quiz satire programme.
Caroline Raphael, BBC Radio 4's commissioning editor for comedy and entertainment, told The Guardian: "This is the first time a US version has been made of one of our flagship Radio 4 comedy programmes. We hope it will give Radio 4 listeners a slightly different take on the US elections and complement Radio 4's other stateside election coverage."
The pilot episode will star Lewis Black as he challenges a panel of comedians Andy Borowitz, Kathleen Madigan and Ted Alexandro to dissect the week’s news, and air only on Radio 4 on March 22. The Guardian reports that if the pilot is a success, the BBC not only would order a full series, but also try to sell it to U.S. radio markets, including NPR.
If you live in or near NYC, you may attend the taping of "The News Quiz USA," which takes place on March 20, 2012, at The Greene Space. To apply for free tickets, email newsquizusa@bbc.co.uk with your name, address and zip code. Maximum 2 tickets per applicant.
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[...] can catch a taping of the pilot for Lewis Black’s new news comedy quiz show for BBC Radio. (The Comic’s Comic) This reminds me of an American show. What is it? Wait, wait. Don’t tell [...]