Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes

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Ian Hislop goes in search of the earliest examples of British comedy staples.

With the help of contemporary comedians, scholars and an appetite for enduring humour, Ian Hislop tracks down the earliest examples of enduring British comedy tropes and jokes.

There are a number of themes or types or techniques in British comedy that seem to survive any social or political upheaval.  We love wordplay, we're suckers for Double entendre and while animals can be cute or terrifying, they can also make us laugh. In this series Ian Hislop looks back to try and find the first examples of these jokes or comedy genres.  We love a good parody but when did that become a thing?  Can we really find Anglo-Saxon Double Entendre? You bet we can, and filthy to boot, another trove of British Humour.  
He visits libraries, museums and chapels, and also talks to comedy stars and writers of today like Nina Conti, Paul Whitehouse, comedy song writing duo Jo and Joan and parodist Craig Brown.

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Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes: Omnibus Week 2

Omnibus Week 2

BBC Radio 4 - Ian Hislop's Oldest Jokes, Omnibus Week 2

The second week of Ian Hislop's quest to records of early English jokes.

In the second week of his series looking at the origins of British comedy Ian unearths early examples of Parody, Satirical Cartoons and Comic song, but begins with animals.

There are a number of themes or types or techniques in British comedy that seem to survive any social or political upheaval. We love wordplay, we're suckers for Double entendre and while animals can be cute or terrifying, they can also make us laugh. In this series Ian Hislop looks back to try and find the first examples of these jokes or comedy genres. We love a good parody but when did that become a thing? Can we really find Anglo-Saxon Double Entendre? You bet we can, and filthy to boot, another trove of British Humour.
He visits libraries, museums and chapels, and also talks to comedy stars and writers of today like Nina Conti, Paul Whitehouse, comedy song writing duo Jo and Joan and parodist Craig Brown.

Ian begins the second week of his series by travelling to Aberdeen to see a richly illuminated Medieval manuscript that demonstrates the sustaining comic potential of animals.  In this case it's the Bonnacon that raises the laughs, not least because of its extraordinary defecatory powers.  In the company of Professor Jane Geddess he learns why Bestiaries were so popular and why there isn't really any reason other than comedy for the mythical Bonnacon to have been included.  And to get a contemporary slant on animals in comedy he speaks to Monkey, and Monkey's fellow comedian Nina Conti, who also has thoughts on why animals remain a source of humour.


Producer:  Tom Alban

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