#100 Flipside TV

Above is a clip for the pilot episode of Flipside TV, which first appeared on our screens in 2003. The format is from the web-site Idea A Day (People come up with an idea and send it in like "Invent an alarm clock that scans local weather and traffic and adjusts your wake up time accordingly") The idea was quite simple; a presenter and three guest are given remote controls and their own television equipped with Sky Digital and let the presenter know if they discover anything interesting. They would then go on to comment / take the piss out of the show as it was broadcast live. It only managed to survive a two week run on Channel 4 and an extended run on Paramount the following year after first being broadcast on the defunct Nation 217.

Now on paper this might sound like an awful excuse for a television programme and a list of regular presenters / guests (Iain Lee, Richard Bacon, Justin Lee Collins, Alan Carr, Karl Pilikington and Victor from Big Brother 4) might also fill you with dread and may smack of the "We're so good at telly" executives from The Armando Iannucci Shows. Worry not, it's post-pub timing (it's actual starting time varied throughout it's run) meant it served the purpose that all students / wasters etc. need on returning from a few drinks and that is to mindlessly flip around looking for the very worst of late night drivel and dreck that Sky and their 500+ channels can muster. I'm sure we all know that feeling. It even once reminded me that The Sopranos was on E4, I'd seen it before but that didn't matter.

Here are some more random clips from the show (WARNING contains a clip of Iain Lee gyrating to Dr. and The Medics "Spirit In The Sky" in front of John McCririck.)



I've read a few rumours that it could be coming back on our screens soon and I, for one, welcome it with open arms. Especially if it retains more of the spirit of the original pilots and it's time slot of 8pm, which enabled the guests to talk about more interesting shows and get away with some things that a larger channel couldn't.

and if they let me go on.