Comedian Harry Hill has accused the BBC and ITV of not “develop[ing] anything new or risky” – claiming one of his biggest TV shows would have been swiftly cancelled if it was made now.
The 61-year-old is known for shows including You’ve Been Framed and Harry Hill’s TV Burp, a comedic recap of the week’s TV, which aired from 2001 to 2012.
Reflecting on the hit show, Hill described TV Burp as “cheap to make”. He told the Beyond the Title podcast: “It took us two or three series to get TV Burp right. No one was keeping an eye on us, so somehow we managed to get away with that.
“We could easily have been cancelled after the first series and we would be now.”
Turning his attention to how commissioners operate today, he said: “It's not just ITV, BBC One is the same. The danger is everything becomes a bit bland.
“If you look at Saturday night schedules now, it’s celebrity quiz show, celebrity quiz show, celebrity quiz show, really. There’s some really funny ones, but you think, 'Really?'”
“It’s commercial TV, they’ve got to make money or they feel like they have to, so they don’t develop anything new or risky,” he continued. “Comedy is never right the first time. History is littered with it.
“You identify a spark in it and think, ‘We will get it right’.”
During its 11-year run on ITV, TV Burp won multiple accolades at the Bafta TV Awards and British Comedy Awards, and scored nominations at the National Television Awards.
The clip show saw Hill pick out unintentionally funny moments from the previous week’s television, create new comedy around existing clips, and often featured sketches inspired by some of the most popular programming.
Earlier this year, he addressed the possibility of reviving the show – telling Radio Times that he doesn’t want to front another series, but would love to see another star in the hot seat.
When asked about a possible TV Burp revival, he replied: “These things are best left undone. We did all the jokes.
“Trying to recreate that, I’d be on a hiding to nothing, but I’d love someone else to do it. There’s a space for that sort of show, and I’m surprised no one’s filled it.”
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