Kermode and Mayo's Film Review#Related productions

File:Kermode and mayo.jpg

Kermode and Mayo first appeared together on BBC Radio 1 in the 1990s. The full programme started on Radio 5 Live in 2001, as a "short review segment" on the Friday episode of Mayo's weekday afternoon show.{{ cite web|url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/may/27/radio-review-kermode-and-mayo-film-review | title= Radio review: Kermode and Mayo's Film Review | first= Johnny |last= Dee | date= 27 May 2011 | work= The Guardian| quote=And in radio terms a 10-year double act is something worth celebrating – especially when it has grown from a short review segment into a two-hour show and survived Mayo's move to Radio 2 (he returns each week in order to keep their show together going).| access-date=2011-11-11 }} Upon reuniting on Radio 5 Live, their relationship continued just as it had on Radio 1, with Kermode recalling his first words may have been "another thing".

In 2005, a podcast version of Kermode and Mayo's programme was made available. According to Brett Spencer, who worked for Radio 5 Live at the time, it was downloaded 42 times in the first week.

In 2009 the show received a Sony Radio Academy Award.

When Mayo started presenting BBC Radio 2's weekday drivetime programme, the movie reviews were kept on 5 Live, and expanded to two hours to become a show in its own right from 14:00 every Friday. In June 2011, it was announced that BBC had signed a two-year agreement for the programme to be produced by Somethin' Else Sound Directions;{{Cite web|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/somethin-else-to-produce-kermode-and-mayo-film-show/5028277.article|title = Somethin' else to produce Kermode and Mayo film show}} the company was selected following a competitive process that also included pitches from Hidden Flack,{{cite news|title=Radio 5 Live's Kermode and Mayo film show moves to independent producer|url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/jun/01/kermode-mayo-moves-somethin-else |work=The Guardian|access-date=3 June 2011| location=London| first=John| last=Plunkett|date=1 June 2011}} the talent management and production company whose clients include Kermode and Nigel Floyd{{cite web| url= http://www.hiddenflack.co.uk/ |title=Hidden Flack's official website | access-date=2011-10-23}} The change after ten years was part of an effort by the BBC to have more of its radio shows produced from outside production companies. The change became effective 7 October 2011; as of that date Simon Poole was the show's producer, Robin Bulloch was its editor, and Rowan Woods was the guest booker. As of July 2019, Simon Poole was the show's editor. Somethin' Else announced its intention to "'build the profile of the Kermode and Mayo brand online' with more podcast downloads and a 'new digital strategy'."

{{As of|2014|March}}, the programme had an average audience of 585,000 listeners, with a further 241,000 people listening to the podcast and 230,000 watching the programme's YouTube channel.{{Cite news|url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/opinion/ian-burrell-the-natural-home-for-film-radio-5-lives-kermode--mayo-9168887.html|title = The natural home for film? Radio |last = Burrell|first = Ian|date = 3 March 2014|work = The Independent|access-date = 3 September 2014}}

For the month of August 2014 the podcast was downloaded 1.6 million times, a monthly BBC Radio milestone exceeded only by The Archers. {{As of|2014|October}} the show was fourth on the BBC list of most-downloaded shows of the past decade, with 50.6 million.

On 11 March 2022, Kermode and Mayo announced that the show would be coming to an end on 5 Live, saying "21 years is a long time to be clogging up the schedules. We - and no one else - have decided to step away". Their last edition aired on 1 April{{cite web |last=Brew |first=Simon |date=11 March 2022 |title=Wittertainment is to end after 21 years, Simon Mayo announces |url=https://www.filmstories.co.uk/news/wittertainment-is-to-end-after-21-years-simon-mayo-announces/ |website=Film Stories}} with Mayo leaving the BBC after 40 years. Kermode and Mayo's Film Review on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 1 April 2022 Immediately after coming off air, their new podcast Kermode and Mayo's Take was announced by Somethin' Else (now part of Sony Music Entertainment's Global Podcast Division). This replacement review show, launched in May 2022, includes discussions about television series as well as films, with the Take 2 version of the podcast being exclusive to subscribers.{{Cite web|url=https://somethinelse.com/news/introducing-kermode-mayos-take-a-new-podcast-with-mark-kermode-and-simon-mayo/|title=» Introducing 'Kermode & Mayo's Take', a new podcast with Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo}}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-01 |title=Kermode and Mayo take their film review to Sony Music |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/04/kermode-and-mayo-take-their-film-review-to-sony-music/ |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=RadioToday |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |date=2022-04-01 |title=Kermode and Mayo have announced where film review show will move to |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/kermode-mayo-moving-bbc-podcast-b2049107.html |access-date=2022-04-03 |website=The Independent |language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/217050/mark-kermode-and-simon-mayo-move-to-podcasting-wit|title = Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo Move to Podcasting with New Show for Sony Music Entertainment}}

The first hour of the show normally began with a run-down of the week's top ten films, with brief comments or capsule reviews from Kermode for films he had seen; Mayo read comments and reviews from listeners on all of the films. The rest of the first hour featured live or pre-recorded interviews with guests, usually actors or directors promoting an upcoming release. The second hour was devoted to full reviews of recently released films. A number of different additional features were included throughout the 21 years of the show's history, with WTF (What's That Film), where Kermode tries to name a half-remembered film, being the last weekly regular feature of this kind on the show.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0bty6rt|title = BBC Radio 5 Live - Kermode and Mayo's Film Review, Sean Baker, Red Rocket, Turning Red, Wolf, Feast, the Seed, Great Freedom and the Adam Project, WTF - 11th March 2022| date=11 March 2022 }}

Towards the end of the programme Kermode identified the "best film to watch that week" on British free-to-air television channels and 'TV Movie So Bad it's Bad'. In the 2010s, Kermode noticed that the quality of some of the films broadcast by the channel 5Star had been "substandard"Kermode and Mayo's Film Review on BBC Radio 5 Live, various episode dates to Friday 17 September 2021 to 1 April 2022 with many titles due to be broadcast on the channel picking up that week's 'TV Movie So Bad it's Bad' award. The final film picked for this feature was Grown Ups, an Adam Sandler film which was due to be broadcast at 5:10pm on 2 April 2022 on 5Star.Kermode and Mayo's Film Review on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds from 1 April 2022 At the end of each show Kermode identified his "Film of the Week" from the ones reviewed that week. In February 2012, a new "DVD of the week" feature started, with Kermode identifying noteworthy DVD releases during the programme.

Throughout each show Kermode and Mayo engaged in "on-air sparring" that was compared to a "bickering married couple"; the decade-long partnership included numerous in-jokes and ongoing arguments.{{cite web|title=Mayo and Kermode celebrate a decade at 5 Live |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/blogs/1320-kermode-and-mayo-celebrate-a-decade-at-5-live/ |work=Radio Times |access-date=3 June 2011 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Kermode's negative reviews are referred to by the presenters and fans as "Kermodean rants".

Various actors made multiple appearances on the show, particularly Jason Isaacs, Michael Sheen and David Morrissey, and were referred to as Friends of the Show. During each programme, a number of these friends were greeted in a list, beginning 'And hello to...'. Jason Isaacs is always the first on the list, having been a school friend of Kermode, but other people named in the past include Michael Sheen, David Morrissey, Stephen Fry and various English folk groups.

When searching for "Jason Isaacs" on Google UK the phrase "Hello to Jason Isaacs" appears before the search results.{{cite web|title=Google UK says 'Hello to Jason Isaacs'|url=http://crave.cnet.co.uk/software/google-uk-says-hello-to-jason-isaacs-50006945/|work=cnet.co.uk|access-date=27 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217141440/http://crave.cnet.co.uk/software/google-uk-says-hello-to-jason-isaacs-50006945/|archive-date=17 February 2012|url-status=dead}} The phrase has also made an appearance on The Jay Leno Show, having been inserted into various on-screen graphics,{{cite web |title=Jay Leno says Hello to Jason Isaacs |url=http://www.the-medium-is-not-enough.com/2012/02/jay_leno_says_hello_to_jason_isaacs.php|work=The Medium is not Enough |date=14 February 2012|access-date=27 February 2012}} whilst Isaacs was a guest on the podcast version of the final episode, added to BBC Sounds on 1 April 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0015t2v|title = BBC Radio 5 Live - Kermode and Mayo's Film Review, Daniel Radcliffe and Sandra Bullock talk about the Lost City. Plus reviews of the Bad Guys, Morbius, True Things & Sonic 2}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b00lvdrj|title = BBC Sounds - Kermode and Mayo's Film Review - Available Episodes}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0015t2v|title=Kermode and Mayo's Film Review - Daniel Radcliffe and Sandra Bullock talk about the Lost City. Plus reviews of the Bad Guys, Morbius, True Things & Sonic 2. - BBC Sounds}}

Alternative presenters when Kermode and Mayo were away: the most regular replacements for Kermode were former Radio 1 critic James King, and Boyd Hilton (television and review editor of Heat magazine){{cite web|title=Boyd Hilton |url=http://unitedagents.co.uk/boyd-hilton |work=Boyd Hilton, United Agents |publisher=United Agents |access-date=31 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017015407/http://unitedagents.co.uk/boyd-hilton |archive-date=17 October 2011 }} and Nigel Floyd (film critic for Time Out magazine), commonly referred to as Boyd & Floyd.

Later stand-in reviewers included Daily Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin, Radio Times film editor Andrew Collins, Independent contributor Clarisse Loughrey and film programmer and writer Anna Bogutskaya.

Replacements for Mayo have included Al Murray, Colin Paterson, Zoe Ball, David Morrissey, Jo Whiley, Colin Murray, Edith Bowman, Richard Bacon, Ben Bailey Smith and Sanjeev Bhaskar.

Alongside the regular show there were a number of special broadcasts. These included an annual 'Review of the Year' show, pre-recorded and broadcast on New Year's Eve, during which Kermode named his best and worst films of the year, a Christmas Quiz, broadcast on Christmas Eve with special guests and recorded with a live audience, and occasional outside broadcasts (for example, from the Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley,{{cite web|title=Kermode, Mayo and Aaron Sorkin hit Phoenix Cinema|url=http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/kermode_mayo_and_aaron_sorkin_hit_phoenix_cinema_1_676515|work=Ham & High|date=8 October 2010|access-date=3 June 2011|archive-date=17 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017051658/http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/kermode_mayo_and_aaron_sorkin_hit_phoenix_cinema_1_676515|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo at The Phoenix |url=http://www.phoenixcinema.co.uk/news/2011/05/mark-kermode-and-simon-mayo-at-the-phoenix/ |work=phoenixcinema.co.uk |access-date=3 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927182954/http://www.phoenixcinema.co.uk/news/2011/05/mark-kermode-and-simon-mayo-at-the-phoenix/ |archive-date=27 September 2011 }} a 2009 broadcast from the Edinburgh International Film Festival,{{cite web|title=Radio 5 Live's Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode present Wittertainment at its most Wittertaining |url=http://www.list.co.uk/event/181453-radio-5-lives-simon-mayo-and-mark-kermode-present-wittertainment-at-its-most-wittertaining/ |work=list.co.uk |access-date=15 June 2011 }}{{dead link|date=May 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} or during sporting events when Mayo's show comes from the location of the event).

On its 10th anniversary, the show was broadcast from the new BBC MediaCityUK in Salford, featuring film music played by the BBC Philharmonic.{{cite web|title=BBC Philharmonic Presents... Great Film Scores LIVE with Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo for BBC R5 Live|url=http://www.bafta.org/event.html?Pevent=com.othermedia.bafta.model.BaftaEvent-L-6199177 |work=bafta.org|access-date=3 June 2011}} As part of the performance of the score from Midnight Cowboy, Kermode played the harmonica solo with the orchestra after volunteering at the roundtable discussion, not realising the part required the chromatic harmonica rather than the diatonic harmonica, the instrument he plays.{{cite web|title=BBC Philharmonic Great Film Scores|url=http://www.heyuguys.co.uk/2011/06/15/bbc-philharmonic-great-film-scores/|work=heyuguys.co.uk|date=15 June 2011|access-date=15 June 2011}}{{cite web|title=Mark Kermode Midnight Cowboy harmonica session|url=http://underwurld-music.blogspot.com/2011/06/mark-kermode-midnight-cowboy-harmonica.html|work=underwurld-music.blogspot.com|date=4 June 2011|access-date=15 June 2011}} After the broadcast on Radio 5 finished, there was more discussion and music on sister station BBC Radio 3 later that evening.{{cite web|title=The BBC Philharmonic Play Music from Your Favouite Films|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011pptk |publisher=BBC |access-date=3 June 2011}} The music for the broadcast was chosen by guests for a special roundtable discussion, released as a bonus podcast, except for one decision (between the music for Jaws and Indiana Jones) which was opened to the public for a text vote with the winner (Indiana Jones) being announced on Friday 27 May.{{cite web|last=Collins|first=Andrew|title=Five Angry Men and One Woman|url=http://wherediditallgorightblog.wordpress.com/2011/05/25/five-angry-men-and-one-woman/|work=wherediditallgorightblog.wordpress.com|date=25 May 2011|access-date=3 June 2011}} The guests for the roundtable discussion were Andrew Collins, Paloma Faith, Richard Wigley and Robert Ziegler.

Other 10th Anniversary extras, during a month of special programming (in May and June 2011), include a 'Best of', broadcast on 29 May 2011, presented by Hugh Bonneville, an appearance on the Richard Bacon show on 31 May 2011 discussing the beginning of the partnership and four online videos.{{cite web|title=The A-Z of Wittertainment|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2011/05/ten-years-wittertainment.shtml|work=BBC|access-date=17 June 2011}}

In 2010, Kermode and Mayo developed a Cinema Code of Conduct, which was presented as a guide to cinema-goers as to the best way to behave while watching a film.{{cite web|title=Kermode and Mayo's Cinema Code of Conduct |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b_g1aRMW7Y|work=YouTube | date=19 November 2010 |publisher=kermodeandmayo}} During the development of the Code, listeners were invited to submit suggestions for what should be included.

The Cinema Code of Conduct consists of the following rules:

{{div col}}

• No Eating anything harder than a soft roll
• No Slurping
• No Rustling
• No Irresponsible Parenting
• No Hobbies
• No Talking
• No Mobile Phone Usage
• No Kicking of Seats
• No Arriving Late
• No Shoe Removal (except where culturally appropriate, such as in Japan)

{{div col end}}

Kermode and Mayo have also appeared on The Culture Show with a segment called 'The Screening Room', held in various locations, where films were discussed with an audience before clips of those films were shown.{{cite web|title=The Culture Show – new and improved? |url=http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/the-culture-show-new-and-improved |work=wordmagazine.co.uk |access-date=3 June 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727025747/http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/the-culture-show-new-and-improved |archive-date=27 July 2011 }} Kermode also had a video blog on the BBC website, called 'Kermode Uncut', where he invited discussion from viewers and often continued or began discussions which related back to the radio show.{{cite web|title=Kermode Uncut, Mark Kermode's Film blog|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode/|publisher=BBC |access-date= 2011-06-03}} The blog came to an end in December 2018.{{cite web |title=BBC Blogs - Kermode Uncut |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/markkermode |website=BBC|date=28 December 2018 }}

During his review of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Kermode made a passing comment that it was so similar to the Harry Potter franchise it might as well be called 'Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins'.{{cite web|title=Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins| url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1765716/|work=IMDb|access-date=3 June 2011}} Listener Jeremy Dylan then took this title and produced posters, a trailer and, eventually, an independent film based on the concept, with Stephen Fry as narrator.{{cite web|title=Jeremy Dylan interview: Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/772525/jeremy_dylan_interview_benjamin_sniddlegrass_and_the_cauldron_of_penguins.html| work= denofgeek.com|date=15 February 2011| publisher= Dennis Publishing| access-date=2011-06-03}} Following the basic structure of the Harry Potter books, where the main character discovers special abilities and goes to a special school, the script contains a multitude of references to Wittertainment jokes and themes.{{cite web| title= Super Mega Special Review: Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins| url= http://www.i-flicks.net/reviews/2236/2236| work= i-flicks.net (blog)| access-date= 2011-06-03| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110208064548/http://www.i-flicks.net/reviews/2236/2236| archive-date= 8 February 2011| url-status= dead}}

In 2015, Kermode and Mayo co-authored a book called The Movie Doctors, published by Canongate Books.{{cite web| title= The Movie Doctors |url=https://canongate.co.uk/books/2297-the-movie-doctors/ |website=Canongate |access-date=25 October 2018}}{{cite web |title=The Movie Doctors |website=COPAC |url=https://copac.jisc.ac.uk/search?title=the%20movie%20doctors&rn=1 |access-date=25 October 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} The title is a reference to a joke on the radio show regarding Mark Kermode being a 'real' Doctor, having been awarded a PhD from the University of Manchester in 1991, while Simon Mayo is a 'fake' doctor, having become Doctor of Letters after receiving an honorary degree from the University of Warwick in 2005.{{cite web| title= University of Warwick Awards Ten Honorary Degrees |url=https://warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/ne1000000109101/ |website=University of Warwick |access-date=25 October 2018}}

In April 2020, the BBC commissioned a six-part television show titled Kermode and Mayo's Home Entertainment Service to be broadcast on BBC Four to cover film and television available to stream during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web|title=Confirmed: Wittertainment is heading to television next month| url= https://www.filmstories.co.uk/news/confirmed-wittertainment-is-heading-to-television-next-month/|work=filmstories.co.uk| date= 27 April 2020|access-date=14 May 2020}}

File:Mark Kermode, Simon Mayo, Robin Bulloch (41363130015).jpg

• Gold Speech award, Sony Awards 2009{{cite news|title=News Media Radio industry Sony Radio Academy Awards 2009: Full list of winners|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/may/12/sony-award-winners| work= The Guardian |location=UK|access-date=3 June 2011|date=12 May 2009}}
• Best Specialist Contributor, Mark Kermode, Sony Awards 2010{{cite web |title=The Sony Awards, Winners 2010 |url=http://www.radioawards.org/winners/2010/personality-awards/best-specialist-contributor/ |work=radioawards.org |access-date=2011-06-03 |archive-date=21 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521180617/http://www.radioawards.org/winners/2010/personality-awards/best-specialist-contributor/ |url-status=dead }}
• Listener's Choice Award, British Podcast Awards 2017{{cite web|title=British Podcast Awards Winners 2017 / April 30 2017|url=https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/blog/2017/4/30/british-podcast-awards-winners|work=britishpodcastawards.com|access-date=2017-04-30|archive-date=2 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602213846/https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/blog/2017/4/30/british-podcast-awards-winners|url-status=dead}}
• Listener's Choice Award, British Podcast Awards 2018{{cite web|title=British Podcast Awards Winners 2018 / May 19 2018|url=https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/winners-2018-2/|work=britishpodcastawards.com|access-date=2018-06-22|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709100405/https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/winners-2018-2/|url-status=dead}}

• List of film and television podcasts

{{Reflist|30em|refs=

{{cite news|title=How We Met: Simon Mayo & Mark Kermode| url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-simon-mayo--mark-kermode-1654124.html |work=The Independent |location=UK|access-date=2011-06-03|date=29 March 2009}}

{{cite news|title=Toasting the odd couple of film: Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo| url= https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2011/may/26/mark-kermode-simon-mayo-five-live|work= The Guardian |location=UK| access-date= 2011-06-03| first= Johnny|last=Dee|date=27 May 2011}}

{{cite web|title=Lights, camera etc. |date=21 September 2011 |url=http://www.somethinelse.com/2011/09/21/lights-camera-etc/ |work=Somethin' Else Sound Directions |access-date=2011-10-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109121740/http://www.somethinelse.com/2011/09/21/lights-camera-etc/ |archive-date= 9 November 2011 }}

{{cite web| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/9545533.stm | title= Podcasts: Who still listens to them? | date= 23 July 2011 | first=Alex |last=Hudson |work= Click | publisher= BBC News | access-date=2012-05-16}}

{{cite web|title=Cinema Code of Conduct|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/films/code_of_conduct.jpg| format=JPG | publisher=BBC 5 Live |access-date=2011-06-03}}

{{cite news|title=Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode: 'Everybody thinks we'd be great on TV'| url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/nov/09/simon-mayo-mark-kermode-film-movie-review-bbc-radio-5-live|work= The Guardian |location=UK| access-date= 2015-03-31| first= John |last=Plunkett|date=9 November 2014}}

{{cite news|title= The Archers tops BBC podcast list| url= https://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/oct/15/the-archers-bbc-podcast-list-radio-4|work= The Guardian |location=UK| access-date= 2015-03-31| first= John |last=Plunkett|date=15 October 2014 }}

}}

• {{BBC programme}}
• {{YouTube|user=kermodeandmayo|Kermode and Mayo's Film Review}}

{{BBC Radio 5 Live}}

Category:BBC Radio 5 Live programmes

Category:Film criticism radio series

Category:2001 radio programme debuts

Category:Internet properties established in 2005

Category:Audio podcasts

Category:British podcasts

Category:2022 radio programme endings

Category:2000s British radio programmes

Category:2010s British radio programmes

Category:2020s British radio programmes