The Last Leg
{{Short description|British TV topical comedy talk show}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{EngvarB|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox television
| image = The Last Leg.jpg
| genre = {{plainlist|
- Late-night chat show
- News/political satire/sport (during Paralympics)
}}
| runtime = {{plainlist|
- 40{{nbsp}}minutes (series 1)
- 30–50{{nbsp}}minutes (series 2–5)
- 60–120{{nbsp}}minutes (from series 6)
}}
| creator =
| executive_producer = Andrew Beint and Danny Carr
| location = {{Plainlist|
- Riverside Studios (2012–2014, 2022)
- The London Studios (2014–2018)
- TC1, Television Centre (2018–2021, 2023){{cite web |title=The Last Leg |url=https://bbcstudioworks.com/credit/the-last-leg/ |publisher=BBC Studioworks |access-date=13 January 2019 }}
- Elstree Studios (2020–2021){{Cite tweet |user=ElstreeStudio |number=1367893883640745986 |date=5 March 2021 |title=Last episode of this series of @TheLastLeg tonight from Elstree Studios! @Channel4 at 10pm |link=https://twitter.com/ElstreeStudios/status/1367893883640745986}}
- BBC Elstree Centre (2023)
}}
| presenter = {{plainlist|
}}
| opentheme = "Harder Than You Think" by Public Enemy
| language = English
| country = United Kingdom
| network = Channel 4
| first_aired = {{Start date|df=y|2012|8|30}}
| last_aired = present
| num_series = 30
| num_episodes = 323
| list_episodes = List of The Last Leg episodes
| company = Open Mike Productions
}}
The Last Leg (known during its first series as The Last Leg with Adam Hills and in Australia as Adam Hills: The Last Leg) is a British late-night television humorous talk/sketch show that originally ran alongside the 2012 Summer Paralympics every night following the main coverage on Channel 4. Anchored by Australian comedian Adam Hills and co-hosted by Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker,{{cite news |title = Ned Boulting: Alex Brooker deserves a medal for his Paralympic performance| work = Metro| first= Ned |last=Boulting| date = 2 September 2012| url = http://metro.co.uk/2012/09/02/ned-boulting-alex-brooker-deserves-a-medal-for-his-paralympic-performance-562845/| access-date = 19 September 2012}} it gives a review of the week's events.{{cite news| title = The Last Leg with Adam Hills and The Kindness of Strangers: TV picks| work = Metro| date = 30 August 2012| url = http://www.metro.co.uk/tv/910042-the-last-leg-with-adam-hills-and-the-kindness-of-strangers-tv-picks| access-date = 8 September 2012}}
Featuring a mix of comedy, guests and Paralympics highlights, the show received strong reviews and regularly pulled in more than a million viewers each night of the Paralympic Games.{{cite news|title=Channel 4's Paralympics coverage boosted by Pistorius controversy|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/sep/03/paralympics-2012-pistorius-c4-ratings|first=Jason |last=Deans|work=The Guardian|date=3 September 2012|access-date=19 September 2012}} It has since become a weekly show giving a humorous alternative look back at the week's events. Outside of the UK, the show is broadcast in Hills' native Australia by the ABC, albeit delayed until the Tuesday of the next week and with a different theme tune.{{cite web |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/aussie-comedian-adam-hills-says-he-never-set-out-to-go-on-a-rant/news-story/48f23971633f06f6cde3a664c6777501 |title=Aussie comedian Adam Hills says he never set out to 'go on a rant' |last=Brain |first=Anna |date=14 November 2015 |website=news.com.au|access-date=7 December 2019}}{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/28/adam-hills-announces-break-from-abc-tv-show |title=Adam Hills quits as ABC TV host, saying he's 'running out of funny' |last=Davidson |first=Helen |date=28 November 2013 |website=theguardian.com|access-date=7 December 2019}}
Format
=Overview=
The Last Leg is described by main presenter Adam Hills as "Three guys with four legs talking about the week",{{cite web|last=Millar|first=Benjamin|url=http://www.theweeklyreviewmooneevalley.com.au/story/1524987/adam-hills-star-continues-to-shine/life-style|title=Adam Hills' star continues to shine|date=27 May 2013|work=The Weekly Review|access-date=2 August 2014}} because Hills was born without a right foot and Brooker had his right leg amputated when he was a baby.
The original series, broadcast during the 2012 Paralympics, was a look back at each day's events during the competition, as well as a look at the news that week. Following on from the Paralympics, the series became weekly, and looks at political and other events in the news that week, as well as covering Paralympic matters. The show features guest interviews with Paralympians and celebrities.
Originally it was intended to be broadcast on More4 at midnight and was intended to feature Hills alone, hence the original title. However, after a run-through, Channel 4 saw more potential and put the show on at 10 pm every day. During the pilot, which saw Hills alone as presenter and Widdicombe and Brooker merely as guests, producers decided to keep Brooker and Widdicombe as recurring co-presenters.{{Cite web |title=Exclusive – Adam Hills on The Last Leg's future, favourite guests over the years and filming without a studio audience |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/adam-hills-the-last-leg-return-exclusive/ |access-date=2022-12-15 |website=Radio Times |language=en}}
The series is broadcast live and encourages interaction with the viewers at home, holding polls via Twitter using hashtags. A recurring theme in the show is the use of the hashtag #isitok to highlight questions from Twitter users to be asked in the show. Initially it was for asking questions about disability that people felt awkward asking: the broadening of the show's remit is reflected in the questions asked in this stream.{{cite web|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2013/03/29/17530/is_twitter_killing_topical_comedy%3F# |title=Is Twitter killing topical comedy? |publisher=Chortle |date=29 March 2013 |access-date=19 September 2013}}
The show originally was broadcast from the Riverside Studios in London. It would later move to the ITV London Studios on London's South Bank. From series 14, it is now made in Studio TC1 at the BBC Studios in Television Centre, West London, which is operated and run by BBC Studioworks,{{cite web|url=https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/tech/the-last-leg-and-love-island-spin-off-move-studios/5129706.article|title=The Last Leg and Love Island spin-off move studios|first=Tim|last=Dams2018-05-29T14:07:00+01:00|website=Broadcast}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbcstudioworks.com/open-mike-productions-itv-studios-bring-summer-live-bbc-studioworks/ |title=The Last Leg and Love Island: Aftersun – BBC Studioworks |access-date=22 June 2018 |archive-date=23 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623005109/https://www.bbcstudioworks.com/open-mike-productions-itv-studios-bring-summer-live-bbc-studioworks/ |url-status=dead }} though some 2020 episodes were made at Elstree Studios.
In late-April 2020, it was announced that The Last Leg would be "Locked Down Under" during the coronavirus lockdown. Hills, Widdicombe and Brooker would be hosting the show from their homes in Melbourne, London and Huddersfield taking social distancing to the extreme and looking at the week's news in a comedic manner. Guests including Miriam Margolyes and Stephen Merchant were featured using video relay, and each episode ended with a song from The Horne Section. The show ran for five episodes from 8 May until 5 June and is available on All 4 after broadcast.
The show is currently playing at Television Centre, London.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sroaudiences.com/shows.asp |title=sro audiences |date=24 September 2021 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924012349/https://www.sroaudiences.com/shows.asp |archive-date=24 September 2021 |url-status=dead}} The latest series aired in 2024.
=Recurring segments=
Recurring segments in the show include rants or attacks by Hills on certain people and organisations, which has since resulted in the coining of Hills' catchphrase: "Don't be a dick!" Another segment is "The Last 7 Days", in which Widdicombe looks at more comic news items that have occurred during the week, and Brooker's various attempts to qualify for the 2016 Summer Paralympics. Another is the "Bullshit Button", which was first used in a segment in which Brooker interviewed the then-Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg to see if Clegg could persuade him to vote in the 2015 UK general election. Brooker would press a large red buzzer that played an audio recording of him saying the word "Bullshit" if he thought Clegg was lying during the interviews.{{Cite web |last=Rifkind |first=Hugo |date=5 February 2015 |title=How Alex Brooker made political interviews interesting again |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/how-alex-brooker-made-political-interviews-interesting-again/ |access-date=2023-08-15 |website=The Spectator |language=en-US}} Since then, the buzzer has been used in various situations whenever the show thinks someone is lying, and additional buzzers during various seasons have been added including phrases like "A shite in shining armour" and "A turd the size of Disneyland Paris" by Armando Ianucci and "Fuck off" by Brian Cox.{{Citation |title=The Brand New Bullshit Buttons – The Last Leg |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBbgEcChtZA |access-date=2023-08-15 |language=en}}
=Dick of the Year=
| class="wikitable floatright plainrowheaders" style="width:400px; text-align:center;" | ||||
| Year | Dick of the Year | Second place | Third place | Steaming Turd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013
| Vladimir Putin || {{n/a |
|-
!2014
| Katie Hopkins || Nigel Farage
|-
!2015
| Jeremy Hunt || rowspan="2" |Donald Trump
|-
!2016
|2016
|-
!2017
|-
!2018
|-
!2019
|{{n/a|}}
|-
!2020
|-
!2021
|-
!2022
|-
!2023
|{{n/a|}}
|-
!2024
|Elon Musk || {{n/a|}} || rowspan=4 {{n/a|}} || rowspan=4 {{n/a|}}
|}
Since January 2014, The Last Leg has presented a mock prize to the "Dick of the Year", awarded for being the biggest dick over the previous year. Nominees are suggested by viewers on Twitter, as well as the hosts. The winner is voted on by the viewers using Twitter with the hashtag #dickoftheyear.
In January 2015, journalist Katie Hopkins received the most votes for 2014's "Dick of the Year" but Hills and the team making the show decided not to give Hopkins the prize on the grounds that she would enjoy receiving it. Thus, the prize went to the person with the second-highest number of votes, UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage.
In the 2016 Christmas special, the prize was awarded to whole of the year 2016, defeating Donald Trump, Nigel Farage and David Cameron.
In 2017, it was announced that the people who have come second and third in the "Dick of the Year" voting will be named "Ballbags of the Year". The "Steaming Turd" award was also created for Harvey Weinstein, who was ruled out of running for the main award on the grounds that it was possible that Weinstein may take "Dick of the Year" as a compliment.
In 2019, comedy writer Graham Linehan was the runaway favourite nominee by viewers to be given the award, in light of controversial comments he had made on social media about transgender people.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/12/11/graham-linehan-channel-4-dick-of-the-year-the-last-leg-transphobe/|title='King of the transphobes' Graham Linehan is dominating the nominations for Channel 4's D*ck of the Year|date=11 December 2019|website=PinkNews|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-12-13}} After Linehan expressed interest in winning the award, Hills and the team disqualified him from receiving the award under the precedent set by Hopkins in 2014. Another poll by the show also announced David Cameron as "Dick of the Decade".
In 2023, it was decided that multiple time nominee Vladimir Putin would be made a lifetime recipient.
In collaboration with YouTubers Josh Pieters and Archie Manners, The Last Leg presented Suella Braverman with her Dick of the Year 2023 award in person by inviting Braverman to a fake boat launch in her constituency.{{Citation |title=Suella Braverman collects ‘D*** Of The Year’ award in The Last Leg prank |date=16 December 2023 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/suella-braverman-last-leg-boat-b2465284.html |access-date=2023-12-16 |language=en}}
In 2024, the "Dick of The Year" moved online to the show's official Reddit page, where Elon Musk was chosen as the winner of the 2024 award.{{Citation |title=The Last Leg Reddit Dick of The Year 2024 Awards Ceremony: r/TheLastLeg |date=15 December 2024 |url= https://www.reddit.com/r/TheLastLeg/comments/1hf0xrm/the_last_leg_reddit_dick_of_the_year_2024_awards/|access-date=2024-12-28 |language=en}}
=Theme music=
The theme music is Public Enemy's "Harder Than You Think", which became the show's permanent theme after initially serving as the title music to the whole of Channel 4's 2012 Summer Paralympics coverage.{{cite web |first=Sophia |last=Heath |date=18 July 2012 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/9408389/London-2012-Paralympics-Channel-4-launches-Paralympic-Games-advert.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120719014423/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/9408389/London-2012-Paralympics-Channel-4-launches-Paralympic-Games-advert.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 July 2012 |title=London 2012 Paralympics: Channel 4 launches Paralympic Games advert |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=7 August 2013}}
Episodes
{{Main|List of The Last Leg episodes}}
File:The last leg title card.png
The first and ninth series were broadcast daily at the end of the day's Paralympics coverage on Channel 4. The second series was broadcast each Friday, with the show moving to Wednesday nights for its third series, before reverting to Friday nights for the fourth and fifth series.
In October 2012 it was announced that the show would return for a Christmas special titled The Last Leg of the Year and a second series, which began broadcasting in January 2013.{{cite web |url=http://www.paralympic.org/news/channel-4-s-last-leg-return |title=Channel 4's 'The Last Leg' to return |date=19 October 2012|publisher=International Paralympic Committee |access-date=26 January 2013}} A third and fourth series followed in July 2013 and January 2014 (timed around the 2014 Winter Paralympics) respectively. A fifth series started broadcasting in August 2014, followed by a sixth series in January 2015 and a seventh in June 2015.
After the seventh series, a special 2-part series entitled The Last Leg Goes Down Under was broadcast on 29 January and 5 February 2016, and preceded the start of series 8 on 12 February.{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/the-last-leg-goes-down-under-channel-4-can-josh-widdicombe-and-alex-brooker-survive-in-australia-a3168626.html|title=The Last Leg Goes Down Under, Channel 4: Can Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker survive in Australia with Adam Hills?|last=Travis|first=Ben|date=29 January 2016|work=London Evening Standard|access-date=29 January 2016}} Starting from series 8, the show was given a brand new set.
On 25 March 2016, in a parody of the Boaty McBoatface internet poll controversy, the show released the #renametheLastLeg hashtag on Twitter live on the set to allow viewers to choose a new name for the show. The show brought the number of choices down to the four most popular ones and then they released a Twitter poll to change the name of the programme for next week's final episode of the series. The poll received a total of 3,731 votes with the highest scoring programme name being "Your Mum" with a 30% vote.{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/TheLastLeg/status/713497533050433537 |title=Channel 4's 'The Last Leg' to change its name to 'Your Mum' following a Twitter poll.|publisher=The Last Leg |access-date=25 March 2016}}{{Primary source inline|date=March 2019}} The last episode of the series aired on 1 April 2016 and was called Your Mum. During one 2016 Summer Paralympics episode on 14 September 2016, host Adam Hills announced that the show was to be renamed again, this time in Paralympic athlete Libby Clegg's honour. The remainder of that show was called The Fast Clegg.
The show aired a two-hour special entitled Re-United Kingdom dedicated to MP Jo Cox on 16 June 2017 (the anniversary of her death). Featuring dozens of comedians and politicians, the show aimed to inspire the public to resolve animosity between people they had fallen out with. Politicians appeared in pre-recorded skits where they were stuck in a lift with another politician they disliked, and found common ground; some members of the public who had resolved arguments with each other were shown in a hot tub together.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/last-leg-re-united-kingdom-review-emotive-tribute-jo-cox-necessary/|title=The Last Leg Re-United Kingdom review: both an emotive tribute to Jo Cox and necessary feel-good escapism|work=The Daily Telegraph|last=Power|first=Ed|date=17 June 2017}}
Following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday 8 September 2022, it was announced that there would be no new episode that Friday. This was not due to any regulations, but was rather a choice made by those involved with the show, with Adam Hills breaking the news on Twitter: "It just doesn’t feel right".{{Cite tweet |user=adamhillscomedy |url=https://twitter.com/adamhillscomedy/status/1568168503068221441 |number=1568168503068221441 |access-date=2023-05-09 |title=We’ve decided not to do an episode of @thelastleg tonight |url-status=live |archive-date=9 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909150310/https://twitter.com/adamhillscomedy/status/1568168503068221441 |language=en}} The show the next week was a tribute to Her Majesty, without the typical broad coverage of the week's news.
Reception
Adam Hills was quoted as saying "If the Paralympics is covered well, it can change the way Jim Davidson looks at and treats people with disabilities".{{cite news|title=Language, laughter and Paralympics|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/mind-your-language/2012/sep/06/language-laughter-paralympics|first=Gary |last=Nunn|newspaper=The Guardian |date= 6 September 2012|access-date= 19 September 2012}} The Daily Mirror described The Last Leg as "a real success".{{cite news|url= https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/bbc-and-channel-4s-superb-coverage-1317685|title=TV gold: BBC and Channel 4's superb coverage of Olympics and Paralympics show's there's life in the old telly box yet |author=Mark Jefferies|work= Daily Mirror|date= 10 September 2012|access-date= 19 September 2012}} Veteran TV pundit Clive James said: "Taken as a whole, the Channel 4 coverage of the Paralympics was very good, but almost the best part of it was The Last Leg, the discussion show at the end of each day".{{cite news|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/9539342/Clive-James-on...-The-Last-Leg-Parades-End-The-Culture-Show-Darwins-Struggle-the-Evolution-of-the-Origin-of-the-Species-Treasures-of-Ancient-Rome-and-Dallas.html|title=Clive James on... The Last Leg, Parade's End, The Culture Show, Darwin's Struggle: the Evolution of the Origin of the Species, Treasures of Ancient Rome and Dallas |author-link=Clive James |first=Clive |last=James|work= The Daily Telegraph|date= 15 September 2012|access-date= 19 September 2012}}
The programme provoked a discussion in the media about whether disability and comedy could work together on TV.{{cite news |title=Australian comedian Adam Hills: 'I was born without a foot. Dull. Move on' |url= https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2012/aug/24/adam-hills-comedian-disability-tv-paralympics|first=Emine |last=Saner|newspaper=The Guardian|date= 24 August 2012|access-date= 19 September 2012}} The Independent described it as "a high risk venture" saying that Hills "reminds us frequently that he has a prosthetic leg, giving him licence to crack jokes that most of us wouldn't dream of."{{cite news|title= Sport on TV: When it comes to jokes Hills holds the moral high ground |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/sport-on-tv-when-it-comes-to-jokes-hills-holds-the-moral-high-ground-8100697.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/sport-on-tv-when-it-comes-to-jokes-hills-holds-the-moral-high-ground-8100697.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |first=Andrew| last=Tong|newspaper=The Independent|date= 2 September 2012|access-date= 19 September 2012}} Frances Ryan, for The Guardian, described it as "often tasteless, sometimes awkward, always funny".{{cite news|title= The Last Leg: often tasteless, sometimes awkward, always funny |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2012/sep/05/the-last-leg-tasteless-awkward-funny |first=Frances |last=Ryan|newspaper=The Guardian|date= 5 September 2012|access-date= 19 September 2012}} Damon Rose for BBC News said that "Comedian Adam Hills' late night irreverent Para-chat show The Last Leg – a title reflecting Adam's lack of a segment of his lower limb – has taken mainstream viewers to dark and delightfully surprising places that only disability humour can go. And it has given a sense of permission for regular viewers to talk openly about things they may previously have shied away from".{{cite news|title= Paralympics legacy: Seize the momentum |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19536138 |first=Damon |last=Rose |publisher=BBC News|date= 9 September 2012|access-date= 19 September 2012}}
Brooker's 2015 interview with Nick Clegg for the programme was described by political journalist Hugo Rifkind as "a model of how to talk normally to a politician – and make them talk normally back".{{cite web |url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/2015/02/the-magic-button-that-makes-political-interviews-worth-watching/ |title=How Alex Brooker made political interviews interesting again |last=Rifkind |first=Hugo|author-link=Hugo Rifkind |date=7 February 2015 |newspaper=The Spectator |access-date=16 September 2016}}
Awards and nominations
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=3330720|title=The Last Leg}}
- [http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-last-leg The Last Leg] on Channel 4
- {{British Comedy Guide|tv|the_last_leg}}
- {{twitter|TheLastLeg}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Last Leg, The}}
Category:2010s British satirical television series
Category:2010s British television talk shows
Category:2012 British television series debuts
Category:2012 Summer Paralympics
Category:2020s British satirical television series
Category:2020s British television talk shows
Category:British sports television series
Category:British English-language television shows
Category:Television series impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic