TV series

Not Necessarily the News

1983–1987 · 8 seasons

A quick, silly half-hour of fake news bits and dubbed footage that plays like a playful, dated sketch show.

Overview: Not Necessarily the News is a satirical sketch comedy series that first aired on HBO in September 1982 as a comedy special, and then ran as a series from 1983 to 1990. It featured sketches, parody news items, commercial parodies, and humorous bits made from overdubbing or editing actual news footage. It was based on the British series, Not the Nine O'Clock News. Not Necessarily the News was also the birthplace of Rich Hall's sniglets.
How it feels: Satirical, absurd, light and cynical. Brisk and easy to follow.
About: Media, politics, celebrity, deception
Content: Mild sexual content and language. No violence or gore.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown

Tone: satiricalstrength 3 of 3
absurdstrength 2 of 3
lightstrength 2 of 3
cynicalstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: easy-watch, 2 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: media
politics
celebrity
deception
power
Places: None
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: mockumentary
anthology
ensemble
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence none
Sex mild