As It Occurs To Me
Encyclopedia
As It Occurs To Me is an internet comedy sketch and stand-up show written and performed by Richard Herring
and co-starring Dan Tetsell
, TV's Emma Kennedy
and Christian Reilly. It has been performed since 2009 at the Leicester Square Theatre and occasionally at the Bloomsbury Theatre and is available as a podcast through the British Comedy Guide website. The show has so far run to three series, including three specials. Herring has stated that the third series will be the last.
to the Radio Academy
at Millbank, London in November 2008. There he argued that the advent of podcasting meant it was no longer necessary for comedians to have to air their material via television or radio stations and that the "do it yourself" nature of the internet meant greater creative control. Having to answer to broadcasters had hindered many of Herring's earlier projects and the controversy surrounding Russell Brand
and Jonathan Ross
's "Sachsgate" scandal had meant that rules had been tightened even further. Having mentioned this hypothetically to the Radio Academy, Herring decided to pioneer the idea the following year. While the show is free to download, there is an admission fee to attend the recording in order to cover costs.
Radio 2
show That Was Then, This Is Now
(or TWTTIN) featuring four of the five stars of that show. Whereas the format of TWTTIN was based around historical events of the week of broadcast, AIOTM is based around events or ideas which have occurred to Richard Herring that week; the show usually being written the weekend prior to performance. Herring's habit of turning his show titles into acronyms is continued in As It Occurs To Me, which has the abbreviation "AIOTM", which is repeated by the audience every time it is said on stage. The show is recorded live and put out as a podcast unedited, retaining any mistakes and ad-libs. The rough nature of the show is frequently referred to in the show itself.
An element which sets AIOTM apart from TWTTIN are sections where Kennedy, Tetsell and Reilly ad-lib, sharing their week's stories during the introduction, and also a section towards the end where the Herring asks the audience to share what has happened to them that week, with varying degrees of success depending on which audience member is picked.
, where he was represented as a Tiny Tim
character. At the end of this episode, the real Andrew Collins took to the stage after weeks of Richard refusing to let him have anything to do with it.
Tiny Andrew Collings returned in Series Two, appearing in every episode and becoming less and less (although Herring would argue more and more) like the real Andrew Collins. During the series Tiny Andrew Collings fathered a child, Tiny Tiny Andrew Collings, with his own mother, Tiny Mrs Collings, played by Emma Kennedy. By the end of the series all three characters were killed by Richard Herring. Series Two saw the début of Tiny Andrew Collings' catchphrase "(aside
)", used to highlight his two-faced bitchy comments, especially regarding Herring himself. The term "(aside)" is a reference to Shakespearean stage directions, and Tiny Andrew Collings has also been heard using the term "(sotto voce
)" before whispering something and at one point exits pursued by a bear; a reference to a stage direction in A Winter's Tale. Tiny Andrew Collings is also famous for exclaiming his own compliments and pretending they came from the audience, with the faux self-effacing phrase "Be quiet, you people in the crowd saying those things".
Despite having died at the end of Series Two (reciting the poem Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep
), Tiny Andrew returned on the Edinburgh special, claiming responsibility for most of the bad things that had occurred to Richard over the previous month (with the exception of bad review for Herring's Christ on a Bike show). The real Andrew Collins was soon placed in control of the show (due to Richard breaching a court order which stated he was not to parody Andrew any more) and so Tiny Andrew agreed to combine with Andrew to form one single Andrew Collings, ending the horror of the short-lived As It Occurs To The Film Editor Of The Radio Times. Tiny Andrew Collings returned again in Series Three, in a smaller, Series One style capacity.
referring to a sexual fetish involving at least five men. Herring has since encouraged listeners to purchase "cumpkin" merchandise from the Urban Dictionary website. In Series Two, Herring vowed to create all new catchphrases and so, Dumpkin was created as a replacement. For the Edinburgh special the term was dropped and replaced by Shaggis. For Series Three, this changed again to a Minted Cumpkin - the same as a regular cumpkin, but with a packet of Polo Mints thrown in.
's rolling eyeball and even in place of the theme tunes for Countdown
and Quantum Leap. The fact that the sound effect is unconvincing and overlong adds to the humour. In Episode Ten, the sound effect is played on a loop for the last ten minutes of the podcast. In the first episode of Series Two, Herring destroyed the CD which contained the sound and explained that profits from Series One had created a sound effects budget. The sound effect has since returned for cameo appearances in Series Two and Three.
, frequent references are made about bad reviews of the show submitted to iTunes
, mostly in the form of musical stings, frequently to the tune of New York, New York
, performed by Christian Reilly. For the Autumn specials these were replaced by Richard googling his own name and reading out amusing stories he discovered, usually coming from message forums.
song
of the same name.
from a train and not removing an open pornographic magazine from a public bin.
's bum, which had been the hot topic of media coverage during the 2011 Royal Wedding
, he was more than a little disappointed to have accidentally booked her anus, rather than her buttocks. The anus, voiced by Kennedy, recounts her tragic life, overshadowed by Pippa Middleton's buttocks, when she feels she does all the hard work. Herring tells her he knows how she feels, having worked with Stewart Lee
. At the end of her triumphant speeches, she utters the phrase "I am anus, hear me roar!", followed by a long flatulent noise. She has appeared regularly throughout Series Three.
carrier bag), an elderly relative retrieving an apparently undigested pea from their own excrement and eating it, and so on.
The songs featured, and the episodes they featured in, are as follows:
Series 2 Episode 1: IMF (Impossible Mission Force)
Series 2 Episode 2: Whitey's Not On The Moon
Series 2 Episode 3: Brown Rice
Series 2 Episode 4: Terrorist State of Mind
Series 2 Episode 5: Spill Your Mess
Series 2 Episode 6: Let's Take Bono's Money
Series 2 Episode 7: Cum On England
Series 2 Episode 8: Russian Spy
Edinburgh Special: Caledonian Girls
Autumn Special 1: Let Me Take You By The Hand
Autumn Special 2: Crazy Monkeys
Autumn Special 3: Eight-Five Pounds and Eleven Pence
Series 3 Episode 1: Wonky Face
Series 3 Episode 2: Little Anus
Series 3 Episode 3: All That He Wants (Is To Be On Telly)
Series 3 Episode 4: Judge Me On My Dancing
Series 3 Episode 5: Growing Extra Limbs
Series 3 Episode 6: Cumpkin in the Wind
and Emma Kennedy
did not have sexual intercourse, as promised in the previous episode.
In 2010, the series was nominated for a Sony Radio Academy Award
for "Best Internet Programme".
On 7 February 2011, As It Occurs to Me won comedy website Chortle's first award for internet comedy.
12 October - 14 December 2009
Series Two:
17 May - 5 July 2010
Specials:
17 August, 11 October, 18 October, 1 November 2010
Series Three:
16 May - 20 June 2011
Richard Herring
Richard Keith Herring is a British comedian and writer, whose early work includes his involvement in the double-act, Lee and Herring...
and co-starring Dan Tetsell
Dan Tetsell
Dan Tetsell is a comedian and writer for radio, television and stage. He has worked on a number of projects, including The Museum of Everything, That Was Then, This Is Now and Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections....
, TV's Emma Kennedy
Emma Kennedy
Emma Kennedy is an English actress, writer and television presenter....
and Christian Reilly. It has been performed since 2009 at the Leicester Square Theatre and occasionally at the Bloomsbury Theatre and is available as a podcast through the British Comedy Guide website. The show has so far run to three series, including three specials. Herring has stated that the third series will be the last.
Conception
Herring discussed the possibility of creating an internet sketch show as part of a presentation with Andrew CollinsAndrew Collins (broadcaster)
Andrew Collins is the creator and writer of Radio 4 sitcom Mr Blue Sky. His TV writing work includes EastEnders and the sitcoms Grass and Not Going Out .-Personal life:Collins was a member of the Labour Party between the late 1980s and early 1990s, leaving after Labour's...
to the Radio Academy
Radio Academy
The Radio Academy is a registered charity that is dedicated to 'the encouragement, recognition and promotion of excellence in UK broadcasting and audio production'....
at Millbank, London in November 2008. There he argued that the advent of podcasting meant it was no longer necessary for comedians to have to air their material via television or radio stations and that the "do it yourself" nature of the internet meant greater creative control. Having to answer to broadcasters had hindered many of Herring's earlier projects and the controversy surrounding Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
and Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
's "Sachsgate" scandal had meant that rules had been tightened even further. Having mentioned this hypothetically to the Radio Academy, Herring decided to pioneer the idea the following year. While the show is free to download, there is an admission fee to attend the recording in order to cover costs.
Format
The style of the show is very similar to Herring's BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
show That Was Then, This Is Now
That Was Then, This Is Now (Radio Series)
That Was Then, This Is Now was a BBC Radio 2 history based comedy sketch show co-written and presented by Richard Herring. The series also featured musical interludes from a live band, fronted by Christian Reilly. The show ran for three series between 2004 and 2008.Herring was assisted each week...
(or TWTTIN) featuring four of the five stars of that show. Whereas the format of TWTTIN was based around historical events of the week of broadcast, AIOTM is based around events or ideas which have occurred to Richard Herring that week; the show usually being written the weekend prior to performance. Herring's habit of turning his show titles into acronyms is continued in As It Occurs To Me, which has the abbreviation "AIOTM", which is repeated by the audience every time it is said on stage. The show is recorded live and put out as a podcast unedited, retaining any mistakes and ad-libs. The rough nature of the show is frequently referred to in the show itself.
An element which sets AIOTM apart from TWTTIN are sections where Kennedy, Tetsell and Reilly ad-lib, sharing their week's stories during the introduction, and also a section towards the end where the Herring asks the audience to share what has happened to them that week, with varying degrees of success depending on which audience member is picked.
Tiny Andrew Collings
Tiny Andrew Collings is a fictional representation of the broadcaster and writer Andrew Collins, with whom Herring hosts a podcast and formerly a Saturday morning BBC 6 Music show. The character, voiced by Dan Tetsell in a high pitched Yorkshire accent, first appeared as part of sketches based on conversations Herring had with the real Andrew Collins but soon the character invaded the stage and took part in the show. The name Tiny Andrew Collings was first used in Episode Ten of Series One as part of a parody of A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens first published by Chapman & Hall on 17 December 1843. The story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge's ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of...
, where he was represented as a Tiny Tim
Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol)
Timothy Cratchit, called "Tiny Tim", is a fictional character from the 1843 novella A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. He is a minor character, the young son of Bob Cratchit, and is seen only briefly, but serves as an important symbol of the consequences of the protagonist's choices...
character. At the end of this episode, the real Andrew Collins took to the stage after weeks of Richard refusing to let him have anything to do with it.
Tiny Andrew Collings returned in Series Two, appearing in every episode and becoming less and less (although Herring would argue more and more) like the real Andrew Collins. During the series Tiny Andrew Collings fathered a child, Tiny Tiny Andrew Collings, with his own mother, Tiny Mrs Collings, played by Emma Kennedy. By the end of the series all three characters were killed by Richard Herring. Series Two saw the début of Tiny Andrew Collings' catchphrase "(aside
Aside
An aside is a dramatic device in which a character speaks to the audience. By convention the audience is to realize that the character's speech is unheard by the other characters on stage. It may be addressed to the audience expressly or represent an unspoken thought. An aside is usually a brief...
)", used to highlight his two-faced bitchy comments, especially regarding Herring himself. The term "(aside)" is a reference to Shakespearean stage directions, and Tiny Andrew Collings has also been heard using the term "(sotto voce
Sotto voce
Sotto voce means intentionally lowering one's voice for emphasis. The speaker gives the impression of uttering involuntarily a truth which may surprise, shock, or offend...
)" before whispering something and at one point exits pursued by a bear; a reference to a stage direction in A Winter's Tale. Tiny Andrew Collings is also famous for exclaiming his own compliments and pretending they came from the audience, with the faux self-effacing phrase "Be quiet, you people in the crowd saying those things".
Despite having died at the end of Series Two (reciting the poem Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep
Do not stand at my grave and weep is a poem written in 1932 by Mary Elizabeth Frye. Although the origin of the poem was disputed until later in her life, Mary Frye's authorship was confirmed in 1998 after research by Abigail Van Buren, a newspaper columnist....
), Tiny Andrew returned on the Edinburgh special, claiming responsibility for most of the bad things that had occurred to Richard over the previous month (with the exception of bad review for Herring's Christ on a Bike show). The real Andrew Collins was soon placed in control of the show (due to Richard breaching a court order which stated he was not to parody Andrew any more) and so Tiny Andrew agreed to combine with Andrew to form one single Andrew Collings, ending the horror of the short-lived As It Occurs To The Film Editor Of The Radio Times. Tiny Andrew Collings returned again in Series Three, in a smaller, Series One style capacity.
Cumpkin
Cumpkin, which became a regular catchphrase, started life as an accidental mispronunciation of "pumpkin" by Herring as "cumpkin" and was mentioned in subsequent shows after the revelation that "cumpkin" is listed in the Urban DictionaryUrban Dictionary
Urban Dictionary is a Web-based dictionary of slang words and phrases, which contained over 6 million definitions . Submissions are regulated by volunteer editors and rated by site visitors...
referring to a sexual fetish involving at least five men. Herring has since encouraged listeners to purchase "cumpkin" merchandise from the Urban Dictionary website. In Series Two, Herring vowed to create all new catchphrases and so, Dumpkin was created as a replacement. For the Edinburgh special the term was dropped and replaced by Shaggis. For Series Three, this changed again to a Minted Cumpkin - the same as a regular cumpkin, but with a packet of Polo Mints thrown in.
Roulette Wheel
During Series One, only one pre-recorded sound effect was used, that of a roulette wheel. It was used in place of other sound effects such as a cup of tea being stirred, Michael JacksonMichael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's rolling eyeball and even in place of the theme tunes for Countdown
Countdown (game show)
Countdown is a British game show involving word and number puzzles. It is produced by ITV Studios and broadcast on Channel 4. It is presented by Jeff Stelling, assisted by Rachel Riley, with regular lexicographer Susie Dent. It was the first programme to be aired on Channel 4, and over sixty-five...
and Quantum Leap. The fact that the sound effect is unconvincing and overlong adds to the humour. In Episode Ten, the sound effect is played on a loop for the last ten minutes of the podcast. In the first episode of Series Two, Herring destroyed the CD which contained the sound and explained that profits from Series One had created a sound effects budget. The sound effect has since returned for cameo appearances in Series Two and Three.
One Star iTunes Reviews
As with Herring's other podcast, The Collings and Herrin PodcastsCollings and Herrin (podcast)
The Collings and Herrin Podcast was a topical podcast produced by broadcaster Andrew Collins and comedian Richard Herring. Its title derives from the recurring Richard Herring trope of misspelling names for comic effect....
, frequent references are made about bad reviews of the show submitted to iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, mostly in the form of musical stings, frequently to the tune of New York, New York
Theme from New York, New York
"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York , composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli...
, performed by Christian Reilly. For the Autumn specials these were replaced by Richard googling his own name and reading out amusing stories he discovered, usually coming from message forums.
High-Backed Armchair
Herring refers frequently to his enjoyment of sitting in a high-backed armchair with a semicircular toilet mat in his lap, masturbating while women dance in front of him beneath a mirrorball.If I Could Turn Back Time
A segment in which Herring returns in sketch form to an event from the preceding week, this time with Herring doing what he wanted to do at the time. The highlight of this segment was the now classic "Motorcycle Clothing Shop Sketch" (which did not gain the correct amount of laughs so Rich carried on doing it in S2 EP7 after it had originally appeared in EP6). The musical sting for this segment is based on the CherCher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
song
If I Could Turn Back Time
"If I Could Turn Back Time" is a song written by Diane Warren and was released on June 1, 1989 as the second North American and first European single release from American singer/actress Cher's twentieth album Heart of Stone by Geffen Records....
of the same name.
The Moral Maze
This segment first appeared at the beginning of Series Three, and deals with moral dilemmas Richard has faced in the last week. After Richard has related the incident, it is left to the audience to decide whether is actions were moral, immoral or amoral. Subjects for moral discussion include stealing a packet of QuaversQuavers
Quavers are a British snack, originally made by Smiths, and now produced by Walkers. Walkers, part of the Pepsico family, purchased the Quavers brand in 1997 where it became one of the Frito Lay International brand names.- History :...
from a train and not removing an open pornographic magazine from a public bin.
Pippa Middleton's Disembodied Anus
When Richard secured an interview with Pippa MiddletonPippa Middleton
Philippa Charlotte "Pippa" Middleton is an English party planner, socialite and younger sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge...
's bum, which had been the hot topic of media coverage during the 2011 Royal Wedding
Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
The wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Catherine Middleton took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. Prince William, the eldest son of Charles, Prince of Wales, first met Catherine Middleton in 2001, when both were studying at the University of St Andrews. Their...
, he was more than a little disappointed to have accidentally booked her anus, rather than her buttocks. The anus, voiced by Kennedy, recounts her tragic life, overshadowed by Pippa Middleton's buttocks, when she feels she does all the hard work. Herring tells her he knows how she feels, having worked with Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
. At the end of her triumphant speeches, she utters the phrase "I am anus, hear me roar!", followed by a long flatulent noise. She has appeared regularly throughout Series Three.
Poo Stories
Emma reads out scatological anecdotes contributed by listeners and the live audience: hospital lab technicians receiving stool samples in "unofficial" containers (e.g. a LidlLidl
Lidl is a discount supermarket chain based in Germany that operates over 7,200 stores across Europe. The company's full name is Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
carrier bag), an elderly relative retrieving an apparently undigested pea from their own excrement and eating it, and so on.
Christian Reilly's Song
From Series Two onwards, AIOTM has featured a song by Christian Reilly, in a similar vein to the songs featured by Reilly and his band in TWTTIN. By Series Three, this song was a regular feature and either addressed a topic in the news that week, or something which has happened in AIOTM. Each song is a parody of a popular song.The songs featured, and the episodes they featured in, are as follows:
Series 2 Episode 1: IMF (Impossible Mission Force)
Series 2 Episode 2: Whitey's Not On The Moon
Series 2 Episode 3: Brown Rice
Series 2 Episode 4: Terrorist State of Mind
Series 2 Episode 5: Spill Your Mess
Series 2 Episode 6: Let's Take Bono's Money
Series 2 Episode 7: Cum On England
Series 2 Episode 8: Russian Spy
Edinburgh Special: Caledonian Girls
Autumn Special 1: Let Me Take You By The Hand
Autumn Special 2: Crazy Monkeys
Autumn Special 3: Eight-Five Pounds and Eleven Pence
Series 3 Episode 1: Wonky Face
Series 3 Episode 2: Little Anus
Series 3 Episode 3: All That He Wants (Is To Be On Telly)
Series 3 Episode 4: Judge Me On My Dancing
Series 3 Episode 5: Growing Extra Limbs
Series 3 Episode 6: Cumpkin in the Wind
Reception
The overall response to AIOTM has been positive. The podcast entered the iTunes podcast chart at number 2, remaining in the top 10 for the first six weeks of broadcast and was named in tenth place in Dave's Top 10 Comedy Podcasts within two weeks of its debut. The show has also been nominated for a Loaded Lafta for Best Podcast. Show Ten, performed on 14 December 2009, was sold out, however Richard HerringRichard Herring
Richard Keith Herring is a British comedian and writer, whose early work includes his involvement in the double-act, Lee and Herring...
and Emma Kennedy
Emma Kennedy
Emma Kennedy is an English actress, writer and television presenter....
did not have sexual intercourse, as promised in the previous episode.
In 2010, the series was nominated for a Sony Radio Academy Award
Sony Radio Academy Awards
The Sony Radio Academy Awards , started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by ZAFER Associates in association with the Radio Academy...
for "Best Internet Programme".
On 7 February 2011, As It Occurs to Me won comedy website Chortle's first award for internet comedy.
Performance Dates
Series One:12 October - 14 December 2009
Series Two:
17 May - 5 July 2010
Specials:
17 August, 11 October, 18 October, 1 November 2010
Series Three:
16 May - 20 June 2011
External links
- Official Site http://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/as_it_occurs_to_me/
- Richard Herring Interview with The Stage http://www.thestage.co.uk/features/feature.php/25946/richard-herring-the-power-of-free
- Short video interview with the cast http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ku-TFkm6Mk
- Den of Geek review of Show 1 http://www.denofgeek.com/misc/336653/richard_herring_as_it_occurs_to_me_review.html
- Rehearsal scripts of show can be found here http://www.richardherring.com/archive/downloads.php