The Bugle
Encyclopedia
The Bugle is a weekly satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
news podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
, hosted by John Oliver
John Oliver (comedian)
John Oliver is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for which he won an Emmy in 2009. He also plays a recurring character, Professor Ian Duncan, on the television series Community...
and Andy Zaltzman
Andy Zaltzman
Andrew "Andy" Zaltzman is a British comedian and author who largely focuses on political material. He has worked extensively with John Oliver; their work together includes Political Animal, The Department and The Bugle.-Early life:...
, and distributed by TimesOnline. New episodes of The Bugle are released on Fridays with related material appearing on the official website.
Offshoots
- The Bugle Blog - Andy periodically updates a segment on the Times Online website with extra e-mails, information on the Bugle, and downloadable versions of the past few episodes. His failure to update the blog, for which he gives numerous excuses, has been a running joke on the show.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/thebugle For a few episodes, Tom the Producer (see below) posted blog entries and was therefore the addressee of listener emails.
- @hellobuglers, a TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account. Although it began as a complement to The Bugle, primarily publishing one-liner political jokes, it also serves as Andy Zaltzman's own Twitter feed. For example, Andy has used it to announce his guest appearances on other programs. - @Buglesamerican, a TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account from sometime guest "The American" (voiced by Rory AlbaneseRory AlbaneseRory Albanese , a Long Island, New York native, is an executive producer and writer for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which he joined in 1999. Albanese is also an accomplished stand-up comedian...
).
Tom
Tom Wright, known solely on The Bugle as "Tom the Producer", was the producer of the show from episodes 1 through episode 107. He was first mentioned in episode 11 as Zaltzman announced his plans for the Hotties From History calendar. For most of the Bugle he remained silent, occasionally intervening to ask John and Andy to finish up so he can go home or responding to questions when asked. In later episodes he contributed more often, with listeners often addressing their e-mails to him directly. According to Tom's on-air answers to a number of questions sent to him by fans he is married, has a daughter, is Scottish, enjoys his job and does not ski.In February 2010, Tom and his family emigrated to Australia. A week before his departure, he announced his intention to continue producing The Bugle remotely. However, in Bugle 106 (6 March 2010), it was announced that the next Bugle would be Tom's last as he had found another job. When asked by John and Andy what his new gig was, he refused to identify it on the grounds that it was a sensible show and that mentioning it by name would result in it being abused by Buglers. John and Andy agreed that this was an accurate characterization of their audience and did not pursue the matter further on the air.
Chris
After Tom left, he was replaced by Chris Skinner, about whom little has been said on the air. Chris has previously worked with Andy on "Yes, It's the Ashes" radio show on BBC Radio 5 Live in 2009 and also produces "The Game" podcast for Times Online. When Chris first began producing the podcast, he restructured the standard musical cues quite a bit to jarring effect (e.g., he once played the podcast's closing music during the middle of an episode), but over time, his production became more similar to Tom's. Appearing to be younger and more enthusiastic, Chris occasionally participates in banter with Oliver and Zaltzman with his guest spots increasing in volume over time, an example being an extended conversation about the state of Australia in Bugle 140. Chris has been the subject of semi-ironic hate mail (and fan mail) from listeners, apparently for no reason other than that he is not Tom, and this became a running joke of the show. Chris is the star of fuckyouchris.com, a site devoted to chronicling fan's ironic hatred of Chris. Despite this, fans now appear to only be sending hate mail as a good-natured joke (including the fuckyouchris website), accepting his role on the show's staff. He is the only member of the bugle staff to be a regular poster on the Bugle Facebook page - often insulting buglers and taunting them with his power to release bugles late or badly cut. It should also be noted that Chris "does not ski."Ped
The enigmatic Ped subs for Chris when the latter is ill or on holiday. A man of very few words, about whom almost nothing is known, he is generally regarded as a most dependable hand on the tiller. Vague attempts at getting a Chris-style hate campaign going against Ped have so far not succeeded. Ped also deputies for Chris on The Game.Paul
The only producer to be mentioned on the American side, Paul handles all the audio for John Oliver in New York City. Paul has been with The Bugle since the beginning. Paul plays the trumpet, which was shown in one podcast when The Bugle used short excerpts of Paul playing the trumpet for the musical interludes between segments.Reception
The Bugle has received many positive mentions in the media. A review by American blog Frozen Toothpaste described the podcast in a 2007 review as 'a usually delightful, witty and deadpan satire'. Computing website Philosophical Geek praised The Bugle for its unique wit, saying that the reviewer found himself 'laughing too hard to concentrate on anything else'. The Bugle, according to The Nerd Rage Blog, is 'a thing of beauty' and 'is quite simply, hilarious'. Zaltzman's 'bullshit facts' are complimented, as is Oliver's 'biting sarcasm'. BBC Comedy review show What's So Funny described The Bugle as the benchmark in satire, in an episode dated 27 May 2011.Relationship with News International
The Bugle is distributed by TimesOnline, a division of The Times of London, which is owned by Rupert MurdochRupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
's News International
News International
News International Ltd is the United Kingdom newspaper publishing division of News Corporation. Until June 2002, it was called News International plc....
. During the News International phone hacking scandal of 2011, The Bugle satirised its parent company in a manner which the New York Times characterized as "blistering" in an article published 15 August. Over the course of a few weekly episodes prior to the New York Times' article, Zaltzman and Oliver had gone "straight for the jugular" regarding News International, its newspapers, and Murdoch himself. Their barbs included a comment that The News of the World "would not be missed at all", as well as the assertion by Oliver—in response to the shaving cream pie attack on Murdoch—that despite the humor inherent in the attack, "[y]ou just don't want to find yourself with any misplaced sympathy for Rupert Murdoch." The comedians jokingly marveled with one another that no one in News International had yet shut down their podcast, with Oliver tapping his microphone and asking, "Should this not have been stopped by now? It doesn’t make sense!" In response to the report from the New York Times, in an episode of the Bugle released 19 August, Oliver gave this opening monologue:
"Welcome to any first-time Buglers who are here because they might have read The New York Times' story on us earlier this week…but now that the story's in a newspaper that I'm guessing [Murdoch] reads cover to cover every day, I'm thinking there's an even smaller chance of us managing to not get fired now. So thanks very much, New York Times! Your trumpeting of this podcast may well turn into bugling the Last PostLast PostThe "Last Post" can be either a B♭ bugle call within British Infantry regiments or an E♭ cavalry trumpet call in British Cavalry and Royal Regiment of Artillery used at Commonwealth military funerals and ceremonies commemorating those who have been killed in war.The two regimental traditions have...
. I guess what I'm saying is—to our new listeners—'Hello and goodbye!'"
Episodes
- A full list of episodes of The Bugle, including titles, release dates, and download links, is available at the podcast's RSS feed. The following list reproduces only the titles.
- Episode 1 - How like VietnamVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
is Iraq? - Episode 2 - The EmpireBritish EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
Strikes Back - Episode 3 - CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's BurningOctober 2007 California wildfiresThe October 2007 California wildfires were a series of wildfires that began burning across Southern California on October 20. At least 1,500 homes were destroyed and over 500,000 acres of land burned from Santa Barbara County to the U.S.–Mexico border... - Episode 4 - Immigration Everywhere
- Episode 5 - 110 Per Cent Behind MusaharrafPervez MusharrafPervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
- Episode 6 - OPECOPECOPEC is an intergovernmental organization of twelve developing countries made up of Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. OPEC has maintained its headquarters in Vienna since 1965, and hosts regular meetings...
: Let's talk oil and fiery rhetoric - Episode 7 - 25 million people missing2007 UK child benefit data scandalThe loss of United Kingdom child benefit data was a data breach incident in October 2007, when two computer discs owned by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs containing data relating to child benefit went missing. The incident was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, on...
- Episode 8 - Australians keep touching the Queen
- Episode 9 - IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
: Nukes or No Nukes?Iran and weapons of mass destructionIran is not known to currently possess weapons of mass destruction and has signed treaties repudiating the possession of weapons of mass destruction including the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty... - Episode 10 - Have an Adequate ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
- Episode 10A - The Very Best (so far!)Clip showA clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...
- Episode 11 - After Iowa, only 302 days left to goUnited States presidential election, 2008The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
- Episode 12 - BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
brings yet more chaos to the Middle East - Episode 13 - After 443 years SarkSarkSark is a small island in the Channel Islands in southwestern English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. It is a royal fief, geographically located in the Channel Islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of laws based on Norman law and its own parliament. It has a population...
finally gets democracySark general election, 2008The Sark general election, 2008, held on 10 December 2008, was the first election held in the Channel Island of Sark under a new constitutional arrangement.Fifty-seven candidates stood for 28 seats in the Chief Pleas... - Episode 14 - Money, Money, Money
- Episode 15 - A Message to You, RudyRudy GiulianiRudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
- Episode 16 - AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
in a zen state of chaos - Episode 17 - The Guantanamo Graduates
- Episode 18 - Is Fidel Castro RoadrunnerWile E. Coyote and Road RunnerWile E. Coyote and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese...
? - Episode 19 - A Very British earthquake2008 Lincolnshire earthquakeThe 2008 Lincolnshire earthquake struck Lincolnshire, in the United Kingdom, on 27 February 2008 at 00:56:47.8s GMT. According to the British Geological Survey, the quake registered a reading of 5.2 on the Richter scale with the epicentre 2.5 miles north of Market Rasen and 15 miles ...
- Episode 20 - Who's the least democratic of them allDemocracy IndexThe Democracy Index is an index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit that claims to measure the state of democracy in 167 countries, of which 166 are sovereign states and 165 are UN member states...
? - Episode 21 - SwearingProfanityProfanity is a show of disrespect, or a desecration or debasement of someone or something. Profanity can take the form of words, expressions, gestures, or other social behaviors that are socially constructed or interpreted as insulting, rude, vulgar, obscene, desecrating, or other forms.The...
at the QueenElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,... - Episode 21* - DVD Extras
- Episode 22 - Hugo 'crackers from Caracas' ChavezHugo ChávezHugo Rafael Chávez Frías is the 56th and current President of Venezuela, having held that position since 1999. He was formerly the leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007, when he became the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela...
- Episode 23 - How is MugabeRobert MugabeRobert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
losing a rigged electionZimbabwean presidential election, 2008The Republic of Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election on 29 March 2008. The three major candidates were incumbent President Robert Mugabe of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front , Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change , and...
? - Episode 24 - Was StonehengeStonehengeStonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
an ancient tax dodgeTheories about StonehengeStonehenge has been subjected to many theories about its origin, ranging from the academic worlds of archaeology to explanations from mythology and the paranormal.-Early theories:...
? - Episode 25 - JohnJohn Oliver (comedian)John Oliver is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for which he won an Emmy in 2009. He also plays a recurring character, Professor Ian Duncan, on the television series Community...
Loves the Pope - Episode 26 - Food! Nonexistent Food!
- Episode 27 - The Swimsuit EditionSports Illustrated Swimsuit IssueThe Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is published annually by Sports Illustrated. It features fashion models wearing swimwear in exotic locales. According to some, the magazine is the arbiter of supermodel succession. In addition, the issue is a media nexus that in 2005 carried in advertising....
- Episode 28 - Dead HillHillary Clinton presidential campaign, 2008New York junior Senator and former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton had expressed interest in the 2008 United States presidential election since at least October 2002, drawing media speculation on whether she would become a candidate. No woman has ever won the nomination of a major party in the...
Walking - Episode 29 - Adults and Aliens
- Episode 30 - VolcanoVolcano2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
PornPORNPorn is a common short form for pornography. It may also refer to:* Progressive outer retinal necrosis, a disease of the retina* PORN, a French industrial rock band... - Episode 31 - Sharon Stone fludges her pontullius
- Episode 32 - ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and KSM - Episode 33 - George BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
: 'Regrets? I've had a few' - Episode 34 - You Will Know UsEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
By Our Knobbly Fruit - Episode 35 - Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and his disappearing change hat - Episode 35 Asterisk - Independence DayIndependence Day (United States)Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
Special - Episode 36 - Oil Prices, recession & inflation but what do the G8G8The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
do? Have an 18 course meal34th G8 summitThe 34th G8 summit took place in on the northern island of Hokkaidō, Japan from July 7–9, 2008. The locations of previous summits to have been hosted by Japan include: Tokyo ; and Nago, Okinawa . The G8 Summit has evolved beyond being a gathering of world political leaders... - Episode 37 - Barack Obama is coming to Europe!
- Episode 38 - KaradzicRadovan KaradžicRadovan Karadžić is a former Bosnian Serb politician. He is detained in the United Nations Detention Unit of Scheveningen, accused of war crimes committed against Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats during the Siege of Sarajevo, as well as ordering the Srebrenica massacre.Educated as a...
's Scooby DooScooby-DooScooby-Doo is an American media franchise based around several animated television series and related works produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969...
disguise - Episode 39 - McCainJohn McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, AndyAndy ZaltzmanAndrew "Andy" Zaltzman is a British comedian and author who largely focuses on political material. He has worked extensively with John Oliver; their work together includes Political Animal, The Department and The Bugle.-Early life:...
and JohnJohn Oliver (comedian)John Oliver is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for which he won an Emmy in 2009. He also plays a recurring character, Professor Ian Duncan, on the television series Community...
plumb new depths with their ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
attack ad - Episode 40 - Osama Bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
's taxi driver - Episode 41 - Russia gets gold at new OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
sportOlympic sportsOlympic sports, as defined by the International Olympic Committee, are all the sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics, as of 2012, will include 26 sports, with two additionall sports due to be added in 2016...
of invasion2008 South Ossetia warThe 2008 South Ossetia War or Russo-Georgian War was an armed conflict in August 2008 between Georgia on one side, and Russia and separatist governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on the other.... - Episode 42 - An Olympics Special2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
- Episode 43 - Democratic convention special2008 Democratic National ConventionThe United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
- Episode 44 - Republican Convention Special2008 Republican National ConventionThe United States 2008 Republican National Convention took place at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota, from September 1, through September 4, 2008...
- Episode 44.1 - The sub-issue you have all been waiting for
- Episode 45 - Help to save investment banking
- Episode 46 - Economic ArmageddonLate 2000s recessionThe late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
Approacheth - Episode 47 - One Giant leap backwards for man kindSarah PalinSarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
- Episode 48 - How Low Will They Go?
- Episode 49 - Joe the plumberJoe the PlumberSamuel Joseph Wurzelbacher , is a conservative activist, author, and commentator. A resident of Holland, Ohio, United States, he gained significant attention during the 2008 U.S. presidential election after he was videotaped questioning then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama about his small...
now regrets chatting to Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... - Episode 50 - US ElectionUnited States presidential electionElections for President and Vice President of the United States are indirect elections in which voters cast ballots for a slate of electors of the U.S. Electoral College, who in turn directly elect the President and Vice President...
nearly over! - Episode 51 - Let it allUnited States presidential election, 2008The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
be over soon! - Episode 52 - Spoiler alert! ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
won - Episode 53 - ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and his not so secret code name - Episode 54 - The VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
Special - Episode 55 - ThanksgivingThanksgiving (United States)Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is a holiday celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday in November. It has officially been an annual tradition since 1863, when, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of thanksgiving to be celebrated on Thursday,...
Special - The Real Episode 55 - Literally, shooting oneself in the foot
- Episode 56 - Selling Barack Obama's seatRod Blagojevich corruption chargesRod Blagojevich, former Governor of Illinois, is an American politician under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2005 for corruption. Blagojevich and his Chief of Staff John Harris were charged with corruption by federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald...
- Episode 57 - Hats off to Obama, shoes off for Bush
- Episode 58 - Did you get peace in the Mid-East for Xmas?2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflictThe Gaza War, known as Operation Cast Lead in Israel and as the Gaza Massacre in the Arab world, was a three-week bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel, and hundreds of rocket attacks on south of Israel which...
- Episode 59 - Why Obama's inauguration will be like the Rio carnivalRio CarnivalThe Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Lent every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723.-Samba schools:...
- Episode 60 - George BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Hello Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in... - Episode 61 - ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
Inauguration Special - Episode 62 - ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and his do nothing wonderland - Episode 63 - Foreign snow is invading Britain!
- Episode 64 - Bankers pretend to apologise to British MPs
- Episode 64 - Appendage 1 guided tour to the new webpage
- Episode 65 - Will ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's stimulus packageAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
work? Who cares - Episode 66 - Brown gets rubbish present from Obama
- Episode 67 - Monkey News Special
- Episode 68 - Obama and his Al Qaeda style video
- Episode 69 - Possibly the longest penis joke in the world, ever
- Episode 70 - G-G-G-G-G-GEEEE 202009 G-20 London summitThe 2009 G-20 London Summit is the second meeting of the G-20 heads of state in discussion of financial markets and the world economy, which was held in London on 2 April 2009 at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. It followed the first G-20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, which...
- Episode 70.1 - The Easter egg edition
- Episode 71 - Does torture work?
- Episode 72 - The Real Swine Flu Vaccine
- Episode 73 - Are the Taliban skiing down the Swat Valley?
- Episode 74 - Claiming expenses for MPs that do not exist
- Episode 75 - What to do with Gitmo? Let fear decide.
- Episode 76 - Calling out North Korea
- Episode 77 - Gordon BrownGordon BrownJames Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
gets a bad dose of the quits - Episode 78 - Apathy or the far right? Europe decides.
- Episode 79 - Iran's theocracy: Letting God decide the election
- Episode 80 - Iran, Pick on a country your own size!
- Episode 80.5 - Special Independence Day Issue
- Episode 81 - The G8 the worlds slowest superheroes
- Episode 82 - Freedom of Speech Special
- Episode 83 - ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
; Pay for thisHealth care reform in the United StatesHealth care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
or you will be dead! - Episode 84 - Will China rule the world in the future?
- Episode 85 - I need a hero! Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
goes to North Korea2009 imprisonment of American journalists by North KoreaOn March 17, 2009, North Korean border guards detained two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, who were working for the U.S. independent cable television network Current TV, after they crossed into North Korea from the People's Republic of China without a visa. They were found guilty of... - Episode 86 - Burma triumphs in made up crime prevention.
- Episode 87 - AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
celebrates election with fireworks! - Episode 88 - IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and its glitzy show trials - Episode 88.1 - Travel Section
- Episode 89 - Good Health Bad Health
- Episode 90 - Bring on the crazy, Gaddafi!
- Episode 91 - Happy Birthday Communist China
- Episode 92 - Obama wins first pre-emptive Nobel Peace Prize2009 Nobel Peace PrizeThe 2009 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to U.S. President Barack Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people." The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award on October 9, 2009, citing Obama's promotion of nuclear nonproliferation and...
- Episode 93 - Peak OilPeak oilPeak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. This concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, projected reserves and the combined production rate of a field...
Special - Episode 94 - Does the EU really want El Presidente Blair
- Episode 94 and a half - Autumn Bonus Bugle
- Episode 95 - Walls, Wars and power
- Episode 96 - Two star review for this year's Queen Speech
- Episode 96 and a bit - Thanksgiving for BerlusconiSilvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
- Episode 97 - Stupid Buildings Afghanistan and Shoes
- Episode 98 - Britain can no longer afford defence against aliens
- Episode 99 - Berlusconi takes a cathedral to the face
- Special Episode - Best of the first 99 - Your favourite bits
- Special Episode - The Musical Spectacular
- Episode 100 - Telegrams, Snow, The Devil and Pat RobertsonPat RobertsonMarion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
- Episode 101 - Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and how to lose hope and irritate people - Episode 102 - Why the global economy is like ElvisElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
- Episode 103 - Climate changeClimate changeClimate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
denial and a Narnia of nutjobs - Episode 104 - Valentine's Day Special
- Episode 104a - Where is John?
- Episode 105 - Back off our islands ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
! - Episode 106 - The American right to flip the bird
- Episode 107 - An Ethics special
- Episode 108 - Eyes on Africa
- Episode 109 - In Rude Health
- Episode 110 - Britain Holds Its Breath
- Episode 111 - Some Seriously Bad Pope-ing
- Episode 112 - Birthday Party! Super Best Friends Invited!
- Episode 113 - Countdown to Vote-ageddon
- Episode 114 - Waking Up in a Different Britain
- Episode 115 - Exactly Five More Years of This
- Episode 115.1.1 - Recent Decents, May '10
- Episode 116 - Freeze The OilDeepwater Horizon oil spillThe Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
- Episode 117 - She Bored 'er colleaBorder CollieThe Border Collie is a herding dog breed developed in the Anglo-Scottish border region for herding livestock, especially sheep. It is the most widespread of the collie breeds....
gues - Episode 118 - World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
Special - Episode 119 - Oil Never Do It AgainDeepwater Horizon oil spillThe Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
- Episode 120 - McChrystal Balls
- Episode 121 - I Spy With My Little Eye...Illegals ProgramThe Illegals Program, as it was called by the United States Department of Justice, was a network of Russian sleeper agents under non-official cover whose investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation culminated in the arrest of ten agents and a prisoner swap between Russia and the United...
- Episode 122 - Donald Trump in Drag
- Episode 122a - History of the World Part 1In the "History of the World" subseries, Andy pronounced the lowercase letters as being Greek letters, i.e. alphaAlphaAlpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Alpha or ALPHA may also refer to:-Science:*Alpha , the highest ranking individuals in a community of social animals...
, betaBetaBeta is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. Beta or BETA may also refer to:-Biology:*Beta , a genus of flowering plants, mostly referred to as beets*Beta, a rank in a community of social animals...
, gammaGammaGamma is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 3. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Gimel . Letters that arose from Gamma include the Roman C and G and the Cyrillic letters Ge Г and Ghe Ґ.-Greek:In Ancient Greek, gamma represented a...
, and deltaDelta (letter)Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 4. It was derived from the Phoenician letter Dalet...
. For presumably technical reasons, the Greek letters were not rendered in the episode titles as α, β, γ, and δ, but rather as the Latin letters a, b, g, and d. Note also that the Greek alphabetGreek alphabetThe Greek alphabet is the script that has been used to write the Greek language since at least 730 BC . The alphabet in its classical and modern form consists of 24 letters ordered in sequence from alpha to omega...
does not follow the order of the Latin alphabetLatin alphabetThe Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...
, which is why the episodes are a, b, g, d instead of a, b, c, d. - Episode 122b - History of the World Part 2
- Episode 122g - History of the World Part 3
- Episode 122d - History of the World Part 4
- Episode 123 - That clockAbraj Al Bait TowersThe Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, is a building complex in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The complex holds several world records, including the tallest hotel in the world, the tallest clock tower in the world, the world's largest clock face, and the world's largest...
is pimped out! - Episode 124 - Brazilliant!
- Episode 125 - Donor Fatigue
- Episode 126 - Let's Talk About Peace, Baby
- Episode 127 - 12 Friends and 1 Champion
- Episode 128 - UN-couth
- Episode 129 - Kim Jong Unbelievable
- Episode 130 - Fire Sale
- Episode 131 - A Miner Celebration
- Episode 132 - Massive Cuts
- Episode 132 and a bit - Cut For a Reason
- Episode 132 and an old bit - No Bugle
- Episode 133 - Backwang Forever
- Episode 134 - Royal Wedding Souvenir Edition
- Episode 135 - Kim Jong Il-conceivedBombardment of YeonpyeongThe bombardment of Yeonpyeong was an artillery engagement between the North Korean military and South Korean forces stationed on Yeonpyeong Island on November 23, 2010. Following a South Korean regular artillery exercise at waters in the south, North Korean forces fired around 170 artillery shells...
- Episode 136 - Do I Not Leak ThatUnited States diplomatic cables leakThe United States diplomatic cables leak, widely known as Cablegate, began in February 2010 when WikiLeaks—a non-profit organization that publishes submissions from anonymous whistleblowers—began releasing classified cables that had been sent to the U.S. State Department by 274 of its consulates,...
- Episode 137 - Crazies Special
- Episode 138 - A ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
Bugle - Episode 138a - More Old Gold
- Episode 138b - Review of 2010
- Episode 139 - *Spoiler alert* 2011 Preview Special
- Episode 140 - The Divorce of A NationSouthern Sudanese independence referendum, 2011A referendum took place in Southern Sudan from 9 to 15 January 2011, on whether the region should remain a part of Sudan or become independent. The referendum was one of the consequences of the 2005 Naivasha Agreement between the Khartoum central government and the Sudan People's Liberation...
- Episode 141 - Tunisia is Revolting
- Episode 142 - Egypt Erupts
- Episode 143 - Egypt crisis - a good time to buy a jumper
- Episode 144 - No Going Mubarak The episode was recorded a mere 40 minutes after Hosni Mubarak's resignation much to the presenters' surprise after his speech on 10th February
- Episode 144a - Lowlights 2011
- Episode 145 - Libyeah or Libyna
- Episode 146 - Long Over-Jew
- Episode 146a - Lowerlights 2011
- Episode 147 - Man Versus Nature2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunamiThe 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
- Episode 147a -Zaltzman, live from DhakaDhakaDhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
- Episode 147b - More Zaltzman, live from Dhaka
- Episode 148 - Mayhem Update
- Episode 149 - #crucifybieberJustin BieberJustin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
- Episode 150 - Royal Wedding Preview
- Episode 151 - Regal Bugle
- Episode 152 - Compromised to a Permanent EndDeath of Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
- Episode 153 - Wake up, GaddafiMuammar GaddafiMuammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...
- Episode 154 - Keep it in your pantsDominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault caseNew York v. Strauss-Kahn was a criminal case relating to allegations of sexual assault and attempted rape made by a hotel maid, Nafissatou Diallo, against Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the Sofitel New York Hotel on May 14, 2011. The charges were dismissed at the request of the prosecution which pointed...
- Episode 155 - The Queen Is On Fire !Queen Elizabeth II's visit to the Republic of IrelandQueen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh made a state visit to the Republic of Ireland from 17 May to 20 May 2011, at the invitation of the President of Ireland, Mary McAleese....
- Episode 156 - Who's Tailin' Palin?
- Episode 157 - Reacting like a coiled donut
- Episode 158 - Hot Rod & DragsterAndy ZaltzmanAndrew "Andy" Zaltzman is a British comedian and author who largely focuses on political material. He has worked extensively with John Oliver; their work together includes Political Animal, The Department and The Bugle.-Early life:...
Strike Out - Episode 158a - Truly Offal
- Episode 159 - Everything Must Go!
- Episode 160 - News Out Of This World
- Episode 161 - Hacking: A Self-esteem issue
- Episode 162 - Making A Mountain Out of A Mountain
- Episode 163 - Debt to AmericaUnited States public debtThe United States public debt is the money borrowed by the federal government of the United States at any one time through the issue of securities by the Treasury and other federal government agencies...
- Episode 163a - Too Offal
- Episode 164 - Ich Bin Ein Hulkmaniac2011 England riotsBetween 6 and 10 August 2011, several London boroughs and districts of cities and towns across England suffered widespread rioting, looting and arson....
- Episode 165 - Bashar goes to Madcon 1Bashar al-AssadBashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
- Episode 166 - Gaddafi's Last Bugle?
- Episode 166a - We're back Andy
- Episode 166b - This offal tastes funny
- Episode 166g - Offal Edinburgher
- Episode 167 - BerlusconiSilvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
: Hard to Swallow - Episode 168 - Streets of RageOccupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall Street is an ongoing series of demonstrations initiated by the Canadian activist group Adbusters which began September 17, 2011 in Zuccotti Park, located in New York City's Wall Street financial district...
- Episode 169 - Captain Crazy corks itDeath of Muammar GaddafiMuammar Gaddafi, the deposed leader of Libya, died on 20 October 2011 during the 2011 Libyan civil war. Gaddafi was captured alive after his convoy was attacked by NATO warplanes as Sirte fell on 20 October 2011. He was then beaten and killed by NTC forces...
- Episode 170 - It's time to ban slap bass
- Episode 171 - A Greek Tragedy
- Episode 172 - Berlusconi Bows Out
Sub-episodes
Starting 29 September 2011, the shows producer Chris initiated a new series of episodes to be released on the topic of world leaders, to be released instead of the normal cut-outs when the presenter(s) are away.- Leaders Special #1 - Silvio BerlusconiSilvio BerlusconiSilvio Berlusconi , also known as Il Cavaliere – from knighthood to the Order of Merit for Labour which he received in 1977 – is an Italian politician and businessman who served three terms as Prime Minister of Italy, from 1994 to 1995, 2001 to 2006, and 2008 to 2011. Berlusconi is also the...
- Leaders Special #2 - Mahmood Ahmadinejad
External links
- Podcast (MP3MP3MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
) - Podcast (AACAdvanced Audio CodingAdvanced Audio Coding is a standardized, lossy compression and encoding scheme for digital audio. Designed to be the successor of the MP3 format, AAC generally achieves better sound quality than MP3 at similar bit rates....
) - The American on TwitterTwitterTwitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
- The Bugle Podcast Website
- The Bugle Wiki
- The Times website
- Podcast of the week: the satirical charms of The Bugle, The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
- Newsnight Review: Andy Zaltzman, BBCBBCThe 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...
- Comedy Podcast Inside News Corp. Feasts on A Scandal, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...