Not the Nine O'Clock News

As every comedy schoolboy should know by now, the Not The Nine O'Clock News "pilot" is something of a misnomer. It was in fact originally intended as the first show of what would have been their first series, recorded on the 31st of March 1979 and scheduled for broadcast on BBC2 on the 2nd of April 1979, but pulled at the eleventh hour due to elections.

Highlights from the first series.

The first of three programmes re-edited, reorganised, once more as re-edits and now repeated as compilations; entitled ... Not the Nine O'Clock News, providing another opportunity to savour the delights offered by that award-winning team

The second of three programmes re-edited, reorganised once more as re-edits and now repeated as compilations entitled ... Not the Nine O'Clock News. Providing another opportunity to savour the delights offered by that award-winning team.

The third of three programmes re-edited, re-organised once more as re-edits and now repeated as compilations; entitled.... Not the Nine O'Clock News. Providing another opportunity to savour the delights offered by that award-winning team.

Episode 1 of the best-of collection of Not the 9 O'Clock News. Sketches include: The Dart Players Question Time The Gorilla News Interview And the cast sing Bouncing

Episode 2 of the best-of collection of Not the 9 O'Clock News. Sketches include: Game For a Laugh Because I'm Wet And Lonley A Come In Rawlinson Hand built By Roberts This week's song is Baronet Oswald Ernold Moseley

Episode 3 of the best-of collection of Not the 9 O'Clock News. Sketches include: Riot Police The Devil: Is He All Bad? Public Toilet

Episode 4 of the best-of collection of Not the 9 O'Clock News. Sketches include: Lead Poisoning Sexism Discussion Hi-Fi Shop Soccer Violence General Synod's Life Of Python Preacher Unemployment

Episode 5 of the best-of collection of Not the 9 O'Clock News. Sketches include: Job Creation Scheme / Late Abortion / Not The Parrot Sketch

Episode 6 of the best-of collection of Not the 9 O'Clock News. Sketches include: Sex Shop / I Like Trucking

Episode 7 of the best-of collection of Not the 9 O'Clock News. Sketches include: Silly trousers / Licence fee

Episode 8 of the best-of collection of Not the 9 O'Clock News. Sketches include:

The inside story of the anarchic comedy sketch show, which ran on BBC Two from 1979 to 1982, and launched the careers of Rowan Atkinson, Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith and Pamela Stephenson, as well as writers including Richard Curtis, Andy Hamilton and Clive Anderson. This documentary reveals how the series first came about, looks at the casting of the four main players and the dynamic of the team, as well as recalling the show's key moments, its impact at the time and its legacy. Featuring interviews with Smith, Jones, Stephenson and Curtis, as well as celebrity fans including Billy Connolly and Dara O Briain