Fantasy Football League (TV series)

Fantasy Football League is a British television comedy programme originally hosted by David Baddiel and Frank Skinner.[3] It was inspired by the Fantasy Football phenomenon which started in the early 1990s and followed on from a BBC Radio 5 programme hosted by Dominik Diamond, although the radio and TV versions overlapped by several months. Three series were broadcast from 14 January 1994 to 10 May 1996 (followed by episodes during Euro 96). The show then moved to ITV for live specials on alternate nights throughout the 1998 World Cup and then again through Euro 2004.[4]

Fantasy Football League
GenreComedy
Presented byDavid Baddiel
Frank Skinner
Elis James
Matt Lucas
StarringAngus Loughran
Jeff Astle
Lee Trundle
Production
ProducerAvalon Television[1]
Production locationRiverside Studios[2]
Running time30 minutes
Release
Original networkBBC2
ITV (1998 and 2004 specials)
Sky Max (2022–)
Original release14 January 1994 (1994-01-14) (original series)
29 September 2022 (2022-09-29) (revival series) –
10 May 1996 (1996-05-10) (original series)
Related
Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned

After the show ended, Baddiel and Skinner went on to produce a series of podcasts for The Times, documenting their experiences while travelling across Germany at the 2006 World Cup. The success of these led to the duo being signed by Absolute Radio, where they hosted a similar show from South Africa during the 2010 World Cup.[5]

A revival of the show was commissioned to be broadcast on Sky Max with new hosts Elis James and Matt Lucas, starting in 2023.[6]

Format

The format was originally heavily reliant on an actual fantasy football league, made up of teams picked by regular guest celebrities at the point that the game became popular in the mid-1990s.[7][8]

In the 'kitchen' area stood the third regular on the show, Angus Loughran, referred to only as "Statto". Clad only in a dressing gown and pyjamas, he would dispense footballing facts and statistics on demand, particularly in the early shows when the fantasy league element was strongest. He was the butt of many of Frank and David's jokes, and was often made fun of for being apparently dull and naive, but quickly became an audience favourite (with chants of "Statto! Statto!" becoming common later in the run).[9] In the Sky era, comedian and BT Sport presenter Andrew Mensah takes Loughran's former role.[10]

Controversy

Skinner and Baddiel performed a sketch with toys, using a Mr. Potato Head to portray Nottingham Forest manager Frank Clark and a toy footballer with a (genuine) pineapple on top to portray Forest striker Jason Lee and his unusual hairstyle.[11][12] This led to Lee suffering torrents of abuse from fans at actual matches, including chants like "He's got a pineapple, on his head, he's got a big pineapple, on his head!" (to the tune of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" by Laurie London). Some sketches also featured Baddiel in blackface. In response to the racism, Lee said: "I'd ask them if they realised the significance of what they were doing. It was, looking back, a form of bullying. I work in equalities now, and it can affect different people in different ways. I don't think people appreciate the possible harm it can cause. Not everyone has the make-up to deal with that, and they shouldn't have to."[13] Baddiel has since admitted that his portrayal of Lee was "part of a very bad racist tradition".[14] In an interview with The Guardian in July 2022, Skinner said "When Dave walked out from makeup that night, I still don’t know why one or both of us or someone there didn’t say what the fuck is happening?" He also added, "Looking back, it was a bullying campaign. And it's awful. And yeah, I'm ashamed of it."[15] Baddiel finally apologised to Lee to his face later that year, though Lee questioned why it had taken Baddiel so long to do so.[16]

References
  1. McCann, Paul (4 September 1999). "Behind the scenes of British comedy, two hard men fix the funny money". The Independent. London. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  2. "Pre-registration for FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE from SRO Audiences". www.sroaudiences.com.
  3. Rampton, James (29 November 1997). "Skinner's power play". The Independent. London. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  4. "ITV gives Fantasy Football the boot". Broadcast Now. 13 October 2005. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  5. Plunkett, John (4 December 2009). "Baddiel and Skinner to cover football World Cup for Absolute Radio". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  6. "Matt Lucas and Elis James tell Chris Evans about Fantasy Football League's return: 'It's the most fun show' | Virgin Radio UK". virginradio.co.uk. 26 January 2023.
  7. Mathure, Varun (17 May 1996). "Song for Euro 96 ready for airplay – Sport". The Independent. London. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  8. "Entertainment | Mad about the boys". BBC News. 2 September 1999. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  9. Purnell, Gareth (26 March 1995). "In the realm of fantasy with Tarby and Statto – Sport". The Independent. London. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  10. Bennett, Steve (2 September 2022). "Comic Andrew Mensah joins Fantasy Football League". Chortle.
  11. Stevenson, Jonathan (13 February 2007). "The life and times of Jason Lee". BBC News. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  12. "Lee desperate to carry on playing". BBC News. 12 May 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  13. "'I kept it out of defiance' - ex-Red Jason Lee on his 'pineapple' hairstyle". 26 September 2018.
  14. "Former Nottingham Forest player Jason Lee says he never received an apology from David Baddiel or Frank Skinner". The Independent. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
  15. Jonze, Tim (25 July 2022). "'There's never been a time when you could just say anything': Frank Skinner on free speech, his bullying shame – and knob jokes". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  16. Davies, Matt (24 November 2022). "Jason Lee reflects on his apology from David Baddiel after 25 year wait". NottinghamshireLive.
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