Editing Chris Morris (satirist) (section)

==Career==
===Radio===
On graduating, Morris pursued a career as a musician in various bands, for which he played the bass guitar.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Randall |first=Lucian |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=idNdAAAAQBAJ |title=Disgusting Bliss: The Brass Eye of Chris Morris |date=2010-05-13 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-85720-090-7 |language=en}}</ref> He then went to work for Radio West, a local radio station in Bristol. He then took up a news traineeship with [[BBC Radio Cambridgeshire]], where he took advantage of access to editing and recording equipment to create elaborate [[parody|spoofs and parodies]].<ref>{{cite news |author=Andy Beckett |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/prank-master-chris-morriss-announcement-of-the-death-of-michael-heseltine-on-radio-1-was-just-one-among-many-notorious-japes-his-satire-is-big-with-the-media-but-how-popular-is-it-with-listeners-1377835.html |title=Prank master: Chris Morris's announcement of the death of Michael Heseltine on Radio 1 was just one among many notorious japes. His satire is big with the media, but how popul |publisher=Independent.co.uk |date=21 August 1994 |access-date=18 September 2013 |location=London |archive-date=17 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217213451/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/prank-master-chris-morriss-announcement-of-the-death-of-michael-heseltine-on-radio-1-was-just-one-among-many-notorious-japes-his-satire-is-big-with-the-media-but-how-popular-is-it-with-listeners-1377835.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He also spent time in early 1987 hosting a 2–4pm afternoon show and finally ended up presenting Saturday morning show ''I.T.''

In July 1987, he moved on to [[BBC Radio Bristol]] to present his own show, ''No Known Cure'', broadcast on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The show was surreal and satirical, with odd interviews conducted with unsuspecting members of the public. He was fired from Bristol in 1990 after "talking over the news bulletins and making silly noises".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-76826109|title=Morris, the Man with a Mission to Cause Offence|access-date=7 January 2019|archive-date=3 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203161451/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-76826109/morris-the-man-with-a-mission-to-cause-offence|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1988 he also joined, from its launch, [[BBC Radio London|Greater London Radio]] (GLR). He presented ''The Chris Morris Show'' on GLR until 1993, when one show got suspended after a sketch was broadcast involving a child "outing" celebrities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pbjmgt.co.uk/artist/chris-morris |title=Chris Morris / Artists / PBJ – THE exclusive UK-based talent agency. Clients include the best performers, presenters, writers, composers, directors and producers |publisher=Pbjmgt.co.uk |access-date=18 September 2013 |archive-date=1 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131001105855/http://www.pbjmgt.co.uk/artist/chris-morris |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1991, Morris joined [[Armando Iannucci]]'s spoof news project ''[[On the Hour]]''. Broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4]], it saw him work alongside Iannucci, [[Steve Coogan]], [[Stewart Lee]], [[Richard Herring]] and [[Rebecca Front]].<ref name=":0" /> In 1992, Morris hosted [[Danny Baker]]'s Radio 5 Morning Edition show for a week whilst Baker was on holiday. In 1994, Morris began a weekly evening show, the ''Chris Morris Music Show'', on [[BBC Radio 1]] alongside [[Peter Baynham]] and 'man with a mobile phone' [[Paul Garner (comedian)|Paul Garner]]. In the shows, Morris perfected the spoof interview style that would become a central component of his ''[[Brass Eye]]'' programme. In the same year, Morris teamed up with [[Peter Cook]] (as [[Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling]]) in a series of improvised conversations for [[BBC Radio 3]] entitled ''[[Why Bother? (radio show)|Why Bother?]]''.

===Move into television and film===
{{Quote box
 |quote  = "If you make a joke in an area which is for some reason, normally random, out of bounds, then you might find something out, you might put your finger on something."
 |source = Chris Morris<ref>{{cite news | title=The Last Tempation of Chris | work=The Independent | date=20 April 2000 | author=Hanks, Robert}}</ref>
 |width  = 30%
 |align  = right
}}

In 1994, a [[BBC Two]] television series based on ''On the Hour'' was broadcast under the name ''[[The Day Today]]''. ''The Day Today'' made a star of Morris, and marked the television debut of [[Steve Coogan]]'s [[Alan Partridge]] character. The programme ended on a high after just one series, with Morris winning the 1994 [[National Comedy Awards|British Comedy Award]] for Best Newcomer for his lead role as the [[Jeremy Paxman|Paxmanesque]] news anchor.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1460805.stm |title=UK &#124; Chris Morris: Brass Neck |work=BBC News |date=27 July 2001 |access-date=18 September 2013 |archive-date=12 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312170530/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1460805.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/tv/remembering-the-day-today-britains-sharpest-satire/|title=An oral history of The Day Today, Britain's sharpest TV satire|date=28 January 2019|website=Huck Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=5 February 2019|archive-date=7 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207015315/https://www.huckmag.com/art-and-culture/tv/remembering-the-day-today-britains-sharpest-satire/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1996, Morris appeared on the daytime programme ''[[The Time, The Place]]'', posing as an academic, Thurston Lowe, in a discussion entitled "Are British Men Lousy Lovers?", but was found out when a producer alerted the show's host, [[John Stapleton (English journalist)|John Stapleton]].<ref name="bbc"/>

In 1997, the [[black comedy|black humour]] which had featured in ''On the Hour'' and ''The Day Today'' became more prominent in ''[[Brass Eye]]'', another spoof of current affairs television documentary, shown on [[Channel 4]]. All three series satirised and exaggerated issues expected of news shows.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Ess|first=Ramsey|date=17 July 2018|title=Meet Brass Eye, the Original Who Is America?|url=https://www.vulture.com/2018/07/a-look-back-at-chris-morriss-comedy-series-brass-eye.html|access-date=8 May 2021|website=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|language=en-us|quote=Titled “Paedogeddon!”, Morris satirized a rash of moral panic surrounding pedophilia the previous year in England in which the newspaper [[News of the World]] touted a plan to publicly name 150 pedophiles, until it was forced to suspend the campaign after it inadvertently inspired an upswell in vigilante violence.}}</ref> The second episode of ''Brass Eye,'' for example, satirised drugs and the political rhetoric surrounding them.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Stone|first=Jon|date=8 December 2015|title=The MP tricked into condemning a fake drug called 'Cake' has been put in charge of scrutinising drugs policy|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/the-mp-tricked-into-condemning-a-fake-drug-called-cake-has-been-put-in-charge-of-scrutinising-drugs-policy-a6704671.html|access-date=8 May 2021|website=[[The Independent]]|language=en}}</ref> To help convey the satire, Morris invented a fictional drug by the name of "cake". In the episode, British celebrities and politicians describe the supposed symptoms in detail; [[David Amess]] mentioned the fictional drug at Parliament. In 2001, Morris satirised the moral panic regarding paedophilia in the most controversial episode of ''Brass Eye'', "[[Paedogeddon]]". Channel 4 apologised for the episode after receiving criticism from tabloids and around 3,000 complaints from viewers, which, at the time, was the most for an episode of British television.<ref name=":1" /> 

From 1997 to 1999, Morris created ''[[Blue Jam]]'' for [[BBC Radio 1]], a surreal, taboo-breaking radio show set to an ambient soundtrack.<ref name="screenonline"/> In 2000, this was followed by ''[[Jam (TV series)|Jam]]'', a television reworking.<ref name="screenonline"/> Morris released a 'remix' version of this, entitled ''Jaaaaam''.<ref name="screenonline"/>

In 2002, Morris ventured into film, directing the [[short film|short]] ''[[My Wrongs 8245–8249 & 117|My Wrongs #8245–8249 & 117]]'', adapted from a ''Blue Jam'' monologue about a man led astray by a sinister talking dog. It was the first film project of [[Warp Films]], a branch of [[Warp Records]]. In 2002 it won the [[British Academy of Film and Television Arts|BAFTA]] for best short film.<ref name="bafta_2002"/> In 2005 Morris worked on a sitcom entitled ''[[Nathan Barley]]'', based on the character created by [[Charlie Brooker]] for his website [[TVGoHome]] (Morris had contributed to TVGoHome on occasion, under the pseudonym 'Sid Peach'<ref>{{cite web|last1=Brooker|first1=Charlie|title=FULL SESSION - The Alternative MacTaggart: Charlie Brooker|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK8i2mRxX3s|website=YouTube|date=31 August 2012 |publisher=Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival|access-date=14 January 2015|archive-date=12 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512120756/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK8i2mRxX3s|url-status=live}}</ref>). Co-written by Brooker and Morris, the series was broadcast on [[Channel 4]] in early 2005.

===''The IT Crowd'' and ''Comedy Vehicle''===
Morris appeared in ''[[The IT Crowd]]'', a [[Channel 4]] sitcom which focuses on the information technology department of the fictional company Reynholm Industries. The series was written and directed by [[Graham Linehan]] (with whom Morris collaborated on ''The Day Today'', ''Brass Eye'' and ''Jam'') and produced by [[Ash Atalla]]. Morris played Denholm Reynholm, the eccentric managing director of the company. This marked the first time Morris had acted in a substantial role in a project which he has not developed himself. Morris's character was killed off during episode two of the second series. His character made a brief return in the first episode of the third series.

In November 2007, Morris wrote an article for ''[[The Observer]]'' in response to [[Ronan Bennett]]'s article published six days earlier in ''[[The Guardian]]''. Bennett's article, "Shame on us", accused the novelist [[Martin Amis]] of racism. Morris's response, "The absurd world of Martin Amis", was also highly critical of Amis; although he did not accede to Bennett's accusation of racism, Morris likened Amis to the Muslim cleric [[Abu Hamza al-Masri|Abu Hamza]] (who was jailed for [[inciting racial hatred]] in 2006), suggesting that both men employ "mock erudition, vitriol and decontextualised quotes from the Qu'ran" to incite hatred.<ref>{{cite news |last=Morris |first=Chris |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/nov/25/bookscomment.religion |title=The absurd world of Martin Amis |newspaper=The Observer |date=25 November 2007 |access-date=22 June 2008 |quote=Last week Amis was called a racist. I saw him speak at the ICA last month. Was his negativity about Islam technically racist? I don't know. What I can tell you is that Martin Amis is the new Abu Hamza. [...] Like Hamza, Amis could only make his nonsense stand up with mock erudition, vitriol and decontextualised quotes from the Koran. |location=London |archive-date=1 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130901021653/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2007/nov/25/bookscomment.religion |url-status=live }}</ref>

Morris served as script editor for the 2009 series ''[[Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle]]'', working with former colleagues [[Stewart Lee]], [[Kevin Eldon]] and [[Armando Iannucci]]. He maintained this role for the second (2011) and third series (2014), also appearing as a mock interviewer dubbed the "hostile interrogator" in the third and fourth series.

===''Four Lions'', ''Veep'', and other appearances===
{{quote box |width=30% |align=right |quote="I don't really see the point of comedy unless there's something underpinning it. I mean, what are you doing? Are you doing some kind of exotic display for the court, to be patted on the head by the court, or are you trying to change something?" |source=— Morris discussing the motives behind his comedy<ref>{{cite web |title=Chris Morris on satire in the Trump era and his new film 'The Day Shall Come' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liV5wKAihh8&t=338s | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211123/liV5wKAihh8| archive-date=2021-11-23 | url-status=live|website=YouTube |publisher=Channel 4 |date=2 October 2019 |access-date=12 May 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>}}

Morris completed his debut feature film ''[[Four Lions]]'' in late 2009, a satire based on a group of Islamist terrorists in Sheffield.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/07/17/set-shot-from-chris-morris-four-lions/|title=Set shot from Chris Morris's Four Lions|date=17 July 2009|publisher=Bleeding Cool.com|access-date=26 July 2009|archive-date=18 July 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090718100313/http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/07/17/set-shot-from-chris-morris-four-lions/|url-status=live}}</ref>
It premiered at the [[Sundance Film Festival]] in January 2010 and was short-listed for the festival's World Cinema Narrative prize.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://festival.sundance.org/2010/press_industry/releases/2010_sundance_film_festival_announces_films_in_competition/ |title=2010 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FILMS IN COMPETITION &#124; Sundance Festival 2010 |publisher=Festival.sundance.org |access-date=20 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100404133049/http://festival.sundance.org/2010/press_industry/releases/2010_sundance_film_festival_announces_films_in_competition/ |archive-date=4 April 2010 }}</ref> The film (working title ''Boilerhouse'') was picked up by [[Film Four]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/wannabe-suicide-bombers-beware-chris-morris-movie-gets-goahead-1228152.html |title=Wannabe suicide bombers beware: Chris Morris movie gets go-ahead |first=Geneviève |last=Roberts |date=6 January 2009 |access-date=20 May 2009 |work=The Independent |location=London |archive-date=31 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331203045/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/wannabe-suicide-bombers-beware-chris-morris-movie-gets-goahead-1228152.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Morris told ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' that the film sought to do for Islamic terrorism what ''[[Dad's Army]]'', the classic BBC comedy, did for the [[Nazism|Nazis]] by showing them as "scary but also ridiculous".<ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=Richard |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3177654.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615145142/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3177654.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 June 2011 |title=Satirist turns terrorists into Dad's Army |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]] |date=13 January 2008 |access-date=13 January 2008 | location=London}} </ref>

In 2012, Morris directed the seventh and penultimate episode of the first season of ''[[Veep (TV series)|Veep]]'', an Armando Iannucci-devised American version of ''[[The Thick of It]]''.<ref>{{Citation | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2161219/ | title=Veep: Season 1, Episode 7 Full Disclosure (3 Jun. 2012) | publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]] | access-date=23 May 2012 | archive-date=29 April 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120429082252/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2161219/ | url-status=live }}</ref> In 2013, he returned to direct two episodes for the second season of ''Veep'', and a further episode for season three in 2014.

In 2013, Morris appeared briefly in [[Richard Ayoade]]'s [[The Double (2013 film)|''The Double'']], a black comedy film based on the [[Fyodor Dostoyevsky]] [[The Double (Fyodor Dostoyevsky novel)|novella of the same name]]. Morris had previously worked with Ayoade on ''Nathan Barley'' and ''The IT Crowd''.

In February 2014, Morris made a surprise appearance at the beginning of a [[Stewart Lee]] live show, introducing the comedian with fictional anecdotes about their work together.<ref>{{cite web|last=Chortle|title=Chris Morris, live on stage|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2014/02/16/19608/chris_morris,_live_on_stage?rss|publisher=Chortle|access-date=17 February 2014|archive-date=1 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001154834/https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2014/02/16/19608/chris_morris,_live_on_stage?rss|url-status=live}}</ref> The following month, Morris appeared in the third series of ''Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle'' as a "hostile interrogator",<ref>{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Stewart|title=The material is cooking with gas|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/features/2014/02/19/19633/the_material_is_cooking_with_gas|publisher=Chortle|access-date=19 February 2014|archive-date=25 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140225173706/http://www.chortle.co.uk/features/2014/02/19/19633/the_material_is_cooking_with_gas|url-status=live}}</ref> a role previously occupied by Armando Iannucci.

In December 2014, it was announced that a short radio collaboration with [[Noel Fielding]] and Richard Ayoade would be broadcast on BBC Radio 6.<ref>{{cite web|last1=BBC|title=Chris Morris Exclusive|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04tm3qb|website=www.bbc.co.uk/programmes|publisher=BBC|access-date=1 December 2014|archive-date=4 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141204154029/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04tm3qb|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Fielding, the work had been in progress since around 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Noel Fielding: Radio Past and Future|url=http://thevelvetonion.com/2011/11/03/radio-past-and-future/|website=thevelvetonion.com/|date=3 November 2011|publisher=The Velvet Onion|access-date=1 December 2014|archive-date=21 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821100100/http://thevelvetonion.com/2011/11/03/radio-past-and-future/|url-status=live}}</ref> However, in January 2015 it was decided, 'in consultation with [Morris]', that the project was not yet complete, and so the intended broadcast did not go ahead.<ref>{{cite web|title=New Chris Morris sketch 'not ready yet'|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2014/12/08/21449/new_chris_morris_sketch_not_ready_yet|website=www.chortle.co.uk|publisher=Chortle|access-date=14 January 2015|archive-date=11 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511012207/http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2014/12/08/21449/new_chris_morris_sketch_not_ready_yet|url-status=live}}</ref>

===''The Day Shall Come''===
A statement released by [[Film4]] in February 2016 made reference to funding what would be Morris's second feature film.<ref>{{cite web|title=Channel 4 announces major increase to Film4 funding'|url=http://blog.film4.com/channel-4-announces-major-increase-to-film4-funding|website=www.film4.co.uk|publisher=Film4|access-date=9 February 2016|archive-date=13 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213140151/http://blog.film4.com/channel-4-announces-major-increase-to-film4-funding/|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2017 it was reported that Morris had shot the movie, starring [[Anna Kendrick]], in the [[Dominican Republic]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/chris-morris-film-2018-new-four-lions-brass-eye-anna-kendrick-a8079696.html|title=Brass Eye's Chris Morris has secretly shot a film in the Caribbean starring Anna Kendrick|date=28 November 2017|work=The Independent|access-date=3 December 2017|language=en-GB|archive-date=4 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204061226/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/chris-morris-film-2018-new-four-lions-brass-eye-anna-kendrick-a8079696.html|url-status=live}}</ref> but the title was not made public. It was later reported in January 2018 that [[Jim Gaffigan]] and [[Rupert Friend]] had joined the cast of the still-untitled film, and that the plot would revolve around an FBI hostage situation gone wrong.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rupert Friend and Jim Gaffigan join Chris Morris film |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2018/01/08/38827/rupert_friend_and_jim_gaffigan_join_chris_morris_film |website=[[Chortle]] |access-date=14 March 2019 |archive-date=27 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127110419/https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2018/01/08/38827/rupert_friend_and_jim_gaffigan_join_chris_morris_film |url-status=live }}</ref> The completed film, titled ''[[The Day Shall Come]]'', had its world premiere at [[South by Southwest]] on 11 March 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/olivia-wilde-seth-rogen-matthew-mcconaughey-added-sxsw-film-fest-lineup-1176656|title=SXSW: Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey to Premiere New Work|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|first=Gregg|last=Kilday|date=16 January 2019|access-date=16 January 2019|archive-date=28 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328065451/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/olivia-wilde-seth-rogen-matthew-mcconaughey-added-sxsw-film-fest-lineup-1176656|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Music===
Morris often co-writes and performs incidental music for his television shows, notably with ''Jam'' and the 'extended remix' version, ''Jaaaaam''. In the early 1990s Morris contributed a [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]] parody track entitled "Motherbanger" to a [[Flexi disc|flexi-disc]] given away with an edition of [[select magazine|Select]] music magazine.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQqzF7NdoXI|title=Chris Morris – Mother Banger (Pixies Parody)|website=[[YouTube]]|access-date=27 November 2016|archive-date=15 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515082617/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQqzF7NdoXI|url-status=live}}</ref> Morris supplied sketches for British band [[Saint Etienne (band)|Saint Etienne]]'s 1993 single "[[You're in a Bad Way]]" (the sketch 'Spongbake' appears at the end of the 4th track on the CD single).

In 2000, Morris collaborated by mail with [[Amon Tobin]] to create the track "Bad Sex", which was released as a B-side on the Tobin single "Slowly".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discogs.com/Amon-Tobin-Slowly/release/29172 |title=Amon Tobin (feat. Chris Morris) at Discogs |publisher=Discogs.com |date=21 May 2002 |access-date=20 August 2010 |archive-date=18 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418082957/http://www.discogs.com/Amon-Tobin-Slowly/release/29172 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Anglo-French band [[Stereolab]]'s song "Nothing to Do with Me" from their 2001 album ''[[Sound-Dust]]'' featured various lines from Chris Morris sketches as lyrics.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/stereolab/8265 |title=Stereolab's 'Jam' Session |work=[[NME]] |date=21 June 2001 |access-date=20 May 2009 |archive-date=4 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110804224245/http://www.nme.com/news/stereolab/8265 |url-status=live }}</ref>