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Lothal
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For the Star Wars planet, see Lothal (Star Wars).
Lothal
Archaeological remains of washroom drainage system at Lothal
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Lothal (India)
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Location
Saragwala, Gujarat, India
Coordinates
22°31′17″N 72°14′58″E / 22.52139°N 72.24944°E / 22.52139; 72.24944Coordinates: 22°31′17″N 72°14′58″E / 22.52139°N 72.24944°E / 22.52139; 72.24944
Type
Settlement
History
Founded
Approximately 3700 BCE
Cultures
Indus Valley Civilization
Site notes
Excavation dates
1955–1960
Condition
Ruined
Ownership
Public
Management
Archaeological Survey of India
Public access
Yes
Lothal (IPA: [loˑt̪ʰəl]) is one of the southernmost cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization,[1] located in the Bhāl region of the modern state of Gujarāt and first inhabited c. 3700 BCE.[2] Discovered in 1954, Lothal was excavated from 13 February 1955 to 19 May 1960 by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), the official Indian government agency for the preservation of ancient monuments. According to the ASI, Lothal had the world's earliest known dock, which connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river on the trade route between Harappan cities in Sindh and the peninsula of Saurashtra when the surrounding Kutch desert of today was a part of the Arabian Sea. However, this interpretation has been challenged by other archaeologists, who argue that Lothal was a comparatively small town, and that the "dock" was actually an irrigation tank.[3]
Lothal was a vital and thriving trade centre in ancient times, with its trade of beads, gems and valuable ornaments reaching the far corners of West Asia and Africa. The techniques and tools they pioneered for bead-making and in metallurgy have stood the test of time for over 4000 years.[4]
Lothal is situated near the village of Saragwala in the Dholka Taluka of Ahmedabad district. It is six kilometres south-east of the Lothal-Bhurkhi railway station on the Ahmedabad-Bhavnagar railway line. It is also connected by all-weather roads to the cities of Ahmedabad (85 km/53 mi), Bhavnagar, Rajkot and Dholka. The nearest cities are Dholka and Bagodara. Resuming excavation in 1961, archaeologists unearthed trenches sunk on the northern, eastern and western flanks of the mound, bringing to light the inlet channels and nullah ("ravine", or "gully") connecting the dock with the river. The findings consist of a mound, a township, a marketplace, and the dock. Adjacent to the excavated areas stands the Archaeological Museum, where some of the most prominent collections of Indus-era antiquities in India are displayed.
The Lothal site has been nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO.[5]
Layout of Lothal
Contents
[hide]
1 Archaeology
2 History
2.1 Town planning
2.2 Economy and urban culture
2.3 Architectural development
2.4 Later Harappan culture
3 Civilization
3.1 Science & engineering
3.2 Religion and disposal of the dead
3.3 Metallurgy and jewellery
3.4 Art
4 Excavated Lothal
4.1 Dockyard
4.2 Acropolis and lower town
5 Coastal trade route
6 See also
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links
Archaeology[edit]
Extent and major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization.
When British India was partitioned in 1947, most Indus sites, including Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, became part of Pakistan. The Archaeological Survey of India undertook a new program of exploration, and excavation. Many sites were discovered across northwestern India. Between 1954 and 1958, more than 50 sites were excavated in the Kutch (notably Dholavira), and Saurashtra peninsulas, extending the limits of Harappan civilisation by 500 kilometres (310 miles) to the river Kim, where the Bhagatrav site accesses the valley of the rivers Narmada and Tapti. Lothal stands 670 kilometers (420 miles) from Mohenjo-daro, which is in Sindh.[6]
The meaning of Lothal (a combination of Loth and (s) thal) in Gujarati to be "the mound of the dead" is not unusual, as the name of the city of Mohenjo-daro in Sindhi means the same. People in villages neighbouring to Lothal had known of the presence of an ancient town and human remains. As recently as 1850, boats could sail up to the mound. In 1942, timber was shipped from Broach to Saragwala via the mound. A silted creek connecting modern Bholad with Lothal and Saragwala represents the ancient flow channel of a river or creek.[7]
Speculation suggests that owing to the comparatively small dimensions of the main city, Lothal was not a large settlement at all, and its "dock" was perhaps an irrigation tank.[8] However, the ASI and other contemporary archaeologists assert that the city was a part of a major river system on the trade route of the ancient peoples from Sindh to Saurashtra in Gujarat. Lothal provides with the largest collection of antiquities in the archaeology of modern India.[9] It is essentially a single culture site—the Harappan culture in all its variances is evidenced.[citation needed] An indigenous micaceous Red Ware culture also existed, which is believed to be[who?] autochthonous and pre-Harappan.[citation needed] Two sub-periods of Harappan culture are distinguished: the same period (between 2400 and 1900 BCE) is identical to the exuberant culture of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro.[citation needed]
To the northwest of Lothal lies the Kutch (see also Dholavira) peninsula, which was a part of the Arabian Sea until very recently in history. Owing to this, and the proximity of the Gulf of Khambhat, Lothal's river provided direct access to sea routes. Although now sealed off from the sea, Lothal's topography and geology reflects its maritime past.
After the core of the Indus civilisation had decayed in Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, Lothal seems not only to have survived but to have thrived for many years. Its constant threats - tropical storms and floods - caused immense destruction, which destabilised the culture and ultimately caused its end. Topographical analysis also shows signs that at about the time of its demise, the region suffered from aridity or weakened monsoon rainfall. Thus the cause for the abandonment of the city may have been changes in the climate as well as natural disasters, as suggested by environmental magnetic records.[10] Lothal is based upon a mound that was a salt marsh inundated by tide. Remote sensing and topographical studies published by Indian scientists in the Journal of the Indian Geophysicists Union in 2004 revealed an ancient, meandering river adjacent to Lothal, 30 kilometres (19 miles) in length according to satellite imagery— an ancient extension of the northern river channel bed of a tributary of the Bhogavo river. Small channel widths (10–300 m or 33–984 ft) when compared to the lower reaches (1.2–1.6 km or 0.75–0.99 mi) suggest the presence of a strong tidal influence upon the city—tidal waters ingressed up to and beyond the city. Upstream elements of this river provided a suitable source of freshwater for the inhabitants.[10]
History[edit]
Location of Lothal in the Indus Valley and extent of Indus Valley Civilization (green).
Before the arrival of Harappan people (c. 3000 BCE), Lothal was a small village next to the river providing access to the mainland from the Gulf of Khambhat. The indigenous people maintained a prosperous economy, attested by the discovery of copper objects, beads and semi-precious stones. Ceramic wares were of fine clay and smooth, micaceous red surface. A new technique of firing pottery under partly oxidising and reducing conditions was improved by them—designated black-and-red ware, to the micaceous Red Ware. Harappans were attracted to Lothal for its sheltered harbour, rich cotton and rice-growing environment and bead-making industry. The beads and gems of Lothal were in great demand in the west. The settlers lived peacefully with the Red Ware people, who adopted their lifestyle, evidenced from the flourishing trade and changing working techniques. Harappans began producing the indigenous ceramic goods, adopting the manner from the natives.[11]
Town planning[edit]
A flood destroyed village foundations and settlements (c. 2350 BCE). Harappans based around Lothal and from Sindh took this opportunity to expand their settlement and create a planned township on the lines of greater cities in the Indus valley.[12] Lothal planners engaged themselves to protect the area from consistent floods. The town was divided into blocks of 1–2-metre-high (3–6 ft) platforms of sun-dried bricks, each serving 20–30 houses of thick mud and brick walls. The city was divided into a citadel, or acropolis and a lower town. The rulers of the town lived in the acropolis, which featured paved baths, underground and surface drains (built of kiln-fired bricks) and a potable water well. The lower town was subdivided into two sectors. A north-south arterial street was the main commercial area. It was flanked by shops of rich and ordinary merchants and craftsmen. The residential area was located to either side of the marketplace. The lower town was also periodically enlarged during Lothal's years of prosperity.[citation needed]
Lothal engineers accorded high priority to the creation of a dockyard and a warehouse to serve the purposes of naval trade. While the consensus view amongst archaeologists identifies this structure as a "dockyard," it has also been suggested that owing to small dimensions, this basin may have been an irrigation tank and canal.[8] The dock was built on the eastern flank of the town, and is regarded by archaeologists as an engineering feat of the highest order. It was located away from the main current of the river to avoid silting, but provided access to ships in high tide as well. The warehouse was built close to the acropolis on a 3.5-metre-high (10.5 ft) podium of mud bricks. The rulers could thus supervise the activity on the dock and warehouse simultaneously. Facilitating the movement of cargo was a mudbrick wharf, 220 metres (720 feet) long, built on the western arm of the dock, with a ramp leading to the warehouse.[13] There was an important public building opposite to the warehouse whose superstructure has completely disappeared. Throughout their time, the city had to brace itself through multiple floods and storms. Dock and city peripheral walls were maintained efficiently. The town's zealous rebuilding ensured the growth and prosperity of the trade. However, with rising prosperity, Lothal's people failed to upkeep their walls and dock facilities, possibly as a result of over-confidence in their systems. A flood of moderate intensity in 2050 BCE exposed some serious weaknesses in the structure, but the problems were not addressed properly.[14] All the construction were made of fire dried bricks, lime and sand mortar and not by sun dried bricks as bricks are still intact after 4000 years and still bonded together with each other with the mortar bond.[15]
Pottery from Lothal.
Economy and urban culture[edit]
An ancient well, and the city drainage canals
The uniform organisation of the town and its institutions give evidence that the Harappans were very disciplined people.[16] Commerce and administrative duties were performed according to standards laid out. Municipal administration was strict – the width of most streets remained the same over a long time, and no encroached structures were built. Householders possessed a sump, or collection chamber to deposit solid waste in order to prevent the clogging of city drains. Drains, manholes and cesspools kept the city clean and deposited the waste in the river, which was washed out during high tide. A new provincial style of Harappan art and painting was pioneered. The new approaches included realistic portrayals of animals in their natural surroundings. Metalware, gold and jewellery and tastefully decorated ornaments attest to the culture and prosperity of the people of Lothal.
Most of their equipment: metal tools, weights, measures, seals, earthenware and ornaments were of the uniform standard and quality found across the Indus civilization. Lothal was a major trade centre, importing en masse raw materials like copper, chert and semi-precious stones from Mohenjo-daro and Harappa, and mass distributing to inner villages and towns. It also produced large quantities of bronze celts, fish-hooks, chisels, spears and ornaments. Lothal exported its beads, gemstones, ivory and shells. The stone blade industry catered to domestic needs—fine chert was imported from the Larkana valley or from Bijapur in modern Karnataka. Bhagatrav supplied semi-precious stones while chank shell came from Dholavira and Bet Dwarka. An intensive trade network gave the inhabitants great prosperity. The network stretched across the frontiers to Egypt, Bahrain and Sumer.[14] One of the evidence of trade in Lothal is the discovery of typical Persian gulf seals, a circular button seal[17]
Architectural development[edit]
The bathroom-toilet structure of houses in Lothal
While the wider debate over the end of Indus civilisation continues, archaeological evidence gathered by the ASI appears to point to natural catastrophes, specifically floods and storms as the source of Lothal's downfall. A powerful flood submerged the town and destroyed most of the houses, with the walls and platforms heavily damaged. The acropolis was levelled (2000–1900 BCE), and inhabited by common tradesmen and newly built makeshift houses. The worst consequence was the shift in the course of the river, cutting off access to the ships and dock.[18] The people built a new but shallow inlet to connect the flow channel to the dock for sluicing small ships into the basin. Large ships were moored away. Houses were rebuilt, yet without removal of flood debris, which made them poor-quality and susceptible to further damage. Public drains were replaced by soakage jars. The citizens did not undertake encroachments, and rebuilt public baths. However, with a poorly organised government, and no outside agency or central government, the public works could not be properly repaired or maintained. The heavily damaged warehouse was never repaired properly, and stocks were stored in wooden canopies, exposed to floods and fire. The economy of the city was transformed. Trade volumes reduced greatly, though not catastrophically, and resources were available in lesser quantities. Independent businesses caved, allowing a merchant-centric system of factories to develop where hundreds of craftsmen worked for the same supplier and financier. The bead factory had ten living rooms and a large workplace courtyard. The coppersmith's workshop had five furnaces and paved sinks to enable multiple artisans to work.[19]
The declining prosperity of the town, paucity of resources and poor administration increased the woes of a people pressured by consistent floods and storms. Increased salinity of soil made the land inhospitable to life, including crops. This is evidenced in adjacent cities of Rangpur, Rojdi, Rupar and Harappa in Punjab, Mohenjo-daro and Chanhudaro in Sindh. A massive flood (c. 1900 BCE) completely destroyed the flagging township in a single stroke. Archaeological analysis shows that the basin and dock were sealed with silt and debris, and the buildings razed to the ground. The flood affected the entire region of Saurashtra, Sindh and south Gujarat, and affected the upper reaches of the Indus and Sutlej, where scores of villages and townships were washed away. The population fled to inner regions.[20]
Archaeological feature
Later Harappan culture[edit]
The warehouse of Lothal
Archaeological evidence shows that the site continued to be inhabited, albeit by a much smaller population devoid of urban influences. The few people who returned to Lothal could not reconstruct and repair their city, but surprisingly continued to stay and preserved religious traditions, living in poorly built houses and reed huts. That they were the Harappan peoples is evidenced by the analyses of their remains in the cemetery. While the trade and resources of the city were almost entirely gone, the people retained several Harappan ways in writing, pottery and utensils. About this time ASI archaeologists record a mass movement of refugees from Punjab and Sindh into Saurashtra and to the valley of Sarasvati (1900–1700 BCE).[21] Hundreds of ill-equipped settlements have been attributed to this people as Late Harappans a completely de-urbanised culture characterised by rising illiteracy, less complex economy, unsophisticated administration and poverty. Though Indus seals went out of use, the system of weights with an 8.573 gram (0.3024 oz avoirdupois) unit was retained. Between 1700 and 1600 BCE, trade would revive again. In Lothal, Harappan ceramic works of bowls, dishes and jars were mass-produced. Merchants used local materials such as chalcedony instead of chert for stone blades. Truncated sandstone weights replaced hexahedron chert weights. The sophisticated painting style reduced itself to wavy lines, loops and fronds. Lothal was especially famous for its micro-beads. These were made by grinding materials, rolling them on to a string, baking it solid. Finally the baked roll was sawed into required shapes and sizes.
Civilization[edit]
The people of Lothal made significant and often unique contributions to human civilisation in the Indus era, in the fields of city planning, art, architecture, science, engineering, pottery and religion.[citation needed] Their work in metallurgy, seals, beads and jewellery was the basis of their prosperity.
Science & engineering[edit]
Further information: Sanitation of the Indus Valley Civilization
A block of bricks placed in the main drainage canal with four holes, from which the net to filter out solid waste was installed
A thick ring-like shell object found with four slits each in two margins served as a compass to measure angles on plane surfaces or in the horizon in multiples of 40 degrees, up to 360 degrees. Such shell instruments were probably invented to measure 8–12 whole sections of the horizon and sky, explaining the slits on the lower and upper margins. Archaeologists consider this as evidence that the Lothal experts had achieved something 2,000 years before the Greeks: an 8–12 fold division of horizon and sky, as well as an instrument for measuring angles and perhaps the position of stars, and for navigation.[22] Lothal contributes one of three measurement scales that are integrated and linear (others found in Harappa and Mohenjodaro). An ivory scale from Lothal has the smallest-known decimal divisions in Indus civilisation. The scale is 6 millimetres (0.2 inches) thick, 15 mm (0.59 in) broad and the available length is 128 mm (5.0 in), but only 27 graduations are visible over 46 mm (1.8 in), the distance between graduation lines being 1.70 mm (0.067 in) (the small size indicates use for fine purposes). The sum total of ten graduations from Lothal is approximate to the angula in the Arthashastra.[23] The Lothal craftsmen took care to ensure durability and accuracy of stone weights by blunting edges before polishing.[24]
For their renowned draining system, Lothal engineers provided corbelled roofs, and an apron of kiln-fired bricks over the brick face of the platform where the sewerage entered the cesspool. Wooden screens inserted in grooves in the side drain walls held back solid waste. The well is built of radial bricks, 2.4 metres (7.9 feet) in diameter and 6.7 metres (22 feet) deep. It had an immaculate network of underground drains, silting chambers and cesspools, and inspection chambers for solid waste. The extent of drains provided archaeologists with many clues regarding the layout of streets, organisation of housing and baths. On average, the main sewer is 20–46 cm (7.9–18.1 in) in depth, with outer dimensions of 86 × 68 × 33 cm (34 × 27 × 13 in). Lothal brick-makers used a logical approach in manufacture of bricks, designed with care in regards to thickness of structures. They were used as headers and stretchers in same and alternate layers. Archaeologists estimate that in most cases, the bricks were in ratio 1:0.5:0.25 on three sides, in dimensions which were integral multiples of large graduations of Lothal scale of 25 mm (0.98 in).[25]
Religion and disposal of the dead[edit]
Twin burial from Lothal.
The people of Lothal worshipped a fire god, speculated to be the horned deity depicted on seals, which is also evidenced by the presence of private and public fire-altars where religious ceremonies were apparently conducted. Archaeologists have discovered gold pendants, charred ashes of terra-cotta cakes and pottery, bovine remains, beads and other signs that may indicate the practice of the Gavamayana sacrifice, associated with the ancient Vedic religion.[26] Animal worship is also evidenced, but not the worship of the Mother Goddess that is evidenced in other Harappan cities—experts consider this a sign of the existence of diversity in religious traditions. However, it is believed that a sea goddess, perhaps cognate with the general Indus-era Mother Goddess, was worshipped. Today, the local villagers likewise worship a sea goddess, Vanuvati Sikotarimata, suggesting a connection with the ancient port's traditions and historical past as an access to the sea.[27][28] But the archaeologists also discovered that the practice had been given up by 2000 BCE (determined by the difference in burial times of the carbon-dated remains). It is suggested that the practice occurred only on occasion. It is also considered that given the small number of graves discovered—only 17 in an estimated population of 15,000—the citizens of Lothal also practised cremation of the dead. Post-cremation burials have been noted in other Indus sites like Harappa, Mehi and Damb-Bhuti.[29]
Metallurgy and jewellery[edit]
Lothal copper is unusually pure, lacking the arsenic typically used by coppersmiths across the rest of the Indus valley. The city imported ingots from probable sources in the Arabian peninsula. Workers mixed tin with copper for the manufacture of celts, arrowheads, fishhooks, chisels, bangles, rings, drills and spearheads, although weapon manufacturing was minor. They also employed advanced metallurgy in following the cire perdue technique of casting, and used more than one-piece moulds for casting birds and animals.[30] They also invented new tools such as curved saws and twisted drills unknown to other civilisations at the time.[31]
Lothal was one of the most important centres of production for shell-working, owing to the abundance of chank shell of high quality found in the Gulf of Kutch and near the Kathiawar coast.[30] Gamesmen, beads, unguent vessels, chank shells, ladles and inlays were made for export and local consumption. Components of stringed musical instruments like the plectrum and the bridge were made of shell.[32] An ivory workshop was operated under strict official supervision, and the domestication of elephants has been suggested. An ivory seal, and sawn pieces for boxes, combs, rods, inlays and ear-studs were found during excavations.[32] Lothal produced a large quantity of gold ornaments—the most attractive item being microbeads of gold in five strands in necklaces, unique for being less than 0.25 millimetres (0.010 inches) in diameter. Cylindrical, globular and jasper beads of gold with edges at right angles resemble modern pendants used by women in Gujarat in plaits of hair. A large disc with holes recovered from a sacrificial altar is compared to the rukma worn by Vedic priests. Studs, cogwheel and heart-shaped ornaments of fainence and steatite were popular in Lothal. A ring of thin copper wire turned into double spirals resembles the gold-wire rings used by modern Hindus for weddings.[33]
Art[edit]
Archaeological Museum of Lothal, replica of seal.
Pieces of red clay pottery
The discovery of etched carnelian beads and non-etched barrel beads in Kish and Ur (modern Iraq), Jalalabad (Afghanistan) and Susa (Iran) attest to the popularity of the Indus bead industry across West Asia.[34] The lapidaries select stones of variegated colours, producing beads of different shapes and sizes. The methods of Lothal bead-makers were so advanced that no improvements have been noted over 4,000 years—modern makers in the Khambhat area follow the same technique. Double-eye beads of agate and collared or gold-capped beads of jasper and carnelian beads are among those attributed as uniquely from Lothal. It was very famous for micro-cylindrical beads of steatite (chlorite).[33] The Lothal excavation yielded 213 seals, third in volume amongst all Indus sites. Seal-cutters preferred short-horned bulls, mountain goats, tigers and composite animals like the elephant-bull for engravings. There is a short inscription of intaglio in almost every seal. Stamp seals with copper rings inserted in a perforated button were used to sealing cargo, with impressions of packing materials like mats, twisted cloth and cords, a fact verified only at Lothal. Quantitative descriptions, seals of rulers and owners were stamped on goods. A unique seal found here is from Bahrain—circular, with motif of a dragon flanked by jumping gazelles.[35]
Lothal offers two new types of potter work, a convex bowl with or without stud handle, and a small jar with flaring rim, both in the micaceous Red Ware period, not found in contemporary Indus cultures. Lothal artists introduced a new form of realistic painting.[36] Paintings depict animals in their natural surroundings. On one large vessel, the artist depicts birds with fish in their beaks, resting in a tree, while a fox-like animal stands below. This scene bears resemblance to the story of The Fox and the Crow in the Panchatantra.[37] Artistic imagination is also suggested via careful portrayals—for example, several birds with legs aloft in the sky suggest flight, while half-opened wings suggest imminent flight. On a miniature jar, the story of the thirsty crow and deer is depicted – of how the deer could not drink from the narrow-mouth of the jar, while the crow succeeded by dropping stones in the jar. The features of the animals are clear and graceful. Movements and emotions are suggested by the positioning of limbs and facial features—in a 15 cm × 5 cm (5.9 in × 2.0 in) jar without overcrowding.[37]
A complete set of terra-cotta gamesmen, has been found in Lothal—animal figures, pyramids with ivory handles and castle-like objects (similar to the chess set of Queen Hatshepsut in Egypt).[38] The realistic portrayal of human beings and animals suggests a careful study of anatomical and natural features. The bust of a male with slit eyes, sharp nose and square-cut beard is reminiscent of Sumerian figures, especially stone sculptures from Mari. In images of men and women, muscular and physical features are sharp, prominently marked. Terra-cotta models also identify the differences between species of dogs and bulls, including those of horses[39]. Animal figures with wheels and a movable head may have been utilised as toys.
Excavated Lothal[edit]
The main well
On plan, Lothal stands 285 metres (935 feet) north-to-south and 228 metres (748 feet) east-to-west. At the height of its habitation, it covered a wider area since remains have been found 300 metres (980 feet) south of the mound. Due to the fragile nature of unbaked bricks and frequent floods, the superstructures of all buildings have receded. Dwarfed walls, platforms, wells, drains, baths and paved floors are visible.[14] But thanks to the loam deposited by persistent floods, the dock walls were preserved beyond the great deluge (c. 1900 BCE). The absence of standing high walls is attributed to erosion and brick robbery. The ancient nullah, the inlet channel and riverbed have been similarly covered up. The flood-damaged peripheral wall of mud-bricks is visible near the warehouse area. The remnants of the north-south sewer are burnt bricks in the cesspool. Cubical blocks of the warehouse on a high platform are also visible.[14]
The ASI has covered the peripheral walls, the wharf and many houses of the early phase with earth to protect from natural phenomena, but the entire archaeological site is nevertheless facing grave concerns about necessary preservation.[40] Salinity ingress and prolonged exposure to the rain and sun are gradually eating away the remains of the site. Heavy rain in the region has damaged the remains of the sun-dried mud brick constructions. Stagnant rain water has lathered the brick and mud work with layers of moss. Due to siltation, the dockyard's draft has been reduced by 3–4 metres (9.8–13.1 ft) and saline deposits are decaying the bricks. Officials blame the salinity on capillary action and point out that cracks are emerging and foundations weakening even as restoration work slowly progresses.[41]
Dockyard[edit]
The dock, with a canal opening to allow water to flow into the river, thereby maintaining a stable water level.
Remains of canal opening, built with burnt bricks.
The dockyard was located away from the main current to avoid deposition of silt. It is speculated that Lothal engineers studied tidal movements, and their effects on brick-built structures, since the walls are of kiln-burnt bricks. This knowledge also enabled them to select Lothal's location in the first place, as the Gulf of Khambhat has the highest tidal amplitude and ships can be sluiced through flow tides in the river estuary. The engineers built a trapezoidal structure, with north-south arms of average 21.8 metres (72 feet), and east-west arms of 37 metres (121 feet).[42] Another assessment is that the basin could have served as an irrigation tank, for the estimated original dimensions of the "dock" are not large enough, by modern standards, to house ships and conduct much traffic.[8] Criticism of the dock theory has grown since first doubted by Leshnik in 1968 and later Yule in 1982.[43]
The original height of the embankments was 4.26 metres (14.0 feet). (Now it is 3.35 metres or 11.0 feet.) The main inlet is 12.8 metres (42 feet) wide, and another is provided on the opposite side. To counter the thrust of water, offsets were provided on the outer wall faces. When the river changed its course in 2000 BCE, a smaller inlet, 7 metres (23 feet) wide was made in the longer arm, connected to the river by a 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) channel. At high tide a flow of 2.1–2.4 metres (6.9–7.9 ft) of water would have allowed ships to enter. Provision was made for the escape of excess water through the outlet channel, 96.5 metres (317 feet) wide and 1.7 metres (5.6 feet) high in the southern arm. The dock also possessed a lock-gate system—a wooden door could be lowered at the mouth of the outlet to retain a minimum column of water in the basin so as to ensure floatation at low tides.[42] Central to the city's economy, the warehouse was originally built on sixty-four cubical blocks, 3.6 metres (12 feet) square, with 1.2-metre (3.9-foot) passages, and based on a 3.5-metre-high (11.5 ft) mud-brick podium. The pedestal was very high to provide maximum protection from floods. Brick-paved passages between blocks served as vents, and a direct ramp led to the dock to facilitate loading. The warehouse was located close to the acropolis, to allow tight supervision by ruling authorities. Despite elaborate precautions, the major floods that brought the city's decline destroyed all but twelve blocks, which became the makeshift storehouse.[44]
Acropolis and lower town[edit]
The lower town
Lothal's acropolis was the town centre, its political and commercial heart, measuring 127.4 metres (418 feet) east-to-west by 60.9 metres (200 feet) north-to-south. There were three streets and two lanes running east-west, and two streets running north-south. The four sides of the rectangular platform on which houses were built are formed by mud-brick structures of 12.2–24.4 metres (40–80 ft) thickness and 2.1–3.6 metres (6.9–11.8 ft) high.[45] The baths were primarily located in the acropolis—mostly two-roomed houses with open courtyards. The bricks used for paving baths were polished to prevent seepage. The pavements were lime-plastered and edges were wainscoted (wooden panels) by thin walls. The ruler's residence is 43.92 square metres (1.696×10−5 square miles) in area with a 1.8-square-meter-bath (19 sq ft) equipped with an outlet and inlet. The remains of this house give evidence to a sophisticated drainage system. The Lower town marketplace was on the main north-south street 6–8 metres (20–26 ft) wide. Built in straight rows on either side of the street are residences and workshops, although brick-built drains and early period housing has disappeared. The street maintained a uniform width and did not undergo encroachment during the reconstructive periods after deluges. There are multiple two-roomed shops and workplaces of coppersmiths and blacksmiths.[46]
The bead factory, which performs a very important economic function, possesses a central courtyard and eleven rooms, a store and a guardhouse. There is a cinder dump, as well as a double-chambered circular kiln, with stoke-holes for fuel supply. Four flues are connected with each other, the upper chamber and the stoke hold. The mud plaster of the floors and walls are vitrified owing to intense heat during work. The remnants of raw materials such as reed, cow dung, sawdust and agate are found, giving archaeologists hints of how the kiln was operated.[47] A large mud-brick building faces the factory, and its significance is noted by its plan. Four large rooms and a hall, with an overall measurement of 17.1 by 12.8 metres (56 ft × 42 ft). The hall has a large doorway and a raised floor in the southern corner of the building.
Coastal trade route[edit]
A coastal route may have existed linking sites such as Lothal and Dholavira to Sutkagan Dor on the Makran coast.[48]
See also[edit]
India portal
List of Indus Valley Civilization sites
Bhagatrav, a small port
Rangpur, India a sea port
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ "Where does history begin?".
Jump up ^ "Indus re-enters India after two centuries, feeds Little Rann, Nal Sarovar". India Today. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
Jump up ^ Leshnik, "The Harappan 'Port' at Lothal"
Jump up ^ "Excavations – Important – Gujarat". Archaeological Survey of India. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
Jump up ^ http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5918/, UNESCO
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Jump up ^ S. R. Rao (1985). Lothal. Archaeological Survey of India. pp. 2–3.
^ Jump up to: a b c Lawrence S. Leshnik (October 1968). "The Harappan Port at Lothal: Another View". American Anthropologist (New Series, Vol. 70, No. 5). pp. 911–22.
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^ Jump up to: a b Khadkikar; et al. (2004). "Paleoenvironments around Lothal" (PDF). Journal of the Indian Geophysics Union (Vol. 8, No. 1).
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Jump up ^ "Excavation Sites in Gujarat - Archaeological Survey of India". asi.nic.in. Retrieved 2018-06-01.
Jump up ^ "Ancient Lothal crumbling under modern neglect". Indian Express. India. 14 December 1998. Archived from the original on 19 September 2003.
Jump up ^ Janyala Sreenivas. "Harappan mound needs the kiss of life". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 27 October 2006.
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Jump up ^ | title = Lothal | publisher = C.H. Beck | author = Paul Yule | pages = 31 | year = 1982
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Jump up ^ S. R. Rao (1985). Lothal. Archaeological Survey of India. p. 23.
Jump up ^ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India : from the Stone Age to the 12th century. New Delhi: Pearson Education. p. 167. ISBN 9788131711200.
References[edit]
S. Srikanta Sastri, "Harappa Town Planning" (published in "Uttar Pradesh" in November 1961).
S. R. Rao, Lothal (published by the Director General, Archaeological Survey of India, 1985)
A.S. Khadikar, N. Basaviah, T. K. Gundurao and C. Rajshekhar Paleoenvironments around the Harappan port of Lothal, Gujarat, western India, in Journal of the Indian Geophysicists Union (2004)
Lawrence S. Leshnik, The Harappan "Port" at Lothal: Another View American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 70, No. 5 (Oct., 1968), pp. 911–922
Robert Bradnock, Rajasthan and Gujarat Handbook: The Travel Guide ISBN 1-900949-92-X
S. R. Rao, Lothal and the Indus Civilisation ISBN 0-210-22278-6
S. R. Rao, Lothal: A Harappan Port Town (1955–1962) (Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India) ASIN: B0006E4EAC
Paul Yule, Lothal. Stadt der Harappa-Kultur in Nordwest-Indien. Materialien zur Allgemeinen und Vergleichenden Archäologie 9, Munich, 1982 = AVA-Materialien, ISBN 3406090583
Sir John Marshall, Mohenjo-daro and Indus Civilisation I–III (1932)
Dennys Frenez & Maurizio Tosi The Lothal Sealings: Records from an Indus Civilization Town at the Eastern End of the Maritime Trade Circuits across the Arabian Sea, in M. Perna (Ed.), Studi in Onore di Enrica Fiandra. Contributi di archeologia egea e vicinorientale, Naples 2005, pp. 65–103.
S. P. Gupta (ed.), The Lost Sarasvati and the Indus Civilization (1995), Kusumanjali Prakashan, Jodhpur
Jonathan Mark Kenoyer, Ancient cities of the Indus Valley Civilization (1998) Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-577940-1
External links[edit]
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Cache of Seal Impressions Discovered in Western India Offers Surprising New Evidence For Cultural Complexity in Little-known Ahar-banas Culture, Circa 3000-1500 B.C
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Have I Got News for You
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Have I Got News for You
Also known as
Have I Got a Bit More News for You (extended version)
Have I Got Old News for You (repeats)
Genre
Comedy Panel game
Created by
Harry Thompson
Presented by
Angus Deayton (1990–2002)
Guest presenters (2002 onwards)
Starring
Ian Hislop
Paul Merton
Country of origin
United Kingdom
Original language(s)
English
No. of series
54
No. of episodes
468 (as of 6 October 2017[update]) (list of episodes)
Production
Location(s)
The London Studios (until 2018)
Riverside Studios (2018–)
Running time
30 minutes (standard)
40 minutes (extended)
Production company(s)
Hat Trick Productions
Release
Original network
BBC Two (1990–2000)
BBC One (2000 onwards)
BBC One HD (2011 onwards)
Picture format
576i 4:3 (1990–1998)
576i 16:9 (1998–2010)
1080i 16:9 (2011 onwards)
Original release
28 September 1990 (1990-09-28) – present
External links
Website
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is loosely based on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been regularly broadcast since 1990. The show has cultivated a reputation for sailing close to the wind in matters of libel and slander with its topical and satirical remit.
Have I Got News for You is often cited as beginning the increasing domination of panel shows in British TV comedy, and remains one of the genre's key standard-bearers. In recognition of this, the show received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2011 British Comedy Awards.[1] It was the first time the honour had been bestowed upon a collective instead of an individual or double act. In 2016 they also received a BAFTA in the Comedy and Comedy Entertainment Programme category.
For its first 10 years, the programme was shown on BBC Two. In 2000, the BBC moved its nightly BBC One news bulletin, the BBC Nine O'Clock News, from nine o'clock to ten o'clock (now known as the BBC News at Ten) after ITV moved their long-running ten o'clock bulletin, News at Ten, to eleven o'clock. This left a gap in the schedules, and Have I Got News for You was moved as a result to 9pm on Friday nights on BBC One, where it has remained since, apart from two series in 2010 when the show was broadcast on Thursday nights.
There have been 54 series of the programme broadcast. The UKTV channel Dave carries regular repeats of the show.
Contents
[hide]
1 Participants
1.1 Guest presenters
1.2 Guest appearance records
1.3 Guest appearance tallies
2 Format
2.1 Main section
3 Controversy and litigation
4 Video exclusives
5 DVDs
6 Internet spin-offs
7 Other shows based on the Have I Got News for You format
8 Episodes
9 Notes
10 References
11 Further reading
12 External links
Participants[edit]
The original line-up, from 1990 to 2002, was Angus Deayton as chairman, with Ian Hislop, the editor of Private Eye,[2] and comedian Paul Merton as team captains. Each captain was accompanied by a guest, usually a politician, journalist or comedian, or somebody particularly relevant to recent news.
Merton took a break from Have I Got News for You during the 11th series in 1996, making only one appearance as a guest on Hislop's team. He was variously replaced as opposing team captain by Clive Anderson, Alan Davies and Eddie Izzard (with another two episodes featuring an equal-billing double act as the opponents of Hislop's team). Merton later explained that at the time he was "very tired" of the show and that he thought it had become "stuck in a rut". Nevertheless, he added that he felt his absence gave the programme the "shot in the arm" it needed and that it had been "better ever since".[note 1]
In May 2002, following newspaper headlines of his sex with a prostitute and use of illegal drugs,[3] Deayton was relentlessly ridiculed on the show by Hislop and Merton (along with guests Dave Gorman and Ken Livingstone).[4] Following a second round of revelations about his private life later in the year, leading to further mockery, Deayton was fired in October, two shows into series 24.[5]
At short notice, Merton hosted the first episode after Deayton's departure, and was described as "merciless" in his treatment of his former co-star.[6] A series of guest hosts appeared for the remainder of the series, including Anne Robinson, Boris Johnson, and Jeremy Clarkson.[7] Despite an initial search for a permanent successor to Deayton, having a different guest host each week proved successful, with average audience figures increasing from 6 million to 7 million.[8] It was therefore announced in June 2003 that this feature would continue permanently.[9]
Hislop is the only person to have appeared in every episode — despite suffering from appendicitis during one 1994 edition and having to go to hospital immediately afterwards.[10]
Apart from Merton, there are twelve other people who have appeared as a panellist after being a guest host: Clive Anderson, Gyles Brandreth, Marcus Brigstocke, Jimmy Carr, Jeremy Clarkson (who subsequently appeared as a guest host again), Alan Johnson, Charles Kennedy, Richard Madeley, Richard Osman, Robert Peston, John Prescott and Liza Tarbuck. The only guests to have also worked on the production off camera are Kevin Day and John O'Farrell who have both had stints on the writing team.
Guest presenters[edit]
Main article: List of Have I Got News for You presenters
Guest appearance records[edit]
Alexander Armstrong holds the record for both most appearances as guest presenter, as well as most guest appearances in total, having appeared 30 times in the central chair. He has never appeared in any other role. Andy Hamilton holds the record for appearances as a guest panellist, with 20.
Guest appearance tallies[edit]
Many guests have appeared on the programme multiple times. The list below includes guests who have appeared as presenter or panelist, and does not include the two video-exclusive releases, Have I Got Unbroadcastable News for You and The Official Pirate Video, nor the various Comic Relief specials.
List complete up to 15 December 2017.
30 appearances
Alexander Armstrong
21 appearances
Jo Brand
20 appearances
Andy Hamilton
19 appearances
Ross Noble
15 appearances
Martin Clunes
Victoria Coren Mitchell
14 appearances
Jack Dee
Kirsty Young
13 appearances
Marcus Brigstocke
Jeremy Clarkson
David Mitchell
Janet Street-Porter
12 appearances
Reginald D. Hunter
Ken Livingstone
Frank Skinner
10 appearances
Clive Anderson
Germaine Greer
9 appearances
Danny Baker
Gyles Brandreth
Miles Jupp
Charles Kennedy
Stephen Mangan
Will Self
Mark Steel
8 appearances
Julia Hartley-Brewer
Richard Osman
Jon Richardson
7 appearances
Bill Bailey
Charlie Brooker
Roisin Conaty
Dr Phil Hammond
Armando Iannucci
Boris Johnson
6 appearances
Chris Addison
Kevin Bridges
Eddie Izzard
Damian Lewis
Fred MacAulay
Lembit Öpik
Nick Robinson
Katherine Ryan
Linda Smith
Joe Wilkinson
5 appearances
Clare Balding
Jimmy Carr
Richard Coles
Sara Cox
Alan Davies
Rich Hall
Nick Hewer
Maureen Lipman
Camilla Long
Lee Mack
Bob Marshall-Andrews
Andrew Neil
Dara Ó Briain
Sara Pascoe
Sue Perkins
John Sergeant
Francis Wheen
4 appearances
Diane Abbott
Frankie Boyle
Fern Britton
Kathy Burke
Ed Byrne
Susan Calman
Alan Coren
Hal Cruttenden
Hugh Dennis
Alan Duncan
Miranda Hart
Alan Johnson
Quentin Letts
Graham Linehan
Sean Lock
John O'Farrell
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Griff Rhys Jones
Alex Salmond
Peter Serafinowicz
John Simpson
Tony Slattery
Kirsty Wark
Henning Wehn
Jack Whitehall
Richard Wilson
Format[edit]
The Have I Got News for You studio
Have I Got News for You began on BBC Two on 28 September 1990 and transferred to BBC One in October 2000.[11] "Myself and Ian, we did a disastrous pilot for it," Paul Merton said nine years later.[12] "It was a beautiful summer's afternoon in 1990. Far too nice to be in a television studio, but I think the BBC had already bought it, so that's how it became a series."
Two series are made every year. At first, the number of episodes per series was inconsistent. However, a pattern soon formed whereby the spring series between April to June comprises eight episodes and the autumn series between October to December contains nine, with a one-week break in the middle to allow the broadcasting of Children in Need.
The 39th series, broadcast in early 2010, moved the show to a Thursday night slot. The 40th series remained in this new time slot, despite one episode being broadcast the day after due to the Royal Variety Performance; both series featured an extra episode, with the spring series now featuring 9 episodes and the autumn series 10 episodes.
Over an hour's worth of material is recorded for each 30-minute programme for broadcast the following day, allowing the programme to remain topical while the BBC's lawyers have time to request cuts of potentially defamatory material. As for its popularity, Merton explained that it was mostly word-of-mouth: "No reviewer could possibly review it in that time. We started off with an audience of two million, and somebody might have mentioned it to their friend, and then it sort of built up a momentum of its own."[12]
In recent years, the late-night weekend repeat has occasionally contained extra material from the week's recording. This became a permanent feature from the spring 2007 series, with the repeat having a running time of 40 minutes, and being titled (in the TV listings) Have I Got a Bit More News for You.[13]
The programme is recorded at the London Studios, former home of London Weekend Television, although the 2001 Election special episode was recorded at BBC Television Centre on the Friday morning after the election. The quiz aspect and scores are largely ignored in favour of the panellists' witty exchanges and jokes, and the format seems to change frequently.
"There's been a lot of confusion, with people saying, 'Well, they see the questions beforehand,' which we do," revealed Merton in 1999. "But some people say we see the answers, which we don't, because that would rob it of being a quiz."[12]
"There is a certain amount of show business that goes on in putting on a show," continued Merton. "We found very early on that it's worth seeing the questions beforehand so that you can work out your depth of ignorance. If you really don't know, you think, 'Well, I've really got to try and say something here.' It's much better to be doing that for ten or fifteen minutes before the show than be doing it when the cameras are rolling, in front of an audience, going, 'Well, who's he?'"[12]
Norman Tebbit wrote an article in The Mail on Sunday criticising the whole programme: 'Well, of course Have I Got News for You is all edited. These people, they couldn't improvise live. You put them on a stage, they wouldn't be able to improvise.' Merton said of this: "Well, when Norman Tebbit said I couldn't improvise, I was... [blows out cheeks and then goes silent]."[14]
Main section[edit]
The main section of the show comprises several rounds, although, as noted above, this is liable to change. Since the show originally aired, several rounds have been dropped from the original format, but a typical show will usually consist of the following:
Round 1 is the "Film Round". Silent video clips, usually from news reports, are played to the teams. Two points are awarded for correctly identifying the story – but as the round covers the major stories of the week, the quiz aspect is downplayed here in favour of discussion and banter. The host will still ask questions to highlight details of a story, but no further points are awarded for the answers.
Sometimes, the clips used have been specially chosen from particular sources, such as in the 2008 Christmas special, which used clips from Christmas specials of various other TV programmes to provide the clues. The 1993 'Thatcher special' presented a slight variation called Who Dares Loses?, where the teams had to identify who in the clip 'lost'.
On rare occasions, sound is added to the clip, such as a "ker-ching" in the montage that depicted the 2009 MPs' expenses scandal or the Blue Peter theme tune in the week that presenter Richard Bacon had been caught taking drugs.
The only occasion that the video clip element of this round has been deviated from was during series 37, when one of the clips was audio only with no pictures. The question was about the Hum, which none of the panel could hear anyway.
Early series featured two similar games later in the show; the "Connections Round", with the panel identifying the individuals and the story that linked them, and the "Archive Round", featuring pre-1990 news footage in a 'what happened next?' format. Both were dropped as the more popular rounds began to use up more time.
Round 2 was originally the "Tabloid Headlines Round", in which the panellists identified and commented on the more flippant stories of the week from sufficiently pun-filled tabloid headlines.
Another of the original rounds later dropped was the similar "Mini-Headlines Round", where the panel had to identify a story from the four words used in the original tabloid report as effective chapter headings.
In 2004, the headlines were filtered out and replaced with a picture game. An image is slowly revealed to the teams, the object being for one to buzz in before the other and guess how the resulting person or object is relevant to the week's news. Originally this took the form of the "Picture-Spin Quiz". Regular variants since have included the "Jigsaw of News" and the Christmas-themed "Giblets of News", while others have featured wieldy props for the host, such as the "Wheel of News", the "One-Armed Bandit of News" and the "Strengthometer of News". A few versions have been more specific to that week's guest host; e.g. Dominic West, star of American cop drama The Wire, had the "Squad Car of News".
Occasionally the round is themed around one topic. In these instances, it usually becomes a more straightforward Q&A 'fingers-on-buzzers' round.
Another slight variation is a spoof of an existing quiz/gameshow, often done when pertinent to the current guests. For example; a mock Mastermind game when Magnus Magnusson appeared or the infamous "Play Your Iraqi Cards Right" from Bruce Forsyth's first time as host, which took the format of the presenter's former game show, as well as referencing a special deck of cards produced by the Americans for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Round 3 is the "Odd One Out Round", where four personalities, characters and/or objects are presented to a team, whereupon they must identify the interloper, and the topical, amusing or ridiculously obscure link between the other three. In one episode, Merton's "Odd One Out" selection consisted of 16 images and in another, the round comprised four photos of Michael Howard. On another occasion the four choices were Hislop, Merton and both guests, Germaine Greer and Charles Kennedy. The four pictures used were the live remote feeds from the studio cameras. (This technique was also used in an episode hosted by Ronnie Corbett, when the comedian featured as one of the choices.) One week, after it had been revealed that a group of celebrities had taken out press injunctions, the round consisted of four blanked out images, with the host, Rhod Gilbert, explaining that they were unable to reveal who exactly was the odd one out, or the reason.
A short-lived variant was another take on the aforementioned "Connections Round", with images of three people given, the teams working out what linked them.
When Bruce Forsyth was host, this round was replaced by "Conveyer Belt Connections", a reference to the final round of The Generation Game. One of the belts consisted of people and objects whose resulting connection was that they had all been the Odd One Out in previous editions of the show. This included the disparate grouping together of raw sewage, The Hay Wain, Tinky Winky and Osama bin Laden.
Round 4 is the "Missing Words Round", where newspaper headlines are displayed, with choice words blanked out. The panellists then suggest what these could be. Since 1994, a regular feature of this round is that some of the banners are taken from that week's choice of obscure "guest publication". Over the years, these have included Goat World, Arthritis News, International Car Park Design, "The Caravan Times" and Diarrhoea Digest. Examples of Missing Words are "I'll take Edward up the _____", "Church may be forced to sell _____" and "PM sucked into _____".
After the final scores are read out, there is often an additional Caption Competition, where potentially amusing pictures are shown, to which the panellists are invited to provide an apt headline. No points are awarded for this section.
Controversy and litigation[edit]
In a 1994 episode, Deayton read out the following: "The BBC are cracking down on references to Ian and Kevin Maxwell, in case programme-makers appear biased in their treatment of these two heartless, scheming bastards." However, the Maxwell brothers were about to go on trial, and on 26 July 1996, the BBC and Hat Trick Productions were fined £10,000 each in the High Court for contempt of court.[15] The risky nature of the joke was readily apparent on the night itself, with Hislop and Merton humorously claiming that Deayton might genuinely have to prepare himself for a spell in prison because of it.
In 1996, a book based on the series, Have I Got 1997 for You, noted about Conservative MP Rupert Allason that "...given Mr Allason's fondness for pursuing libel actions, there are also excellent legal reasons for not referring to him as a conniving little shit". Allason then pursued a libel action against BBC Worldwide and Hat Trick Productions over the remark, but lost the case.[16]
In April 2003, three-time guest panellist Stephen Fry announced that he was boycotting the show following the sacking of Angus Deayton. Fry described Deayton's disposal as "greasy, miserable, British and pathetic".[17]
On 23 November 2007, Ann Widdecombe appeared as a guest host for the second time, with Jimmy Carr as Hislop's teammate. However, owing to Carr's risqué material, Widdecombe vowed she would never appear on Have I Got News for You again. She said, "His idea of wit is a barrage of filth and the sort of humour most men grow out of in their teens. There's no amount of money for which I would go through those two recording hours again. At one stage I nearly walked out."[18] The following week, Will Self appeared as a guest. Self, one of the most frequent guests on HIGNFY, said that he would not appear on the show again either. He said, "I'm afraid that without the reality element, the programme has become just like any other pseudo-panel contest, where funny fellows sit behind desks cracking jokes. Moreover, in the post-Hutton Inquiry era, the BBC seems to have lost its bottle so far as edgy satire is concerned: the sharpest crack I made all evening — and the one that received the most audience laughter — was cut for transmission."[19]
The edition of 26 April 2013 prompted over 100 complaints to the BBC and Ofcom for its perceived anti-Scottish stance during a section discussing Scottish independence. Ian Hislop had suggested Mars bars would become the currency of a post-independence Scotland, while guest host Ray Winstone added, "To be fair the Scottish economy has its strengths – its chief exports being oil, whisky, tartan and tramps."[20]
A June 2017 general election special episode of the programme featured a tweet allegedly from Conservative Member of Parliament "James Conwyn" of Earlingford. No such politician exists, nor does the Earlingford constituency. The BBC apologised for the mistake and stated they will amend any repeats of the episode.[21]
Video exclusives[edit]
Four VHS videos were released, two containing specially made editions of the programme:
Have I Got News For You, Volume 1 (1993), containing clips from the first five series plus the complete 1992 election night special. Also released on Video CD.
Have I Got Unbroadcastable News For You (1995), featuring guests Eddie Izzard, Richard Wilson and a surprise appearance from Germaine Greer (specially produced).
Classic Battles & Bust-Ups (1996), three full-length episodes featuring the Tub of Lard, Paula Yates and Germaine Greer, among others.
Have I Got News For You: The Official Pirate Video (1997), featuring guests Martin Clunes and Neil Morrissey (specially produced).[note 2]
DVDs[edit]
The Very Best of Have I Got News For You (2002), a compilation of highlights from the first 12 years of the show, from the beginning up until the episode made after Deayton hit the tabloids. The running time is just over three hours long, and there are several hours of extras, including, among other things, running commentary of the whole presentation by Merton and Hislop. Also featured is a clip of Terry Wogan on Room 101, nominating the programme as one of his pet hates. In addition, interviews with political figures (taken from the Channel 4 Politics Awards) reveal their opinions on the series.
Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters (2003), which, as well as including the normal half-hour cut of Boris Johnson's first guest-hosting, also included a bonus disc, "The Full Boris", which showed a far longer cut of the same episode (lasting slightly under 60 minutes).[22] Slightly longer versions of the shows featuring Martin Clunes, William Hague and Bruce Forsyth as chairman were also included, as well as a compilation of clips taken from other editions from the first two series with guest hosts (with only the episode hosted by Liza Tarbuck not represented). There are also several small extra features, including a discussion between Paul Merton and Boris Johnson regarding Johnson's appearance as presenter, filmed during his appearance as the celebrity guest on the Merton-hosted Room 101.
Have I Got News For You: The Best of the Guest Presenters Vol. 2 (2005), which is nearer in content to the first "Best of" DVD compilation than its direct predecessor. It contains four 45-minute compilations of the Autumn 2003, Spring 2004, Autumn 2004 and Spring 2005 series, rather than complete episodes; although it does again contain a bonus disc with an uncut version of Boris Johnson's second stint as presenter. This episode lasts about 80 minutes. "The A to Z of HIGNFY" is also included on the second disc. Each letter is used to stand for a different term or name often associated with the show, each highlighted by various example clips – except for the "problem letters" of X, Y and Z, which just lead into a selection of random outtakes. This feature also includes some behind-the-scenes content, with Marcus Brigstocke guiding the viewer around the studio and backstage, on a recording night.
Internet spin-offs[edit]
During the late 1990s, the website haveigotnewsforyou.com, run in association with Freeserve, featured interactive versions of the show's games, including the missing words round and the caption competition, with prizes up for grabs.
Have I Got News for You started broadcasting a video podcast, The Inevitable Internet Spin-off, on 13 April 2007.[13] It was initially planned to run for six series, from series 33 to 38, taking it to the end of 2009. Referred to as "webisodes", episodes are available via both the BBC iPlayer and YouTube.
From the beginning of Series 37, a new internet feature, Have I Got News for You, News... for You, was introduced. A short programme featuring typical opening and closing sequences (without the presence of a live audience) as well as other short sketches, it has so far been presented by Alexander Armstrong, and run fortnightly, bridging the gap between series 37 and 38.[23]
Other shows based on the Have I Got News for You format[edit]
Similar shows based on the Have I Got News for You format exist in other countries:
American weekly radio show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! was started in 1998 on public radio network NPR.[24] Based in Chicago, the show follows a similar format with three panellists competing to win but no teams. They play some of the same games including fill in the missing headline, however many games are off limits due to their visual nature. Frequently the same stories are covered on both Wait Wait and Have I Got News for You. Differences include, listeners calling in to win mini games and a celebrity interview and quiz in the middle of the show. Wait Wait is more closely related to The News Quiz which is also the inspiration for Have I Got News for You.[25]
Dutch comedian Raoul Heertje appeared on the original Have I Got News for You in May 1995. A year later he became team captain in the newly launched Dutch version of the show: Dit was het nieuws ("This was the news"). On 19 December 2009, the last episode was broadcast.[26] RTL ran new episodes between May 2011 and October 2015; in December 2017, the show returned to the public broadcaster AVROTROS.[27]
In Finland a show called Uutisvuoto (literally "newsleak"; the pun works as well in both languages) has been aired since 1998.
In Australia, Paul McDermott hosted Good News Week (GNW), first on ABC TV from 1996 to 2000 and later on Network Ten from 2008 to 2012. The Ten version also had a weekend broadcast, Good News Weekend, taking its format from Never Mind the Buzzcocks. In 2001, the company also developed a similar programme to Good News Weekend called The Glass House on ABC TV.
Sveriges Television of Sweden aired their version of the show called Snacka om nyheter (literally: "Talk about news") between 1995 and 2003 (which reappeared for a new series in 2008, this time on Kanal 9).
In Denmark. a localised version of the programme, Ugen Der Gak aired on TV2 from 1995 to 1999, and a new version started airing in 2009 called Nyhedsministeriet (Translation: "The News Ministry").
In Norway, NRK broadcasts the show Nytt på nytt (literally: "News on News"). It is one of the most popular TV shows in the country around a million viewers every week (out of a total population of five million). Nytt på nytt first aired in 1999, and is still aired each week on NRK1.
Loosely based on the theme of Have I Got News for You, ITV in the United Kingdom aired a show in 2004 called Bognor or Bust, also fronted by Angus Deayton, which discussed current affairs.
ITV made a second attempt at the Have I Got News for You format in 2007, broadcasting News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald in the United Kingdom. It was presented by newsreader Sir Trevor McDonald and made by Hat Trick Productions, the same production company which makes Have I Got News for You.
In Israel, a similar show called Mishak Makhur ran for 54 episodes.
In Ireland, RTÉ made one pilot episode of a licensed Have I Got News for You clone, with Dermot Morgan as the presenter sometime in the early 1990s. It was never named or made into a full series. However, a topical news and current affairs quiz appeared entitled Don't Feed the Gondolas, which was comparable to a cross between Have I Got News for You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Another attempt at an equivalent began in 2010 with That's All We've Got Time For.
Germany had a version called 7 Tage, 7 Köpfe (literally "Seven Days, Seven Heads")
Inspired by Have I Got News for You, Pakistan's News, Views & Confused went on air on one of Pakistan’s leading TV channels, AAJ TV from 11 April 2007. The show is hosted by TV personality and journalist Fasi Zaka and co-hosted by eccentric journalist and writer, Nadeem F. Paracha and fashion journalist, Mohsin Sayeed.
Iceland had a version called Þetta Helst (Translation: "Top Stories") in the mid-nineties, which aired on RÚV (The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service).
The Estonian version called Teletaip ("TV uptake"), first aired in 2000 on ETV and a total of seven series have been produced. Its two main hosts have been the comedian Tarmo Leinatamm and current MEP Indrek Tarand.[28]
New Zealand has a similar show called 7 Days which began in August 2009 on TV3 and is hosted by Jeremy Corbett.
In the USA on 20 November 2009, NBC taped a pilot episode for an American version of the programme, with host Sam Seder and team captains Greg Giraldo and Michael Ian Black.[29]
A weekly panel show the Russian Channel One called Projektorparishilton (Прожекторперисхилтон) uses similar format. Four hosts discuss in a satirical manner current affairs read from local and international newspapers and magazines, with one (occasionally, two or more) celebrity guest joining them in the midst of the show. The first episode was aired on 17 May 2008.
The Taiwanese talk show Kangxi Lai Le has elements similar to Have I Got News for You's topical discussion and comedic bantering. However, the comedy is mostly written for the hosts and guests.
Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of Have I Got News for You episodes
Notes[edit]
Jump up ^ The Very Best of Have I Got News for You (2002): DVD commentary
Jump up ^ Hat Trick Productions: VHS VC6587.
References[edit]
Jump up ^ "2011 Winners". The British Comedy Academy. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
Jump up ^ "Ian Heslop: My 20 Years at the Eye". Independent. 2007. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
Jump up ^ "Deayton 'feels a fool' over reports". BBC News. 20 May 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Deayton in the lion's den". BBC News. 24 May 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Quiz host Deayton fired by BBC". BBC News. 30 October 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Show goes on after Deayton exit". BBC News. 1 November 2002. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "HIGNFY Jeremy Clarkson". BBC Press Office. BBC. 7 December 2002. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
Jump up ^ "TV quiz denies Clunes is new host". BBC News. 29 April 2003. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ Deans, Jason; Tryhorn, Chris (10 June 2003). "Forsyth boost for BBC news quiz". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
Jump up ^ ""I Hope the Lawyers Are Getting All This!" — The ''Have I Got News For You'' Story". Off the Telly. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Have I Got News For You". IMDB. 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
^ Jump up to: a b c d The South Bank Show, 26 September 1999
^ Jump up to: a b "A lot more news for you : News 2007 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. 2007-04-11. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
Jump up ^ Quote taken from a show on Merton's "and this is me PAUL MERTON" tour of 1999, as featured in The South Bank Show on 26 September 1999
Jump up ^ "Contempt of Court – 1996". Swarb.co.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Ex-Tory MP loses libel action". BBC News. 21 January 1998. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Fry boycotts 'pathetic' quiz". BBC News. 16 April 2003. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ Media Monkey (28 November 2007). "Widdecombe disgusted by Carr's 'filth'". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
Jump up ^ Self, Will (4 December 2007). "Have I got news for you: TV satire's lost its teeth". Evening Standard. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
Jump up ^ "Ray Winstone calls Scots 'tramps' on TV quiz show". The Scotsman. Johnston Press. 1 May 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
Jump up ^ "BBC - Corrections and Clarifications - Help and Feedback". www.bbc.co.uk.
Jump up ^ "Top 10 Have I Got News For You guest hosts: Damian Lewis to Boris Johnson". Metro. DMG Media. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
Jump up ^ Parker, Robin (22 April 2009). "Have I Got News for You internet spin-off to bridge TV run". BroadcastNow. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "NPR Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me". NPR. 2017. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
Jump up ^ "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me... « Night Listeners". Nightlisteners.com. 13 May 2009. Archived from the original on 1 December 2009. Retrieved 28 April 2010.
Jump up ^ "Dit was het Nieuws stopt na dertien jaar". Trouw. 23 July 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
Jump up ^ "Jan Jaap van der Wal en Peter Pannekoek naast Harm Edens in Dit was het nieuws". AVROTROS. 14 November 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
Jump up ^ "Viga!" (in Estonian). err.ee. [permanent dead link]
Jump up ^ "Have I Got News For You". 20 November 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
Further reading[edit]
Have I Got News For You: The Shameless Cash-in Book, BBC Books, 1994, ISBN 0-563-37111-0
Have I Got 1997 for You, BBC Books, 1996, ISBN 0-563-38783-1
External links[edit]
Have I Got News for You on IMDb
Have I Got News for You at BBC Programmes
Have I Got A Bit More News for You at BBC Programmes
Have I Got Old News for You at BBC Programmes
Have I Got News for You at Hat Trick Productions
Have I Got News for You at UKGameshows.com
Have I Got News for You at the British Film Institute
Have I Got News for You at British Comedy Guide
TVWeek: American Adaptation
Have I Got News for You Video Clips on BBC Comedy
"Deayton in the lion's den". Jonathan Duffy, 24 May 2002. BBC News Online.
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