''Barking'' is a late night sketch comedy show broadcast on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...

in 1998, starring

Mackenzie Crook Paul James "Mackenzie" Crook (born 29 September 1971) is an English actor, comedian, director and writer. He played Gareth Keenan in ''The Office'', Ragetti in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, Orell in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones ...

David Walliams David Edward Williams (born 20 August 1971), known professionally as David Walliams, is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television personality. He is best known for his work with Matt Lucas on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Br ...

Omid Djalili Omid Djalili ( fa, امید جلیلی; born 30 September 1965) is a British actor, comedian and writer. Early life and education Djalili was born on 30 September 1965 in Chelsea, London, to Iranian Baháʼí parents. He attended Holland Park ...

Peter Kay Peter John Kay (born 2 July 1973) is an English actor, comedy writer and stand-up comedian. He has written, produced and acted in several television and film projects, and has written three books. Born and brought up in Bolton, Kay studied ...

Dave Lamb David Alexander Lamb (born 17 January 1969) is an English actor, comedian, narrator and presenter. He is best known for his narration work on '' Come Dine with Me'' as well as appearances in British television and radio programmes, especially co ...

, Rhys Thomas,

Catherine Tate Catherine Jane Ford (born 5 December 1969), known professionally as Catherine Tate, is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won numerous awards for her work on the BBC sketch comedy series '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2007) ...

, and

Marcus Brigstocke Marcus Alexander Brigstocke (born 8 May 1973) is a British comedian, actor and satirist. He has worked in stand-up comedy, television, radio and musical theatre. He has appeared on many BBC television and radio shows. Early life Brigstocke is ...

. The series featured up-and-coming comedians, most of whom went on to successful careers. The show was released on DVD in November 2011.

Episodes

Episode 1: This first episode features a guided tour of Buckingham Palace, a WI meeting that goes horribly wrong and introduces us to Mr. Bagshaw: bully, sadist, social misfit, and Maths teacher. There is also a special guest appearance from an

Airfix Airfix is a British brand and former manufacturing company which produced injection-moulded plastic scale model kits. In the U.K., the name 'Airfix' is synonymous with plastic models of this type, often simply referred to as "an airfix kit" even ...

Matthew Kelly blowing up a block of flats. Episode 2: Britain's most unsuccessful actor tries to get a job as a dolphin, a team of blasphemous vicars has a crisis moving into their new parish and a desperately right-on couple host a dinner party 'ethnic style'. Dialogue from this episode was sampled in the 2000 song "

I Don't Smoke "I Don't Smoke" is a song by English breakbeat/UK garage musician DJ Dee Kline. Originally released in 1999 on Rat Records, the song became a major underground club hit and was rereleased on 22 May 2000 as a single on EastWest the following yea ...

" by

Deekline Deekline is a British producer and DJ of breakbeat, breakstep, drum and bass and garage music. He is the innovator of breakstep music which is bass-heavy, breakbeat-infused 2-step, first characterised in his 1999 hit " I Don't Smoke", which r ...

. Episode 3: Two old school friends have a very bad night in the pub, a society wedding arranges takes a blushing bride firmly in hand and a pair of jealous lovers set out to prove their devotion to each other is deep, true, and surprisingly violent. Episode 4: We meet Liz, the leader of a fascist slimming group, Dr. Killthere-there, chief consultant at the Brave Little Soldier Hospital, and Steve and Alfie try to make their mute monkeychild Danson into the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Episode 5: Roy the Custody Day makes his weekly visit to see his daughter, Mr. Bagshaw has an unfortunate gym lesson and a Nigerian therapist fails to cure his own psychosis. Episode 6: Peter Piper has a breakdown, a ''

Hi-de-Hi! ''Hi-de-Hi!'' is a BBC television sitcom shown on BBC1 from 1 January 1980 to 30 January 1988. Set in 1959 and 1960 in Maplins, a fictional holiday camp, the show was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who also wrote '' Dad's Army'' an ...

'' star becomes a suspect in a series of serious crimes and a camping trip turns into a night of the living Dansons.

External links

* * {{British Comedy Guide, tv, barking 1990s British television sketch shows 1998 British television series debuts 1998 British television series endings Channel 4 sketch shows