Mock The Week audio CD review

I’ve reviewed the earlier DVD release of Mock The Week that this audio CD is derived from, and it proved to be one of the finest comedy releases in the run up to Christmas 2007. The beauty of the DVD is that not only did it have a near-hour long Too Hot For TV main feature, but that there were three extended episodes in the extra features package that alone made the purchase price of the disc – which plummeted to around £8 in the post-Christmas sales – worthwhile.

This CD version though is a single disc release, and immediately you suspect that a fair amount of truncation has gone on. In fact, what’s actually happened is that it’s just the Too Hot For TV segment that’s made it over to the audio release. This is a real pity; it fills near to an hour of listening time, but surely – as the BBC did with its Have I Got News For You audio CDs – there’s a mine of content that could have filled out a two-disc release? Perhaps this is just testing the water for Mock The Week CDs, but it’s still a shame that more couldn’t be squeezed onto it.

There’s little problem with the content itself, of course. The Too Hot For TV presentation is blistering funny, with the likes of Dara O’Briain, Frankie Boyle, Russell Howard and Andy Parsons on fine form. The conceit that the show is a topical news quiz is quickly thrown out the window of course in favour of talking about whatever entertains the panel, but it’s a winning formula, and a very funny one. It should be noted that those who are easily offended are perhaps best getting their laughs somewhere else.

The problem here though is that on a value for money basis, it’s hard to recommend the CD. Its selling price is £9.99, although we find it online for a couple of quid cheaper. But nonetheless, the DVD version – which offers around two and a half times as much stuff – can still be head for around about the same price. If it’s a call between the two, it really is a no brainer. For while this CD is funny, it’s simply no match for its bigger DVD cousin.