Shooting Stars (1993)
The gloriously anarchic British comedy panel show from Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer that rewrote the rules — then cheerfully ignored them.
Shooting Stars - Series Information
- Original Title: Shooting Stars
- First Air Year: 1993
- Last Air Year: 2011
- Created by: Bob Mortimer, Vic Reeves
- Type: TV Series
- Genres: Comedy
- Episode Runtime: Average runtime per episode (30 minutes)
- Number of Seasons: 8
- Number of Episodes: 70
- Status: Ended
- Original Language: English
- Spoken Languages: English
- First Air Date: December 27, 1993 (United Kingdom - 15)
- Networks: BBC Choice, BBC Two
- Production Companies: Pett Productions, BBC
- Production Countries: United Kingdom
Shooting Stars - Plot
Shooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its cancellation in 2011. Created and hosted by double-act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, it uses the panel show format but with the comedians' often slapstick, surreal and anarchic humour does not rely on rules in order to function, with the pair apparently ignoring existing rules or inventing new ones as and when the mood takes them.
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Shooting Stars - Cast & Crew
Creator(s)
- Bob Mortimer
- Vic Reeves
Main Cast
- Bob Mortimer
- Ulrika Jonsson
- Vic Reeves
- Matt Lucas
- Graham Skidmore
- Mark Lamarr
- Johnny Vegas
- Jack Dee
- Dan Renton Skinner
- Nico Tatarowicz
Shooting Stars - FAQs
Who created and hosted Shooting Stars?
Shooting Stars was created and hosted by the British comedy double-act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. The pair devised the show's anarchic, surreal format and appeared together as co-presenters throughout its entire run from 1993 to 2011.
What made Shooting Stars different from other panel shows?
Unlike conventional panel shows, Shooting Stars deliberately subverted the format through surreal, slapstick, and anarchic humour. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer routinely ignored the show's own rules or invented new ones on a whim, making the comedy itself the point rather than any competitive outcome.
Who played George Dawes on Shooting Stars?
George Dawes, the show's memorably bizarre baby-suited scorekeeper, was played by Matt Lucas. The character became one of the most iconic recurring elements of Shooting Stars and helped launch Lucas's wider comedy career before his breakthrough in Little Britain.
How many seasons and episodes does Shooting Stars have?
Shooting Stars ran for 8 seasons comprising 70 episodes in total, plus a collection of specials. It began with a pilot in 1993, ran three series on BBC Two through 1997, moved to BBC Choice for two series in 2002, and then returned to BBC Two for three further series until 2011.
When did Shooting Stars first air?
Shooting Stars first aired on December 27, 1993 in the United Kingdom as a pilot episode on BBC Two. Full series production followed from 1995 onwards, with the show continuing in various forms across different BBC channels until its cancellation in 2011.
Is Shooting Stars cancelled or still running?
Shooting Stars has ended. The series was cancelled in 2011 following its eighth season on BBC Two. The show had a long and intermittent run spanning nearly two decades, with notable gaps between its BBC Two run in the 1990s, its BBC Choice period in 2002, and its BBC Two revival from 2008 to 2011.
What are some shows similar to Shooting Stars?
Fans of Shooting Stars may enjoy Brass Eye (1997) and The Armando Iannucci Shows (2001) for similarly subversive British comedy, or The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk (2019) for absurdist humour. House of Fools (2014), also featuring Bob Mortimer, offers a comparable anarchic sensibility.
How was Shooting Stars received by critics?
Shooting Stars earned strong critical admiration as a genuinely original contribution to British television comedy. Critics praised Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer for dismantling the panel show format with inventive absurdism, and the series is widely regarded as a cult classic of 1990s British comedy.
More About Shooting Stars
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