The Armando Iannucci Shows

A Sketch Show which ran on Channel 4 in 2001; as the name suggests, it was presented, written, directed and produced by Armando Iannucci. Each episode took a loose theme (communication, work, aging) but the main theme that ran throughout was Armando's attempts to understand the modern world. There were a number of recurring characters throughout the show, including a group of self-congratulatory TV executives and Armando's only friend, an incredibly old man called Hugh.

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Tropes used in The Armando Iannucci Shows include:

• Cannot Tell a Joke: Armando himself is this; when he is asked to do a speech to a group of corporate executives on the grounds that, as the writer of I'm Alan Partridge, he must be funny. Armando's speech consists of PowerPoint explanations of various jokes, including "My Dog's Got No Nose".
• London Gangster: A few episodes featured an East End thug who could solve any problem, including a broken dishwasher, by threatening violence.
• Non-Ironic Clown: Armando The Great Adult.
• Self-Deprecation: Pretty much the entire premise of the show:

"We're all twats!"

• The Barber: The pathologically chatty man who cuts Armando's hair, oblivious to Armando's obvious disinterest in his thoughts on dyslexic Cockneys and animal experiments on Clangers.