Paul Merton
Paul James Martin, known under the stage name Paul Merton, is an English writer, actor, comedian, radio and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, Merton's humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy.
Works
Have I Got News for You
Host Roy Wood Jr. and team captains Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black serve up a smart take on the news of the week and guide guests through comic games and panels that test their knowledge of current events.
Release Date:2024-09-14
Department:Writing
Job:Writer
Episode Count:10
Vote Count:1
Perfect Pub Walks with Bill Bailey
The comedian, musician and nature lover takes fellow comedian Alan Davies to the Peak District National Park, walking the Monsal Trail to Derbyshire's highest pub, Abney Moor and Mam Tor. These two have been friends for 30 years and Bill was Alan's best man. As they walk, they chat about the perils of ageing, the stresses of modern life and the loss of their friend Sean Lock
Release Date:2024-02-20
Character:Himself
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:1
When Motorhoming Goes Horribly Wrong
As demand for motorhomes soars, Paul Merton narrates this revealing look at holidays on the road - including a giant spider invasion and tourists who get wedged in a Cornish lane.
Release Date:2023-07-16
Character:Narrator
The Fringe, Fame and Me
The Fringe, Fame and Me is the story of how a small Scottish arts festival that began 75 years ago this year became a national institution – a crucible where new stars are forged, careers made, and sometimes, dreams dashed. Told by the stars who first found fame at the Edinburgh Fringe, this is the inside story of what it takes to make a name here, from those who enjoyed overnight success to those who slogged for years to make it. Through their triumphs, favourite jokes, and sometimes painful failures, we’ll discover a hidden history of British comedy – revealing how the gags we find funny and the comedians we love reflect our changing culture.
Release Date:2022-08-08
Character:Self
Motorhoming With Merton and Webster
Paul Merton and his wife Suki Webster hit the road as they embrace Britain's booming motorhoming scene, seeking out the UK's most famous sights and hidden gems, while there are tips from enthusiasts and volunteers test camping equipment. The couple begin their journey in Canterbury, where they pick up their cruiser and set off on their first-ever staycation on wheels touring Kent's coastline.
Release Date:2021-08-06
Episode Count:12
Vote Count:1
Years and Years
As Britain is rocked by unstable political, economic and technological advances, members of the Lyons family converge on one crucial night in 2019. Over the next 15 years, the twists and turns of their everyday lives are explored as we find out if this ordinary family could change the world.
Release Date:2019-05-14
Character:Himself
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:295
Henry IX: The Lost King
An immersive documentary reveals the story of a forgotten prince--Henry Frederick Stuart--who was a star of the first decade of the Stuart dynasty in the 1600s but never became king.
Release Date:2017-01-01
Character:Self
Paul Merton's Secret Stations
More than 150 of Britain’s railway stations are request stops. You have to put out your arm to get the train to stop at the platform. In this series, Paul Merton will travel around the country by train, only getting off at request stops. He’ll explore the history of the stations, and meet the people who live and work around them to learn more about at these unusual and often-overlooked stations.
Release Date:2016-05-01
Character:Self - Presenter
Episode Count:3
Magical Mystery Tour Revisited
The making of The Beatles' controversial 1967 film, featuring previously unseen archive footage.
Release Date:2012-10-06
Character:Self
Just a Minute
Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy and television panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons. Its first transmission on Radio 4 was on 22 December 1967, three months after the station's launch. The Radio 4 programme won a Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 2003. The object of the game is for panellists to talk for sixty seconds on a given subject, "without repetition, hesitation or deviation". The comedy comes from attempts to keep within these rules and the banter among the participants. In 2011 comedy writer David Quantick ascribed Just a Minute's success to its "insanely basic" format, stating, "It's so blank that it can be filled by people as diverse as Paul Merton and Graham Norton, who don't have to adapt their style of humour to the show at all."
Release Date:2012-03-26
Character:Himself (regular panellist)
Episode Count:10
Vote Count:1
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Antiques experts accompany celebrities on a road trip around the UK searching for treasures and competing to make the most money at auction
Release Date:2011-10-24
Character:Self - Participant
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:4
Paul Merton's Adventures
British comedian Paul Merton keeps his comically-critical attitude while tasting some popular holiday types that never appealed to him, unlike millions of Britons. They range from cruises and 'extreme' holidays overseas (Ibiza, Florida) to English coastal resorts and adventurous Scotland.
Release Date:2011-10-19
Character:Self
Episode Count:6
Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood
Paul Merton's Birth of Hollywood is a 2011 BBC documentary series written, directed and presented by Paul Merton. The three-part series traces the rise of the American film-making industry in Hollywood through from the early years of film-making to the foundation of the major motion-picture studios and the new class of the film star.
Release Date:2011-05-27
Department:Writing
Job:Writer
Character:
Episode Count:3
Vote Count:1
The Unforgettable Spike Milligan
A documentary about Spike Milligan
Release Date:2010-12-23
Character:Himself
Paul Merton's Weird and Wonderful World of Early Cinema
Paul Merton goes in search of the origins of screen comedy in the forgotten world of silent cinema - not in Hollywood, but closer to home in pre-1914 Britain and France. Revealing the unknown stars and lost masterpieces, he brings to life the pioneering techniques and optical inventiveness of the virtuosos who mastered a new art form. With a playful eye and comic sense of timing, Merton combines the role of presenter and director to recreate the weird and wonderful world that is early European cinema in a series of cinematic experiments of his own.
Release Date:2010-03-28
Department:Directing
Job:Director
Character:Himself
Vote Count:1
Paul Merton in Europe
Paul Merton in Europe is a six-part television series airing on Channel 5 from 11 January 2010 onwards. The series is a follow-up to Paul Merton in India. It follows presenter Paul Merton as he travels around several countries in Europe including Germany, Ireland, Italy, France and Spain. The series was released on DVD on 8 March 2010.
Release Date:2010-01-11
Episode Count:6
Just a Minute
Directed and animated by Run Wrake, a one minute illustration of Paul Merton's words on Sudoku commissioned by the BBC for the Radio 4 website.
Release Date:2009-03-03
Character:himself
Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock
Paul Merton looks at the British films of Alfred Hitchcock, the silent films and the early sound films.
Release Date:2009-02-28
Department:Directing
Job:Director
Paul Merton in India
Paul Merton in India is a television show broadcast on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom and Fox History & Entertainment in India. The first episode was aired on 8 October 2008. It follows comedian Paul Merton as he travels around India. The series was commissioned after the success of the previous series Paul Merton in China. Merton travelled around various places in India, sampling various offbeat and out of the normal aspects of India. It was broadcast on Fox History & Entertainment in India. AXS TV broadcasts the program for American TV viewers.
Release Date:2008-10-08
Episode Count:5
Trials and Tribulations
A retrospective of Colin Baker's turbulent three-years as the Sixth Doctor in Doctor Who (1963), covering his casting, the 1985 hiatus, and his sacking on the orders of BBC One controller Michael Grade.
Release Date:2008-09-30
Character:(archive footage)
Thank God You're Here
UK-produced partially improvised comedy based on the original Australian show with the same name. In the show, four guests are placed into a scene they have no knowledge about and have to improvise. The series is hosted by Paul Merton, who also acts as judge and performs his own improvised scene.
Release Date:2008-01-12
Character:Self - Host
Episode Count:6
Paul Merton's Silent Clowns
Paul Merton profiles some of the great stars of silent comedy, examining their lives and works, and uncovering seldom-seen material
Release Date:2007-05-25
Character:Himself
Episode Count:4
Paul Merton in China
Paul Merton in China was a four-part television series broadcast on Five commencing from 21 May 2007. It follows the journey of Paul Merton, comedian and writer, and his interpreter Emma, as they voyage across the country, exploring Chinese culture, expansion and change from Mao Zedong's reign. The series was a hit for Five and Merton confirmed on Michael Parkinson's show that a second series entitled Paul Merton in India had been commissioned. The theme music from Channel Five's advertisement is Michel Legrand's Di Gue Ding Ding, which was also used as the theme music to Heston Blumenthal's series In Search of Perfection aired concurrently on BBC Two. All four episodes were released on DVD in late October 2008.
Release Date:2007-05-21
Character:Himself - Presenter
Episode Count:4
Vote Count:2
Hitler: The Comedy Years
A documentary about the portrayal of Adolf Hitler in popular culture.
Release Date:2007-05-10
Character:Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Vote Count:1
The One Show
A topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One.
Release Date:2006-08-14
Character:Self - Guest
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:25
The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band: 40th Anniversary Celebration
This concert marks the 40th anniversary of the release of My Brother Makes The Noises For the Talkies, the first record by The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The part of the late great and sorely missed Vivian Stanshall was performed by various fans such as Stephen Fry, Adrian Edmondson, Phill Jupitus and Paul Merton, making this the most exciting evening since the Secret Policeman’s Ball. For the first time since the group broke up in the early seventies a British stage once again resounded to the inspired flights of lunacy of the Bonzo’s favourites performed live.
Release Date:2006-05-22
Character:Self
Have I Got News for You: The Best of the Guest Presenters Volume 2
Over 2½ hours of the award-winning topical news quiz, featuring previously unseen footage. Team captains Ian Hislop and Paul Merton are joined by a different guest presenter each week.
Release Date:2005-11-28
Character:Self (archive footage)
Who Do You Think You Are?
A British genealogy documentary series in which celebrities trace their ancestry, discovering secrets and surprises from their past.
Release Date:2004-10-12
Character:Self
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:23
Have I Got News for You: The Best of the Guest Presenters
More than 160 minutes of the best moments from the top TV comedy news quiz, with a different guest presenter in the chair each week. Includes the uproarious episode hosted by Boris Johnson together with specially extended versions of the shows presented by Martin Clunes, William Hague, and Bruce Forsyth.
Release Date:2003-10-27
The Very Best of 'Have I Got News for You'
Compilation of classic moments and unseen outtakes from the first 23 series (1990-2002) of the popular BBC comedy show.
Release Date:2002-11-25
Character:Self - Team Captain
Spike Milligan I told you I was ill... A live tribute
One of many tributes following the death of Spike Milligan. Comedians, actors and musicians join forces to present a live tribute featuring a selection of comic highlights from Spike's life. From recreations of his most famous sketches to readings of Milligan's own poems and extracts from his controversial wartime memoirs, these are all interspersed with archive film clips of the great man himself, showcasing his inimitable comic genius.
Release Date:2002-10-05
Character:Self
Dick Whittington: The ITV Pantomime
An adaptation of the folktale about a lonely boy, his beloved cat, and the hard decisions that come with their adventures.
Release Date:2002-01-01
Character:The Captain
Vote Count:1
Lorraine
Lorraine is the early weekday morning, lifestyle and entertainment show for ITV, presented by Lorraine Kelly and Kate Garraway. ITV Breakfast produces Lorraine, which airs every weekday from 08:30 until 09:25, following Daybreak. The programme replaced Kelly's previous show, GMTV with Lorraine.
Release Date:2001-09-03
Character:Self
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:6
Aladdin: The ITV Pantomime
A televised pantomime of Aladdin with characters played by well-known celebrities.
Release Date:2000-12-25
Character:Spirit of the Ring
Vote Count:1
The Suicidal Dog
Steve is married and has a dog who seems to not be enjoying life. Steve is unaware of his wife's boredom with their monotonous life. Steve and his wife get a little fun when they decide to go to the fair. Whilst he is having fun, his wife and dog turn against him.
Release Date:2000-10-13
Department:Directing
Job:Director
Character:Radio announcer & Man on Train
Cinderella: The ITV Pantomime
A televised pantomime of Cinderella featuring various celebrities.
Release Date:2000-01-02
Character:Lucretia
Vote Count:1
Jack and the Beanstalk: The ITV Pantomime
A televised pantomime of Jack and the Beanstalk featuring various celebrities.
Release Date:1998-12-25
Character:Narrator
Vote Count:2
Rex the Runt
Rex the Runt is an animated claymation television show produced by Aardman Animations for BBC Bristol in association with EVA Entertainment and Egmont Imagination. Its main characters are four plasticine dogs: Rex, Wendy, Bad Bob and Vince. The series began with a short, Ident, in 1989 directed by Richard Goleszowski. After a long gestation period this developed into two unaired shorts and then thirteen ten-minute episodes that first aired over two weeks on BBC2 from December 1998. A second thirteen episode series aired from September 2001 on the same channel. As well as the core cast guest voices included Paul Merton, Morwenna Banks, Judith Chalmers, Antoine de Caunes, Bob Holness, Bob Monkhouse, Jonathan Ross, Graham Norton, Arthur Smith, June Whitfield, Kathy Burke, Pam Ayres and Eddie Izzard.
Release Date:1998-12-21
Character:Dr. Dogg (voice)
Episode Count:6
Vote Count:4
Parkinson
Michael Parkinson returns for a second run of his iconic talk show.
Release Date:1998-01-09
Character:Self
Episode Count:3
Have I Got News for You: The Official Pirate Video
A feature-length exclusive-to-video edition of Have I Got News For You.
Release Date:1997-01-01
Character:Self
Paul Merton in Galton & Simpson's
Release Date:1996-01-26
Character:Arnold
Episode Count:15
Vote Count:1
Rex the Runt: North by North Pole
The gang journey to the North Pole, and drill a hole to find out "What's at the center of the Earth?"
Release Date:1996-01-01
Character:Dr. Dogg (voice)
Vote Count:1
Paul Merton at the London Palladium
The show with the sardonic wit for which Merton is famous. Plus his hilarious salute to the ice skaters Torvill and Dean, and a comic version of the pantomime Aladdin, as never seen before. Featuring Lee Simpson and Richard Vranch.
Release Date:1994-10-17
Character:Himself
The Danny Baker Show
Weekly talk show hosted by Danny Baker featuring guests from the worlds of television, film and sport.
Release Date:1994-09-17
Episode Count:1
Room 101
Fast-moving game show meets talk show, which sees Frank Skinner refereeing three celebrities each week as they compete to banish their top peeve or worst nightmare to the depths of Room 101.
Release Date:1994-07-04
Character:Self - Host
Episode Count:64
Vote Count:23
An Evening With Gary Lineker
From their 1991 stageplay An Evening with Gary Lineker was adapted for television in 1994 by Arthur Smith and Chris England. The action takes place against the backdrop of the 1990 Football World Cup semi-final, between England and West Germany, which is taking place in Italy while Monica and Bill are on holiday in Ibiza. Bill desperately wants to watch the match; Monica wants to talk about their relationship.
Release Date:1994-06-14
Character:Ian
If You See God, Tell Him
Richard Briers plays Godfrey Spry, who, having been hit on the head in a freak accident, ends up with an attention span of just 30 seconds. As a result he begins to obsess over TV commercials and begins to take advertising claims literally, causing erratic twists in his behaviour and complicating the lives of all those around him.
Release Date:1993-11-11
Character:Workman
Episode Count:4
Vote Count:3
Terry and Julian
Terry and Julian is a British sitcom that aired on Channel 4 in 1992. Starring Julian Clary, it was written by Clary, Paul Merton and John Henderson. The title is a spoof the title of the long-running BBC sitcom Terry and June, whose star June Whitfield made a guest appearance in one episode of Terry and Julian.
Release Date:1992-09-11
Department:Writing
Job:Writer
Character:Vicar
Episode Count:6
Vote Count:2
Amnesty International's Big 30
In the tradition of the acclaimed series of British concerts known as The Secret Policemen's Ball, Amnesty International celebrates its 50th Anniversary live at Radio City Music Hall.
Release Date:1991-12-28
Character:Self
Vote Count:1
Paul Merton: The Series
Fresh from his appearances on Whose Line is it Anyway?, Paul starred in his own comedy series on Channel 4, featuring a mix of surreal sketches, links and stand-up routines
Release Date:1991-09-25
Department:Writing
Job:Writer
Character:
Episode Count:12
Vote Count:2
Have I Got News for You
Hilarious, totally-irreverent, near-slanderous political quiz show, based mainly on news stories from the last week or so, that leaves no party, personality or action unscathed in pursuit of laughs.
Release Date:1990-09-28
Character:Self – Team Captain
Episode Count:3
Vote Count:65
One Foot In the Grave
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series The series features the exploits of Victor Meldrew and his long-suffering wife, Margaret. The programmes invariably deal with Meldrew's battle against the problems he creates for himself. Living in a typical household in an unnamed English suburb, Victor takes involuntary early retirement. His various efforts to keep himself busy, while encountering various misfortunes and misunderstandings are the themes of the sitcom. The series was largely filmed on location in Walkford, near New Milton in Hampshire, although several clues show that the series may have been set in Hampshire – possibly Winchester. Despite its traditional production, the series supplants its domestic sitcom setting with elements of black humour and surrealism.
Release Date:1990-01-04
Character:Barman
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:80
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
An un-scripted comedy show in which four guest performers improvise their way through a series of games, many of which rely on audience suggestions.
Release Date:1988-09-23
Character:Himself
Episode Count:12
Vote Count:62
The Young Ones
The misadventures of four lunatic students who live in a shared student house. There's Rick, the overblown political one addicted to Cliff Richard, Vyvyan the experimental scientific one/part-time anarchist, Neil the worried hippy, and Mike the ladies' man (at least he is in his mind).
Release Date:1982-11-09
Character:Peasant
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:131
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
A television anthology series hosted by Alfred Hitchcock featuring dramas, thrillers, and mysteries.
Release Date:1955-10-02
Department:Directing
Job:Director
Character:Self - Presenter
Episode Count:1
Vote Count:224
Sticky Moments
Sticky Moments was a satirical British television game show that aired on Channel 4 in 1989 and 1990. It was hosted by the comedian Julian Clary.
Department:Creator
Job:Creator
Vote Count:3
Have I Got a Bit More News for You
Based on the week’s news and fronted by guest hosts, this extended version of the satirical news quiz features more of the stuff that wouldn't fit into the regular programme.
Character:Self - Team Captain
Episode Count:336
Vote Count:16