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What Do You Think?: Invasion of Earth

That Mitchell and Webb Look2008Season 2Episode 5
That Mitchell and Webb Look
SKETCH-O-VISION
A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.

The setup

When an alien army starts destroying the planet, two BBC newsreaders treat the end of the world as a chance to collect viewers' opinions.

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Community rating

– / 10

The premise

Here’s the bit.

A business bulletin is cut short by news that giant metallic crab-like aliens are invading Earth. Rather than report what is happening, the two anchors appeal for viewers to email in their reactions and then read out the replies: a complaint about whether the invaders will pay London's congestion charge, a pensioner's wartime defiance that ends in screaming, admiration for the aliens' organisational skills and a Doctor Who joke. A brief aside that London has fallen is waved away as less interesting than the comments, and as smoke rises over the skyline behind them the anchors cheerfully announce that the crabs have reached Television Centre and point viewers to a webcam where they can watch the presenters die.

The funny people

Meet the cast. 2

Say it with us

Highly quotable.

Maybe you live on Earth or know someone who does.

Will these so-called aliens be required to pay the congestion charge?

Say what you like about the alien killer crabs, but by God, they can organise an invasion.

Behind the scenes

The people who made it.

A little extra

Notes from the archive.

This is the second half of a runner in the same episode: the anchors first appeal for viewers' opinions about an environmental disaster earlier in the show.

ScriptEnglish · 10 turns

Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.

  1. 00:00

    Paul

    Business news now, and the Bank of England have announced interest rates are set to...

  2. 00:03

    News Anchor

    I'm sorry, Paul, I'm going to have to interrupt you there. We're just getting reports of some astonishing breaking news. It appears that an invasion of the Earth by an unknown but vastly powerful extraterrestrial aggressor is underway. Details are sketchy, but reports are pouring in from across the world of vast, metallic, crab-like creatures laying waste to all they encounter.

  3. 00:24

    Paul

    So, a massive and unstoppable alien attack threatens the Earth. What's your reaction? Are you affected by the end of civilisation as we know it? What's your perspective? Maybe you live on Earth or know someone who does. How do you feel about it? Email us with your thoughts on your imminent molecular evaporation at bbc.co.uk slash emergency apocalypse address, all one word, and let us know.

  4. 00:44

    News Anchor

    And already this issue seems to be one that's provoked a lot of comment. Lucinda Richards from London asks, will these so-called aliens be required to pay the congestion charge? Somehow I think not. It's one rule for us and another rule for alien beings.

  5. 01:00

    Paul

    And Gerard from Dover called our letter line number to say, as someone approaching my 80th birthday, I think I'm entitled to comment, twas ever thus. I can remember when a certain Mr Hitler befought himself to overthrow this sceptred isle, and like him, I think these aliens might find that simple British folk are rather harder to conquer than... And then it just tails off into screams.

  6. 01:22

    News Anchor

    A quick update for any of you for some reason and more interested in the news than what some people who don't know think about the news, London has fallen to the aliens. But, more importantly, I can also tell you that Sophie from Manchester says, say what you like about the alien killer crabs, but by God, they can organise an invasion. We have a lot to learn from them, though we'd better be quick.

  7. 01:45

    Paul

    And lastly, on a lighter note, Carl from Aundle writes, where's Doctor Who when you need him?

  8. 01:50

    In fiction, I imagine. He's right there worse luck.

  9. 01:55

    Paul ?

    Yes indeed because we're running out of time both on the program and just generally My producer tells me that the giant alien crafts have breached TV Center and will imminently vaporize

  10. 02:05

    News Anchor

    Remember if you want to see that for yourself, why not log on to our behind-the-scenes webcam? Simply go to bbc.co.uk slash watch us fry all one word and click on

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One more couldn’t hurt.

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