[DanaC]

In memory of John Fortune, who died this week. With his passing we lose not just his satirical mind, but the amazing double act of John Bird and John Fortune. And, too, with Rory Bremner, the brilliant Bremner, Bird and Fortune, a weekly satirical show that shone a light onto the darker side of politics from the late 90s til 2010, and which many people had hoped would make a return one day.

The Long Johns, were a series of parody interviews, in which one of the Johns (Bird or Fortune) would take on the role of the interviewee, who was always called George Parr - though George Parr was a different person each time. Sometimes a military general, other times a politician, or a banking executive - and on one occasion an African Dictator. The other John would interview as himself. Mostly Fortune would be the interviewer and Bird would would play George Parr. But they did swap roles sometimes.

From time to time they'd play with the format and have the two men as friends talking in a pub.

Here's a Long Johns skit from the run up to the Iraq War - exploring the utter unpreparedness of the British Army for a desert conflict.



On changes to the criminal justice system:



And probably their best known skit, originally part of the 'Silly Money' special edition of Bremner, Bird and Fortune, and performed here on The South Bank Show:

The Long Johns explore the Sub-Prime Crisis