Brass Eye (1997)
Hello you. Make a cup of tea. Put a record on. Stick on This is Hardcore. Not Common People, that's too cheerful. Play the title track instead, dark, cynical, dripping in irony, a perfect match for what we're about to discuss.
Let’s talk about Brass Eye.
Pressing Play
It’s 1997. Tony Blair is Prime Minister, convincing the nation things can only get better while secretly proving they absolutely won’t. Channel 4, meanwhile, is about to push satire beyond mere comedy into something gloriously uncomfortable. You've got posters of Trainspotting on your wall, Blur and Oasis are finally quiet, and the tabloids are obsessed with scandals. Chris Morris is about to take media hysteria and rip it to shreds.
What Makes This Show Unique
Brass Eye is not satire for casual viewing. It’s satire as weaponry. Morris takes the British public's trust in authority, celebrity endorsement, and media sensationalism, and systematically dismantles it. Episodes on drugs, crime, and moral decline aren't just parodies. They are indictments of a society that believes anything it's told if delivered with enough sincerity.
Celebrities are gleefully duped into endorsing fake causes, such as the notorious drug "Cake", supposedly from the non-existent country of Czechoslovakia. Watching Noel Edmonds gravely warn us about “Shatner’s Bassoon” (a part of the brain that doesn't exist) is both hilarious and terrifying. Brass Eye didn't merely mock celebrity ignorance. It forced us to confront our own willingness to accept absurdities without question.
"If time's a drug, then Big Ben is a huge needle injecting it into the sky!" – Chris Morris
Personal Connection and Relatability
Brass Eye resonated because you recognised its world immediately. The exaggerated panic, moral outrage, and celebrity sanctimony you'd endured throughout the decade. Whether it was the hysteria over drugs, sex, or youth culture, Brass Eye held a mirror up to the absurdity and forced you to laugh at your own gullibility.
Show Vision and Impact
Chris Morris refused to play safe. His satire was relentless and cutting, created in collaboration with sharp minds like Charlie Brooker and Graham Linehan. It was brave enough to risk genuine controversy, leading to a record number of complaints for its Paedogeddon! special, which lampooned the media's handling of paedophilia scandals. Politicians condemned it, tabloids vilified it, yet Brass Eye emerged with its satirical integrity intact, mocking the very outrage it provoked.
Look Out For
A tiny Easter egg mocking then Channel 4 executive Michael Grade. Blink and you’ll miss a brief subliminal flash labelling Grade with a particularly brutal insult, showcasing the lengths Morris went to in poking at authority.
You'll Like This If
You’ve ever shouted at the TV news for sensationalising trivia.
Your sense of humour thrives on discomfort and awkwardness.
You believe satire should have consequences, even if that means causing trouble.
You Won’t Like This If
You think some subjects shouldn't be joked about.
You're uncomfortable watching beloved celebrities humiliate themselves.
You prefer satire with a lighter touch. Brass Eye doesn’t do subtle. It wields satire like a sledgehammer.
For Fans Of
The Day Today (1994). Chris Morris sharpened his satirical teeth here first, honing his absurdist takedowns of media hysteria before going even further with Brass Eye.
If You Like This, Try This
Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge (1994). Steve Coogan’s satire of media narcissism complements Morris’s brutal takedown of sensationalism, highlighting the ego-driven absurdity of '90s media figures.
Why You Should Care
Brass Eye remains crucial because its satire hasn’t aged. It’s disturbingly evergreen. The media landscape might have changed, but the hysteria, hypocrisy, and gullibility it skewered remain painfully relevant. It reminds you not only how easy it is to manipulate public perception but how willingly the public participates in its own deception. Brass Eye was uncomfortable viewing because it revealed uncomfortable truths.
See you on down the road.
