Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe

{{Short description|British television programme}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox television | image = Weekly Wipe Title Card.png | genre = Review<br />Cultural critic | runtime = 30 minutes | creator = Charlie Brooker | presenter = Charlie Brooker | theme_music_composer = Nathan Fake | open_theme = "You Are Here" (FortDax Remix) by Nathan Fake<ref name="fortdax">[http://www.fedge.net/fortdax Fortdax] on Fedge. Retrieved 27 October 2021.</ref> | country = United Kingdom | language = English | channel = BBC Two | company = Zeppotron<br />House of Tomorrow | first_aired = {{start date|df=y|2013|1|31}} | last_aired = {{end date|df=y|2016|12|29}} | num_series = 3 | num_episodes = 23 | related = ''Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe''<br />''Newswipe with Charlie Brooker''<br />''Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe''<br />''How TV Ruined Your Life'' }}

'''''Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe''''' was a British television review programme created and presented by Charlie Brooker. The programme was an amalgam of the earlier ''Wipe'' series, with reviews of current television programmes, news events, games, and films.

The programme was commissioned by the BBC in November 2012, with six episodes ordered.<ref name="endemol">{{cite web |url=http://www.endemolshineuk.com/news/charlie-brooker-gets-a-fresh-weekly-wiping-on-bbc |title=Charlie Brooker gets a fresh weekly 'wiping' on BBC Two |publisher=Endemol UK |date=8 November 2012 |accessdate=2 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307092042/http://www.endemolshineuk.com/news/charlie-brooker-gets-a-fresh-weekly-wiping-on-bbc |archive-date=7 March 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It began airing on 31 January 2013, and was broadcast on BBC Two. Two more series followed in 2014 and 2015.<ref>{{cite web|last=Eames |first=Tom |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a609845/charlie-brookers-weekly-wipe-to-return-2014-wipe-confirmed.html |title=Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe to return, 2014 Wipe confirmed |publisher=Digital Spy |date=13 November 2014 |accessdate=27 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/bbc-renew-people-just-do-nothing-and-charlie-brook/363776 |title=BBC renew 'People Just Do Nothing' and 'Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe' |publisher=NME |date=14 November 2014 |accessdate=27 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/news/story/000001654/charlie_brookers_weekly_wipe_2015/ |title=Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe gets another series |publisher=British Comedy Guide |date=13 November 2014 |accessdate=27 April 2015}}</ref> A special edition of the show entitled ''Election Wipe'' was broadcast on 6 May 2015, the day before the UK general election.<ref>{{cite web|last=Fullerton |first=Huw |url=http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-04-22/charlie-brooker-to-bring-election-wipe-to-bbc2 |title=Charlie Brooker to bring Election Wipe to BBC2 |publisher=Radio Times |date=22 April 2015 |accessdate=8 May 2015}}</ref>

In May 2020 a new one-off episode entitled ''Antiviral Wipe'' was broadcast, which was filmed in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Moses|first=Toby|date=2020-04-22|title=Charlie Brooker to return to BBC with lockdown special Antiviral Wipe|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/22/charlie-brooker-to-return-to-bbc-with-lockdown-special-antiviral-wipe|access-date=2021-01-23|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Format== ''Weekly Wipe'' follows a format similar to Brooker's earlier works. It features Brooker commenting on a range of recent programmes, events, games, and films. Brooker presents the programme from both his living-room and a presenters' desk, similar to ''Newswipe''. Brooker also narrates news footage, and other VTs, commenting humorously on their content. Whilst covering the most prominent events of the week, ''Weekly Wipe'' also satirises more commonplace or minor occurrences.

''Weekly Wipe'' features Al Campbell as "Barry Shitpeas" and Diane Morgan as "Philomena Cunk" (Cunk being portrayed as a deliberately dim-witted/ill-informed interviewer), and segments by comedians Doug Stanhope, Tim Key, Limmy, Jake Yapp, Catriona Knox as reporter "Emily Surname" and Morgana Robinson.<ref name="endemol" /> In the first series, alongside these contributors, guest stars such as Richard Osman and Susan Calman joined Brooker in a chat show segment, discussing recent events of interest.<ref name="IE_release">{{cite web|last=McGinley |first=Sheena |url=http://entertainment.ie/tv-highlight/Charlie-Brookers-Weekly-Wipe/162593.htm |title=Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe |publisher=entertainment.ie |date=31 January 2013 |accessdate=2 February 2013}}</ref>

The programme includes segments used by Brooker in his year-in-review wipes, such as the "World of Bullshit" section; these short clips cover the more mundane elements of otherwise newsworthy events. Brooker also regularly links news stories together to make them more humorous, and satirises popular opinions to make light of otherwise serious events. In a similar section, "World of Shitverts", Brooker satirises popular adverts. As with much of Brooker's work, ''Weekly Wipe'' openly mocks other shows, people, and news events.

''Weekly Wipe'' comments on media, public reaction, and how the two influence each other.

==Reception== ''Weekly Wipe'' has received generally positive reviews from critics, who praise Brooker's return to the original ''Wipe'' format.<ref name="comedyGuide">{{cite web|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/charlie_brookers_weekly_wipe/press/ | title=Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe – In The Press |publisher=British Comedy Guide |accessdate=2 February 2013}}</ref> The studio-based chat show element of the first episode was criticised, with its jarring change of pace separating it from the rest of the monologic episode.<ref name="dfix">{{cite web|last=Bryan |first=Nick |url=http://television.thedigitalfix.com/Content/1263/charlie-brookers-weekly-wipe-review.html |title=Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe – Review |publisher=The Digital Fix |date=31 January 2013 |accessdate=2 February 2013}}</ref>

''Weekly Wipe'' received a nomination in the Comedy and Comedy Entertainment Programme category at the 2015 British Academy Television Awards.<ref>{{cite web|last=Goodacre |first=Kate |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tv/news/a646588/bafta-television-awards-2015-the-winners-in-full.html |title=BAFTA Television Awards 2015: The winners in full |publisher=Digital Spy |date=10 May 2015 |accessdate=11 May 2015}}</ref>

== Episodes == Episode ratings from BARB.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.barb.co.uk/whats-new/weekly-top-30 |title=Weekly Top 30 Programmes |publisher=Barb.co.uk |date=2012-11-11 |accessdate=2012-11-25}}</ref>

=== Series 1 === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- !No. overall ! Episode No. !! Airdate !! Viewers<br />(millions)!! BBC Two weekly ranking |- |1 |1 || 31 January 2013|| {{n/a}}|| {{n/a}} |- |2 |2 || 7 February 2013||{{n/a}} ||{{n/a}} |- |3 |3|| 14 February 2013 ||1.57 || {{n/a}} |- |4 |4 || 21 February 2013 ||{{n/a}}||{{n/a}} |- |5 |5|| 28 February 2013 ||{{n/a}}||{{n/a}} |- |6 |6|| 7 March 2013 || {{n/a}}|| {{n/a}} |}

=== Series 2 === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- !No. overall ! Episode No. !! Airdate !! Viewers<br />(millions)!! BBC Two weekly ranking |- |7 |1 || 9 January 2014|| 1.64||26 |- |8 |2 || 16 January 2014||1.66 ||20 |- |9 |3|| 23 January 2014||{{n/a}} || {{n/a}} |- |10 |4 || 30 January 2014||{{n/a}}||{{n/a}} |- |11 |5|| 6 February 2014 ||1.75||25 |- |12 |6|| 13 February 2014 || {{n/a}}|| {{n/a}} |}

=== Series 3 === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- !No. overall ! Episode No. !! Airdate !! Viewers<br />(millions)!! BBC Two weekly ranking |- |13 |1 || 29 January 2015|| 1.46|| 21 |- |14 |2 || 5 February 2015||1.35 ||21 |- |15 |3|| 12 February 2015 ||1.78 ||11 |- |16 |4 || 19 February 2015 ||1.50||17 |- |17 |5|| 26 February 2015 ||1.61||13 |- |18 |6|| 12 March 2015 || 1.34|| 15 |}

=== Specials === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! Episode !! Airdate !! Viewers<br />(millions)!! BBC Two weekly ranking |- |2013 Wipe ||28 December 2013||{{n/a}}|| {{n/a}} |- |2014 Wipe ||30 December 2014||2.21 ||9 |- |Election Wipe||6 May 2015||2.27||6 |- |2015 Wipe||30 December 2015||2.03 ||11 |- |2016 Wipe||29 December 2016||3.04||3 |- |Antiviral Wipe||14 May 2020||2.92||3 |}

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== {{Wikiquote|Charlie Brooker}} *{{BBC programme}} *{{British Comedy Guide|tv|charlie_brookers_weekly_wipe}} *{{IMDb title|2657242}}

{{Charlie Brooker}}

Category:2013 British television series debuts Category:2016 British television series endings Category:2010s British comedy television series Category:2010s British satirical television series Category:BBC Two original programming Category:BBC television comedy Category:Television series about television Category:Television series created by Charlie Brooker Category:Television series by Banijay Category:Television series by Zeppotron Category:British television spinoffs Category:English-language British television shows Category:Political satirical television series