If you are familiar with Mock the Week, then you're already familiar with Russell Howard, a comedian who is a regular on that show. Well, if you love his brand of humor, be sure to check out Russell Howard's Good News.
RHGN is news satire show that started out in October 2009. Like other shows of the genre, this one examines various news that have been making headlines and, more often than not, makes you laugh about its (sometimes unintentionally) weird little aspects. Incidentally, the show is coming back for a second season later this year.
The show itself is divided into several sections which include Sports, Politics and Law and Order. Other sections are usually feel-good stories from the news as well as cutesy ones about little kids.
If you know Russell Howard's stand-up style, you can see how this fits in with his comedic style. Firstly, like his peers, he also makes a lot of social commentary. When it comes down to taking a stand about an issue or expressing his view on a certain matter, Howard won't mince words. Sure, it won't be the quirky angry ranting that is Marcus Brigstocke's style nor it is the somewhat sarcastic observations of Ed Byrne. Rather, Howard mixes it in a bit where he will tone down some aspects with light-hearted humor before making his point … rather bluntly too, I might add.
Secondly, there is the feel-good aspect. Howard is known to add humorous stories about his own life (be it about his family or friends). Yea they are extremely funny ones and he delivers the jokes well. However, whenever he does throw in those jokes, you realize that the comedian is basically telling tales that cheers up the viewers. This is a nice touch as a lot of comedy can focus bit much on what is wrong with our lives, making folks just a tad weary. Well, it's not for everyone and those who are a bit squeamish about darker humor will love Howard's heartwarming tales.
By the way, the 'in the news' feature towards the end of the show also falls into this category. Every week, the show brings in people who have been making headlines for achieving something fantastic. The way this segment worked is that the behind-the-scenes folk would first pick folks who had been in the news. Then they bring them onto the show and Howard would ask questions, trying to find out why they had been in the news. The overall aim is to highlight happy news, news where people have been commended for something extraordinary. It's cute, it's touching and, a lot of the times, you will go awww!
In addition to this, Howard also goes for a few dirty jokes. A lot of them revolve around the 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' sort of topics. Well, sometimes it is just about a typical guy's thoughts and actions. Thus, when he is commenting on the funny news titles, he can draw analogies from his own experiences.