Trigger Happy TV

Trigger Happy TV was Dom Joly’s breakout hidden camera comedy show, first shown in the United Kingdom on Channel 4.

Produced by Absolutely Productions, the original series aired in 2000, with a second series following in 2002. Joly was the star of the show, whilst other characters included fancy dress animals.

The majority of sketches were filmed in Central London and Cheltenham with Dom Joly creating embarrassing and sometimes ludicrous shenanigans in public.

The reaction of the public were a big part of the show. Many scenes made the public stop and either laugh or simply wonder what was taking place. Unlike most hidden camera shows, many of the scenes in Trigger Happy TV did not revolve around the trapping of normal people in embarrassing situations. Instead, Joly often made fun of himself. The public only found out what was going on once they signed a release form allowing the use of the footage.

Dom Joly’s gigantic novelty mobile phone and shouting at the top of his voice in quiet locations became the star of the show. Other memorable clips included “Don’t Trust This Man”, furry animals fighting in public and Dom Joly portraying a bad French portrait artist.

The show did not require a laugh sound track as the audience included yourself were cracking up time after time, sketch after sketch. Music, including tracks from Stereophonics and Gordon Lightfoot were played over some sketches.

Trigger Happy TV lasted for 2 series and two Christmas specials. Three DVDs have been released, including a “best of” both series and the Christmas specials. Despite the popularity of this, Dom Joly has said he will not make any more.