Fantasy Football League (TV series)

Format

The format was originally heavily reliant on an actual fantasy football league, made up of teams picked by regular guest celebrities at the point that the game became popular in the mid-1990s.

In the 'kitchen' area stood the third regular on the show, Angus Loughran, referred to only as "Statto". Clad only in a dressing gown and pyjamas, he would dispense footballing facts and statistics on demand, particularly in the early shows when the fantasy league element was strongest. He was the butt of many of Frank and David's jokes, and was often made fun of for being apparently dull and naive, but quickly became an audience favourite (with chants of "Statto! Statto!" becoming common later in the run). In the Sky era, comedian and BT Sport presenter Andrew Mensah takes Loughran's former role.

The Sky series featured celebrity guests including Keir Starmer, Michael Sheen, Brian Cox, Trevor McDonald, Maisie Adam and Jennifer Saunders.

Controversy

Skinner and Baddiel performed a sketch with toys, using a Mr. Potato Head to portray Nottingham Forest manager Frank Clark and a toy footballer with a (genuine) pineapple on top to portray Forest striker Jason Lee and his unusual hairstyle. This led to Lee suffering torrents of abuse from fans at actual matches, including chants like "He's got a pineapple, on his head, he's got a big pineapple, on his head!" (to the tune of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" by Laurie London). Some sketches also featured Baddiel in blackface.

In response to the racism, Lee said: "I'd ask them if they realised the significance of what they were doing. It was, looking back, a form of bullying. I work in equalities now, and it can affect different people in different ways. I don't think people appreciate the possible harm it can cause. Not everyone has the make-up to deal with that, and they shouldn't have to." Baddiel has since admitted that his portrayal of Lee was "part of a very bad racist tradition". In an interview with The Guardian in July 2022, Skinner said "When Dave walked out from makeup that night, I still don’t know why one or both of us or someone there didn’t say what the fuck is happening?" He also added, "Looking back, it was a bullying campaign. And it's awful. And yeah, I'm ashamed of it." Baddiel finally apologised to Lee to his face later that year, though Lee questioned why it had taken Baddiel so long to do so.

In 2022, Sky apologised for a sketch in which Elis James portrayed Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper with a wonky eye, apparently mocking his appearance.

References

References

1. McCann, Paul. (4 September 1999). "Behind the scenes of British comedy, two hard men fix the funny money". The Independent.
2. "Pre-registration for FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE from SRO Audiences".
3. Rampton, James. (29 November 1997). "Skinner's power play". The Independent.
4. (2005-10-13). "ITV gives Fantasy Football the boot". Broadcast Now.
5. Plunkett, John. (4 December 2009). "Baddiel and Skinner to cover football World Cup for Absolute Radio". The Guardian.
6. (25 April 2024). "Fantasy Football League cancelled".
7. Mathure, Varun. (1996-05-17). "Song for Euro 96 ready for airplay – Sport". The Independent.
8. (2 September 1999). "Entertainment | Mad about the boys". BBC News.
9. Purnell, Gareth. (1995-03-26). "In the realm of fantasy with Tarby and Statto – Sport". The Independent.
10. Bennett, Steve. (2 September 2022). "Comic Andrew Mensah joins Fantasy Football League".
11. (1 March 2024). "Starmer’s flexing of his footy fan credentials was a dour, defensive display that got the job done".
12. (5 February 2024). "Fantasy Football League reboot an antidote to the fury and death threats of modern football".
13. (29 September 2022). "TV tonight: Matt Lucas and Elis James revive a 90s footie classic".
14. Stevenson, Jonathan. (2007-02-13). "The life and times of Jason Lee". BBC News.
15. (2008-05-12). "Lee desperate to carry on playing". BBC News.
16. (26 September 2018). "'I kept it out of defiance' - ex-Red Jason Lee on his 'pineapple' hairstyle".
17. (30 June 2020). "Former Nottingham Forest player Jason Lee says he never received an apology from David Baddiel or Frank Skinner". The Independent.
18. Jonze, Tim. (25 July 2022). "'There's never been a time when you could just say anything': Frank Skinner on free speech, his bullying shame – and knob jokes". The Guardian.
19. Davies, Matt. (24 November 2022). "Jason Lee reflects on his apology from David Baddiel after 25 year wait".
20. "Sky apologises over Elis James' Fantasy Football skit : News 2022 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide".