Behind the Scenes

This section reveals all the hard work and planning that goes into every single show. And it's all exclusive to the Mark and Chris website! Wow!

With feedback from the previous week's show, Mark and Chris devise an outline for the next edition on their immense wall of charts and plans. Sometimes they play noughts and crosses on the blank spaces.

The next step is a nine-hour production meeting to start to bring a script together. Executive Producers Hazel and Mark thrash out ideas, while Chris makes the tea.

Chris and Mark then get on the phones to arrange deals and get all the big-name celebrity guests booked.

Meanwhile, Hazel reads up on important world affairs so she can write her news bulletin. The news is written about four days in advance to save time.

Mark spends the last few days before the show working alone to write out scripts for the hilarious links and features that will go out on air. Every word spoken on the show is carefully planned and scripted.

While Mark does that, Hazel writes the news. Chris usually uses this time, in between making cups of tea, to plead for a bigger part in the show.

Finally, Mark and Chris get an early night. This is to make sure they get enough sleep before their early start on Friday mornings - in fact, they get up at 4pm on Thursday afternoon, a full sixteen hours before the show begins.