Wikipedia

Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier

Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier is a British panel show broadcast on Dave. The first series premiered on 16 May 2018. In the show Jon Richardson and the panel talk about and rank worries in order of severity in the Worry Index. Worries are categorised as either a low, moderate or severe worry. The first series also features sketches in which Rose Matafeo and Richard Gadd research topics Richardson is worried about. A second series of ten episodes began on 3 July 2019.

Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier
GenreComedy
Directed byToby Baker
Presented byJon Richardson
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series2
No. of episodes18 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersJono Richards
Kate Edmunds
Iain Coyle
Joe McVey
ProducerDavid Maguire
EditorsMichael Marden
Philip Lepherd
Running time60 minutes (inc. adverts)
Production companyTalkback
Original release
NetworkDave
Release16 May 2018 (2018-05-16) –
4 September 2019 (2019-09-04)

Production

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The show was announced by Dave on 23 January 2018.[1] A clip of the show was released by Digital Spy on 27 April.[2] A video listing Richardson's "top 8 worries" was released on 2 May.[3] The first series of eight hour-long episodes aired from 16 May to 4 July.[4]

Jon Richardson has obsessive–compulsive personality disorder, which he previously discussed in his first Edinburgh Festival Fringe show in 2007.[5][6][7] Richardson said that making the show allowed him to "compartmentalise" and was "so cathartic", describing comedy as "a great way to have those conversations but trying to make people feel better".[8] He tells Radio Times that he wants viewers to realise "the world is fundamentally a funny place".[9]

In December 2018, it was announced that the show had been renewed for a second series of ten episodes, to be filmed and broadcast in 2019.[10] The second series began on 3 July 2019 and consisted of 10 episodes. A censored version of the first episode was mistakenly broadcast when it first premiered, despite its timeslot of 10 p.m., one hour after the watershed ended.[11]

Discussing the second series, Richardson said that it was more topical than the first series; he said the show's format allowed quick changes from "lighter" topics to "big news stories", such as climate change, which he described as "the biggest [worry] of all". His wife Lucy Beaumont features as a guest in multiple episodes. Though Richardson was initially reluctant to work with Beaumont, he said "we gradually did a few bits together and it just seemed to come really easily".[12]

Episodes

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SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1816 May 2018 (2018-05-16)4 July 2018 (2018-07-04)
2103 July 2019 (2019-07-03)4 September 2019 (2019-09-04)

Series 1 (2018)

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No.
overall [13]		No. in
series [13]		TitleGuestsOriginal air date [13]UK Viewers [14][a]
11"The Home"Josh Widdicombe and Suzi Ruffell16 May 2018 (2018-05-16)660,000
22"The Body"Sara Pascoe and Joe Wilkinson23 May 2018 (2018-05-23)523,000
33"Food"Victoria Coren Mitchell and Rob Beckett30 May 2018 (2018-05-30)420,000
44"Humanity"Nish Kumar and Desiree Burch6 June 2018 (2018-06-06)365,000
55"Jon Richardson"Lucy Beaumont and Jonathan Ross13 June 2018 (2018-06-13)N/A[b]
66"Technology"James Acaster and David O'Doherty20 June 2018 (2018-06-20)300,000
77"Travel"Romesh Ranganathan and Kerry Godliman27 June 2018 (2018-06-27)285,000
88"Family"Jack Dee and Ivo Graham4 July 2018 (2018-07-04)N/A (<211,000)[c]

Series 2 (2019)

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No.
overall [15]		No. in
series [15]		TitleGuestsOriginal air date [15]UK Viewers [16][a]
91"The Self"Lucy Beaumont, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Joe Wilkinson3 July 2019 (2019-07-03)457,000
102"Modern Living"Jessie Cave, Darren Harriott and Richard Osman10 July 2019 (2019-07-10)326,000
113"Leisure Time"Lucy Beaumont, Roisin Conaty and Russell Howard17 July 2019 (2019-07-17)358,000
124"Health"Rob Beckett, Ed Gamble and Lou Sanders24 July 2019 (2019-07-24)361,000
135"Consumerism"Angela Barnes, Lucy Beaumont and Jamali Maddix31 July 2019 (2019-07-31)374,000
146"People"John Robins, Holly Walsh and Josh Widdicombe7 August 2019 (2019-08-07)381,000
157"The Future"Lolly Adefope, Matt Forde and Morgana Robinson14 August 2019 (2019-08-14)294,000
168"Global Affairs"Catherine Bohart, Sara Pascoe and Phil Wang21 August 2019 (2019-08-21)364,000
179"Holidays"Tom Allen, Matt Forde and Rosie Jones28 August 2019 (2019-08-28)267,000
1810"Planet Earth"James Acaster, Rebecca Front and Ivo Graham4 September 2019 (2019-09-04)331,000

Reception

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Steve Bennett of Chortle compares the show to Room 101, but notes that Richardson "puts a more distinctive spin on the format", commenting on the rarity of a panel show being "so closely moulded to the foibles of its host". Bennett criticises that the show "should really be a 30-minute format", but summarises it as an "entertaining passer of time".[17] In a three-star review for The Times, Carol Midgley also criticises that "[s]ome parts went on too long", though also calling other parts "nerdishly amusing".[18] Oprah Flash of Cable recommends the show to people who have "enjoyed the dry wit [Richardson] brings to 8 Out of 10 Cats".[5]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Viewers across the first 28 days of broadcast on TV, PC/laptop, tablet or smartphone are counted. Pre-transmission figures are included.
  2. ^ No data reported for the week for Dave
  3. ^ Not reported in the weekly top 10 programmes for Dave

References

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  1. ^ "Jon Richardson is the Ultimate Worrier". Chortle. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  2. ^ Warner, Sam (27 April 2018). "Exclusive: Jon Richardson reveals the hilarious things we say in our sleep in first-look at new Dave series Ultimate Worrier". Digital Spy. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Jon Richardson's top 8 worries". Chortle. 2 May 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  4. ^ Arthur, Andrew (7 May 2018). "Jon Richardson: stand-up comedy is therapeutic for my worrying mind". Irish Independent. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  5. ^ a b Flash, Oprah (8 May 2018). "Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier comes to Dave in May". Cable. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  6. ^ Sherlock, Gemma (15 July 2016). "Jon Richardson returns to Morecambe Winter Gardens for Lancaster hospice". The Visitor.
  7. ^ "Bio-Jon Richardson".
  8. ^ Sporn, Natasha (17 May 2018). "Comedian Jon Richardson reveals new show Ultimate Worrier was 'cathartic' for mental health as comedy provides 'a good way to talk'". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  9. ^ Taylor, Frances (16 May 2018). "What does Jon Richardson worry about?". Radio Times. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  10. ^ "Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier to return in 2019". British Comedy Guide. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  11. ^ "Where the *&!@ was the swearing!". Chortle. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  12. ^ Humphreys, Georgia (29 June 2019). "'It's really helped that the news has stayed so very depressing'". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  13. ^ a b c "Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier Series 1 episode guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Weekly top 10 programmes BARB". www.barb.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  15. ^ a b c "Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier Series 2 episode guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
  16. ^ "Four-screen dashboard BARB". www.barb.co.uk. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  17. ^ Bennett, Steve (16 May 2018). "Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier". Chortle. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
  18. ^ Midgley, Carol (17 May 2018). "TV review: What Makes a Woman?; Ultimate Worrier". The Times. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
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