20 THE LIST

He’s made a fool of Mad Frankie Fraser and been binned more times than Mandelson. CHRIS MORRIS has earned a reputation as a maverick for his satire. But now, writes Brian Donaldson, he is turning his hand to situation comedy

athan llai‘le} ix a ‘lenndnn inedia pixxant \\llU xnrel_\ dexerxex an ieepiek in the eheele. lle ix a total \xank xtain' and ‘a perpetuall} xn|\ent trend—hopping lttekehext who in an} xane \\Hl‘ltl untild he ahdueted h} a l'tirintix inoh intent on gluing hix lorehead tn the pawrnent'. l'ntil nmx. )nu ma} not ha\ e heard the name Nathan Barle} and.

judging h} the ahme dexeriptinnx. that ina_\ he

xnntething «it a hlexxing. Nathan llarle} dnexn't. in laet. e\ixt. lle'x a ereatinn til the 'l‘\' (in Home \xehxite. a xpiml programme lixtingx al'lair \xhieh hax lierated poor \athan tor xe\eral _\earx ax it prexieux the Hymn—[lie uall tlnetnnentar} uhieh l'tilltmx hix tra\ailx. 'l‘he xhtm he 'appearx‘ in ix ealled (ill/II. li\eept at ('hrixttnax. \\ hen it'x ealled ('lirixlmm ('iml.

In l‘ehruar}. \athan Barle) ix to go lrnrn heing the xtar till a xptn‘inttx 'l‘\' xhtm tn heing the xlar till a real 'l‘\' \llt)\\. \Vhat tnalxex it dill'erent l'rorn the \le\\ nt' late—night ('hannel J, eninediex \\liielt gain little hut a rm liuropean eoined} ;t\\;tt'tlx (hello I’t'r'p S/iun'i. ix that thix ix a (Mix .\lnrrix prnduetion. llix neu xhtm i_\nti ean will} he dieing \xith peril tn duh it a xitenrni aiinx to put Nathan Barler narne hexide all the great 'l‘\' eoined} ereatinnx who tread a thin line hetueen lmeahle rogue and hatet'ul eaekarnul'l’in. You l\ll()\\ the l}pex h} their xurnainex alone: Brent. l-'a\\lt_\. Steptoe.

It may he three )L‘tii‘x xinee \liir'rix unleaxhed hix Ifmxx li'u' paedophilia xpeeial hut the enraged headlinex uhieh xpeu ed l'nrth u hen the llle'\ (ill (iar) l.ineker. .\'eil 'l"()\_\. l'tix and l’ltll (itllllll\ t'get \(HHL‘ nunee xenxeil were made to look \er§ xill_\ indeed hax juxt ahnut \lll‘\lLlCtl. \ltil'l'lx etitlld ltlxlil'lithl)‘ xtill he giggling quietl} aua} in a eorner. xatixlied that hix main ohjeet had been aehiex'ed: the