New standard set for video satire

For those who think that Mad TV is the height of satire, this year the New York print and online publication The Onion has once again moved the satire goalposts: it has set up the Onion News Network video news site.

Viral videos frequently use satire or ironically post laughable ‘serious’ clips from news programmes putting forward extreme viewpoints, but ONN's excellent production values and actors are the best I have seen, extending perfectly the deadpan style of the long-running print and online editions.

The joy of watching is when you reach that particular point after the first few seconds of each story at which the starched suits, stern expressions and searching interview questions are revealed to be acting under some insane logic.

This beats the hit-and-miss humour of Burbank and has only been exceeded by Brass Eye to my knowledge. Let's hope they keep this venture going.