2003: a simpler time. A time of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoneix. A time when YouTube was still two years from existing. A time where Dom Joly preyed on unsuspecting members of the public for the last series of his Channel 4 prank show Trigger Happy TV.
Now, 13 years later, it's back! Yes, although Joly was in talks to resurrect Trigger Happy TV last year, C4 have finally given the original prank-fest a green light for eight 6-minute episodes for Channel 4’s online arm, All 4, from September 26th.
Expect an updated 2016 version of 'Big Mobile' alongside new sketches ‘Angry Cyclist’, a photobombing ‘Emoji Face’ and something called ‘Big Vape’.
But don’t expect the show to be the same staged “it was just a prank, bro!’ videos on your Facebook timeline (you know the ones).
Joly, 48, said: "Once again I was keen to use Trigger Happy to target some of the most frustrating, peculiar, prominent aspects of modern life and give them a surreal twist. I’ve watched the hidden camera industry boom since Trigger Happy TV re-invented the format back in the early 2000s.
"But with a few notable exceptions, I’ve found most of the genre remarkably uninspiring. I’m hoping viewers will find Trigger Happy refreshing and lift the genre away from what is often staged or faked."
As Joly previously told RadioTimes.com, he plans for the show to be “bigger” than the original and “cinematic in scope”, with more satirical sketches.
Hopefully this giant snail will still make an appearance, though.
