Dan and Phil (radio show)


Dan and Phil is a British radio show that aired on BBC Radio 1 from 2013 to 2014. It was presented by Dan Howell and Phil Lester, who are most commonly known as Dan and Phil. The show was a spiritual successor to the original Request Show on the station, allowing listeners to request songs to be played but also encompassing additional entertainment features. It was loosely based on Dan and Phil's now discontinued internet series, The Super Amazing Project, which included segments such as Internet News.
The show's successor, The Internet Takeover, began airing on 1 September 2014 at 9pm.

History

In the past, the Radio 1 Request Show has been hosted by Reggie Yates on Saturday afternoons, and Jameela Jamil on Sunday evenings.
After doing a variety of other work for BBC Radio 1, such as one-off shows at Christmas and work at the station's presence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, in November 2012 it was announced that Dan and Phil would present the show, with the visual element bringing a change of format. Part of the reasoning behind this was to add to the station-wide effort of lowering the average listener age.
In June 2014, it was announced that from 1 September 2014, the presenters would move to a weekly Monday night slot, from 9pm to 10pm, to a show that would continue to be fully visualised. In August 2014, it was announced that this new show would be a different format, with new presenters from the online world hosting shows; Dan and Phil would present the first broadcast of each month. This show is known as the Internet Takeover, and incorporates some features from the original Dan and Phil show, such as the Internet News and the audience's music videos.
The final Dan and Phil show was broadcast on 24 August 2014, effectively leaving the station without a request show.

Format

The entire show was visualised, enabling visitors of the BBC Radio 1 website to watch the programme live; watching in real time what is happening in the studio; the presenters' challenges; interviews with musicians or people involved in internet culture; and music videos created by the audience.
During the show, listeners were encouraged to call, text, tweet and post on Facebook to the station. Listeners could have their comments read out and call in to talk live on the show.

Fan Wars (2013)

Dan and Phil used to have a section entitled Fan Wars in which two listeners would call in to represent two musical artists in a competition, which varied every week. The winner of the competition would get their respective artist's song played. Fan Wars was replaced with a new segment; Sorry, I Don't Know How to Internet, for 2014.

Internet News (2013 - 2014)

In Internet News, Dan and Phil read out bizarre and off-beat news stories, discovered from around the internet. The segment was a parody of regular news programming, with an orchestral soundtrack and the presenters wearing glasses with no lenses which they called their "news glasses".

Dan vs. Phil (2013 - 2014)

A physical challenge is chosen by BBC staff for the presenters to take part in on video, while music from the Radio 1 playlist can be heard in the background. The winner is chosen from the number of points each presenter receives; a different caller announced the winner of the segment each week.
In early episodes, the segment had been more interactive, with listeners of the show being able to choose a challenge on the Facebook page and Twitter of Radio 1, and the audience being able to vote on the winner of each week.

Rehab Topic (2013 - 2014)

Each show had a themed hashtag that listeners could use on Twitter to share their experiences on the topic. For example, #FoodFails, where people gave their negative experiences on cooking. If someone's experience is particularly interesting or humorous, the producers of the show would allow that listener to call in and explain it to Dan and Phil.

Music Videos (2013 - 2014)

During the show, numerous music videos were shown which were created by the audience to a song of their choice. Listeners could submit these in advance of the show via email. These videos acted as a different way to request a song; the accompanying music was often not on the Radio 1 playlist.

Sorry I Don't Know How to Internet (2014)

Sorry I Don't Know How to Internet was introduced at the start of 2014 as a replacement for Fan Wars. The segment consisted of Dan and Phil reading out humorous stories of elder relatives and people new to IT being unable to use modern technology. Often, stories were read out by other presenters on the station, such as Greg James.
The stories were sent in by listeners and other BBC Radio 1 DJs.

Reception

Pocket-lint called the addition of the show to BBC Radio 1's schedule a "bold move" while The Telegraph described the show as "reminiscent of that film Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter". The Guardian made reference to the show's young demographic, stating that while the viewer-made music videos were "sweet", it was "too tame to be funny to adults".

Awards and nominations

YearAwardNomineeResult
2013Sony Golden Headphones AwardDan and Phil