91Èȱ¬

Unplanned, unscripted and unlike most of the things we do. Comedy improv. group The Noise Next Door will take trending tweets, GIFs, and Vines and turn conversations on social media into a comedy stage.

Inside Story

We caught up with Lucy Bacon, the Senior Lead in Development Central to hear more about Kneejerk.

What is Kneejerk?

Kneejerk is a collaboration between the 91Èȱ¬â€™s Development Central and Social Media teams and comedy improv group The Noise Next Door. They ingest the tweets, likes, headlines, GIFs, videos and Vines the world is obsessing about - before spewing out a funny daily dose of the biggest things that have caught their eye.

So it's reactive?

Yes, this is comedy that responds, changes and reacts to what’s happening on everyone’s timelines and news feeds. It’s unplanned, unscripted and unlike anything the 91Èȱ¬ has done before..

So is the comedy all in video form?

No, the internet is our oyster, so we’re going to use whatever platform feels right for the idea. You’ll be able to find everything at www.bbc.co.uk/taster/projects/kneejerk, which is where all our content will live- from GIFS to YouTube videos to Vines to content on Twitter or Facebook, whatever it is you can see it on 91Èȱ¬ Taster.

How often will Kneejerk publish?

The team is poised and ready to respond throughout the day- as and when stories come online, or in response to suggestions from the public.

What sort of production have you set up?

Our team scour the internet for trending topics, and as soon as we find something funny, The Noise Next Door work their magic on it and the idea is born. We’ve got a mini studio set up in the office, with green screen, cameras, microphones and lights so we can go from idea to filming to posting at lightning speed.

How did you come across The Noise Next Door?

We’d seen the Noise Next Door at the Edinburgh festival this year and thought they were at the top of their game. We wanted to make something that felt right for them – and that worked on their strengths as improv comedians. We also knew we wanted to create a brand online that delivered daily comedy content that responded to trending conversations.

Sound’s like you’re going to make some noise!

Was that a joke?

Er yeah, sorry.