Titled after the first-ever song to play on their airwaves, Kick Out the Jams follows the development of XFM from its rebellious pirate radio roots in the early 90’s, through to its official FM radio launch in 1997 as a major platform for launching alternative talent into the mainstream. The doc deep-dives into the struggles and influence of the station which gave rise to the likes of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, whose global hits The Office and The Ricky Gervais Show were originally developed while working at the radio station.
Acting
Gervais and Merchant's genuinely unguarded early-days footage
Production
Incredible archival radio clips and chaotic studio photos
Editing
Sharp cuts between corporate dread and pirate radio freedom
Director
Ray Burdis
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The famous 'Monkey News' segments that became a Gervais Show staple were originally developed during dead air at XFM when producers forgot to prep material.
XFM's 1997 launch party featured an unbilled Oasis set that effectively marked the moment 'alternative' radio became the mainstream it supposedly opposed.
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