Thompson, Mark John (1957- )

“Have I Got News for You” will inject some levity into the CNN schedule. But on a news network, finding comedy in politics during an election year comes with risks.Weeks before Britain held an election this summer, around four million TV viewers tuned in to the season finale of “Have I Got News for You,” a long-running BBC panel show.For any lawmakers watching, it would have been uncomfortable viewing.That week’s host and four panelists made absurd jokes while answering questions about the news, first mocking the Conservative Party’s chances of winning the coming election, then poking fun at Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition Labour Party, for constantly mentioning in speeches that his father was a toolmaker. (The comedian Jack Dee teased that Starmer’s father had made at least one tool: his son.)Filled with snarky humor, the episode was typical of a show that, since launching in 1990, has skewered Britain’s politicians — often to their faces. Lawmakers, including former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, have been regular guests.Now, in the middle of a different election cycle, CNN will on Saturday debut a U.S. version of “Have I Got News for You” — hosted by the comedian Roy Wood Jr. — in hopes that the network’s viewers have an appetite for something irreverent amid its serious news coverage.Roy Wood Jr. will host CNN’s version of “Have I Got News for You,” which debuts Saturday.John Nacion/Getty ImagesDespite the show’s popularity in Britain, CNN’s choice to premiere the satirical show during an election year comes with an obvious risk: If viewers perceive the jokes as favoring either the Democrat or Republican parties, it could damage the network’s attempts to position itself as the most centrist of the U.S. cable news networks — an effort that is already under attack from former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly accused CNN of bias.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More