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"Things Can Only Get Better" - that was the battle cry back in 2010. Now that things have got substantially worse, is there a tune that can lift this election and put the politicians back in tune with the voters?

If you get a mo, tune into ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two at 10.30 tonight - it's the final part of my Party Anthems strand on . Over the last few weeks I've been charged with bringing music (and comedy) to the election - my task, to come up with 'election anthems' for each of the three main parties.

Back at the beginning, I met up with three MPs - Grant Shapps, a Conservative who likes to run from house to house whilst canvassing(!) and was apparently very into his R&B(!); Sarah Teather a Lib Dem with a background in opera singing; and Ben Bradshaw, the Labour Culture Secretary who's a keen clubber and likes his uplifting house. I asked them what they wanted me to put into the songs and then took their thoughts away to work on with bands. The idea was to get the bands to craft anthems that embodied what the parties stood for, though the bands don't necessarily support their designated parties - it's just an unusual musical challenge.

Well, the work is now over and we have three lovely pop videos that we have shot on a lavish News budget (think 50 Cent on benefits) that actually look rather tasty. Hadouken! - one of those bands who are absolutely huge with young people and absolutely unknown to people over 35 - have done a spankingly good job on Labour's anthem Things Could Only Get Worse. We shot the video in this great graffiti-plastered location and it screams out 2010 urban grittiness. Cheeky pop chappies Right Said Fred did It All Comes Tumbling Down for the Lib Dems - a Chas and Dave-esque singalong that gets stuck in your head even quicker than a Nick Clegg soundbite. And for the Tories - South London grime crew Nu Brand have done the awesome One Change which we shot very amusingly at Dulwich Croquet Club - I'm not sure they knew what had hit them.

You can watch all the videos from the links below. Check out the show tonight to find out what the politicians think - finger crossed - who knows maybe we really could rock the vote.

Let's get this party started

Have I Got News For You isn't on this week, but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop. We've got a brand new gag for you here on the blog - plus, why not take this opportunity to revisit a few Have I Got Newsy highlights?

• Watch an animated sketch from Ian Hislop and Nick Newman's radio show The News At Bedtime.
• Read interviews with past Guest Hosts on HIGNFY.

And without further ado, it's time for today's caption...

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Isabel Fay writes...

When we shot our satirical mockumentary Leaders' Wives (above) on Monday, we were listing possible disasters that could befall the shoot - in the time between shooting and editing, Samantha Cameron could have fallen off her horse; Sarah Brown could have got RSI from tweeting; and Miriam Gonzalez Durantez could have changed her mind and decided to "fanny about on the campaign trail".

Also our actress Lucy Montgomery (SamCam) could have gone into labour, and she actually did 48 hours later (Congratulations Lucy!).

But amongst all of the eventualities we planned for, we never expected a call from the Tories' advertising agency asking our company Clever Pie to co-produce a Party Political Broadcast for them.

I'm genuinely hoping it went down like this:

SamCam: "Daaayve! I just seen this fing where they pretend to be me and I dunno where they got it but they know you go like a traiiiiin"
Daaayve: "Jolly good on 'em is what I say. Blimey! And I do go like a train, make no mistake. These are the kind of droll chaps we need to get in touch with the commoners, and CHANGE this CHANGE country CHANGE from old CHANGE politics. Get them on the blower! CHANGE"

Of course we said no, as everyone involved in Clever Pie is entirely politically ambivalent and don't even care if this country goes to the dogs.

So before anyone else calls here is our official statement:

"We do not pledge allegiance to any political party. We also portray Nick Griffin's wife as a Nigerian Matriarch, but sorry Nick we can't help you either."

As listeners will have heard on Wednesday night, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Business Editor Robert Peston made a guest appearance on the Vote Now Show, where he was interviewed by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis.

Now, thanks to incredible new 'video' technology, Radio 4 have found a way to capture the likeness of the interview in moving picture form, and broadcast it here for you to enjoy:

[EDIT: This video is no longer available]

If you missed the original broadcast, you can still catch up with the longer, audio-only interview over at Radio 4.

Sick of the election? I have the perfect antidote to the stuffy policy discussions and political bickering. ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two's Newsnight have sent me on a mission to turn the election musical. I'm coming up with anthems for each of the three main parties - think 2010's equivalent of Things Can Only Get Better.

The idea is to see if the power of music can really change the way people vote. To help, I've enlisted 3 great bands. None of the bands necessarily support the parties they are singing for - they're undertaking it as a somewhat bizarre musical challenge - a bit like Chas and Dave's famous footie anthem for Tottenham, but about politics, and even funkier.

We've had the bands in the studio recording songs and now we're shooting pop videos with them. The songs are sounding great (a lot better than my efforts to come up with anthems myself). , I found myself rapping on stage at a food festival in Exeter to Ben Bradsahw, the Culture Secretary. My favourite line was when I compared Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling to Snoop and Dr Dre, though I think that was lost on Ben. I also sang a self-penned blues number in praise of the married couples tax allowance to Conservative Grant Shapps, and finished off with a spot of barbershop for Lib Dem Sarah Teather - with the help of the excellent Barbershopera. It's fun.

Here's how the songs are coming along:


Next Wednesday (April 28th) will be when we reveal the finished pop videos. Can't wait. Beats the leaders debates any day...

Danny Robins is a writer and comedian.

More election fun

• Wondering whether to vote? Does this video help make your mind up?
• animated by sensationalist Taiwanese broadcaster Apple Daily.
  

Here's today's fun from the Have I Got News For You team. Follow them at for all your gag-needs.

Now for today's caption...

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Exciting news, hot out of the press office:

'Janice Hadlow, Controller, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two & Cheryl Taylor, Controller of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Comedy Commissioning, have commissioned Life's Too Short, a 30 min, single camera comedy pilot from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ In House Comedy, written by the creators of The Office and Extras, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.

The show centres around Warwick Davis, Britain's pre-eminent dwarf actor and star of box office hit movies such as Star Wars, Willow and Harry Potter. Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant will also appear on screen in minor roles.

Life's Too Short is an observation comedy which follows Warwick's day-to-day life in a small world where big things happen. It's a frustrating world, but an optimistic and warm one. This is a comedy where truth and big laughs sit side by side.

Gervais said: "We're having so much fun working with Warwick. Pound for pound he is one of the funniest men I know"

Says Janice Hadlow, Controller ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two: "I'm very excited to see the return of Ricky and Stephen to ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two, but also to welcome Warwick Davis, a great talent, to the channel. Experimenting with innovative, broad appeal comedy projects are an important part of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two's plans for the future."   

The pilot will be produced by Charlie Hanson with Michelle Farr. It will be Executive Produced by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant with Mark Freeland.'

It is, of course, very important that you vote in the forthcoming election. Don't forget that today is your last chance to register! Thankfully we aren't the only ones to recognise this - "the biggest names in parliament - and beyond" have teamed up with a digital media agency to remind everyone to vote. Here is the remarkable result:



Unfortunately, for some reason comments are disabled on the video itself, so as an important public service we will allow you to leave your responses to the video below. If you'd like to talk politics in general or about the election, you should do so over at .

Here's a little treat for anyone whose ever sat staring at a TV screen wishing something good would come on... 

Did you enjoy Hitler, or should that be Chaplin, moustache last week? If you don't know what I'm talking about you've still got time to catch it on iPlayer.

And you can see a new episode of Have I Got News For You this Thursday 15th April at 9.00 pm. Plus here's the usual reminder to follow on Twitter.

...and here is today's caption.

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There's some more political comedy coming your way in the form of The Vote Now Show which starts tonight. Hope you enjoy it and let us know what you think.

Here's Jane Berthoud, Head of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Comedy, with her thoughts on voting for laughs:

"After weeks of waving a starting pistol in the air saying "May 6th Probably" Gordon has finally fired the thing. And they're off - the politicians, the party workers, the political journalists, the news broadcasters, the sketch writers, the pollsters, the statisticians - and the comedians. Because, thankfully, in this country, on radio especially, the tradition of political comedy thrives.

The Friday evening topical comedy show at 6.30pm on Radio 4, alternating between series of The Now Show and News Quiz, draws weekly audiences of between 1.2 and 1.5 million, with another million or so tuning in for the repeat on Saturday lunchtime. A million now download the podcast of the show too, which regularly tops the podcast charts. Recent series of The Mark Thomas Manifesto and Tom Basden's Party were also big successes. So it makes sense that as part of Radio 4's election coverage Mark Damazer the Controller of Radio 4 has commissioned hours of satire and comedy.

Elizabethan fools have been described as "clever peasants who use their wit to out do people of higher social standing." Now leaving the relative incomes of these people in today's world aside (peasants many comedians are not!) this is still a fairly accurate description of what political comedy sets out to do. The politicians have the power. The comedians have the gags which more easily than any other commentator, can question the need and wisdom of that power. Deflate over inflated egos. Sometimes even expose the real fools.

Last week's Now Show asked such burning questions as: which would have a more lasting effect on some of our lives - the election or changing the rules of scrabble? Why did the Queen travel all the way from Windsor to Buckingham Palace to meet Gordon Brown, couldn't they just have met somewhere in the middle, say at Heston Services? And when people like Gordon and Obama have their big meetings do they ever wish they could just chase one another round the table shouting "monster"? Bring down governments it may not, but helping us all to keep a sense of proportion it just might. . .maybe it's the comedy equivalent of "picturing them naked"

On the night, it will sound effortless, off the cuff, even improvised, but little of it will be. It will all have been checked and double checked by the producers in the same say the news programmes have to be, against all ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ criteria for impartiality and libel. Even more so during the election. The editorial policy meetings have been going on for weeks. But in the end laughs will be what sets these shows apart. And that's why thousands already have their tickets for The Vote Now Show, which starts recording tonight. These are the audiences who like their elections to be serious and funny. At times even seriously funny. Enjoy!"

The Vote Now Show Mon to Weds at 11.00pm on Radio 4
News Quiz Fri at 6.30pm on Radio 4

I hope you're all following on Twitter by now, but if not, you should start following them right now to get your weekly topical-ish gags from the team.

And now for another caption.

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Don't forget to watch Have I Got News For You tomorrow night, it's bound to be a good week for topical gags.

Speaking of which, here's todays caption.

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This Bank Holiday Monday, settle down for An Extras Night In at 9pm on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Two - you'll get the whole first series back-to-back, plus new interviews with Ricky and Steve. And if you just can't wait until then, there are more exclusive interviews to watch here on the web.

Producer Charlie Hanson on the beginning of Extras

It was summer 2004 when I got the call from Ricky Gervais asking if I would meet with him and his writing partner, Stephen Merchant. In a café, one week later, they outlined their plan for Extras. They had started writing first drafts of six episodes in which Ricky would play Andy Millman, an extra who wants to be an actor. His co-lead would be Maggie, also an extra but motivated by the quest to find Mr Right.  Stephen would make appearances as Andy's ineffectual agent. Each episode would be set on the fictitious location of a movie or tv show in which stars would guest. Would I be interested in producing this series which Ricky and Stephen, two of Britain's finest comedy talents, would both direct?

Ben Stiller, Kate Winslet, Ross Kemp, Jude Law, Les Dennis, and Samuel L.Jackson had all verbally committed to playing themselves subject to availability. As the scripts started to appear in October we planned to start shooting in March 2005. I contacted the stars' agents. No one could fully commit at this stage and we would just have to wait till a window appeared in their busy schedules. Meanwhile we started meeting actors for the other parts with the casting director. After a long and thorough process we found our Maggie, actress Ashley Jensen. Then Sam Jackson's agent called to say Sam would be coming to London in February and asked if we could film his scenes then.

So it was that we found ourselves at Pinewood for one day only, one month ahead of schedule. As the set filled with our cast and crew, and the supporting artists playing the fictional crew of the action movie in which Sam was supposedly starring, mild confusion ensued. Ricky, Stephen and I knew our heads of department but we didn't know their teams so couldn't tell apart our real crew, from the extras playing crew members. Our Director of Photography shot the opening sequence on film and then he and his team used two video cameras to continue shooting the episode, whilst the fictional crew simulated operating the film equipment.

In many ways this first day was akin to shooting a pilot, the only difference being that Ashley and Ricky would have to act their first scenes in the company of one of the world's best known movie actors. There were the usual first day nerves and the tension in the studio was palpable as our AD announced, "Mr Jackson is travelling to the set". As he entered you could hear a pin drop. He stopped to adjust his shoes, which were uncomfortable.  He stopped again, this time to take them off, still surrounded by rapt silence. A costume assistant offered him another pair. It felt an age as he crouched to tie the laces. The long silence was broken as Ricky's voice ventured from across the studio, "Amazing! I thought you'd have someone to do that for you".

Mr Jackson laughed with the whole studio and the serious fun commenced!

After the Office

In this web exclusive video, Ricky and Stephen reveal the importance of the double act to Extras and how Andy and Maggie were the Stan and Ollie of the show. Visit Comedy Extra to see more exclusive interviews.

Simon Mayhew-Archer, Comedy Presents Producer, writes...

Last night saw another hugely successful ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Comedy Presents show at The Bloomsbury Theatre. The night was compered by the wonderfully irascible Dan Atkinson, who managed to keep the energy up throughout a bumper line-up of performers. The first two acts on the bill were FHM's Comedy Hero, Marlon Davis, and Sara Pascoe - two young comedians who are going to have very big futures indeed.

Then came a set from the hilarious Shooting Stars regular, Angelos Epithemiou. Angelos is currently developing a show for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Comedy, so keep your ears peeled/pinned back for that in the near future.

After a brief interval, it was time for Mr Atkinson to introduce the evening's musical act, Abandoman. Comprising of rapper, Rob Broderick, guitarist, James Hancox and percussionist, Camilo Tirado, these guys are winning awards all over the place - and no wonder because their unique brand of improvised comedy hip-hop brought the house down.

Abandoman were a tough act to follow, but thankfully it was Micky Flanagan (pictured above) who was up next and he came on to a wonderful reception. His material and delivery always makes him an absolutely brilliant act to watch and last night was no different. You can hear Micky's brand new show, What Chance Change, on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio 4 from the 25th of May.

Finally, it was time for the headline act: the incomparable Ardal O'Hanlon. A huge favourite with comedy audiences from his work on Father Ted, My Hero and Skins, it was a huge - and rare - treat to see him perform on a London stage. Having just finished a sell-out Irish tour, let's hope it isn't too long before he is performing on these shores again.

So, that was that and that was also the last ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Comedy Presents show until the Edinburgh Festival in August. Please join the to keep up-to-date on details for that. And you never know, there might be the odd one-off show announced down the line too...