Not the Nine O'Clock News featured a new generation of young comedians, principally Rowan Atkinson, Pamela Stephenson, Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones, and helped to bring alternative comedy to the mainstream.

Rather than being written by a single team of writers, it gave virtually anyone involved in UK comedy scriptwriting a chance to demonstrate their talents, creaming the best of the contributions. Its format was similar to that of a forerunner, Monty Python's Flying Circus, including sketches that lasted from a few seconds to several minutes.

ot the Nine O'Clock News was produced by John Lloyd, a mainstay in much of British comedy as well as the BBC Light Entertainment department. Lloyd pitched the idea of a sketch show to the heads of BBC Comedy and Light Entertainment, and was given a six-show series, on condition that he collaborate with Sean Hardie, who had worked previously in current affairs at the BBC.

The programme's original cast list was Rowan Atkinson, Christopher Godwin, John Gorman, Chris Langham, Willoughby Goddard and Jonathan Hyde, and the show was planned to premiere on 2 April 1979.

Originally scheduled to air after Fawlty Towers, John Cleese was to have introduced the first episode in a sketch referring to the technicians' strike then in progress, explaining (in character as Basil Fawlty) that there was no show ready that week, so a "tatty revue" would be broadcast instead.

However the 1979 general election intervened, and the show was pulled as being too political. (The sketch with Cleese was eventually broadcast later that year, when the final episode of Fawlty Towers went out during the broadcast run of the first series of Not the Nine O'Clock News, though the original significance of the sketch was lost. This link is included on the R2 Fawlty Towers DVD boxset.)

Lloyd and Hardie regrouped, and decided to partly recast the show, retaining Langham and Atkinson. They wanted to bring in a woman. Victoria Wood turned down the opportunity, but Lloyd met Pamela Stephenson at a party and shortly afterwards she agreed to join.

Atkinson, Langham and Stephenson were joined by Mel Smith. The first series was criticised on its airing by many newspapers for being "a poor mix of stand up, and a mild portion of sketches". This left the BBC with sketches which depended upon a second series; the BBC were generous and seven episodes for a second series were given.

During the meeting upon the second series, it was decided that Langham was to be replaced by Griff Rhys Jones, who had already appeared in minor roles. The second series was an instant success, which was not what the BBC were expecting, winning the Silver Rose at the Montreux Festival and a BAFTA award for Best Light Entertainment Programme in 1982.