The Secret Policeman's Ball 2012 was the title of the show staged as a benefit forhuman rights organizationAmnesty International at New York City'sRadio City Music Hall on 4 March 2012, it was one ofthe long-running series of similar Amnesty benefits.
Like its predecessors in2006 and2008, the show title was a reprise of the title of the 1979 Amnesty benefit show,The Secret Policeman's Ball, which heralded the organization's breakthrough in public awareness and fund-raising. To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary ofAmnesty International, the show took place in theUnited States for the first time on March 4, 2012 atRadio City Music Hall inNew York City, instead of its usual location inLondon.[1]
The show was produced by James Serafinowicz and featured a mix of prominent comedians from Britain and the United States. After a taped introduction byArchbishop Desmond Tutu, the comedy lineup included:
There was a cameo appearance byRichard Branson,[5]Liam Neeson introduced formerly imprisonedBurmese comedian and political activistZarganar.
The musical lineup consisted ofMumford & Sons,Reggie Watts withPeter Serafinowicz, and a concluding set byColdplay.
Additionally,Beavis and Butt-head appeared in an animated sequence and formerMonty Python membersMichael Palin,Eric Idle, andTerry Jones appeared in pre-recorded video segments explaining comedically why they were not there. At several moments in the show,Statler and Waldorf fromthe Muppets commented on the event and spoke to performers from a balcony.
Aziz Ansari, The Antics,Maya Rudolph andStephen Colbert had been rumoured to appear but ultimately did not do so.[citation needed]
The event was streamed live onEpix.[6]Peter Serafinowicz provided the voice of the announcer. It was later shown onChannel 4 in the UK on 9 March 2012, with extra behind the scenes interviews with some of the performers.
In the UK it was shown byChannel 4.[7][8]
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