Spaghetti-tree hoax

Spaghetti-tree hoax

The Spaghetti-tree hoax is one of the most famous hoaxes in the history of broadcasting. It was first aired on April Fool's Day in 1957 by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on its current affairs programme, Panorama.

Background

The hoax was a three-minute segment of a Panorama episode, which was a respected news programme. The segment was narrated by distinguished broadcaster Richard Dimbleby, who was known for his serious and authoritative style. The segment showed a family in Switzerland harvesting spaghetti from the family 'spaghetti tree'.

The Hoax

The segment showed women carefully plucking strands of spaghetti from a tree and laying them in the sun to dry. Dimbleby's voiceover explained that the spaghetti harvest had been particularly successful that year, thanks to a mild winter and the virtual disappearance of the spaghetti weevil. The segment concluded with the line, "For those who love this dish, there's nothing like real, home-grown spaghetti."

Reaction

The reaction to the hoax was widespread. Hundreds of viewers reportedly called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. The BBC's response was, "Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."

Legacy

The Spaghetti-tree hoax is now remembered as one of the greatest April Fool's Day hoaxes of all time. It is used in journalism schools as an example of the potential dangers of presenting false information as fact. The hoax also highlighted the public's unfamiliarity with the food at the time, as spaghetti was not a commonly eaten food in the UK in the 1950s.

See Also

• List of April Fool's Day jokes
• History of the British Broadcasting Corporation
• Panorama (TV series)

References

• BBC On This Day: 1957: BBC fools the nation
• The Guardian: The spaghetti-tree hoax: how the BBC fooled the nation
• The Independent: Spaghetti-tree hoax is voted 'best April Fool'

External Links

• BBC On This Day
• The Guardian
• The Independent