How To Start Your Own Country | |
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Created by | Danny Wallace |
Presented by | Danny Wallace |
Theme music composer | Banks & Wag |
Country of origin | UK |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 6 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
Garfield Kennedy Julian Pearson |
Producer(s) | Lee Philips |
Location(s) | London |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Release | |
Original network | BBC Two |
Original release | 3 August – 6 September 2005 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | Are You Dave Gorman? |
External links | |
Website |
Kingdom of Lovely Micronation |
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Motto: Die dulci freure
Have a nice day |
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Anthem: National anthem of the Kingdom of Lovely by Banks & Wag
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Status | Inactive | ||||
Location | None (see footnote) | ||||
Official languages | English | ||||
Demonym | Lovelian | ||||
Organizational structure | Constitutional Monarchy | ||||
• King
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Danny I 2005 – present |
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Establishment | |||||
• Declared
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1 January 2005 | ||||
Membership | ~58,165 (as of 1 December 2007) | ||||
Purported currency | Interdependent Occupational Unit (IOU) | ||||
Notes
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How To Start Your Own Country was a six-part BBC Television documentary comedy series aired between August and September 2005. The show was presented by British writer/comedian Danny Wallace and followed his quest to start his own country in his flat in Bow, London. The micronation he created was eventually named "Lovely".
The series was released on DVD in the UK on 18 June 2007, having been postponed from October 2005.
Danny investigates territory for his new country, starting by visiting Sealand. He also meets Erwin Strauss and the man who owns the Moon. He "invades" Eel Pie Island but leaves after the police are called. He makes friends with a General of the British Army. He eventually decides upon the area of his flat as the territory and makes a declaration of independence, which he gives to Tony Blair.
With the help of an advertising agency, Wallace chooses a design for the flag of his country. He records a national anthem, which is played during his interview on Iain Lee's LBC show.
Danny Wallace meets the SAS (Second Amendment Sisters) and meets the King of Fusa. He also goes to the Principality of Seborga.
Wallace visits two very different 'utopian' communities, the planned town of Celebration which maintains its pleasantness through strict rules and regulations, and the anarchic self-governing neighborhood of Christiania. He also speaks to a Catholic Cardinal about the role of religion in society and to Sheriff Joe Arpaio about law and order.