Aaron Dignan is the founder of The Ready--a global organizational transformation and coaching practice--that helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Clients include Johnson &amp; Johnson, Microsoft, Lloyds Bank, Citibank, Boeing, Mailchimp, Airbnb, Dropbox, and charity: water. 
 
He is also the founder of Murmur--a SaaS startup that helps teams scale culture through the magic of working agreements. The Murmur platform will allow every team on the planet to define and share their ways of working. 
 
Dignan is the author of Brave New Work (2019) and Game Frame (2011), co-host of the Brave New Work podcast, and a friend to misfit toys.

Aaron Dignan

Aaron Edwards is a senior lecturer in defence and international affairs at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, specialising in terrorism and counter-insurgency. He is the author and editor of several books, including Defending the Realm: The Politics of Britain’s Small Wars Since 1945, and has lectured all over the world on aspects of national and international security. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Aaron Edwards

Aaron Robertson is a writer, an editor, and a translator of Italian literature. His translation of Igiaba Scego’s Beyond Babylon was short-listed for the 2020 PEN Translation Prize and the National Translation Award, and in 2021 he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, Foreign Policy, n+1, The Point, and Literary Hub, among other publications. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Aaron Robertson

Aaron Shapiro

Aaron T Beck

Aaron Vallance

Aaron Young was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and read Politics and Communications at The University of Liverpool. He is a BAFTA-nominated director, producer and executive producer with over 20 years of experience across projects for the BBC, PBS, Channel 4, Channel 5, UKTV, UK Film Council and Arts Council England. A long-time collaborator of acclaimed historian, James Holland, he is the producer and director of the BAFTA-shortlisted BBC titles ‘Battle of Britain: The Real Story’ and, ‘Dam Busters: The Race to Smash the German Dams’, as well as ‘The Battle for Malta’, ‘Normandy ’44: The Battle Beyond D-Day’, the RTS-nominated ‘Imphal &amp; Kohima: Britain’s Greatest Battle.’, and the 3-part series, 'Normandy '44: D-Day and the Battle for France. His most recent credits include 'Hidden Histories of WWII', 'Lost Temples of Cambodia', the RTS-winning ‘Lost Home Movies of Nazi Germany’, and ‘Prue Leith: Journey with My Daughter’. Aaron was named in the inaugural list of BAFTA ‘Brits to Watch.’ He is the co-owner of award-winning film and television production company, Bright Button Productions, and lives with his wife and children in Poundbury, Dorset.

Aaron Young

Aatish Taseer

Abbe Prevost

Abbey Bryant is an NYC-based award-winning illustrator. With her BFA in Children's Book Illustration, her notable illustrated books include Nautilus award winner Hazel Mist, Hypnotist as well as an Enchanted Fairy House Kit with Scholastic's Klutz! 
 
As a queer illustrator, LGBTQ+ themes and stories hold a spot near to her heart. Most days she can be found around the city drawing New Yorkers or sketching trees at the park.

Abbey Bryant

Abbey Clancy is a model, television presenter and the host of chart-topping podcast The Therapy Crouch. She was the runner-up of Britain's Next Top Model in 2006, winner of Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and went on to present Britain's Next Top Model. Later this year she will host Celebrity Homes on ITV.

Abbey Clancy

Abbie Greaves studied at Cambridge University before working in a literary agency for a number of years. She was inspired to write her first novel, The Silent Treatment, after reading a newspaper article about a boy in Japan who had never seen his parents speak to one another before. 
 
Abbie lives in Brighton with her boyfriend.

Abbie Greaves

Abbie Ross is a British author and psychotherapist. Her first book, Hippy Dinners, a funny and poignant memoir of her bohemian childhood in 1970s North Wales, has been optioned by Baby Cow, who are developing it into an 8-part television series. 
Before turning to writing, Abbie had a successful career as a producer at Aardman Animations, the acclaimed studios behind Wallace &amp; Gromit and the film Chicken Run. 
Today, she divides her time between her thriving psychotherapy practice in Bristol, and her writing, and finds that the two careers complement each other perfectly.

Abbie Ross

Abbie Spallen

Abbie Taylor lives in Dublin. She works as a doctor and has two daughters.

Abbie Taylor

Abby L Yates co-founded the Ghostbusters with Erin Gilbert. Ghosts from Our Past was her first book, now finally back in print.

Abby L Yates

Abby Lee

Abby Rawlinson is an integrative therapist with a private practice based in east London, UK. Her work mixes traditional psychotherapeutic theories with cutting-edge, evidence-based techniques into a style that feels relatable, down-to-earth, and compassionate. Abby regularly contributes to articles, including but not limited to Stylist, Elle, BBC, Harpers Bazaar, Sheerluxe, Women's Health, and Psychologies. She can be found on Instagram @therapywithabby or online at therapywithabby.co.uk

Abby Rawlinson

Abby Wambach is a two-time Olympic gold medallist, FIFA World Cup champion, six-time winner of the U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year award and one of Time’s Most Influential People. She is a founder of Treat Media, an award-winning media company that makes art for humans who want to stay human. Abby is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wolfpack and the New York Times bestseller Forward. Named one of the ‘50 Most Powerful People in Podcasting,’ she is co-host of the chart-topping podcast We Can Do Hard Things, which has received over a half billion plays. Abby is an executive producer of the Sundance award-winning film Come See Me in the Good Light, part owner of the NWSL’s Angel City Football Club and sits on multiple boards. Her most recent book, We Can Do Hard Things: Answers to Life’s 20 Questions, created with Glennon Doyle, Amanda Doyle and Treat Media, is being hailed as ‘the guidebook for being alive.’

Abby Wambach

Abel &amp; Cole’s story starts in 1988 with Keith Abel flogging potatoes door-to-door. ‘Of course potatoes are organic,’ he thought, ‘they’re vegetables’. However, he quickly discovered how unnecessarily complicated our food system had become and, consequently, realised the huge benefits of going organic and never looked back. In fact, Abel &amp; Cole still get veg from the farm where Keith's first organic spuds came from. 
To this day, their priorities remain the same. Now, selling 100% organic produce, Abel &amp; Cole believe that organic farming (a holistic system that encourages biodiversity) is the very best way to go. It protects our countryside and the critters that inhabit it, insists on the very best animal welfare, supports your local community and, frankly, tastes heaps better. Abel &amp; Cole think so anyway.

Abel & Cole Limited

Abhijit Banerjee, winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics, is the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL). In 2011, he was named one of Foreign Policy magazine’s top 100 global thinkers. Banerjee served on the U.N. Secretary-General’s High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

Abhijit V. Banerjee

Abhishek Mukherjee, 30, is a Delhi-based journalist. He holds a bachelor's degree in English literature from Delhi University, a post-graduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Raipur. He also likes dogs.

Abhishek Mukherjee

Abi Elphinstone grew up in Scotland where she spent most of her childhood running wild across the moors, hiding in tree houses and building dens in the woods. After being coaxed out of her tree house, she studied English at Bristol University and then worked as an English teacher in Africa, Berkshire and London. She is the bestselling and multi-award shortlisted author of RUMBLESTAR (first in The Unmapped Chronicles), SKY SONG &amp; THE DREAMSNATCHER TRILOGY, published by S&amp;S. When she's not writing, Abi volunteers for Beanstalk, speaks in schools and travels the world looking for her next story.

Abi Elphinstone

Abi Falase is a Black British writer and director, reimagining fundamental societal concepts in inventive new worlds. Abi has written and directed a number of plays, including The Village and Rush with the Almedia Theatre, as well as Rift for Immediate Theatre and was shortlisted for the BBC Scriptworks ‘A Thousand Stories’ scriptwriting competition in 2021.

Abi Falase

Abi Titmuss

Abie Longstaff is the eldest of six children and grew up in Australia, Hong Kong and France. She knows all about squabbling, chaos and bossing younger sisters around. So she logically began her career as a barrister. She started writing when her children were born. Her favourite childhood books were Hating Alison Ashley, A Little Princess, Maura's Angel and The Black Stallion and she sneakily reads them again sometimes. Abie lives in Hove with her family.

Abie Longstaff

Abigail Ahern

Abigail Balfe is a queer, auDHD author-illustrator and Emmy award-winning creative based in Brighton. Before writing books full-time, Abigail led digital campaigns for pop stars such as One Direction and Little Mix, and for TV broadcasters including Channel 4 and Netflix. She also performed stand-up comedy and won several small trophies for her onstage humour, which featured life-size illustrations, ridiculous songs, and rambling stories about her family. In 2023, Abigail was named one of the Top 50 Influential Neurodivergent Women in the UK.

Abigail Balfe

Abigail Docherty

Abigail Foster is a Chartered Accountant and founder of Elent Finance, a financial education company designed to demystify the world of finance and empower you to achieve financial wellbeing. 
 
Abigail has worked with leading financial institutions across the UK, including HMRC, the Bank of England and Downing Street, and global companies such as Google and Goldman Sachs. She hosts a weekly money segment on LBC radio and has also appeared as a finance expert on ITV, Channel 5 and Sky News.

Abigail Foster

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Lucy Porter

Lucy Porter explores family life via songs, sketches and stand-up 
 
‘One of the most talented comics on the circuit’ Time Out 
 
Lucy Porter is well known for her cheery, feelgood comedy. She has toured both nationally and internationally with her one-woman shows, and her many TV and radio appearances include Live at the Apollo, QI, The Now Show and The News Quiz. In this quartet of stand-up specials, she examines domestic life from the dramatic to the dreary, aided by comedian and impressionist Luke Kempner. 
 
Lucy Porter in the Family Way sees her probing what family life means to her, as a mum and a middle-aged orphan. Beginning with her childhood in Croydon, she chats about leaving the nest, motherhood and her parenting style (benign neglect). She also offers helpful tips on swearing, sleepovers and the importance of always having a pound coin handy; addresses the pros and cons of siblings; and discusses what it’s like to parent your own parents. With a lot of laughs and a dollop of poignancy, this warm, witty show charts the life cycle of a typical nuclear family – from soft play centres to garden centres and Morrisons café. 
 
Lucy Porter In The Family Way… Again finds Lucy pondering the concept of legacy. Contemplating the bric-a-brac her parents left behind them, she muses on the other things they’ve passed on to her – weak ankles, terrible teeth and a small third nipple – and the weird quirks and foibles she’s inherited. But it’s her parents’ values, like kindness and charity, that she wants to pass on to her own kids. Funny and moving, In The Family Way… Again is a love letter from Lucy to her mum, and a tender reflection on the things our parents do that drive us mad – things we’ll inevitably end up doing ourselves. 
 
In Lucy Porter: Back in the Family Way, recorded at Lucy’s local village hall with a socially distanced audience of her family, friends and neighbours, she reflects on how the pandemic affected our relationships with our loved ones. She looks back on the months spent locked down with her husband, children and cats – and on the challenges of home schooling, Zoom meetings and online weddings and funerals. And, from ‘next slide please’ to sourdough bread and clapping for carers, she considers all the things that brought us together – even while we were kept apart. 
 
Finally, in Lucy Porter’s Lucky Dip Lucy is back with a delightful celebration of midlife madness. Ably assisted by her young apprentice Luke Kempner, Lucy tackles bank holiday bin collection schedules, video doorbell footage, and being a member of the ‘sandwich generation’. Apparently, human happiness peaks at 18, dips to its lowest point between the ages of 49 and 54, then picks up again - by the age of about 65 you’re as happy again as you were at 18. So this show will be a comfort to those in the dip, a warning to younger listeners, and will make the older generation feel incredibly smug. 
 
This collection also includes exclusive behind the scenes interviews with Lucy Porter and Luke Kempner. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Lucy Porter 
Starring Lucy Porter and Luke Kempner 
Additional material by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch and Mike Shepherd 
Production Manager: Sarah Tombling 
Studio Engineer and Editor: Jerry Peal 
Production Runners: Abbigayle Bircham, Sahara Dennis, Kareem Elshehawy and Sakshi Gupta 
Produced and directed by Marilyn Imrie and Gordon Kennedy 
Lucy Porter: Back in the Family Way would not have been possible without Marilyn Imrie 
An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 April 2018 (Lucy Porter in the Family Way), 28 April 2019 (Lucy Porter In The Family Way… Again), 4 July 2021 (Lucy Porter: Back in the Family Way) and 15 March 2023 (Lucy Porter’s Lucky Dip) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd ? 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Lucy Porter in the Family Way

Four BBC Radio Stand Up Specials

Mitch Benn

Robin Ince

Music, mayhem and madness from Mitch Benn and Robin Ince 
 
There can be only one parody musical master, and Mitch Benn thinks it’s him. Although Richard Stilgoe may have something to say about that… 
 
Laugh out loud as Mitch sets out on a musical journey through the showbiz glitz and backstage litter of pop music. Teaming up with Mitch is comedian Robin Ince, and between them they delve into the world of super fans, the glamorous trappings and excesses of pop-star life and its highs and lows. Along with special guest presenters, they wonder if you really can manufacture greatness, why pop stars need fans, and the art of self-promotion. Can death revive a rock star's career? How many people does it take to make something a music 'scene'? And is heavy metal getting soft? 
 
Mitch’s music-master credentials are tested in every episode as he performs a newly written song, hoping to prove he is indeed the world’s greatest musical satirist. Robin Ince’s trademark cynicism and occasional appearances as Satan make this a fast-paced, hilarious show full of musical mastery, mayhem and laughs. When, in search of global superstardom, the duo try and take their show on a world tour, things only get funnier. 
 
Mitch Benn has been a regular voice on BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show and has toured extensively as a comedian in the UK and internationally. Co-writer Robin Ince is a comedian and radio presenter, perhaps best known for his comedy science radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage, which he presents with Professor Brian Cox. 
 
If you’re a fan of Alex Horne Presents The Horne Section or Mark Watson Makes The World Substantially Better, you’ll love this anarchic mix of music and comedy. Listen for the first time to all three series – you won’t be able to resist tapping your foot to the beat… 
 
Written by Mitch Ben and Robin Ince 
Produced by Adam Bromley 
 
Featuring: 
Mitch Benn 
Robert Ince 
Alfie Joey 
Tash Baylis 
Kirsty Newton 
Jane Perry 
Craig Campbell 
Tom Price 
Lloyd Langford 
Steven Kynman 
Brendon Burns 
 
With special guest: 
Richard Stilgoe 
 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 February 2004 – 4 July 2006 
 
©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mitch Benn’s Crimes Against Music: The Complete Series 1-3

A BBC Radio Comedy Series

Michael Wale

Joe Steeples

The complete series of the vintage BBC Radio variety show 
 
Radio legends Kenneth Williams (Beyond Our Ken, Hancock’s Half Hour) and Ted Ray (Ray’s a Laugh) join forces for this quickfire mix of characters, songs and sketches, first broadcast on Radio 2 in 1974. Accompanied by Quote… Unquote’s Nigel Rees and veteran actress/comedian Miriam Margolyes, they cross their comedy swords and trade playful repartee. 
 
In these ten episodes, recorded in front of a live audience at the Paris Theatre, Ted Ray demonstrates his virtuosity on the violin; documentary feature ‘Witherspoon’s World’ explores topics including medicine, the arts, Europe and the younger generation; and Inspector Spewles of Scotland Yard’s Intelligence Unit gets flirty, sweetie, with a public information bulletin that’s full of honeyed words. 
 
Plus, the ‘Theatre of the Air’ troupe make merry at the court of Henry VIII, take a rollicking trip through Rasputin’s Russia and give us their comic take on classic literature: from A Tale of Two Cities to Wuthering Heights, Anthony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet. There’s also a host of groan-inducing gags and humorous tunes, including ‘The Type of Horrible Cockney Song that Killed the Music Hall’ and ‘Why Don’t They Write Songs About Runcorn?’ 
 
None of the shows were kept by the BBC archive, but thanks to the ‘Treasure Hunt’ campaign, they were all recovered, and are collected here for you to enjoy once more. Happy days! 
 
NB: Contains dated humour and language that reflect the era in which these programmes were recorded, which some listeners may find offensive. Due to the age and off-air nature of the recordings, the quality may vary. 
 
 
Production credits 
Starring Ted Ray and Kenneth Williams 
With Miriam Margolyes and Nigel Rees 
Written by Michael Wale and Joe Steeples 
With additional material by Derek Farmer, Ray Lowrie, Fred Metcalfe, David Renwick, Keith Williams, Chris Miller, Peter Spence, Chris Allen, David McKellar, Tom Magee Englefield, David Nobbs and Peter Vincent 
Music by Neil Innes 
Produced by Simon Brett 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2, 20 April-22 June 1974 
 
© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Betty Witherspoon Show

Classic BBC Radio Comedy

Nick Hancock

Nick Hancock finds out what people, places and pop songs his celebrity guests would consign to oblivion 
 
Room 101 is the anti-Desert Island Discs. Instead of picking the tracks, books and luxuries they love, guests are invited to banish their least favourite things to Orwell's eponymous chamber of horrors. Twenty-seven episodes of the show were broadcast on Radio 5 between 1992 and 1994, and it went on to run for 18 hit series on BBC TV before relaunching on Radio 4 in 2023. 
 
This specially-curated collection contains 16 of the very best editions of the original radio series. Included are the first ever show, in which Paul Merton reveals his aversion to Northanger Abbey, the city of Edinburgh and Kenneth More's laugh, and the final one from 1994, which sees Andy Hamilton hoping to rid the world of Look Back in Anger, 'Long Haired Lover from Liverpool' and Field of Dreams. 
 
Among the other famous names discussing their bugbears and bête noires are Helen Lederer, Trevor and Simon, Caroline Quentin, Tony Hawks, Kevin Day, Maria McErlane and Mark Lamarr. Weighing up their arguments (and adding a few prejudices of his own) is host Nick Hancock, who has the final say on what stays and what goes. 
 
Will he let Arthur Smith put Barbara Cartland into Room 101? What has Jenny Eclair got against 'My Little Pony' videos? Why does Ian Hislop detest 'We Are The Champions'? And why does Steve Punt think Platform 5 at East Croydon station is the worst place in the world? All will be revealed in these bright and breezy shows, as some of our favourite celebrities share their peeves, pet hates and personal stories. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Nick Hancock 
Produced by Lissa Evans and Phil Clark 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 5 on the following dates: 
 
Paul Merton 9 January 1992 
Jenny Eclair 16 January 1992 
Arthur Smith 30 January 1992 
Steve Punt 6 February 1992 
Ian Hislop 14 August 1992 
John Walters 4 September 1992 
Helen Lederer 11 September 1992 
Donna McPhail 2 October 1992 
Trevor Neal and Simon Hickson 3 September 1993 
Caroline Quentin 10 September 1993 
Tony Hawks 17 September 1993 
Kevin Day 15 October 1993 
Maria McErlane 22 October 1993 
Mark Lamarr 29 October 1993 
Nick Revell 27 February 1994 
Andy Hamilton 25 March 1994 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Room 101

Highlights from the Classic BBC Radio 5 Comedy Series

Lemn Sissay

Award-winning writer Lemn Sissay explores the idea of uniqueness across different aspects of his life 
 
'Creative, surprising - and unique' The Telegraph 
 
If you Google 'Lemn Sissay', all the results will be about him - he's the only person in the world with that name. But that's not the only thing that makes him unique. In this fascinating series, he mixes stand-up, poetry and interviews to explore four more situations in his life where he stood out, alone, and examines how that uniqueness made him feel. 
 
'The Only Poet on the Bill' finds Lemn considering his formative years on the 1980s comedy circuit, and chatting to fellow poet Tony Walsh about performing his poem 'This is the Place' at the vigil for the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing. In 'The Only Non-Graduate at the Graduation', he reflects on being appointed Chancellor at Manchester University, and giving out degrees despite not having one himself. He also speaks to the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Donna Ludford, about how she felt becoming a councillor without having attended university. 
 
'The Only Black Man in the Village' sees Lemn drawing on his experience of growing up in an all-white town, and talking to Oscar-nominated writer/director Cornelius Walker about his documentary Black Sheep. And in 'The Only Foster Child in the House', he discusses his adolescence in children's homes and his lifetime of advocacy for young people raised in the care system, as well as speaking to campaigner and care leaver champion Terry Galloway. In each episode, Lemn is joined by Henry Normal, who interrupts at will to ask questions about the show. 
 
Comprising Lemn's signature blend of artistic yet extraordinarily honest comedy, this absorbing series explores issues of race, class, education and lack of empowerment, asking thought-provoking questions about how we define ourselves, and why it matters. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written and performed by Lemn Sissay 
With Tony Walsh, Donna Ludford, Cornelius Walker, Terry Galloway 
Commentary: Henry Normal 
Recorded by Jerry Peal 
Sound mixing by Rich Evans 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3-24 March 2023 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Lemn Sissay is the One and Only

A BBC Radio 4 Series

Ellie Taylor

All twelve episodes of Ellie Taylor's hilarious show, in which she explores controversial subjects with help from the studio audience and sidekick Robin Morgan 
 
Comedian, actor and bestselling author Ellie Taylor welcomes us to her 'safe space', a place where anyone can air their views, gripes and dislikes without fear of persecution. Assisting her on her confessional journey are sidekick Robin Morgan and members of the audience, who share their own dark and disturbing beliefs at the beginning of each show. 
 
Having heard from them, Ellie goes on to get her own opinions off her chest. Through stand-up and sketches, she gives us her hot take on topics such as masculinity, the environment, parties, the news, the Internet and billionaires. Talking to special guest experts including fitness instructor 'Mr Motivator', travel journalist Simon Calder, The Traitors' Amanda Lovett and her own mum, Ellie discusses whether exercise and holidays should be banned, explains why she thinks reality TV is culturally significant and asks whether having kids has ruined her life. 
 
Are parties more hassle than they're worth? Is monogamy really all it's cracked up to be? And should the UK break up into lots of little kingdoms, Game of Thrones-style (but with fewer dragons)? Get ready to have your beliefs challenged and your minds blown, as Ellie tackles these questions and more... 
 
Production credits 
Written by and starring Ellie Taylor and Robin Morgan 
With special guests including Ellie's mum Jill, Rupert Wesson, Ed Stafford, Ella Al-Shamahi, Derrick Evans ('Mr Motivator'), Isabel Hardman, Simon Calder, Oobah Butler, Amanda Lovett, Gabby Storey and Robert Watts 
Produced by Sam Michell and Georgia Keating 
Executive Producer: James Robinson 
Production Co-ordinator: Becky Carewe-Jeffries 
Sound editor: Marc Willcox 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
 
Series 1 
Motherhood 7 April 2020 
Masculinity 14 April 2020 
The Environment 21 April 2020 
Monogamy 28 April 2020 
 
Series 2 
Parties 6 August 2021 
Exercise 13 August 2021 
The News 20 August 2021 
Holidays 27 August 2021 
 
Series 3 
The Internet 29 March 2023 
Reality TV 5 April 2023 
The UK 12 April 2023 
Billionaires 19 April 2023 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Ellie Taylor’s Safe Space: Series 1-3

A BBC Radio Stand-Up Comedy Show

Paul Sinha

Paul Sinha and his audience join together to compile the questions for a perfect pub quiz 
 
'If you love armchair quizzing, chances are you'll love this' The Times 
 
Stand-up star, quizzer and Rose d'Or winner Paul Sinha is banned from taking part in pub quizzes - so he's decided to create his own. In his bid to put together the ultimate syllabus for this great social tradition, he offers up a wealth of surprising and original questions - as well as the fascinating stories behind the answers. He then goes on to open it up to the audience, who attempt to stump him with their own favourite puzzlers. 
 
Series 1 comprises four rounds - Literature, The World, Four-Letter Words and Everything - while Series 2 ranges across a variety of topics including New Cities, Themes, Monkeys and Apes, Truth, Chat GPT and 2023. Each show is packed with jokes, puns, fascinating facts and scintillating trivia. 
 
Which author's bestselling work was inspired by his filing cabinet? How many countries sit along the Equator? Where was the first British woman to win Miss World born? And which anagram of 'A TWISTED COLON' connects gorillas in 2001 and orangutans in 1978 and 1980? Find out in this quirky, question-packed quiz show! 
 
Production credits 
Written and presented by Paul Sinha 
Additional material: Oliver Levy 
Additional questions: The Audience 
Original music: Tim Sutton 
Sound engineers: Jerry Peal and David Thomas 
Photographer: Andy Hollingworth 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
A Lead Mojo production for BBC Radio 4 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
 
Series 1 
Round One: Literature 21 April 2022 
Round Two: The World 28 April 2022 
Round Three: Four-Letter Words 5 May 2022 
Round Four: Everything 12 May 2022 
 
Series 2 
Episode 1: New Cities 4 September 2023 
Episode 2: Manchester 11 September 2023 
Episode 3: Hampshire 18 September 2023 
Episode 4: Suffolk 25 September 2023 
Episode 5: Somerset 2 October 2023 
Episode 6: Themes 9 October 2023 
Episode 7: Monkeys and Apes 16 October 2023 
Episode 8: Truth 23 October 2023 
Episode 9: Chat GPT 30 October 2023 
Episode 10: 2023 6 November 2023 
 
&copy; 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Paul Sinha’s Perfect Pub Quiz: The Collected Series 1 and 2

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy

Sandi Toksvig

Sandi Toksvig and her celebrity guests explore the Danish concept of 'hygge' 
 
One of the few Danish words that British people have become familiar with, 'hygge' is a specifically Scandinavian notion of snugness, comfort and contentment. It's all about enjoying the simple pleasures, like curling up with a book on a rainy afternoon or cradling a cup of hot cocoa while wearing a chunky sweater. 
 
In this convivial chat show, Danish comedian and author Sandi Toksvig takes a deep dive into both the concept and the Danish way of life. Broadcasting from her toasty log cabin deep in the heart of rural Denmark (complete with sauna, underground wine-cellar and three-tier bird bath that dispenses miniature hot towels), she invites her special guests to join her in front of an open fire and talk about what 'hygge' means to them. 
 
Grayson Perry explains how learning new things can bring deep joy; Bridget Christie describes her love of running; Clive Myrie relates his passion for opera and poetry, and Brian Cox tells us how he finds comfort in physics, piano playing and Sibelius' Fifth Symphony. Sandi also chats about Australian Christmasses with Krishnan Guru-Murthy, discusses hopeless DIY with Andy Hamilton, muses on the soothing magic of fragrance with Lyse Doucet and hears from David Blunkett about mishaps in Braille and guide dogs behaving badly... 
 
These funny, feelgood shows are full of cosy charm and congenial conversation, so join Sandi and friends as they talk 'hygge' and put the world to rights - all over a delectable mug of warm spiced wine. 
 
Production credits 
Hosted by Sandi Toksvig 
Produced by Julia McKenzie 
Additional material written by Simon Alcock, Charlie Dinkin, Rajiv Karia and Tasha Dhanraj 
Production Coordinators: Carina Andrews and Katie Baum 
Sound Recordist and Editor: Rich Evans 
A BBC Studios Production 
 
Series 1 featuring: Grayson Perry and Sindhu Vee, Bridget Christie and Clive Myrie, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock and Rose & Rosie, Prof Brian Cox and Zoe Lyons, Alan Davies 
 
Series 2 featuring: Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Gina Miller, Andy Hamilton, Lyse Doucet, David Blunkett 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 2-31 December 2020 (Series 1), 27-31 December 2021 (Series 2) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Sandi Toksvig’s Hygge

The BBC Radio 4 Comedy Chat Show

Lucy Catherine

An original drama spotlighting The Three Musketeers' iconic antagonist, Milady de Winter 
 
Young, beautiful and courageous, Milady de Winter is a cunning spy, talented thief, and ruthless killer. She glides with ease through the streets and gilded halls of 17th-century France and England, turning heads or, with a click of her fingers, disappearing anonymously into a crowd. Driven by intellect and fierce desire, she is willing to go to any lengths to achieve her ambitions - and outwit the powerful men who try to crush her. 
 
We first meet her as a young novice, forced by her father to enter a convent against her will. Exploiting her natural charms, she escapes back into the world, where she gains wealth and privilege. But a terrible ordeal at the hands of Athos leaves her penniless and alone. Fleeing to Paris, she is recruited into the service of the French crown, and schooled in the dark arts of espionage. There, her path crosses that of the Musketeers once more - and, deceived and betrayed by D'Artagnan, she begins a relentless and obsessive quest to destroy them. 
 
Scarred by violence and forged in the fire, Milady undergoes a metamorphosis from wayward teenager to cold-hearted avenger - but as she ventures down the darkest of roads, she risks losing everything for the chance to satiate her lust for revenge... 
 
A fascinating retelling of a classic tale, this tense, thrilling drama puts one of literature's greatest villains centre stage, reimagining Cardinal Richelieu's seductive, deadly fixer as a sharp-witted survivor with a compelling story to tell. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Lucy Catherine 
Produced by Sasha Yevtushenko 
 
Cast 
Milady - Anjana Vasan 
Father Laurent - Luke Nunn 
De La Fere/Athos - Sam Troughton 
Richelieu - Carl Prekopp 
Comtesse/Madame Canard - Elizabeth Counsell 
Marie Therese - Rhiannon Neads 
Rochefort/Executioner - Don Gilet 
Father/Jailer - Shaun Mason 
Sheffield/Executioner/Innkeeper - Gerard McDermott 
De Winter - Joe Kloska 
Felton - Gavin Singh Chera 
D'Artagnan - Ian Dunnett Jnr 
Buckingham - Ryan Whittle 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4-11 September 2023 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Milady de Winter

A BBC Radio 4 Drama

Josie Long

Josie Long presents four entertaining and educational comedic essays, aided by Maeve Higgins and special guests 
 
Award-winning comedian Josie Long has performed nine hit stand-up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, subsequently touring them around the UK and internationally. This BBC Radio series was adapted from her hit 2009 stage show, and finds her attempting to unravel the mysteries of the universe through ad hoc research. Using the knowledge she's gleaned, she gives us the lowdown on her selected subject - with the help of her special guests, who join in with questions, illustrations and interruptions. 
 
In Astronomy for Dummies, Josie uses the textbook of the same name to try and get to grips with the complexities of the solar system. As she flicks through its pages, she learns how to identify constellations, joins the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence - and finds her cosmic twin... The Enlightenment sees her pondering the history of collecting things. From her childhood frog collection to the Pitts Rivers Museum, she considers why we love acquiring, categorising and displaying objects - and how doing so makes us better people... 
 
In Obscure Animal Facts, Josie attempts to level up, and become unbeatable at Trivial Pursuit. Sharing her favourite facts about the animal kingdom, she recalls her animal-activist past, interrogates her father over his quiz-buff history and reflects on the deep joy of being dorky. And in Propriety, Plants, Grandparents and Growing Your Own, she finds out how being outside connects us to nature, muses on apple names and adventure botanists, and discovers how her granny's gardening book holds the key to al fresco happiness. 
 
Among Josie's special guests are The Infinite Monkey Cage's Robin Ince; German comedian Henning Wehn; Josie's dad Geoff Long; and the host of Jordan, Jesse, Go!, Jesse Thorn. 
 
Production credits 
Written by and starring Josie Long 
Produced by Colin Anderson 
With Maeve Higgins, Robin Ince, Professor Stephen Maran, Henning Wehn, Daniel Harkin, Chris Neil, Jesse Thorne, Geoff Long, Isy Suttie 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 February-11 March 2009 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

All of the Planet's Wonders

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series

Terrance Dicks

Malcolm Hulke

Journey back in time with this nostalgic audio presentation performed by Jon Culshaw, Dan Starkey, Maureen O'Brien, Louise Jameson, Katy Manning and Geoffrey Beevers. 
 
It's the 1970s, and you're invited behind the scenes of Doctor Who. You'll go on location to witness the recording of two classic TV adventures (The Sea Devils and Robot) and spend time inside a vintage BBC television studio. You'll also learn how to write a script or make a monster, 1970s-style! 
 
Authors Terrance Dicks and Malcolm Hulke will guide you through the first ten years of Doctor Who history, detailing how it was created, the people who brought it into being, and the actors who portrayed the Doctor, his friends and their monstrous enemies. 
 
Along the way you'll hear some of the Doctor's key early adventures recounted as Time Lord records, UNIT Memos, and other in-story documentation. 
 
Brought to life by an array of familiar Doctor Who voices, this celebration of the programme's early days is a delight for fans of all ages. 
 
Cover illustration by Chris Achilleos © House of Achilleos 
Readings produced by Neil Gardner/Ladbroke Audio 
Sound design by David Darlington 
Executive producer for BBC Audio: Michael Stevens 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Making of Doctor Who

The Original 1970s Programme Guide

Maureen Lipman

Two series of Maureen Lipman's monologues and musings, plus four comedy dramas written especially for her 
 
'Marvellous' Daily Telegraph 
 
Award-winning actress and comedian Maureen Lipman has been entertaining audiences for over half a century. Her career has encompassed film, theatre, TV and radio; she has written several bestselling autobiographies; and in 2020 she was made a Dame in the Queen's Birthday Honours List. In this sparkling collection, the irrepressible 'Queen of Coronation Street' takes to the airwaves with her hilarious monologues, diverting duologues and amusing anecdotes - all recorded in front of a live audience. Also included are four comedy dramas showcasing her manifold talents. 
 
Maureen & Friends finds her following in the footsteps of the late, great Joyce Grenfell as she brings her own incisive wit to the monologue tradition. Series 1 finds her riffing on topics as diverse as Jane Austen, pesky rodents, stroppy teenagers, Balkan windscreen-washers and life in the Covid era; while in Series 2 she is joined by fellow actor Oliver Cotton to give life and opinions to a variety of comic characters, both human and animal - from a crossword whiz to a Canada goose. 
 
In A Month of Maureen, she stars in four comedy dramas specially scripted for her: 
Three Journeys tells the poignant, funny tale of a mother and son. Five Lessons is a delightful comedy about a pianist and his pupil. Dead Rellies centres around a revelatory trip to a Jewish cemetery. Theodora Potts: Victorian Psychic is a surreal comedy-drama featuring a medium with a secret, who's about to meet her match. 
Among Maureen Lipman's co-stars are Jasper Britton, Julian Rhind-Tutt, George Layton and Tracy-Ann Oberman. 
 
Credits 
 
Maureen & Friends 
Written and performed by Maureen Lipman with Oliver Cotton 
Produced by David Hunter and Tracey Neale 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 December 2019-3 January 2020 (Series 1) and 16-23 March 2022 (Series 2) 
 
A Month of Maureen 
Produced and directed by Marion Nancarrow 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-27 November 2017 
 
Three Journeys 
Molly - Maureen Lipman 
Paul - Jasper Britton 
Written by Gary Brown 
 
Five Lessons 
PW - Maureen Lipman 
Conrad - Julian Rhind-Tutt 
Written by Marcy Kahan 
Pianist Peter Ringrose 
 
Dead Rellies 
Fay - Maureen Lipman 
Alan - George Layton 
Cynthia - Julie Teal 
Written by Gary Brown 
 
Theodora Potts: Victorian Psychic 
Theodora Potts - Maureen Lipman 
Sioux Sioux - Tracy-Ann Oberman 
Adolphus/Dr von Ubermench - Neil McCaul 
Countess - Ellie Darvill 
The Earl - Clive Hayward 
Mr Brown - Rupert Holliday Evans 
Clemmie - Abbie Andrews 
Mr Soames - Gary Duncan 
Woman with birthmark - Isabella Inchbald 
Written by Tracy-Ann Oberman and Ivor Baddiel 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Maureen & Friends

A BBC Radio Collection of Comedy Monologues and Dramas

Bill Dare

A collection of the hilarious show-within-a-show about two daytime TV presenters 
 
Sit back, dip your biscuit in your tea, and relax... because Mike and Sue are here! In each episode of this mid-morning spoof, the sofa-bound host couple Mike and Sue and their live studio audience tackle various topics of the day - no matter how clumsily. 
 
Ranging from shopping addictions and teenagers to cults and holidays, the programme intersperses studio segments with sketches on the day's topics, so if you've ever wanted to know what gardening and terrorism have in common, or what the wider public really feels about marriage, listen up. Plus: could therapy have helped Henry VIII, what are the most dangerous ducks, and will Mike and Sue win the TV award that, surely, everyone knows they deserve? Plus a moving appeal on behalf of actors who make moving appeals. 
 
Starring Jan Ravens (Dead Ringers, Spitting Image), Robert Duncan (Old Harry's Game, Drop the Dead Donkey), Sally Phillips (Miranda, Smack the Pony), Steve Punt (The Now Show, Horrible Histories), Tracy-Ann Oberman (Friday Night Dinner, Toast of London), Alistair McGowan (The Big Impression, Have I Got News for You), Ronni Ancona (Last Tango in Halifax, The Big Impression), and many more. This four-series run will scratch any itch you have for mid-morning mayhem, no matter the time of day, and is just the thing for fans of The Now Show and Knowing Me, Knowing You. 
 
Cast and credits 
Mike - Robert Duncan 
Sue - Julia Hills (Series 1) 
Sue - Jan Ravens (Series 2-4) 
 
Assorted roles: 
Sally Phillips 
Tracy-Ann Oberman 
Steve Punt 
Alistair McGowan 
Ronni Ancona 
Bill Dare 
Roger Blake 
Mark Kilmurry 
Dan Strauss 
Debbie Isitt 
Tim De Jongh 
Christopher Douglas 
Toby Longworth 
Emma Kennedy 
Martin Jarvis 
Pauline McLynn 
Karl MacDermott 
Jonathan White 
Conor Lambert 
Mario Rosenstock 
Farrell Fleming 
 
Music by Mike Burton 
Written by Steve Punt, Christopher Douglas, Dan Gaster, Will Ing, Ben Silburn, Ian Brown, James Hendrie, Bert Tyler-Moore, George Jeffrie, Tim De Jongh, David Spicer and Hugh Rycroft 
Created by Bill Dare 
 
Produced by Pete Sinclair, Julia Hills, Jo Clegg, Aled Evans and Helen Williams 
 
Originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
25 April - 30 May 1996 (Series 1) 
4 June - 9 July 1997 (Series 2) 
17 September - 22 October 1998 (Series 3) 
14 September - 19 October 1999 (Series 4) 
Sadly Episode 2 of Series 2 could not be included as it is lost from the BBC Archive 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Life, Death & Sex with Mike and Sue

A BBC Radio 4 comedy

John Sergeant

Greg Dyke

Gyles Brandreth

Jennie Bond

Roy Hattersley

Adam Hart-Davis

Antony Worrall-Thompson

Esther Rantzen

Janet Street-Porter

Lorraine Kelly

Edwina Currie

Alan Carr

Sue Perkins

The comedy panel game where all the questions are about the guest host 
 
Welcome to The Personality Test, the panel show in which a brand new host takes the chair for every episode to present a quiz entirely themed around themselves. Each gets to run the show by their own rules, devising topics and queries based on their life, whims, fancies and past glories. Among the showbiz celebrities in the hot seat are Gyles Brandreth, Jennie Bond, Antony Worrall Thompson, Esther Rantzen, Janet Street-Porter and Edwina Currie, while the rounds include Love It Or Hate It, True or False, That Special Day and Life's a Pitch. 
 
Is John Sergeant a fan of Julia Roberts? Would Greg Dyke give Radio 4 just a minute, or leave it on a desert island? And does Claire Rayner have a penchant for jelly babies? Having spent a week swotting up on their host, the contestants must tackle these questions and more, as they do their best to amuse, entertain, charm, flatter - and occasionally, flirt outrageously - in a bid to chalk up the points and win the game. Battling it out are regular panellists and comedy heavyweights Alan Carr, Sue Perkins, Robert Ince, Lucy Porter, Will Smith and Carrie Quinlan. 
 
Intriguing and challenging, riotous and revealing, this unique panel show shines a fascinating spotlight on the interests and enthusiasms of your favourite personalities - and keeps you laughing along the way. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Richard Turner, Simon Littlefield and Kieron Quirke 
Devised and produced by Aled Evans 
 
Series 1 presented by: John Sergeant, Greg Dyke, Gyles Brandreth and Jennie Bond 
With Sue Perkins, Alan Carr, Lucy Porter, Will Smith, Robin Ince and Natalie Haynes 
 
Series 2 presented by: Roy Hattersley, Rick Wakeman, Adam Hart-Davis, Antony Worrall Thompson, Claire Rayner and Esther Rantzen 
With Sue Perkins, Lucy Porter, Robin Ince, Mark Dolan and Will Smith 
 
Series 3 presented by: Janet Street-Porter, Lorraine Kelly, Andrew Neill, Edwina Currie, Toyah Willcox and Eve Pollard 
With Sue Perkins, Will Smith, Nick Doody, Lucy Porter, Robin Ince, Carrie Quinlan and Dan Tetsell 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 July-2 August 2006 (Series 1), 7 December 2006-11 January 2007 (Series 2), 5 July-9 August 2007 (Series 3) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

The Personality Test

The complete BBC Radio 4 comedy quiz series

Brian Cox

Four more series of the multi-award-winning science/comedy show 
 
Celebrating the wonders of the universe since 2009, The Infinite Monkey Cage combines wit and wisdom to explore scientific concepts in an entertaining, accessible way. In these four series, physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince are back to 'put a smile on the face of science' (The Independent). They're joined by a wealth of boffins, brainiacs and celebrity science enthusiasts, all keen to share their hard facts, soft theories and bold comic deviations. 
 
Beginning with the end of the universe, they tackle topics including black holes, the human brain, Neanderthals and the science of cooking - and attempt to answer profound philosophical questions such as 'What is life, and how did it start?', 'Is time an illusion?' and ''What is reality?' There's also an astronaut's guide to isolation, featuring Helen Sharman, Chris Hadfield, Nicole Stott and Apollo 9's Rusty Schweickart; a look back at 60 years of chimpanzee research with Jane Goodall; and a history of rock (not in the Rolling Stones sense, but actual rolling stones). 
 
Plus, the duo play Animal Top Trumps to find out whether we should prefer beautiful bats to much-maligned flies; travel deep below the ocean waves to see what lies beneath; discover how trees communicate using the Wood Wide Web; and learn why two brains are definitely better than one... 
 
Among their special guests are Eric Idle, Steve Martin, Matt Lucas, Tim Minchin, Bill Bailey, Mark Gatiss, Steve Jones, Ross Noble, Sara Pascoe, Prof Alice Roberts, Carlo Rovelli, Harold McGee, Dr Janna Levin, Dave Gorman, Brendan Hunt and Katy Brand. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Brian Cox and Robin Ince 
Producer: Alexandra Feachem 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Infinite Monkey Cage: Series 22-25

Andy Hamilton

All seven series of Andy Hamilton's fiendishly funny award-winning comedy set in Hell. 
 
'Satirical, philosophical - and devilishly funny' Gillian Reynolds, Daily Telegraph 
 
Welcome to Hell - where nobody can ever quite catch the barman's eye. In this collection, which contains all seven series of Old Harry's Game, get ready for some wicked one-liners and scorching satire. 
 
Satan is fed up after a millennia in charge of Hell, especially given the prospect of an eternity still running the damned place. Although he does enjoy playing pranks on the world of the living and devising wry torments for the souls in his keeping, he often wistfully recalls his past as an archangel... 
 
Over the course of the series, we meet various famous figures now languishing in Hell, including a foul-mouthed Jane Austen, a mindless Helen of Troy and a less-than-heroic Samson. Satan takes Hell resident Thomas on a tour of his life, his assistant Scumspawn has trouble with a pushy computer, and love drives The Professor to extreme action. Satan and The Professor find a huge, empty space in Hell (when they enter Scumspawn's brain), a Health and Safety officer notes that the lighting is inadequate, and Satan punishes a feng shui expert. And then Edith arrives... 
 
Seven series of the Sony Award-winning comedy (plus the Christmas and Olympic specials) starring Andy Hamilton as Satan and a regular cast of acclaimed actors including Annette Crosbie as Edith, Timothy West as God, James Grout as The Professor, Jimmy Mulville as Thomas and Robert Duncan as Scumspawn. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Andy Hamilton 
Produced by Paul Mayhew-Archer 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 23 November - 28 December 1995 (Series 1), 7 April - 12 May 1998 (Series 2), 24 March - 28 April 1999 (Series 3), 29 March - 3 May 2001 (Series 4), 31 December 2002 - 1 January 2003 (2002 Christmas Special), 20 September - 11 October 2005 (Series 5), 27 September - 1 November 2007 (Series 6), 19 February - 26 March 2009 (Series 7), 23 December - 30 December 2010 (2010 Christmas Special), 12 July - 19 July 2012 (Olympic Special). 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Old Harry’s Game

The Complete Series of the Award-Winning BBC Radio 4 Comedy

Tom Allen

Pippa Evans

Suzi Ruffell

Kiri Pritchard-McLean

Jayde Adams

Gemma Arrowsmith

Stephen Buchanan

Alun Cochrane

Athena Kugblenu

A sparkling selection of one-off comedy shows from Radio 4's Sunday night Stand Up Specials season 
 
Since 2018, BBC Radio 4 has been making the nation laugh with its Stand Up Specials strand, featuring fantastic half-hour sets from a host of celebrated comedians. This wide-ranging collection brings together eleven of the very best acts, from established stars to new and emerging talent, as they 'zoom through angst from all angles' (The Guardian). 
 
Among the hot comic takes, Tom Allen's Not Very Nice explores what happens when the hilarious host of The Apprentice: You're Fired turns from sweet to naughty; Pippa Evans Grows Up finds the Now Show star asking what it means to be a grown-up; Postcards to Portsmouth sees Suzi Ruffell returning to her home town (well, just down the road) to share tales of her family; and Kiri Pritchard-McLean spotlights the life choices of millennials in Egg-sistential Crisis, asking 'why have they stopped having babies?' 
 
From Asda to Diva introduces us to Jayde Adams, who combines wit and show-stopping music to demonstrate how she went from working in a supermarket to fully-fledged prima donna; Emergency Broadcast sees Gemma Arrowsmith trapped in Broadcasting House and presenting a lockdown sketch show with Tom Crowley, Adam Courting, Hugh Dennis and Susan Harrison; Talking Shop outlines BBC New Comedy Award winner Stephen Buchanan's chequered work history and friendship with a Vietnamese refugee; and in Centrist Dad?, Alun Cochrane defends the much-maligned middle ground as he tries to find his place on the shifting political spectrum. 
 
Also included is Black Country Gentlemon, in which George Fouracres tells his story of growing up in Wolverhampton; Magnifying Class, Athena Kugblenu's examination of class identity and what it means to be upwardly mobile; and One of Many, where Stephen Bailey contemplates his numerous namesakes - all of whom are more newsworthy than him - and wonders whether you can change your life just by changing your name. 
 
Production credits 
 
Tom Allen Is Actually Not Very Nice 
Written and performed by Tom Allen and featuring Gabby Best 
Produced by Richard Morris 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 22 April 2018 
 
Pippa Evans Grows Up 
Written and performed by Pippa Evans 
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 May 2018 
 
Suzi Ruffell: Postcards to Portsmouth 
Written and performed by Suzi Ruffell, with additions from Ann Ruffell 
Produced by Suzy Grant 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 May 2019 
 
Kiri Pritchard-McLean: Egg-sistential Crisis 
Written and performed by Kiri Prichard-McLean 
Produced by Suzy Grant 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10 January 2021 
 
Jayde Adams: From ASDA to Diva 
Written and performed by Jayde Adams, with music by Richard Thomas 
Produced by Hayley Sterling 
Production co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 January 2021 
 
Gemma Arrowsmith: Emergency Broadcast 
Written by and starring Gemma Arrowsmith, with Tom Crowley, Adam Courting, Hugh Dennis and Susan Harrison 
Produced by Victoria Lloyd 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 February 2021 
 
Stephen Buchanan: Talking Shop 
Written and performed by Stephen Buchanan 
Produced by Adnan Ahmed 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 March 2021 
 
Alun Cochrane: Centrist Dad? 
Written and performed by Alun Cochrane 
Produced by Richard Morris 
Production co-ordinator: Mabel Wright 
Sound engineer: Michael Smith 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 July 2021 
 
George Fouracres: Black Country Gentlemon 
Written and performed by George Fouracres 
Produced by Richard Morris 
Production co-ordinator: Beverly Tagg 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 March 2022 
 
Athena Kugblenu: Magnifying Class 
Written and performed by Athena Kugblenu 
Produced by Leila Navabi 
Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 April 2022 
 
Stephen Bailey: One of Many 
Written and performed by Stephen Bailey 
Produced by Georgia Keating and Hayley Sterling 
Production Coordinator: Katie Baum 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 May 2022 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Sunday Night Stand-Up

11 comedy specials from BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio Comedy

All fourteen fantastic episodes of Just a Minute from 2022 
 
Celebrating its 55th year on the air, the panel game that rewards those who can talk the hind leg off a donkey returns for two more sparkling series. Sue Perkins, now firmly established as host, is back in the chair, inviting the celebrity panellists to speak for 60 seconds without hesitating, deviating from the allotted subject or repeating themselves. 
 
Taking up the challenge are an assortment of chatterbox comedians including Dane Baptiste, Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Gyles Brandreth, Shazia Mirza, Lucy Porter, Ria Lina, Jayde Adams and Daliso Chaponda. As ever, they're faced with topics ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous - among them My Favourite Kardashian, She Sells Sea Shells, Nosey Neighbours, The Ukulele, Kendal Mint Cake and The Art of Seduction. 
 
So join them for more marvellous, magical, mirth-filled minutes, as they compete to find out who has the biggest gift of the gab. Seconds out, let battle commence... 
 
Production credits 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Chaired by Sue Perkins 
Production co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow 
Sound editor: Marc Willcox 
Produced by Richard Morris, Hayley Sterling and Sarah Sharpe 
 
Series 88 featuring: Dane Baptiste, Stephen Fry, Sheila Hancock, Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Gyles Brandreth, Shazia Mirza, Lucy Porter, Shaparak Khorsandi, Julian Clary 
 
Series 89 featuring: Paul Merton, Pippa Evans, Tony Hawks, Suzi Ruffell, Gyles Brandreth, Ria Lina, Zoe Lyons, Dane Baptiste, Jayde Adams, Jan Ravens, Desiree Burch, Daliso Chaponda, Lucy Porter 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 February-28 March 2022 (Series 88), 16 May-4 July 2022 (Series 89) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Just a Minute 2022: The Complete Series 88 & 89

The BBC Radio 4 comedy panel game

Josie Lawrence

Jim Sweeney

Improv masters Josie Lawrence and Jim Sweeney perform hilarious off-the-cuff sketches based entirely on audience suggestions 
 
No script, no props and living by their wit - in this side-splitting series, two of the funniest stars of The Comedy Store Players and Whose Line Is It Anyway? join together to create sketches from ideas shouted out by a live studio audience. 
 
Making it up as they go along, Josie Lawrence and Jim Sweeney riff on topics ranging from a room full of kittens to something you might find beneath the sofa; from an unexpected moon expedition to a mishap involving a Portaloo; and from an unusual gathering with the neighbours to a meet-cute involving electrolysis. 
 
Best friends and longtime collaborators, the duo keep the laughter flowing with their quickfire quips and affectionate banter, as they bounce off each other, throw one another curveballs - and try to catch each other out... 
 
Chaotic, inventive and full of crazy characters and surreal skits, The Lawrence Sweeney Mix is sure to have you in stitches. 
 
Production credits 
Starring Josie Lawrence and Jim Sweeney 
Produced by Dawn Ellis 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
27 February - 20 March 2007 (Series 1) 
29 January - 19 February 2008 (Series 2) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

The Lawrence Sweeney Mix

A BBC Radio 4 Improv Comedy Show

Mark Thomas

Free-thinking funnyman Mark Thomas creates a People's Manifesto, aided by his live studio audience 
 
'Funny, knowing and tongue-in-cheek... sardonic, furious-paced wit' The Guardian 
 
Comedian, activist and 'libertarian anarchist' Mark Thomas believes that, as a nation, we are drifting - economically, politically and socially. Where, he asks, are the big ideas, theories and visions that will help our country in its hour of need? Tired of the status quo, he sets out to change the world by compiling a People's Manifesto, gathering policy suggestions from his studio audience and getting them to vote for the best. 
 
Their blue-sky proposals range from the serious (limit and regulate payday loan companies; force all politicians to use public transport, the NHS, and send their kids to state schools) to the hilarious (mandating that all restaurants should only serve starters; colour-coding society so you can see at a glance who's single and looking). 
 
Other ideas up for the vote include legalising recreational drugs for senior citizens ('Deals on Wheels'); introducing a maximum wage; and reinstating 'Saint Monday' - the ancient tradition of taking Mondays off. Also on the agenda are crushing the cars of anyone illegally parked in a disabled space; declaring any war that lasts more than five years a draw; having a 'none of the above' option on voting cards; and enforcing rustle-free zones in cinemas (policed by 'cinema ninjas'.) 
 
Inspired, Mark decides to pursue one of his favourite propositions - that he should invade Jersey - and heads to Glasgow to consider a kick-starter to buy Scotland out of the Union... But which of the Great British Public's policies will make the final cut? Listen and find out... 
 
Also included is a bonus accompanying PDF of the full People's Manifesto, as voted for by the audience of Mark Thomas: The Manifesto. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Mark Thomas 
Produced by Ed Morrish (Series 1 and 2) and Colin Anderson (Series 3-5) 
Researcher: Susan McNicholas (Series 5) 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 June-2 July 2009 (Series 1), 4 February-25 February 2010 (Series 2), 6 January-27 January 2011 (Series 3), 8 February-29 February 2012 (Series 4), 4 April-9 May 2013 (Series 5) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

The People’s Manifesto

The complete BBC Radio 4 comedy series

Martin Young

The buzzworthy 'famous people' quiz about noteworthy and notorious figures from fact and fiction 
 
Who Goes There? is the classic stardom panel quiz chaired by Martin Young. Proving that it's not what you know but who you know, each breezy episode features two celebrity teams battling to answer questions on famous figures from history, fiction, sport, and the gossip pages. Martin Young challenges the teams with hilarious and unusual archive clips, tests them on bizarre stage names and aliases, and reads out surprising CVs to have the panel guess the famous name at the top. 
 
Enjoying scandalous quotations, unconventional career highlights, and even a 'fleeting fame' round (in which panellists are challenged to remember when a certain person was all everyone talked about), Who Goes There? welcomes in anyone from Julius Caesar to Juliet Capulet to Julia Roberts. If you've made a name for yourself, you could be a question! 
 
A lively, fun show featuring sparkling and sharp-witted guest panellists, including Claire Rayner, Joan Bakewell, Francis Wheen, Carmen Callil, Gyles Brandreth, Annabel Giles, Sheridan Morley, Jonathan Meades, David Aaronovitch, Lynne Truss, and many, many more. Perfect for testing exactly which names to drop... 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
27 November 2005 - 8 January 2006 (Series 1) 
9 June - 24 July 1998 (Series 2) 
5 January - 9 February 2000 (Series 3) 
25 October - 29 November 2000 (Series 4) 
20 February - 27 March 2002 (Series 5) 
9 October - 13 November 2002 (Series 6) 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Martin Young 
Written and compiled by Nick Hildred and Hugh Rycroft 
Produced by Aled Evans and Elizabeth Freestone 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Who Goes There?

Selected episodes from the classic BBC Radio 4 quiz show

Barry Took

Barry Took presents this revised radio version of the popular parlour game 'Twenty Questions' 
 
Hosted by veteran humorist Barry Took, presenter of Points of View and former chair of The News Quiz, this entertaining guessing game sees a panel of intellectually acute guests attempting to determine a mystery object in 20 tries. Their only clue is the category it falls into: animal, vegetable, mineral, abstract, or a combination of all four. 
 
For most rounds, the studio audience know the answer and cheer on the contestants with promising guesses - but sometimes, both they and the listeners are kept in the dark, giving them an opportunity to play along too. 
 
Pitting their wits against Barry Took are panellists Geoffrey Durham, Jeremy Hanley, Helen Atkinson Wood, Hattie Hayridge, Dick Vosburgh, Neil Innes, Jan Ravens, Nigel Dempster, Frances Edmonds, Chris Serle and Clare Francis, as they play their hunches and attempt to identify everything from a supermodel to a Page 3 girl, the Channel Tunnel to the shipping forecast, and a minicab driver to man's best friend. Using their best deductive reasoning, will they figure it out - or will they get stumped? 
 
Production credits 
Chaired by Barry Took 
Written and compiled by Michael Dines 
Voice provided by Peter Donaldson 
Produced by Andy Aliffe 
 
With: Geoffrey Durham, Jeremy Hanley, Helen Atkinson Wood, Hattie Hayridge, Dick Vosburgh, Neil Innes, Jan Ravens, Nigel Dempster, Frances Edmonds, Chris Serle, Clare Francis 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 April-10 June 1998 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Guess What?

The BBC Radio 4 20 questions game show

Mark Lawson

Mark Lawson takes an international look at celebrated literary detectives, talking to their creators to explore how mystery fiction reflects society's trends and tensions 
 
'Masterly'' Gillian Reynolds, The Telegraph 
 
Throughout its long history, crime fiction has broadened our horizons, introducing us to unfamiliar places, people and cultures and showing us new ways of looking at the world. In this fascinating series, Mark Lawson takes a global tour of the genre, putting detective novels under the magnifying glass to examine how they have depicted - and predicted - social and political change. Focussing on famous fictional investigators - from Hercule Poirot, Jules Maigret, Van der Valk and Martin Beck; through Dalgliesh, Rebus, Jane Tennison and Harry Hole; to Benny Griessel, Tess Monaghan and Easy Rawlins - he explores what these iconic protagonists can tell us about the historic character of their nations. 
 
Through the framework of their cases, he pursues the shadows of the Second World War and the Cold War; conflicts between the politics of the left and right; the rise of nationalism; and the pressures caused by migration. He also finds out how crime novels have portrayed transitional societies in South Africa and Northern Ireland; examined the legacies of military rule in Argentina and the Castro revolution in Cuba; and tackled post-colonialism in Australia and Nigeria. 
 
Helping Lawson with his inquiries are authors including Andrea Camilleri, who discusses the effects of both the Mafia and Berlusconi on Italian society; Brian McGilloway, who talks about the Troubles and the wave of Irish crime fiction that the peace process has provoked; and Petros Markaris, whose detective series prophesied the Greek financial crisis. Plus, Laura Lippman and Walter Mosley reveal how they introduced the experience of women and black Americans into their work; Russian writer Boris Akunin and Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov meditate on Dostoevsky, Putin, censorship and their different approaches to crime writing; and in a special episode on TV detectives, Lawson talks to creative talent from the ITV hit Broadchurch, the Danish show The Killing and the French success Spiral about the medium's suitability as a crime scene and the rise of female investigators. 
 
Production credits 
Written and presented by Mark Lawson 
Produced by Robyn Read and Martin Williams 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
 
Series 1 
Belgium - Hercule Poirot and Jules Maigret 22 October 2012 
With Val McDermid, Lord Grey Gowrie, Andrea Camilleri and David Suchet 
Germany - Inspector Barlach 23 October 2012 
With Josie Rourke, Simon McBurney, Jerzy Kromolowski, Mary Olson-Kromolowski, Katharina Hall and Ferdinand von Schirach 
Czechoslovakia - Lieutenant Boruvka 24 October 2012 
With Paul Wilson 
Netherlands - Commissaris Van Der Valk 25 October 2012 
With Lord Grey Gowrie and Saskia Noort 
Sweden - Inspector Martin Beck 26 October 2012 
With Jo Nesbø, Henning Mankell, Åsa Larsson, Camilla Lackberg, Jens Lapidus, Val McDermid and Gunnar Staalesen 
UK - Commander Dalgliesh and Chief Inspector Wexford 29 October 2012 
With PD James and Ruth Rendell 
Sicily - Inspector Rogas 30 October 2012 
With Paul Bailey, Gianrico Carofiglio, Andrea Camilleri and Petra Reski 
Spain - PI Pepe Carvalho 31 October 2012 
With Antonio Hill and Jason Webster 
Britain - DCI Jane Tennison 1 November 2012 
With Lynda La Plante, Saskia Noort, Ian Rankin and Val McDermid 
Italy - Inspector Montalbano 2 November 2012 
With Andrea Camilleri 
Germany - PI Kemal Kayankaya 5 November 2012 
With Jakob Arjouni 
Scotland - DI John Rebus 6 November 2012 
With Ian Rankin 
Sweden - Kurt Wallander and Lisbeth Salander 7 November 2012 
With Henning Mankell, Kenneth Branagh, Liza Marklund, Camilla Läckberg and Eva Gabrielsson 
Norway - Harry Hole 8 November 2012 
With Jo Nesbø, Liza Marklund and Gunnar Staalesen 
Russia and Ukraine - Erast Fandorin 9 November 2012 
With Boris Akunin, Ian Rankin and Andrey Kurkov 
 
Series 2 
Greece - Inspector Costas Haritos 8 July 2013 
With Petros Markaris 
Argentina - Superintendent Perro Lascano 9 July 2013 
With Ernesto Mallo and Claudia Pineiro 
Ireland - Inspector Benedict Devlin 10 July 2013 
With Brian McGilloway 
South Africa - Detective Captain Bennie Griessel 11 July 2013 
With Deon Meyer and Sifiso Mzobe 
Screenland - DS Ellie Miller, DI Sarah Lund, Captain Laure Berthaud 12 July 2013 
 
Series 3 
Cuba 17 November 2014 
With Leonardo Padura and Caroline Garcia-Aquilera 
USA 18 November 2014 
With Laura Lippman and Walter Mosley 
Poland 19 November 2014 
With Zygmunt Miloszewski and Joanna Jodelka 
Australia 20 November 2014 
With Peter Temple and Gabrielle Lord 
Nigeria 21 November 2014 
With Helon Habila and CM Okonkwo 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Foreign Bodies

Crime Fiction Around the World

Mark Steel

The complete Series 11 and 12 of Mark Steel's comedy travel show 
 
'Consistently the funniest programme on the radio' The Independent 
 
Mark Steel is back with two more series of his award-winning show, in which he explores nine weird and wonderful places around the UK and beyond. After thoroughly researching each town's history, people and idiosyncrasies, he goes on to write and perform a tailor-made evening of stand-up for the residents. 
 
Series 11 takes him to the former mining town of Blyth, Northumberland, where he finds a fascinating industrial legacy, a posh pub, and a very nice beach; Walthamstow, where he's joined by local MP Stella Creasey for a discussion about the controversial 'mini-Holland' cycling scheme; and Whitby; where he dodges the seagulls to present his findings on the Dracula origin story, chip shops and the resort's whaling history. 
 
In Series 12, Mark tours the contrarian city of Nottingham to learn about local legends Robin Hood and Frank the xylophone player; and travels to Tring's Natural History Museum to take in the exhibit of fleas dressed as Mexicans. He also sets out to the Isles of Scilly, Salisbury and Newport, and pops over to Paris, where he performs two versions of his show: one in English and one in French... 
 
With just the right blend of affection and rudeness, he celebrates the curious stories, quirky characters and regional eccentricities that make these areas unique. Whether you're a local or an out-of-towner, his hilarious observations will have you roaring with laughter. 
 
Written by and starring Mark Steel 
Additional material by Pete Sinclair 
Produced by Julia McKenzie and Carl Cooper 
Production co-ordinators: Beverly Tagg, Sarah Sharpe and Katie Baum 
Sound Manager: Jerry Peal 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 1-15 December 2021 (Series 11), 22 August-26 September 2022 (Series 12) 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mark Steel’s In Town: Series 11 & 12

A BBC Radio 4 comedy series

Christopher Douglas

Andrew Nickolds

The first four series of the award-winning BBC Radio 4 comedy 
 
Welcome to the world of Ed Reardon, writer and liver of life at the cutting edge - well, above The Cutting Edge, in a one-bedroom flat over a hairdresser's in Berkhamsted that he shares with his his trusty feline companion, Elgar. Divorced, impoverished and embittered, he spends his time penny-pinching, freeloading and ranting at the modern world and the 'moronic 12-year-olds' who run the media. 
 
Once a promising novelist (his first and last book, Who Would Fardels Bear? was turned into a Hollywood movie), he now lives off the royalties of his 1982 episode of Tenko (£17 per annum) and whatever scraps of freelance work he can coax out of his agents, Felix and Ping. Though consistently mocked by his friend and one-time collaborator Jaz Milvane - who's now become irritatingly rich and successful - Ed battles on with his attempts to finally gain the literary fame and fortune he feels he deserves. 
 
In these four series, we follow him as he tries to conquer the Christmas book market; falls in love; finds himself in hospital; attempts to secure his inheritance and comes up with a once-in-a-lifetime idea - only to forget where he put it... 
 
Written by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds, this splendidly splenetic sitcom stars Christopher Douglas as Ed, with Stephanie Cole as Olive, John Fortune as Felix, Sally Hawkins and Barunka O'Shaughnessy as Ping and Philip Jackson as Jaz. 
 
'A masterpiece of comedic melancholy' The Stage 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Andrew Nickolds and Christopher Douglas 
Produced by Simon Nicholls and Dawn Ellis 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 January-11 February 2005 (Series 1), 21 December 2005-25 January 2006 (Series 2), 15 December 2006-19 January 2007 (Series 3), 16 November-21 December 2007 (Series 4) 
 
Cast 
Ed Reardon - Christopher Douglas 
Olive - Stephanie Cole 
Felix - John Fortune 
Cliff - Ronnie Golden/Simon Greenall 
Ping - Sally Hawkins/Barunka O'Shaughnessy 
Jaz Milvane - Philip Jackson 
Pearl - Rita May 
Stan/Ray - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Jake - George Dalton/James Rawlings 
Eli - Alice Lowe 
 
With Sally Grace, Martin Hyder, Geoffrey McGivern, Dan Tetsell, Melanie Hudson, Emma Kennedy, Vicki Pepperdine, Adam Shipway, Matt Holness, Tom Colebrook, Andy Hamilton, Matthew Holmes, Chris Addison, Joanna Scanlan, Nina Wadia, Angela Wynter, Sean Lock, Paul Richard Biggin, David Cann, Eve Dallas, Alan Ford, Laura Solon, David Warner, Miranda Keeling, Morwenna Banks, Rachel Atkins, Tom Price, Nicola Sanderson, Matt Green, Phil Nice, Peter Marinker, Jon Glover, John-Luke Roberts, Kim Wall, Katy Wix 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ed Reardon's Week: Series 1-4

The hit BBC Radio 4 sitcom

Series 5-8 of the curmudgeonly comedy starring Christopher Douglas 
 
Freeloading freelancer Ed Reardon is back, and still trying to survive in a world where the media seems to be run by idiots and lying charlatans. Success continues to elude him, but at least he can eke out a living teaching creative writing, condensing modern classics and doing a spot of celebrity ghostwriting. 
 
These four series find him shouldering his share of grandfatherly responsibilities; taking up residence in Berkhamsted's premier accommodation for the financially distressed; rekindling a romance with an old flame; and curating a moving tribute for Jaz Milvane's 'surprise' 60th birthday bash. Meanwhile, Ed's cat, Elgar, finds fame with an internet blog. Could he become a more successful writer than Ed? (Quite probably...) 
 
And in a special seasonal edition, Ed is hoping to spend Christmas Day in the bosom of his family - but will he end up alone with Elgar, an Oxo cube and a cinnamon stick? 
 
Scripted by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds, this furiously funny sitcom stars Christopher Douglas as Ed, with supporting roles from Stephanie Cole as Olive, John Fortune as Felix, Barunka O'Shaughnessy as Ping, Philip Jackson as Jaz and Geoffrey Whitehead as Stan. 
 
'Comic genius' Radio Times 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Andrew Nickolds and Christopher Douglas 
Produced by Dawn Ellis 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6 October-10 November 2008 (Series 5), 11 January-15 February 2010 (Series 6), 10 January-14 February 2011 (Series 7), 3 April-8 May 2012 (Series 8), 25 December 2012 (Ed Reardon at Christmas) 
 
Cast 
Ed Reardon - Christopher Douglas 
Olive - Stephanie Cole 
Felix - John Fortune 
Cliff - Ronnie Golden/Simon Greenall/Geoff McGivern 
Ping - Barunka O'Shaughnessy 
Jaz Milvane - Philip Jackson 
Pearl - Rita May 
Stan - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Ray - Simon Greenall 
Jake - Sam Pamphilon 
Eli - Lisa Coleman 
Fiona - Jenny Agutter 
With Sally Grace, Lewis MacLeod, Nicola Sanderson, Martin Hyder, Richard Smith, Tom Price, Rachel Atkins, Rebecca Front, Nicholas Boulton, Dan Tetsell, Kim Wall, Tony Gardner, Rhys Rusbatch, Katy Wix, Emma Fryer, Henry Devas, Matilda Ziegler, Paul Merton, Geoffrey Palmer, Darren Boyd, Paul Sharma, Corrie Corfield 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ed Reardon's Week: Series 5-8

Series 9-12 of the hit comedy featuring curmudgeonly author Ed Reardon 
 
Author, pipe-smoker, fare-dodger and master of the complaining letter and abusive email, Ed Reardon returns for another four series. Despite many thwarted attempts at literary succes, he's still living a precarious existence with his trusty companion Elgar, reliant on any small morsels of work Ping can offer him to keep body, mind and cat together. He also continues to have regular run-ins with his nemesis, Jaz Milvane - who somehow manages to make money out of mad schemes, while Ed makes nothing - and his love life remains more than a little erratic. 
 
Among his endeavours in these 24 episodes, Ed attends his first ever interview for a real job; finds himself facing homelessness as Stan throws him out on the street; enters the groves of academe as he becomes a student at 'Uni'; and gains a new agent, Maggie, who gets him a regular writing gig on Your Motorhome magazine. Can she help him to turn his fortunes around? 
 
Also included is a special festive edition, which sees Ed spending the holiday season without Elgar. All he has for Christmas is a computer and a commission... 
 
Christopher Douglas stars as Ed, alongside Stephanie Cole, Philip Jackson, Geoffrey Whitehead, Alison Steadman, Brigit Forsyth and Barunka O'Shaughnessy, in this acclaimed comedy by Christopher Douglas and Andrew Nickolds. 
 
'Pure joy' The Telegraph 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Andrew Nickolds and Christopher Douglas 
Produced by Dawn Ellis 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 November-16 December 2013 (Series 9), 13 May-17 June 2015 (Series 10), 1 January 2016 (Ed Reardon at Christmas), 4 October-8 November 2016 (Series 11), 24 October-28 November 2017 (Series 12) 
 
Cast 
Ed Reardon - Christopher Douglas 
Olive - Stephanie Cole 
Cliff - Geoffrey McGivern 
Ping - Barunka O'Shaughnessy 
Jaz Milvane - Philip Jackson 
Pearl - Alison Steadman/Brigit Forsyth 
Stan - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Ray - Simon Greenall 
Jake - Sam Pamphilon 
Eli - Lisa Coleman 
Fiona - Jenny Agutter 
Suzan - Raquel Cassidy 
Maggie - Monica Dolan 
 
With Melanie Hudson, Nicola Sanderson, Jonathan Bailey, Carys Eleri, Claudie Blakley, Jonathan Coy, Corrie Corfield, Felicity Montagu, Carolyn Pickles, Dan Mersh, Vicki Pepperdine, Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, Phaldut Sharma, Joanna Brookes, Pam Ferris, Jack Farthing, Jeremy Paxman, John Humphrys, Divian Ladwa, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Maya Sondhi, Ruth Madeley, Don Gilet, Karl Theobald, Tyger Drew-Honey, Petroc Trelawney, 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ed Reardon's Week: Series 9-12

Sarah Millican

The quiz that finally decides: who's the most Average Jolene, and who's the ultimate Maverick Matilda? 
 
Sarah Millican picks through her guests' minds and secret routines - using simple surveys from the Great British Public on childhood habits, daily rituals, and preferred cheeses - to discover which of them fits the pattern of the average person on the street, and which is so far from the norm we really ought to be worried. 
 
Featuring Kathy Burke, Tom Allen, Jenny Eclair, Alun Cochrane, Sandi Toksvig, Angela Barnes, Phil Wang, Lucy Beaumont, Sara Pascoe, and Kerry Godliman, as well as Mark Watson, Susan Calman, Jo Brand, Sara Cox, Daliso Chaponda, Scarlett Moffatt, Sindhu Vee, Shappi Khorsandi, and Josie Long, expect skeletons to come tumbling out of closets as Sarah uncovers her panel's surprising quirks and hilarious anecdotes before revealing who is distinctly normal, and who gets to wear the badge of True Maverick. 
 
Perfect for fans of Sarah Millican's Support Group, Dilemma, Joe Lycett's Obsessions, and Tom Allen is Not Actually Very Nice, and for anyone who wants to be reminded that it's good to be different. 
 
Produced by Lianne Coop for Chopsy Productions 
Written by Sarah Millican 
 
Series 1: First broadcast 27 June - 8 August 2019 
Series 2: First broadcast 7 January - 11 February 2021 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Elephant in the Room: Series 1 and 2

The BBC Radio comedy panel show

Jason Byrne

The complete Sony Radio Academy Gold Award-winning BBC Radio series from acclaimed Irish stand-up comedian Jason Byrne 
 
In three series of fast-paced comedy, packed with brilliant banter and quickfire improvisation, Jason Byrne shares his experiences of education, relationships, sport, food, money, ageing, work and much, much more. 
 
From going on a first date to the birth of his children, from poo in the school playground and 'When Mediums Have Sex' to getting in trouble with the police, Jason probes a new theme with each new episode. As first heard on BBC Radio 2, there's top-notch stand-up, madcap sketches, plus special guests. 
 
Also featuring Ivan Brackenbury, Laurence Howarth, Anna Bengo, Daisy Haggard and Margaret Cabourn-Smith. 
 
All human life is here, wittily and wonderfully observed by a comic genius. 
 
Produced by Julia McKenzie 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Jason Byrne Show: The Complete Series 1-3

BBC Radio Stand-Up Comedy

Five fantastic shows from The Chase's 'Sinnerman', award-winning comic and broadcaster Paul Sinha 
 
'One of our most thoughtful and enjoyable comedians' The Times 
 
Paul Sinha loves a quiz. Not only is he the sixth-ranked quizzer in the UK, he's also a regular on Radio 4's long-running Round Britain Quiz and a resident Chaser on ITV's The Chase. In these collected BBC shows, Paul offers us his unique perspective as a quizmaster, stand-up star, ex-GP and second-generation migrant, as he takes a comedic look at British culture, history, nationalism and sport. 
 
Paul Sinha's Quiz Culture sees him travelling to the European Quizzing Championships in Derby, to meet the Continent's superstars, pit his skills against them, and find out why trivia has become such a serious business. In Paul Sinha's Citizenship Test, he examines the test that newcomers to Britain must pass to become citizens, and finds the questions deeply disappointing. Deciding he can do better, he rewrites it to reflect his own ideas of Britishness, focussing on the history syllabus, the arts, health and social cohesion. 
 
The Sinha Carta finds Paul scrutinising England's most important legal document, Magna Carta, explaining what's in it, why it's brilliant, and how it came to be. He also suggests some new, up-to-date additions, for a Magna Carta fit for a modern Britain. In The Sinha Test, Paul draws on his experience as a proudly English son of Indian immigrants to conduct a comic analysis of cricket, national identity and divided loyalties. Finally, in The Sinha Games, he weighs up the pros and cons of hosting the Olympics. Using archive material, interviews, jokes and heavy sarcasm, he examines the past, present and future of the Games, as well as talking to the gold medallist who most influenced him as a young man - his former teacher, Olympic pentathlete Andy Archibald. 
 
Production credits 
Written and performed by Paul Sinha 
 
Paul Sinha's Quiz Culture 
Produced by Monise Durrani 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 March 2011 
 
Paul Sinha's Citizenship Test 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra on the following dates: 
 
1 History Syllabus 5 August 2013 
2 Health of the Nation 12 August 2013 
3 British Culture 19 August 2013 
4 British Greatness 26 August 2013 
 
The Sinha Carta 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 February 2015 
 
The Sinha Test 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 July 2011 
 
The Sinha Games 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 July 2012 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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