Abigail Owen is the #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author of 30+ books that range from upper YA (18+) epic romantasy to new adult modern mythic romantasy to super spicy adult paranormal romance. She loves magical worlds with plots that move hot and fast, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of snark, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include: wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, AuDHD, spreadsheet lover, Jeopardy! fanatic, organizational guru, true classic movie buff, linguaphile, wishful world traveller, and chocoholic. Abigail currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own swoon-worthy hero, their (mostly) angelic teenagers, and an adorable fur baby. abigailowen.com

Abigail Owen

Abigail Ulman was born and raised in Melbourne. She has a BA in Creative Arts from the University of Melbourne/VCA and was a recent Wallace Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University. This is her first book.

Abigail Ulman

Abilio Estévez

Abir Mukherjee is the bestselling author of the award-winning Wyndham &amp; Banerjee series of crime novels set in 1920s India and the British Book Awards Crime Thriller of the Year 2025 Hunted. His books have been translated into sixteen languages and won various awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel, the Prix du Polar Européen, and the Wilbur Smith Award for Adventure Writing. 
 
 
He also co-hosts the popular Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast which takes a wry look at the world of books, writing, and the creative arts, tackling everything from bestsellers to pop culture. Abir grew up in Scotland and now lives in Surrey with his wife and two sons. 
 
 
Website: abirmukherjee.com Twitter, Threads &amp; Instagram: @radiomukhers Facebook: AuthorAbir

Abir Mukherjee

Abolqasem Ferdowsi

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham L. Newman is a professor at the School of Foreign Service and Government Department at Georgetown University. He is a 2022-2023 Berlin Prize winner and his work has been published in leading outlets like The New York Times, The Financial Times, The Washington Post, Nature, Science, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Harvard Business Review, and Politico.

Abraham Newman

Abraham Verghese

Absolut Vodka

Ad Putter

Ada Moncrieff is the author of Murder Most Festive, Murder at the Theatre Royale and Murder at Maybridge Castle. She lives and works in London.

Ada Moncrieff

Adam Aleksic is a linguist and content creator posting educational videos as the “Etymology Nerd” to an audience of over three million. As a linguistics student at Harvard College, he founded and served as president of the Harvard Undergraduate Linguistics Society. He’s discussed online language on NPR, repeatedly contributed to The Washington Post, and his work has been mentioned in The New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian. He’s lectured on language and social media at Stanford, Yale, Georgetown, and other top universities, including a TEDx talk at the University of Pennsylvania. Adam is based in New York City, where he spends a lot of time scrolling TikTok for “research.”

Adam Aleksic

Adam Alter is an Associate Professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, and holds an affiliated appointment within the Psychology Department. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces That Shape How We Think, Feel and Behave and has written for The New York Times, New Yorker, Atlantic, Wired, Popular Science and numerous other publications.

Adam Alter

Professor Adam Balen is lead clinician at one of the UK's largest and most successful IVF units at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. In recognition of his research on fertility and related conditions, he holds a DSc (the highest academic degree in medicine) from the University of Leeds. Adam is internationally renowned, holding roles with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the International Federation of Gyneacology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gyneacologists (RCOG). He runs both NHS and private fertility clinics so he understands the issues that arise from both sides and he works closely with fertility patient support organisations across the UK. Adam regularly features in the media on all aspects of reproductive health and lectures widely throughout the world.

Adam Balen

Adam Baron

Adam Bornstein

Adam Brookes grew up in the UK and was a journalist with BBC News for many years. As a foreign correspondent he was based in Indonesia, China and the United States. Along the way he reported from many other countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea. He lives in Washington DC.

Adam Brookes

Adam Buxton

Adam Byatt

Adam Christopher is the New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith and Stranger Things: Darkness on the Edge of Town. He has also written official tie-in novels for the hit CBS television show Elementary and the award-winning Dishonored video game franchise. Co-creator of the twenty-first-century incarnation of Archie Comics superhero The Shield, Adam has also written for the universes of Doctor Who and World of Warcraft, and is a contributor to the internationally bestselling Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View anniversary anthology series and the all-ages Star Wars Adventures comic. Adam’s original novels include Made to Kill and The Burning Dark, among many others, and his debut novel Empire State was both a SciFi Now and Financial Times book of the year.

Adam Christopher

Adam Foulds's most recent books are In the Wolf’s Mouth, The Quickening Maze, which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and won the Encore Award and the European Union Prize for Literature, and The Broken Word, which won the Costa Poetry Award and the Somerset Maugham Award. He has recently been awarded the E.M. Forster Award by the American Academy of Arts and Letters and named as one of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’.

Adam Foulds

Dr Adam Fox is a highly qualified and respected allergy specialist and consultant paediatric allergist and clinical lead for Allergy at Guy's &amp; St Thomas' Hospitals. The Times recently named him as one of Britain's top 100 children’s doctors. 
 
www.allergyfreebabyandtoddler.com

Adam Fox

Adam Frost

Adam Galinsky is currently the Morris and Alice Kaplan Professor of Ethics and Decision in Management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He received his PhD from Princeton University in Social Psychology and his B.A. from Harvard University.

Adam Galinsky

Adam Glasser

Adam Goodfellow

Adam Goodwin

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at The Wharton School, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. His books have sold millions of copies, his TED talks have been viewed more than thirty-five million times, and he hosts the hit podcast Re:Thinking. His pioneering research has challenged widespread assumptions about motivation, success, character, and change, and his viral piece on languishing was the most-read New York Times article of 2021 and the most-saved article across platforms. He has been recognized as the world’s number-two most influential management thinker and one of Fortune’s 40 Under 40, and he has received distinguished scientific achievement awards from the American Psychological Association and the National Science Foundation. Grant received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and he is a former Junior Olympic springboard diver and magician. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Allison Sweet Grant, a novelist and poet; their two cats (who don’t get along); and their three children (who mostly do).

Adam Grant

Adam and Charlotte met in Zanzibar while working with Voluntary Services Overseas. Upon their return to the UK, Charlotte completed an MA at Oxford Brookes and started her career in publishing. Adam in the meantime became writer-in-residence at the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre before co-founding Storytelling Schools, an international organisation dedicated to training teachers in oracy, literacy and creativity. Adam and Charlotte's first book together was the best-selling and award-winning Spaghetti with the Yeti. Since then, Adam and Charlotte have continued to follow their passion for creating engaging books that inspire interaction and creativity in young readers.

Adam Guillain

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Phil Hammond

Tony Gardner

All three series of Phil Hammond and Tony Gardner's award-winning comedy show exploding the myths of medicine 
 
'Very funny indeed' Daily Telegraph 
 
Broadcaster Dr Phil Hammond and actor Tony Gardner are best known for their respective roles in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor and Fresh Meat. But in the 1990s, then junior doctors, they made their names as the comedy double-act Struck Off and Die. A huge hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, the show transferred to radio in 1993, winning both a Writer's Guild and a Sony Award. Mixing dark, irreverent jokes, sardonic sketches and improvised interviews, it demystified the mysterious workings of the medical profession - and 30 years on, it remains as hilarious and relevant as when it was first broadcast. 
 
Series 1 sees the two doctors bringing their scalpel-sharp wit to bear on public and private health care, exposing the plight of the NHS; debunking the widespread myth that 'doctor knows best' and giving us their insiders' view of topics including surgeons, GPs, nurses, and birth and death. 
 
In Series 2, they take a four-part satirical look at Shakespeare's 'Ages of Man', examining the important role doctors play in every stage of our lives. Together, they give us the lowdown on childhood, reveal everything we need to know about sex, consider marriage and the menopause and tell the unexpurgated truth about old age. 
 
And in Series 3, Struck Off and Die's Family Health Companion, Drs Hammond and Gardner tackle issues such as stress, embarrassing sexual problems, the doctor-patient relationship, medical politics and medical training. Plus, there's a speculative probe into the medicine of the future - including doctorless surgeries, do-it-yourself operations and the virtual-reality hospital... 
 
Also included are excerpts from Radio 4's Edinburgh 90, featuring the Struck Off and Die duo entertaining the 1990 Fringe Festival audience with their anarchic insights. 
 
Production credits 
Written by and starring Phil Hammond and Tony Gardner 
With Felicity Montagu, Julian Dutton, Joanna Brookes, Tom Berrington, Philippa Fordham and David Wolstencroft 
Produced by Jon Magnusson and Helen Williams 
Edinburgh 90 produced by Sarah Smith 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 July 1991 (Edinburgh 90), 13 August - 3 September 1993 (Series 1), 19 August - 9 September 1994 (Series 2), 29 March - 3 May 2000 (Series 3) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Struck Off and Die: The Complete Series 1-3

A Classic BBC Radio 4 Sketch Comedy

Various

The tag-team interview show where the celebrity guest becomes the interviewer 
 
A complete collection of the talk show with a twist - the guest each week becomes the interviewer in the following episode. Focusing on the career and passions of a figure in the entertainment world whose work they admire, each interviewer gets to delve into the life of their hero as well as revealing hidden aspects of themselves. 
 
Featuring great British comedians, award-winning actors, and iconic musicians and writers, Chain Reaction serves you double helpings of amazing individuals like Johnny Vegas, Barry Cryer, Lenny Henry, David Tennant, Eddie Izzard, Lee Mack, Ruby Wax, Stephen Merchant, Caitlin Moran, Frankie Boyle, Bob Mortimer, Vic Reeves, Olivia Colman, Katherine Ryan, Ian Hislop, Victoria Coren-Mitchell, Joe Lycett, Sara Pascoe, Tim Vine, and many, many more. 
 
Production credits 
Produced by Tilusha Ghelani, Sam Bryant, Lianne Coop, Ed Morrish, Carl Cooper, Charlie Perkins, Richard Morris and Adnan Ahmed 
 
With: Jenny Eclair, Jimmy Carr, Matt Lucas, Johnny Vegas, Stewart Lee, Alan Moore, Brian Eno, Jo Brand, Barry Cryer, Mark Thomas, Alexei Sayle, Lenny Henry, Bill Bailey, Simon Pegg, Marcus Brigstocke, Clive Anderson, John Lloyd, Phill Jupitus, John Hegley, Jack Dee, Jeremy Hardy, Catherine Tate, David Tennant, Richard Wilson, Arabella Weir, Paul Whitehouse, Robert Llewellyn, Dave Gorman, Frank Skinner, Eddie Izzard, Alastair Campbell, Alistair McGowan, Simon Callow, Ronni Ancona, Lee Mack, Ade Edmondson, Ruby Wax, Harry Shearer, Stephen Merchant, Jarvis Cocker, Rhys Thomas, Simon Day, Peter Hook, John Cooper Clarke, Kevin Eldon, Mark Steel, Barry Davies, Jeremy Front, Rebecca Front, Chris Addison, Derren Brown, Tim Minchin, Caitlin Moran, Jennifer Saunders, Terry Christian, Kevin Bridges, Frankie Boyle, Grant Morrison, Neil Innes, Graham Linehan, Adam Buxton, Reece Shearsmith, Bob Mortimer, Vic Reeves, Olivia Colman, Sharon Horgan, Dennis Kelly, Ed Byrne, Al Murray, Ian Hislop, Victoria Coren-Mitchell, Sandi Toksvig, Roy Hudd, Alison Steadman, Sara Cox, Joe Lycett, Katherine Ryan, Sara Pascoe, Harry Hill, Tim Vine, Ken Dodd 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 30 December 2004 - 27 March 2017 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Chain Reaction

The Complete BBC Radio 4 Hostless Chat Show

Susan Calman

Susan Calman hosts this BBC Radio panel game exploring the wonderful world of lists 
 
Presented by writer, comedian and self-confessed listomaniac Susan Calman, this hilarious show celebrates the power of the humble list - from 'Buzzfeed' to 'bucket' and everything in between. 
 
Accompanying Susan for a spot of comic categorising are a panel of special guests, including Lucy Porter, Joe Lycett, Richard Herring, Katherine Ryan, James Acaster, Miles Jupp, Lucy Beaumont, Nat Luurtsema, Alun Cochrane, Sarah Millican, Ricky Wilson, Roisin Conaty and Isy Suttie. Together, they participate in a variety of anarchic games themed around lists both magnificent and mundane. 
 
What would be on Mary Poppins' to-do list? What things should you resolutely avoid doing before you die? And can you tell the difference between a list of 'My Little Pony' names and a list of illegal narcotics? All these questions, and more, are tackled by the plucky panellists, who are also challenged to improvise their own quickfire lists, including 'fresh quirks for a TV detective', 'new additions to the Ten Commandments' and 'Disney dwarves that were left out of the final 7'. 
 
Full of great gags, diverting topics and off-the-wall trivia, Listomania is sure to make your list of favourite radio comedy shows - so grab a pen and paper and join in the fun! 
 
Production credits 
 
Presented by Susan Calman 
Written by James Kettle, Gráinne Maguire, Sarah Campbell, Sian Harries and Juliet Meyers, with additional material by Max Davis and Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch 
 
Produced by Adnan Ahmed, Sam Bryant and Jane Berthoud 
 
With: Lucy Porter, Joe Lycett, Richard Herring, Katherine Ryan, Dane Baptiste, Elis James, Aisling Bea, Celia Pacquola, Holly Walsh, Lloyd Langford, Sara Cox, James Acaster, Miles Jupp, Jocelyn Jee Esien, Lucy Beaumont, Nat Luurtsema, Alun Cochrane, Sarah Millican, Andrew O'Neill, Ricky Wilson, Roisin Conaty, Isy Suttie, Gary Delaney 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 June 2014 (Pilot), 19 February-26 March 2015 (Series 1) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Susan Calman’s Listomania

A BBC Radio 2 panel show

BBC Radio Comedy

Proving that yesterday's news is every bit as entertaining as today's, these 14 archive episodes of the long-running BBC Radio 4 panel show are chaired by Barry Took, Simon Hoggart and Sandi Toksvig. 
 
Spanning the years from 1979 to 2011, this latest selection of sharp and funny editions take in three governments, five Prime Ministers, several Royal Weddings, six US Presidents, and countless column inches of amusing cuttings sent in by listeners. 
 
Joining regular panellists Alan Coren, Richard Ingrams, Jeremy Hardy and Andy Hamilton are a newsworthy collection of guest players including Clive James, Gillian Reynolds, Claire Rayner, Sue Cook, Ian Hislop, John Wells, Roy Hattersley, Miles Kington, Barry Cryer, Peter Cook, David Aaronovitch, Francis Wheen, Tony Hawks, Linda Smith, John Sergeant, Nigella Lawson, Jeremy Vine, Hugo Rifkind, Paul Sinha, Miles Jupp, Milton Jones, Susan Calman and many more. 
 
Included among the programmes is a bonus-length seasonal News Quiz of the Year from 1979 and the debut appearance of much-loved panellist Linda Smith. The original transmission dates are 23/12/1979, 25/07/1981, 24/01/1987, 20/05/1989, 20/10/1990, 16/05/1992, 17/05/1997, 21/02/1998, 21/05/1999, 09/06/2000, 04/02/2005, 30/10/2009, 12/02/2010 and 08/10/2011. 
 
Cast and credits 
Chaired by Barry Took, Simon Hoggart, Sandi Toksvig 
 
Featuring David Aaronovitch, Tony Banks, Susan Calman, Bob Chesshyre, Peter Cook, Sue Cook, Alan Coren, Barry Cryer, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Roy Hattersley, Tony Hawks, Ian Hislop, Richard Ingrams, Clive James, Milton Jones, Miles Jupp, Miles Kington, Nigella Lawson, Bob Mills, Stan McMurtry, Claire Rayner, Gillian Reynolds, Hugo Rifkind, John Sergeant, Paul Sinha, Linda Smith, Will Smith, Jeremy Vine, John Wells, Francis Wheen, Martin Young 
 
Newsreaders: Carolyn Brown, Peter Donaldson, Eugene Fraser, Charlotte Green, John Marsh, Brian Perkins, Rory Morrison, David Simons, Catriona Young 
 
Produced by Lucy Armitage, Sam Bryant, Aled Evans, Danny Greenstone, Victoria Lloyd, Diane Messias, Jon Rolph, Colin Swash, Harry Thompson, Katie Tyrrell 
 
Written by Angela Barnes, Lucy Clarke, Dave Cohen, Rhodri Crooks, Miriam Ella, Gareth Gwynn, Tom Jamieson, Paul Kerensa, John Langdon, Simon Littlefield, Alan Nixon, Matthew Norton, Iain Pattinson, Benjamin Partridge, George Poles, John-Luke Roberts, Hugh Ryecroft, David Spicer, Robert Fraser Steele, Danielle Ward 
 
Episode selection by Michael Stevens 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The News Quiz: Another Classic Collection

Highlights from the topical Radio 4 comedy panel show

Seven series of sensational live stand-up comedy from the nineties and noughties 
 
Stand-up fans rejoice - this cracking collection contains a whole seven series of top-drawer comedy, recorded live at London and Manchester's legendary Comedy Store and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Enjoy over eleven hours of laughs from some of the biggest and best stand-ups on the circuit, hosted by three fantastically funny compères: Simon Bligh, Ross Noble and Adam Hills. 
 
Included here is an A-Z of top-drawer comic talent, from Dan Antopolski to Andy Zaltzman, by way of Richard Ayoade, John Bishop, Alan Carr, Omid Djalili, Noel Fielding, Rhod Gilbert, Reginald D Hunter, Shaparak Khorsandi, Sean Lock, Lee Mack, Dara Ó Briain, Lucy Porter, Gina Yashere and a host of other peerless performers. 
 
It's all the fun of a comedy club, without the need to leave your armchair - just sit back and laugh along as these classic comic talents work their inimitable magic on stage. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Simon Bligh (Series 1-3), Ross Noble (Series 4-5) and Adam Hills (Series 6-7) 
Produced by Helen Williams, Simon Nicholls and Tilusha Ghelani 
 
Featuring: Dan Antopoloski, Richard Ayoade, Sue Beard, Mitch Benn, John Bishop, Adam Bloom, Simon Bligh, Spencer Brown, Ed Byrne, Tina C (aka Chris Green), Rhona Cameron, Craig Campbell, Alan Carr, Jo Caulfield, Pat Condell, Hal Cruttenden, Rob Deering, Felix Dexter, Omid Djalili, Jo Enright, Simon Evans, Noel Fielding, Toby Foster, Rhod Gilbert, Ronnie Golden, Boothby Graffoe, Steve Gribbin, Rainer Hersch, Adam Hills, Dominic Holland, Pierre Hollins, Reginald D Hunter, Robin Ince, Milton Jones, Sarah Kendall, Shaparak Khorsandi, Matt King, Gary Le Strange (aka Waen Shepherd), Sean Lock, Mark Maier, John Mann, Andrew Maxwell, Veronica McKenzie, Sean Meo, Lee Mack, Ian Moore, Justin Moorhouse, Julia Morris, Richard Morton, Phil Nichol, Ross Noble, Dara Ó Briain, David O'Doherty, John Oliver, Luke Ponte, Lucy Porter, Greg Proops, Howard Read, Michael Redmond, Junior Simpson, Ian Stone, Tommy Tiernan, Paul Tonkinson, Jayne Tunnicliffe, Gavin Webster, Matt Welcome, Jason Wood, Glenn Wool, Gina Yashere, Andy Zaltzman 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 8-29 December 1998 (Series 1), 30 December 1999-6 January 2000 (Series 2), 27 December 2001-17 January 2002 (Series 3), 15 May-5 June 2002 (Series 4), 19 December 2002-9 January 2003 (Series 5), 31 July-7 August 2003 (Series 6), 14-21 August 2003 and 8 January 2004 (4 at the Fringe), 1 January and 15-29 January 2004 (Series 7) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

4 at the Store

Nineties and Noughties stand-up comedy from BBC Radio 4

Stephen Sheridan

James Grout stars as a hapless vicar who discovers that life behind suburbia's net curtains is more exciting than he'd expected 
 
After being mugged by a pair of pensioners outside the Darby &amp; Joan Club, the Reverend Timothy Carswell has had enough of his rough, tough inner-city parish. Convinced that someone so meek would be better suited somewhere quieter, the Bishop packs him off to a nice, sedate, residential neighbourhood where nothing ever seems to happen. 
 
However, unbeknownst to the vicar, his apparently respectable new parish is a hotbed of passion, paranormal experimentation and geriatric prostitution. Under the thumb of his dour Scottish housekeeper, Mrs Muir, who keeps him busy writing long, tedious sermons, he fails to notice the many crimes being committed under his very nose - including burglary, arson and even murder. But when his congregation is stolen by the charismatic American preacher, Elijah Hornblower, he finally realises that something is afoot - and he'll have to fight fire with fire if he wants to keep his flock... 
 
Written by acclaimed dramatist Stephen Sheridan, this dry, darkly funny sitcom stars James Grout as Rev Carswell, with Sarah Thomas and Elizabeth Mansfield as Mrs Muir. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Stephen Sheridan 
Produced by Lissa Evans 
 
Cast 
Rev Timothy Carswell - James Grout 
Miss Tilling - Margaret Courtenay 
Miss Tapp/Emily Ford - Jean Heywood 
Dr Warlock/Bishop - Christopher Good 
Mrs Muir - Sarah Thomas/Elizabeth Mansfield 
Mrs Knatchbull - Maxine Audley 
Cudlipp/Mugger/Critchley - Fraser Kerr 
Mugger's accomplice/Miss Shaw - Auriol Smith 
Edwin - Robert Lang 
Jeremy - Christian Robinson 
David - Tobias Best 
Mr Rainbird - David Bannerman 
Constable/Eric - Ian Lindsay 
Mrs Garland - Rosemary Martin 
Arnold - Cyril Shaps 
Captain Van Thal - Donald Pickering 
Hilary - Jacqueline Tong 
Miss Willow - Patricia Hayes 
Keith - Brian Bowles 
Maria - Sarah Souster 
Guy/Jehovah's Witness - Angus Wright 
Simon Garland - Daniel Strauss 
Mr Vaughan - Michael Turner 
Mr Shaw - Ronald Herdman 
Rev Hornblower - Garrick Hagon 
Mr Widlake - Brian Miller 
Mrs Widlake - Bernadine Corrigan 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 26 February-2 April 1991 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Secret Life of Rosewood Avenue

A BBC Radio 4 comedy

Nigel Rees

The last ever episodes of the acclaimed quotations quiz, devised and introduced by Nigel Rees - including the historic 500th show 
 
Ever since 1976, Quote... Unquote chairman Nigel Rees has quizzed a host of well-known personalities on the origins of popular sayings, both familiar and obscure, and encouraged them to contribute their own quotes, anecdotes and catchphrases. But - to paraphrase Chaucer - all good things must come to an end, and with Series 57, the long-running panel game takes its final bow. 
 
Among the household names gracing the stage in these final eighteen episodes are comedians Ken Cheng, Shazia Mirza and Sophie Duker, actors Steve Pemberton and Paterson Joseph, authors Juno Dawson, Luke Jennings and Victoria Hislop, lyricist Tim Rice, presenters Konnie Huq and Dame Esther Rantzen and journalist Jonathan Freedland (aka thriller writer Sam Bourne). 
 
Their quota of quotations to identify ranges from memorable lines from the worlds of literature, film and music, to comic catchphrases, famous last words and evergreen epitaphs. There's also an opportunity for the panellists to share the brilliant bon mots they wish they'd said, and dispense their favourite family sayings and the nuggets of wisdom that they've picked up over the years. 
 
Also included in this release is 'Quote... Unquote: A Celebration', a special episode marking the end of an era for the long-running literary panel game. 
 
So join Nigel and guests for a feast of aphorisms, epigrams, wisecracks and witty rejoinders, and prepare to be inspired, amazed and thoroughly entertained. 
 
 
Production credits 
Devised and introduced by Nigel Rees 
Quotes read by Sally Grace, Charlotte Green and Alison Skilbeck 
Produced by Simon Nicholls, Victoria Lloyd and Ella Watts 
Production Coordinators: Candace Wilson and Gwyn Davies 
Theme tune: 'Duddley Dell', written and performed by Dudley Moore 
Sound design: Hedley Knights 
A BBC Studios Production 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Quote…Unquote

Series 55, 56 & 57 of the classic comedy panel show

Tim Firth

Noel Coward

William Chaucer

E F Benson

M. R. James

W.W.Jacobs

Classic plays and ghost stories, as performed by the residents of Ambridge and friends - plus bonus drama Dead Girls Tell No Tales 
 
Borsetshire's queen of amateur theatricals, Lynda Snell, never misses the chance to put on a Christmas show. Her productions are always a big hit with Ambridge audiences - and now, Archers fans can enjoy these top-notch performances alongside them (as well as eavesdropping on the shenanigans backstage). 
 
In Blithe Spirit, the Ambridge Am-Dram Society and guest star Julian Rhind-Tutt recreate Noël Coward's ghostly masterpiece, and Lynda finds herself in sympathy with eccentric medium Madame Arcati as she attempts to conjure some festive high spirits. Calendar Girls sees the group taking on Tim Firth's comedy of jam and Jerusalem, along with honorary resident Siân Phillips (who starred in the original West End show). Will the intrepid cast really bare all? And in the 2-parter The Canterbury Tales, the company present barnstorming adaptations of Chaucer's classic stories of courtly love, deadly rivalry and boisterous sex - with a little bit of magic thrown in. 
 
In Ambridge Ghost Stories, it's a cold December night, in the darkened attic of Lower Loxley. Then Jim Llloyd (John Rowe) takes to the stage to recount three spine-chilling supernatural tales from the turn of the last century - 'The Room in the Tower' by E. F. Benson, 'Lost Hearts' by M. R. James and 'The Monkey's Paw' by W. W. Jacobs. Prepare to be enthralled - and terrified... 
 
Also included are two special seasonal pageants, The Ambridge Mystery Plays- The Nativity and The Passion and a stunning original drama by Joanna Toye. Starring Eleanor Tomlinson and Ysette Churchman and Miles Jupp Dead Girls Tell No Tales explores the real story behind the death of Grace Archer: a watershed moment in the history of broadcasting and one of the defining cultural events of the 1950s. 
 
Production credits 
Blithe Spirit 
Written by Noël Coward 
Adapted and directed by Sean O'Connor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2014 
 
Calendar Girls 
The accompanying pianist was Simon Taranczuk 
Written by Tim Firth and based on the motion picture Calendar Girls written by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi. Adapted and directed by Sean O'Connor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 December 2015 
 
The Canterbury Tales, Parts 1 &amp; 2 
Tellers of the Tales 
The Knight's Tale 
The Miller's Tale 
The Wife of Bath's Tale 
The Sailor's Tale 
The Pardoner's Tale 
The Friar's Tale 
The Franklin's Tale 
The Bailiff's Tale 
Written by Geoffrey Chaucer 
Dramatised by Nick Warburton. Directed by Kim Greengrass. Produced by Alison Hindell 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 December 2018-5 January 2019 
 
The Ambridge Mystery Plays 
The Nativity 
The Passion 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26th December 2021 &amp; 2nd January 2022 
 
Ambridge Ghost Stories 
Abridged by Jeremy Osborne 
 
'The Room in the Tower' written by E F Benson 
Produced and directed by Charlotte Davey 
 
'Lost Hearts' written by M. R. James 
Produced and directed by Mel Ward 
 
'The Monkey's Paw' written by W. W. Jacobs 
Produced and directed by Charlotte Davey 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 2019-1 January 2020 
 
Dead Girls Tell No Tales 
Cast: Jon Culshaw, Pam Ferris, Lex Shrapnel, Eleanor Tomlinson, Georgie Fuller, Geoffrey Streatfeild, Sally Bretton, Simon Russell Beale, John Hopkins, Claudie Blakley, David Reed, Miles Jupp, Zeb Soanes, Paddy O'Connell, Ysanne Churchman, David Hounslow, Sam Dale, Chris Pavlo, Jessica Turner and Alex Tregear 
Written by Joanna Toye. Directed by Sean O'Connor 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 September 2015 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Archers: The Ambridge Players

Six BBC full-cast drama productions including Blithe Spirit, Calendar Girls & More

Bob Monkhouse

Denis Goodwin

A bumper collection of classic selected episodes and extracts from vintage variety show Calling All Forces 
 
Broadcasting on the BBC Light Programme from December 1950 until July 1952, 'Calling All Forces' was the biggest show of its day, attracting the biggest names of the time. Written by a young Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin, it became a showcase for aspiring young comedians including Peter Sellers, Tony Hancock, Jimmy Edwards, Cyril Fletcher, Benny Hill, Kenneth Horne, Bill Kerr and Bob Monkhouse himself. 
 
Brilliantly hosted by comedian Ted Ray, the show features a mix of stand up comedy, music and sketches guest-starring well-known TV and film actors of the day. Peter Sellers tries out some early Goons characters, Tony Hancock steps in to co-host with Charlie Chester in the days before Hancock's Half Hour, and Bob Monkhouse steps on stage to perform some of his own material at the age of just 23. Sit back and enjoy musical hits from The Stargazers, songs performed by the 'Forces Sweetheart' Carole Carr, and amazing feats of recollection from 'The Memory Man' Leslie Welch as he answers sports questions sent in by British Forces stationed overseas. This rare collection offers a slice of post-war history, a window into pop culture in the British military forces of the time, and a fascinating look back at the early careers of our comedy greats. 
 
This uproarious compilation also includes two bonus episodes of Fletcher's Fare, plus two episodes of The Forces Show - the successor to Calling All Forces, also written by Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin. 
 
Written by Bob Monkhouse and Denis Goodwin 
Linking material written by Martin Gibbons and read by Roy McMillan 
With thanks to the Estate of Bob Monkhouse, to the Tony Hancock Appreciation Society, and to Kaleidoscope for providing these audio recordings. 
 
Please note: due to the age of these recordings, the sound quality may vary. 
The humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and may not reflect current attitudes. 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Calling All Forces

The vintage BBC variety show

Jeremy Hardy

'The master of quietly inflammatory comedy' - The Evening Standard 
 
'Made me drop the kettle in shock, but worth it' - The Daily Telegraph 
 
Few can forget where they were in September 1993 when they first heard Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation. The show was an immediate smash-hit success, causing pubs to empty on a Saturday night, which was particularly astonishing since the show went out on Thursdays. Since that fateful first series, the show has gone on to win Sony awards, Writers Guild nominations and a Nobel Prize for Chemistry with lines like - "Kids should never be fashion slaves, especially in the Far East. My 12-year old daughter asked me for a new pair of trainers. I told her she was old enough to go out and make her own". 
 
Included here are all ten series of Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation, with episodes on topics like "How To Stay Alive As Long As You Possibly Can", "How To Have A Baby", and "How To Confront The Vexed Issue Of British Identity Without Getting In The Most Fearful Bate About The Whole Thing". 
 
This bumper collection also includes Jeremy Hardy's New Year Cavalcade - an unmissable meditation on everything Yule and a healthy dose of comic Bisodol to flush away the memory of driving up the motorway for seven hours in the dark to spend quantity time with your family - and the memorial programme When Jeremy Hardy Spoke to the Nation. Not quite a biography, not quite a documentary, this final programme is narrated by his great friend and colleague Sandi Toksvig, and shines a light on how and why the man once described as 'an incendiary vicar' stayed so funny and so beloved for over 30 years. 
 
Produced and directed by David Tyler. 
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4. 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation: The Complete Series 1-10

The BBC Radio 4 comedy series

Bridget Christie

The collected radio shows of award-winning stand-up comedian Bridget Christie 
 
'The current queen of crusading UK comedy' - Guardian 
 
Writer, actress and stand-up star Bridget Christie has won numerous awards, performed 12 hit Edinburgh Festival Fringe shows and written the critically-acclaimed comic memoir A Book for Her. She's also created three hilarious and thought-provoking radio series, all of which are included here. 
 
In Bridget Christie Minds the Gap, she gives us her personal take on feminism, asking why it became a dirty word and whether women still need it. From a bookshop fart to the 'Bic for Her' and a fish called Michael, she recalls the key incidents which led her to an epiphany and a call to arms - with the help of token man Fred MacAulay. And in Series 2, she takes her activism to a new level as she deconstructs a yoghurt ad, tries to find an icon who doesn't replace the word 'feminism' with 'bootylicious', and reveals the consequences of wearing an 'End FGM' badge on a popular TV show... 
 
Bridget Christie's Utopia sees her embarking on a comic quest for her Shangri-La. Worried about world events - melting polar ice-caps, Brexit, Donald Trump - she attempts to find a way of living that will calm her anxiety. In these four episodes, she explores political disengagement, spirituality, a new life in the country and being mega-rich: but will any of them make her happy? 
 
And in Bridget Christie: Mortal, recorded from her home during lockdown, she turns her attention to the metaphysical questions we all spend our life avoiding (while being interrupted by cats, chores, children and her own dead self from beyond the grave). Do twins share a soul, or do they get one each? How do you live in the moment? And who's blocked the toilet again? Covering 'Birth', 'Death', 'Life', and 'The Afterlife', this informal, personal series will appeal to anyone mortal. 
 
 
Written and performed by Bridget Christie 
 
Bridget Christie Minds the Gap 
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith and Alexandra Smith 
With Fred MacAulay 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7-28 March 2013 (Series 1), 8-29 January 2015 
 
Bridget Christie's Utopia 
Recorded in front of a live studio audience at the BBC Radio Theatre 
Produced by Simon Nicholls and Alison Vernon-Smith 
With special guests Mike Christie, Leyla Hussein, Sister Agatha and Fran Blockley 
A BBC Studios production 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7-28 February 2018 
 
Bridget Christie: Mortal 
Produced by Carl Cooper 
Sound mixer: Olga M. Reed 
With guest appearances from Bridget Christie's dad, sister Eileen and friend Ash 
A BBC Studios production 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 13 April-4 May 2021 
 
Photo: Tash Pszenicki 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Bridget Christie: A BBC Radio 4 Stand-Up Comedy Collection

Bridget Christie Minds the Gap, Utopia & Mortal

John Finnemore

The complete ninth series of BBC Radio 4's award-winning sketch show 
 
'One of our best sketch writers' Observer 
 
John Finnemore returns with his multi-award-winning sketch show, but this series is very different to the previous eight. There are still sketches and songs, and it's still written and performed by him and his usual fantastic ensemble cast - but with no live studio audience, John has taken the opportunity to try something new. 
 
Each episode in this series of Souvenir Programme consists of scenes from one person's life, played in reverse order. There's no narrative as such - it's still a sketch show - but as we follow the characters back in time, from lockdown Zoom calls to childhood birthdays and funerals, the individual sketches link up to form an overall picture, portraying the sprawling history of an entire multi-generational family. 
 
And, as if that wasn't enough, there are also some terrific tall tales, a paean of praise, and a truly unforgettable earworm... 
 
Clever, complex, hilarious and poignant, these Souvenir Programmes with a twist star Lawry Lewin as Russ, Margaret Cabourn-Smith as Deborah, Simon Kane as Jerry, Carrie Quinlan as Vanessa and John Finnemore as Newt. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written and performed by John Finnemore 
Ensemble cast: Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin, Carrie Quinlan 
Original music composed by Susannah Pearse and Sally Stares, and arranged by Susannah Pearse and Tim Sutton 
Recorded and edited by Rich Evans at Syncbox Post 
Production coordinator: Beverly Tagg 
Producer: Ed Morrish 
A BBC Studios production 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme: Series 9

The BBC Radio 4 comedy sketch show

Lynda Bellingham

Gwyneth Strong

Joanna Monro

The first ever all-female BBC radio 2 sketch show 
 
Three top actresses show off their comedic talents in the very first all-women sketch show written for BBC Radio 2. In these six episodes, Lynda Bellingham, Gwyneth Strong and Joanna Monro present a feast of skits and music with a distinctly feminist flavour. 
 
Highlights include the 'Classic Serial' strand, featuring strangely familiar titles such as Madame Ovary, Lady Chatterbox's Lover and Donna Karenina; and 'The History of Feminism', in which we learn the truth about Florence Nightingale, suffragettes, women drivers and Boadicea. 
 
Voyage into space with the Starship Menopause, boldly going where no middle-aged woman has gone before; thrill to the adventures of special agent Jane Blonde, as she takes on evil gynaecologist Coldfinger; and don't miss consumer report show Whichdog's probing investigations into faulty relationships and alien abductions. 
 
There's also a look back to the days before DNA testing, the launch of the new, life-like 'My Little Husband' toy, a glimpse of life in an Australian women's prison, a guide to putting the action back into admin - and the real stories of Goldilocks and Sleeping Beauty. 
 
With quirky, catchy songs from Britain's Got Talent star Lorraine Bowen, plus jokes, spoofs and sketches galore, Heated Rollers' smooth comic stylings will create waves of fun and laughter. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Starring Lynda Bellingham, Gwyneth Strong and Joanna Monro 
Written by Nev Fountain, Caroline Gold, Mark Daydy, Simon Blackwell, Clare Summerskill, Bryony Lavery and Lesley Ann Albiston 
Music composed and performed by the Lorraine Bowen Experience 
Script editor: Felix Riley 
Produced by Maria Esposito 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 2, 27 February-3 April 1999

Heated Rollers

A BBC Radio Comedy show

Joan Bakewell

Humphrey Carpenter

Francine Stock

Matthew Parris

Well-known personalities pick their favourite entertainers for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives 
 
One of the BBC's most acclaimed programmes, Great Lives has been a regular Radio 4 fixture for 20 years, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. Every week, a famous name is invited into the studio to nominate a figure from the past who has inspired them, and discuss their subject with the presenter and a guest expert. 
 
Included in this special collection, marking the programme's 20th anniversary, are the very best episodes featuring the lives of entertainers - artists, comedians, clowns, magicians, sporting heroes and stars of stage and screen. Among them, Julian Clary champions Noël Coward, Anthony Horowitz advocates Alfred Hitchcock, Penelope Keith puts forward Morecambe and Wise and David Bailey plumps for Pablo Picasso. Here, the lives of the celebrity guests are as intriguing as those of the people they pick: as is also the case with Alan Davies on Richard Beckinsale, Mica Paris on Josephine Baker, Ken Dodd on Stan Laurel, Mark Gatiss on Peter Cushing and many, many others. 
 
From Simon Callow on Orson Welles, to Fiona Shaw on Eleonora Duse, these engaging episodes put some of the world's best-known entertainers under the spotlight, examining their achievements and probing their personalities to find out what made them so inspiring, influential and extraordinary. 
 
 
List of episode and date of first broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
 Umm Kulthum 22.11.02 
 Tommy Cooper 14.11.03 
 Charles M Schulz 15.4.05 
 Mae West 7.10.05 
 Morecambe &amp; Wise 4.4.06 
 Noël Coward 18.4.06 
 Johnny Weissmuller 9.5.06 
 Tamara Karsavina 23.5.06 
 Max Miller 15.8.06 
 Joan Littlewood 5.1.07 
 Richard Beckinsale 9.1.07 
 Lilian Baylis 7.8.07 
 Thora Hird 11.12.07 
 Groucho Marx 15.1.08 
 Peter Cushing 1.4.08 
 Joyce Grenfell 20.5.08 
 Richard Pryor 12.8.08 
 Harry Houdini 22.9.09 
 Gerald Durrell 27.9.11 
 Stan Laurel 4.9.12 
 Pablo Picasso 19.01.10 
 John Ford 08.05.12 
 Karel Reisz 11.09.12 
 Dave Allen 14.01.14 
 Lucille Ball 30.09.14 
 Alfred Hitchcock 05.04.16 
 Joseph Grimwaldi 31.05.16 
 Gracie Fields 02.08.16 
 Orson Welles 08.05.18 
 Josephine Baker 15.05.18 
 Eleonora Duse 10.09.19 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Presented by Humphrey Carpenter and Matthew Parris 
Produced by John Byrne, Christine Hall, Beatrice Fenton, Perminder Khatkar, Miles Warde, Toby Field, Mary Ward-Lowery, Lucy Lunt, Jolyon Jenkins, Sarah Langan, Tim Dee, Maggie Ayre, Peter Everett, Mark Smalley, Camellia Sinclair, Beth O'Dea

Great Entertainers' Lives

A BBC biography collection

Alfie Moore

Ever wondered what sort of a police officer you might make? 
 
In Series 4-6, Alfie dives into deeper topics than before. How many times were you filmed without your knowledge today? What is the legacy of ASBOs? Alfie takes the audience with him as he navigates the twisted world of government surveillance. 
 
Alfie Moore spent 18 years on the Humberside police force before turning to stand-up comedy. In each episode of this live stand-up show, he takes his audience through a scenario based on a real-life case and tasks them with deciding how they would have acted in the circumstances. 
 
Along the way Alfie spills the beans on what it's really like to be one of Britain's finest, tells us some great anecdotes about law breakers and makers that he's come across and gets his audience to divulge secrets about their own, sometimes less than strictly law-abiding lives. 
 
Series 4: 
1. The Wrath of Zeus 
2. Office Banter 
3. Hedgerow Hedge Row 
4. Pass the Person 
5. Misper Mervyn 
 
Series 5: 
1. Police Complaints 
2. Babysitter 
3. Wild Westwood 
4. Informant 
 
Series 6: 
1. Dog Theft 
2. Malicious Communication 
3. Sudden Death 
4. Vehicle Stop 
5. Exposure 
6. Policing Covid 
 
Written and performed by Alfie Moore. 
Produced by Alison Vernon-Smith. 
 
© 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

It’s a Fair Cop: Series 4-6

The BBC Radio 4 stand-up comedy

Vikram Seth

A BBC Radio 3 dramatisation of Vikram Seth's verse novel about the lives and loves of a group of twentysomethings in 1980s San Francisco 
 
Award-winning novelist Vikram Seth is renowned worldwide for his magnum opus A Suitable Boy. But his dazzling debut, though less well-known, is equally innovative, masterly and ambitious. First published in 1986. and inspired by Pushkin's Eugene Onegin, it is written entirely in verse, comprising almost 600 stanzas of rhyming sonnets. 
 
This epic poem focusses on the interconnected stories of five young professionals, as they make their way in the 'unfettered city' of San Francisco in the '80s. There's lonely computer engineer John; his sculptor ex-girlfriend Jan, a drummer in a heavy-metal band; his best friend Phil, a divorced dad who's turned his back on Silicon Valley to become a peacenik; lawyer Liz, devoted to her cranky, elderly cat Charlemagne and Ed, Liz's brother, a fervent Christian torn between his faith and his homosexuality. 
 
We follow them from coffee shops to concerts, parties to peace protests, Sonoma Valley wineries to singles bars as they forge (and break) friendships, flirt, date, start relationships, split up and try again with someone new. Their search for romance, fulfilment and self-realisation - for 'someone who will do for love, and who may love us too' - will bring them happiness, heartbreak, joy and pain... 
 
Not merely a portrait of youthful love and loss, but also of a time and a place - San Francisco at its zenith, before gentrification and the tech giants took over - Seth's delightful verse narrative is by turns funny, playful, lyrical and profound. This BBC Radio 3 adaptation, first broadcast in 1999, stars Mark Leake as John, with Barbara Barnes as Liz, Laurel Lefkow as Jan and Michael Neil as Phil. 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Vikram Seth 
Produced by Ekene Akalawu 
 
Cast 
John - Mark Leake 
Liz - Barbara Barnes 
Jan - Laurel Lefkow 
Phil - Michael Neil 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3, 7-11 June 1999 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Golden Gate

A BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

Colin Murphy

David Booth

Matthew Collins

Three series of the radio show blending comedy, science and stupid questions - plus Edinburgh Special 
 
What do you get if you put a comedian, a scientist and an internet expert in a room together? The answer is Great Unanswered Questions, a panel game in which resident funnyman Colin Murphy teams up with brainiac Dr David Booth and computer geek Matthew Collins to tackle ludicrous questions and provide the correct (or at least the funniest) answers. 
 
Each show features a guest comedian, and as Colin presents them with a quirky query to riff on, David attempts to offer some sense amidst the nonsense. Meanwhile, Matthew trawls the world wide web to find interesting and illuminating content and add some facts to the fun. 
 
Could pigs fly? Which wakes up first - you, or your eyes? Why do pizzas come in a square box? How much fat do you need to become bullet-proof? And does each of us have the potential to be a bright sparkling diamond? 
 
Among the comics answering the unanswerable are Jo Caulfield, Phill Jupitus, Dara O'Briain, Ardal O'Hanlon, Jason Manford and Holly Walsh. And in a special Edinburgh Festival show, Andrew Maxwell joins the team to inform, educate and entertain. You may not get the answers you were expecting, but you'll certainly have a few laughs... 
 
Cast and credits 
Presented by Colin Murphy, Dr David Booth and Matthew Collins 
Produced by Jackie Hamilton 
 
With: Jo Caulfield, Phill Jupitus, Stephen Grant, Tony Law, Dara O'Briain, Neil Delamere, Adam Bloom, Ardal O'Hanlon, Craig Hill, Jason Manford, Martin Mór, Carl Donnelly, PJ Gallagher, Holly Walsh, Dermot Whelan and Andrew Maxwell, 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 3-24 November 2008 (Series 1), 20 September-25 October 2010 (Series 2), 30 May-3 June 2011 (Series 3), 24 August 2011 (Edinburgh Special) 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Great Unanswered Questions: Series 1-3

A BBC Radio Comedy panel show

Tom Neenan

Modern technology is terrifying. The average smartphone carries out three-point-three-six billion instructions per second. The average person can only carry out one instruction in that time. Stop and think about that for a second. Sorry, that's two instructions; you won't be able to do that. 
 
But what if modern technology was... literally terrifying? What if there really was a ghost in the machine? Travel through the bad gateway in this modern ghost story as award-winning writer and performer Tom Neenan ("The Mash Report", "Spitting Image") discovers what horrors may lurk in our apps and gadgets... 
 
With a full cast including Nina Sosanya (W1A, His Dark Materials), Julian Rhind-Tutt (Green Wing), Andy Nyman (Fiddler On the Roof, Ghost Stories), Freya Parker (Lazy Susan) &amp; Georgie Glen (Call The Midwife, The Thick Of It) 
 
In the first episode of series 3 - hang on, let me just put you on hold... 
 
In Show 2, Tom &amp; Heidi are trapped in a terrifying situation - and have to make a horrifying decision... 
 
In the next episode, a brand-new exercise bike means Tom has to stay ahead of the pack - in every sense... 
 
... and in the final episode, we discover there is something even worse than a nightmare as sweet dreams turn very very sour... 
 
 
This show comes from Pozzitive, proud producers of Cabin Pressure, John Finnemore's Double Acts, Thanks A Lot, Milton Jones!, Agendum, Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive &amp; Kevin Eldon Will See You Now...

The Hauntening

The Complete Series 3 of the BBC Radio 4 Comedy

Tom Allen

All four episodes of Tom Allen's brilliant BBC Radio 4 show - plus two series of The Correspondent 
 
Award-winning comedian Tom Allen is one of Britain's best and brightest stand-ups. He's appeared on Mock the Week, The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice and Live at the Apollo, toured several sell-out solo shows, starred in his own TV pilot and even written an autobiography. 
 
He's always seemed pleasant and polite on the surface: but the truth is, he's a monster - or so he says. In Tom Allen's Actually Not Very Nice, he stages a stand-up intervention to find out what turned him from sweet to naughty, and how he can get back on the straight and narrow. With help from his friend Gabby Best, and the studio audience, Tom works out how best to navigate some tricky social situations - like sacking your personal trainer, dealing with other people's children, sitting through an entire play and being set up on a date. Can he learn how to keep a lid on his fury in the face of life's small injustices? 
 
Also included in this collection are Series 1 and 2 of The Correspondent - eight bittersweet comic monologues charting Tom's professional and domestic misadventures. From handling the frustrations of his horrible job to coping with his family at Aunt Leslie's funeral, Tom's life is just one long round of miserable mundanity. But there are welcome distractions with the discovery of a new mystery friend in the workplace, and the possibility of finding love online. 
 
And in a bonus programme from Radio 5 Live's in-depth interview show, Headliners, Tom chats to Nihal Arthanayake about growing up in '90s suburbia, coming out and his hilarious memoir No Shame - as well as revealing what he thinks of Nihal's newest dessert recipe... 
 
Tom Allen Is Actually Not Very Nice 
Written by Tom Allen 
Featuring Gabby Best 
Produced by Richard Morris 
A BBC Studios Production 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5-26 December 2019 
 
The Correspondent 
Written by Tom Allen and Jon Hoggarth 
Produced by Victoria Lloyd 
First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 26 March-16 April 2007 (Series 1), and BBC Radio 4, 21 January-11 February 2009 (Series 2) 
 
Headliners: Tom Allen 
Presented by Nihal Arthanayake 
With Tom Allen 
First broadcast BBC Radio 5Live, 12 November 2020 
 
Photo credit: Aemen Sukkar 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Tom Allen is Actually Not Very Nice

BBC Radio comedy

Richard Stilgoe

Songs, sketches and stand-up, recorded in front of a live audience on location 
 
Songwriter, broadcaster and award-winning entertainer Sir Richard Stilgoe goes out, about and around Britain in this amusing musical revue, which finds him taking a wry look at the pastimes and professions of our wayward island. In the company of a troupe of star guests including Sandi Toksvig, Emma Thompson, Kathryn Tickell, Pam Ayres and John Hegley, he visits locations ranging from the Boat Show to the City of London to perform a unique themed comedy show full of fun and laughter. 
 
Join him for some musings on booze at the World Wine Fair; a low-calorie look at life at Champney's heath spa; a selection of music, poems and stories about farmyard life inspired by the Royal Agricultural Show. He also takes a Stilgoe-style look at education at Manchester Grammar School, dispels the myths around money-making in the City of London, samples the grandeur of the National Trust's Clandon Park, and the results of sound testing at Guy's Hospital, London. 
 
 
Please Note: These classic recordings were made between 1984 and 1989 and the content of the programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written and presented by Richard Stilgoe 
Produced by Mike Craig and Neil Cargill 
 
Series 1 episodes: The Boat Show; Manchester Grammar School; The World Wine Fair, Bristol; Champney's Health Hydro and Guy's Hospital. 
Featuring: Sheila Steafel, Charles Collingwood, the Cambridge Buskers, Peter Wheeler, Sandi Toksvig, Emma Thompson 
 
Series 2 episodes: City of London; Clandon Park; Christie's Auction Rooms; Brighton Racecourse; The Royal Agricultural Show; Whitehall Theatre 
Featuring: Charles Collingwood, Belinda Lang, Tim Pigott-Smith, Kathryn Tickell, Peter Blake, Jill Meager, Ian Carr, Lynn Tocker, Francesca Brill 
 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 9 April-14 May1984 (Series 1), 8 July-12 August 1989 (Series 2) 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Stilgoe's Around

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy show

Phil Ellis

Fraser Steele

All 12 episodes of the anarchic radio sitcom about a man desperate to succeed in a world he doesn't understand 
 
Phil's trying to keep his business afloat, and pay the rent. He's trying to get over his ex-wife, who divorced him three years ago. He's trying to be a better person. He's trying - boy, is he trying. He just needs a bit of a break (and a lot of luck) and things will surely start looking up... 
 
Series 1 sees him going on a date with Ellie Evans, the florist next door; hosting an awards ceremony; organising a short-notice wedding (and falling in love with the bride) and getting a job as a takeaway delivery driver. Meanwhile, his assistant Lolly attends a funeral to take advantage of the free buffet, and comes to Johnny's aid when he gets trapped in a Dalek... 
 
In Series 2, Phil tries to win a big cash prize in a pinball championship; accidentally joins a gym-based cult; discovers his Dad is not dead but living in his loft and goes undercover to investigate the mayor's philandering husband. It's a case Phil's desperate to crack - but will he like what he finds? 
 
Finally, Series 3 finds Phil and Johnny embarking on a magical tour of the Cup A Soup factory, hosted by reclusive owner Billy Bonker. If only the other people on the tour weren't so set on getting themselves killed... Plus, Phil reconnects with his Dad (again), only to be disappointed (again); puts on a ghost walk - but has competition in the shape of Mick the Chinese herbalist; and faces the loss of his liberty and his reputation when he's accused of murdering a hipster... 
 
Created and written by Phil Ellis (Edinburgh Award Panel Prize winner 2014) and Fraser Steele (I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, 8 Out Of Ten Cats), this madcap sitcom stars Phil Ellis as himself, Lolly Adefope as Lolly, Johnny Vegas as Johnny, Katia Kvinge as Ellie and Amy Gledhill as Polly. Among the special guest stars are Mick Ferry, Sean Lock, Alexei Sayle, Lee Mack, Desiree Burch, Mark Lamarr, Sindhu Vee and Jack Dee. 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Phil Ellis and Fraser Steele 
Produced by Sam Michell 
A BBC Studios production 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5-26 June 2018 (Series 1), 13 August-3 September 2019 (Series 2), 9-30 September 2020 (Series 3) 
 
Cast 
Phil - Phil Ellis 
Lolly - Lolly Adefope 
Johnny - Johnny Vegas 
Ellie/Leanne/Mrs Tailor/Tanning salon owner/Gemma/Martha/Barber/Goth - Katia Kvinge 
Old man/Waiter/Geoff/Morgan Freeman/Doreen/Ikea assistant/Father Josh/Sid/A-J/Jamie the builder/Tom Baker/Barry Bean/J-Dawg/Al Pacino/Bingo caller Terry Levoux/Keith/Geoff/Klaus Von Flump/Mr Kipling/Prison warder McKay/Paul McCartney/Hannibal/German tourist/Gravedigger/Orlando/Jarvis Cocker- Terry Mynott 
Mick the Chinese herbalist - Mick Ferry 
Polly/Miss Ecuador - Amy Gledhill 
Announcer/Bear owner/HQ/Follower/Steve - Sunil Patel 
The Dragon - Sean Lock 
Goodison - Alexei Sayle 
Bobby Dazzler - Lee Mack 
Dave - Andrew Ellis 
Mayor of Parbold/American tourist - Desiree Burch 
Captain Birdseye/Basher/Graham McCartney/DJ/Keith the barman - Jason Barnett 
Billy Bonker - Mark Lamarr 
Prosecutor - Sindhu Vee 
Judge Shawshank - Jack Dee

Phil Ellis is Trying: The Complete Series 1-3

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy drama

Scott Cherry

The complete Series 1 &amp; 2 of the historical sitcom about well-meaning but gullible 18th Century squire Fenton Babblewick and his clever manservant Augustus 
 
When idealistic Fenton Babblewick inherits his uncle's Yorkshire estate, it's the perfect opportunity to realise his Utopian dreams. But for his valet, Augustus Snipe, moving to Babblewick Hall is a nightmare. The servants are surly, the house is freezing cold and full of farm animals, and worst of all, it's in the North - a world away from the cosy coffeehouses and gentlemen's clubs of London. 
 
In these ten episodes, Fenton tries his hand as an agricultural reformer and radical grower of beetroots, falls in love with the charming Miss Lucinda Bluntstone, and embarks on a glamorous political career. An escape to London beckons - but Augustus' hopes are dashed when his master chooses to stay in the village, where he tries to convert a workhouse into a school and investigates a case of witchcraft... 
 
Fans of Blackadder will love this light-hearted comedy drama, full of japes, jokes and amusing sound effects and soundtracked with brilliant Baroque-style music. Olivier Award-winning actor Nicholas Le Prevost stars as Fenton Babblewick, with Forbes Masson as Augustus Snipe and Sam Kelly and Dave Hill as Jack. Among the stellar guest cast are Sophie Thompson, Maurice Denham, Tracie Bennett and John Moffatt. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Scott Cherry 
Produced by Paul Schlesinger (Series 1) and Jon Rolph (Series 2) 
Music composed by Paul Mottram 
Violin: Paul Mottram 
 
 
Cast 
Fenton Babblewick - Nicholas Le Prevost 
Augustus Snipe - Forbes Masson 
Barney - David Antrobus 
Jack - Sam Kelly/Dave Hill 
Molly - Gillian Bevan 
Bob Scotcher - Philip Jackson 
Peck - Alex Lowe 
Pickett - Christian Rodska 
Grunter - Geoffrey McGivern 
Flinch - Maurice Denham 
Mrs Bluntstone - Elizabeth Spriggs 
Lucinda - Tracie Bennett 
Smellie - David Timson 
Hartson - Geoffrey Whitehead 
Berridge - Jeremy Clyde 
Dribb/Maddison - John Baddeley 
Mrs Maddison - Sara Coward 
Highwayman - Stephen Critchlow 
William Babblewick - Benjamin Whitrow 
Elizabeth Babblewick - Pauline Yates 
Harriet - Courtney King 
Septimus Hickey - John Moffatt 
With Maggie McCarthy, Benedict Sandiford, Michael Troughton, Pat Coombs, Kim Wall, Lynda Barron, Phil Nice, Peter Gunn, Sophie Thompson, Rosemary Leach 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 27 December 1995-31 January 1996 (Series 1), 4-25 September 1998 (Series 2)

Babblewick Hall

Peter Tinniswood

For the first time ever all three much-loved series featuring the legendary creations Uncle Mort and Carter Brandon are brought together in one collection. As the pair tour Britain, Uncle Mort's recollections make for some hilarious moments. Uncle Mort and his Yorkshire based family first appeared in Tinniswood's novel 'A Touch of Daniel' which earned them a run of four series of 'I Didn't Know You Cared' on BBC TV from 1975-1979. 
 
In Uncle Mort's North Country, having been granted a week's holiday, Carter Brandon, with his uncle Mort for company, takes a series of day trips around the north. From day one the week is quite eventful, from a burning barn and a death in a pub where they stop for a drink, to a trip to the seaside where events are equally interesting and amusing. 
 
In Uncle Mort's South Country, these famous sons of the north find a fruitful new patch of Tinniswood country in which to air their views. Soho and Hampton Court, southern hotels and southern pubs, southern beer and southern food, that caustic one-nation philosopher, Uncle Mort, has to stomach them all. 
 
In the Celtic Fringe the adventures continue west of the English border. Carter Brandon and his Uncle continue their epic journey through Wales, in his Beetle. They sample an eclectic mix of Welsh hospitality, from spending a night in a very eccentric hotel, spending time with famed sportsman Icky Williams and lodging with a sex mad Reverend. Uncle Mort has strange visions and the eccentric trip takes an unusual turn when they look up Mort's old flame. 
 
Uncle Mort... Stephen Thorne 
 Carter Brandon ... Sam Kelly 
Narrator... Christian Rodska

The Complete Uncle Mort Adventures: North Country, South Country & Celtic Fringe

A BBC Comedy

Jim Eldridge

Victor Spinetti stars in this BBC radio sitcom about the hilarious misadventures of a corner-shop barber 
 
North London barber's shop Tony's might not be the trendiest salon in town, but it's definitely the cheapest and the cheeriest. Run by exuberant Italian Tony Fucetti, it's the place to go if you want a bargain cut and blow-dry from apprentice Maisie, or a short back and sides courtesy of Scottish hairdresser Hector (just watch out for his razor...) 
 
These 12 episodes follow the highs and lows of Tony and his team, as they prepare to beat Boris the Russian in a hair-styling showdown, give the corner shop a makeover, take on new stylist Stanley, and try and avoid the attentions of the taxman. Plus, Tony's Mama decides to find him a girlfriend, a hairdresser exchange programme leads to publicity - and disaster, a contretemps over a customer's bright green barnet leads to a court appearance, and a day out at the seaside doesn't go quite as planned... 
 
Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards. 
 
Content Warning: The humour of the programme reflects the era in which it was broadcast and therefore may not reflect current views. 
 
 
Created by award-winning dramatist Jim Eldridge (Parsley Sidings, Albert &amp; Me), this classic barbershop sitcom is a cut above the rest. Comedy veteran Victor Spinetti stars as Tony, with John Laurie (Dad's Army) as Hector. Deborah Watling (Doctor Who) as Maisie and Deryck Guyler (The Men from the Ministry) as Stanley. Among the guest stars are Carry On... actor Kenneth Connor and 'Allo 'Allo's Gordon Kaye. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Jim Eldridge 
Produced by John Fawcett Wilson 
Incidental music by Max Harris 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 2, 21 October-25 November 1979 (Series 1), 18 January-22 February 1981 (Series 2) 
 
Cast 
Tony - Victor Spinetti 
Hector - John Laurie 
Maisie - Deborah Watling 
Mama - Norma Ronald 
Carlo - Anthony Morton 
Stanley - Deryck Guyler 
With Bill Pertwee, Joanna Wake, David Tate, Royce Mills, David Ryall, Jerald Wells, Deirdre Costello, Henry McGee, Roland MacLeod, John Blythe, Kenneth Connor, Josephine Tewson, Stephen Greif, Alan Lake, Gordon Kaye, Jeffrey Segal, Bill Wallis, Jan Hunt, Frank Coda, Dilys Laye. Douglas Blackwell, Leonard Fenton, Roger Kitter, Mike Grady, Edward Kelsey, Robert Gillespie, Chris Emmett, Nick Tate and Sonia Fraser

Tony's: The Complete Series 1-2

A BBC comedy

Tim FitzHigham

Award winning comedian-author-adventurer, Tim FitzHigham and his nemesis Alex Horne embark on recreating bizarre and amusing bets from the 18th and 19th century in this engaging radio series. 
 
'His unflappable pluck in the face of impossible (or at least ridiculous) odds seldom fails to amuse' 
The Guardian 
 
Award-winning comedian Tim FitzHigham has a history of performing eccentric, record-breaking feats, including rowing across the Channel in a Victorian bathtub and blowing up the world's largest human-inflated balloon (he passed out twice during the attempt). Now, in this BBC Radio 4 series - based on his hugely successful 2011 Edinburgh Fringe show - he takes on some of the greatest (and oddest) bets in history, as he seeks to win a series of wacky wagers placed by Georgian and Victorian gamblers. 
 
In these nine episodes, he attempts to make a woollen coat from scratch - going from the sheep's back to his own back in a single day, tries to toss a cheeseboard over 4½ miles in under 100 throws, strives to outrun a racehorse in a 100-yard dash and endeavours to travel 25mph on water utilising only the methods existing in 1765. 
 
Tim also sets out to navigate central London blindfolded, bets that his pig can go over a bridge faster than a rower can scull across the river beneath it; and finds out if it's possible to cook a pudding ten feet underwater. In addition, accompanied by his nemesis Alex Horne, he recreates two legendary bets involving sending a missive 50 miles in an hour (using only the means available to a gentleman in 1753), and riding a horse from London to Dover and back before Alex can make a million dots on a piece of paper... 
 
Production credits 
Performed, written by and starring Tim FitzHigham with Alex Horne, Olivia Fitzroy and Bob Slayer 
Additional material by Paul Byrne, Jon Hunter and Joe Oldak 
Produced by Colin Anderson and Joe Nunnery 
Coat material supplied by the Derbyshire Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 17 February 2013 (Pilot), 6-27 April 2014 (Series 1) 1-22 April 2015 (Series 2) 
 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Gambler: Complete Series 1-2

William Shakespeare

Eve Best, Danny Sapani and Shaun Dooley star in this modern, riveting and magical production of The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare 
 
The Winter's Tale treads new dramatic ground embracing tragedy, poetry, folklore, magic realism, music, comedy and the infamous stage direction "exit pursued by a bear". One of Shakespeare's mesmerising later productions, often considered a 'problem play' as it starts with a tragedy and ends in a romance 
 
The story starts with the consuming jealousy of King Leontes of Sicilia towards his wife Hermione and his childhood friend King Polixenes of Bohemia. Believing they are lovers and the child she is carrying is illegitimate, Leontes begins a destructive path: the breaking of his marriage and the abandonment of his child 
 
What seems hopeless, tragic and irreconcilable changes in Act 2 where jealousy and actions arouse a passionate sense of honour, love, justice and self-sacrifice in members of his court and family. The baby, Perdita, is raised by a shepherd, unaware of her royal heritage. It seems she will never discover the truth of her birth, but when Prince Florizel sees her and falls in love, it seems fate has other ideas.... 
 
This production brings together a star cast and includes an original folk music score by award-winning musicians Lisa Knapp and Tim Van Eyken 
 
Production Credits 
 
Written by William Shakespeare 
Music composed by Tim Van Eyken and singer Lisa Knapp 
Director: David Hunter 
 First Broadcast BBC Radio 3 on the 1st May 2016 as part of The Shakespeare Sessions series 
 
Cast List 
Leontes ... Danny Sapani 
Hermione ... Eve Best 
Polixenes ... Shaun Dooley 
Camillo... Karl Johnson 
Paulina... Susan Jameson 
Shepherd... Paul Copley 
Perdita... Faye Castelow 
Autolycus... Tim Van Eyken 
Florizel... Will Howard 
Mamillius... Charlie Brand 
Archidamus...Sean Baker 
Antigonus... Brian Protheroe 
Clown...Sam Rix 
Emilia...Scarlett Brookes 
Cleomenes...Richard Pepple 
Dion...Nick Underwood 
First Lady...Adie Allen 
Mopsa...Nicola Ferguson 
First Lord.. James Lailey 
Mariner...Sargon Yelda 
Officer...Ewan Bailey

The Winter's Tale

BBC Radio Shakespeare

Six masterly BBC radio monologues from renowned playwright Peter Tinniswood - plus his classic comic play The Governor's Consort. 
 
Peter Tinniswood was best known for his popular TV series The Home Front and I Didn't Know You Cared, and award-winning novel A Touch of Daniel. But he was also a prolific writer for radio, where he created a host of wonderful characters - often funny, sometimes poignant and always totally believable. 
 
This compilation brings together six of his finest monologues, as well as his comic play The Governor's Consort. With one exception (I Always Take Long Walks), all these dramas were specially written for the actors who star in them, giving them a special resonance and adding an extra dimension to our enjoyment. 
 
The Packer - Michael Williams stars as Gladwyn Jebb, a man who sees his job as a vocation, his craft as an art - and his lies as truths... 
 
 
The Governor's Consort- Lady Edith is sailing with her husband to a South Atlantic island of which he's about to become Governor - but the voyage has an invigorating and somewhat earthy effect on her... Starring Mary Wimbush, with John Moffatt, Bernard Hepton and Stephen Thorne. 
 
On the Whole It's Been Jolly Good - Written to mark the actor's diamond jubilee in broadcasting, this witty, moving monologue stars Maurice Denham as ex-MP Sir Plympton Makepeace, reflecting on 60 glorious years in The House. 
 
Verona: A Conspiracy of Parrots - Stephanie Cole stars as the 'slightly elderly' lady whose exotic birds bring her triumphant fulfilment. But can she keep her feathered friends out of the hands of the auctioneer? 
 
I Always Take Long Walks - Cricket widow Enid shares her private thoughts on kitchen units, life with her husband and the men she's loved and lost. Starring Dame Judi Dench as Enid. 
 
The Last Obit - Billie Whitelaw stars as Millicent Doris Clayton, an obituarist living in her own very particular world, in this brilliant black comedy which won the 1998 Edinburgh Festival Fringe First Award. 
 
The Duvet Lady - Wrapped from head to foot in a flowery duvet, Edna recalls her younger days. Will she ever emerge for her evening engagement? Billie Whitelaw stars in this superb one-woman drama. 
 
 
Production credits 
Written by Peter Tinniswood 
 
The Packer 
Starring Michael Williams as Gladwyn Jebb 
Directed by Enyd Williams 
 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7 April 2000 
 
The Governor's Consort 
Lady Edith - Mary Wimbush 
Sir Wilfred - John Moffatt 
Doctor Spofforth - Bernard Hepton 
Captain MacWhirter - Stephen Thorne 
Delgado - Keith Drinkel 
Chief Engineer - Matthew Morgan 
First Officer - James Telfer 
Tarleton - Jonathan Adams 
Band - Michael Haslam, Judith Herbert and Kevin Street 
 
Directed by Enyd Williams 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 17 May 1993 
 
On the Whole It's Been Jolly Good 
Starring Maurice Denham as Sir Plympton Makepeace 
Directed by Enyd Williams 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 April 1998 
 
Verona: A Conspiracy of Parrots 
Starring Stephanie Cole as Verona 
Directed by Enyd Williams 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 April 1998 
 
I Always Take Long Walks 
Starring Dame Judi Dench as Enid 
Directed by John Tydeman 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 4 July 1991 
 
The Duvet Lady 
Starring Billie Whitelaw as Edna 
Directed by Enyd Williams 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 March 2001 
 
The Last Obit 
Starring Billie Whitelaw as Millicent 
Directed by Enyd Williams 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 April 1998 
 
 
© 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(p) 2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A Radio Great: The Peter Tinniswood Monologues

A BBC Radio drama collection

Lenny Henry

A collection of BBC radio shows presented by comedian and actor Lenny Henry. 
 
Stand-up comedian, actor, writer, singer, TV presenter: Lenny Henry is a multi-talented Renaissance man with a wide range of interests. But there are a few things (and people) he just doesn't get, despite their iconic status - and in What's So Great About...?, he explores them to find out what makes them so appealing. He questions the mystique surrounding Method Acting; discusses the benefits of Life Coaches with Phill Jupitus; hears about the joy of Maths from Carol Vorderman and asks Simon McBurney and Fiona Shaw to persuade him of the genius of Samuel Beckett. He also investigates the art of Jackson Pollock, meets stars from the world of Snooker to discover the lure of the cue and chats about Chaucer with Terry Jones. 
 
Lenny was once sceptical about Shakespeare too, but he's now a passionate convert. In Lenny Henry Plays Othello, we follow him as he embarks on his first straight stage role and first Shakespearean role, playing one of theatre's most tragic characters. From voice coaching to first night nerves, we eavesdrop on his journey from comedian to tragedian. 
 
In August Shines, inspired by his theatrical success in August Wilson's Fences, Lenny travels to Pittsburgh to tell the story of the Pulitzer Prize-winning African-American playwright. The city was also home to the bad-boy pop artist whose work Lenny explores in Andy Warhol: Time Regained. Visiting the Warhol Museum, he learns about the 'Time Capsules' - an artwork consisting of 300,000 eclectic objects assembled across the last 13 years of Warhol's life - and joins the audience for the unboxing of the mysterious Capsule 528... 
 
Finally, in the compelling 10-part series Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen, Lenny traces the long, painful road that black Britons have travelled on stage and screen, from the overt racial discrimination of the 19th Century, via the veiled slurs that persisted throughout the 20th, to today's more equal society. Talking to playwrights such as Kwame Kwei-Armah, and actors and directors including Carmen Munroe, Yvonne Brewster and Steve McQueen, he tells the story of black drama and the influential artists who have shaped it over the past century, and looks to the future to examine the prospects for young black British talent. 
 
Published by Penguin Random House Ltd 
Licensed by BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
MCPS 
Presented by Lenny Henry 
 
What's So Great About...? 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Ellen Burstyn, James Lipton, Phill Jupitus, Carol Vorderman, Celia Hoyles, Professor Brian Butterworth, Simon McBurney, Fiona Shaw, John Calder, James Knowlson, Brian Sewell, Julian Joseph, Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, Dennis Taylor, John Virgo, John Parrott, Terry Griffiths, Ardis Butterfield, Mike Poulton, Terry Jones 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 5 July 2008-11 June 2011 
 
Lenny Henry Plays Othello 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 20 February 2009 
 
August Shines 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Chris Rawson, Professor Larry Glasco, Kim Ellis, Jeff Folino, Sala Udin, Nelson Harrison 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9 October 2014 
 
Andy Warhol: Time Regained 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
With Ben Harrison, Rick Armstrong, Tim Marlow, Erin Byrne, Benjamin Liu, Donald Warhola 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 September 2014 
 
Raising the Bar: 100 Years of Black British Theatre and Screen 
Presented by Lenny Henry 
Produced by Simon Elmes 
Series Consultant: Dr Michael Pearce 
Featuring: Bola Agbaje, Yvonne Brewster, Michael Buffong, Lolita Chakrabarti, Isaac Julien, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Mustapha Matura, Steve McQueen, Carmen Munroe, Horace Ové, Winsome Pinnock, Paulette Randall, Roy Williams 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 9-20 November 2015

Lenny Henry's What's So Great About...?

And 4 other BBC documentaries

John Humphrys

John Humphrys hosts the quick-fire comedy show featuring 28 acts performing for one minute each 
 
 'Hilarious ... great fun' Elisabeth Mahoney, The Guardian 
 
28 Acts in 28 Minutes is a traditional variety show with a difference: the performers have just 60 seconds in which to entertain a live audience. Making the most of their minutes are a plethora of top-class talents, including Adam Buxton, Jason Manford, Nicholas Parsons, Sarah Millican, Richard Herring, Miles Jupp, Frankie Boyle, Isy Suttie, Tim Key, John Bishop, Tim Minchin, Jason Byrne, Stephen K Amos, Shappi Khorsandi, Stewart Lee, Marcus Brigstocke, Phil Cornwell and John Finnemore. 
 
Featuring a mix of award-winning comedians and newcomers to the scene, there's something for everyone, from stand-up to sketches, satire, songs and poems - with a few surprises thrown in. And if you don't like any of the acts, well... another will be along in about 55 seconds. 
 
Presiding over this comedy maelstrom is John Humphrys (the fierce one from the Today programme), who sits at the side of the stage with a stopwatch, ready to cut the microphone when the time is up. 
So hurry up and get ready for the fastest show on air, delivered with a frenetic urgency that makes for a truly unique experience. 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 June-5 July 2006 (Series 1), 25 August 2006 (Edinburgh Festival Special), 20 December 2007-3 January 2008, 27 March 2008 (Series 2)

28 Acts in 28 Minutes – A BBC Radio 4 stand-up comedy show

Fast, fun, witty comedy against the clock

Stephen K Amos

Stephen K Amos and the comedy circuit's best stand-ups attempt to unravel the knotty problems of life 
 
Award-winning jokesmith and self-confessed idiot Stephen K Amos teams up with some of the world's sharpest comic minds to compile a dummies' guide to being a modern human. From raising children and having a mid-life crisis, to first impressions and facing your fears, who better than a bunch of comedians to lead us through life's existential maze? 
 
In these 17 episodes, Stephen and friends take us on a journey of self-discovery through observational comedy - with help from a live studio audience, who provide their own tips, stories and experiences. They share their unique perspectives on topics including dishonesty, technology, medicine, multiculturalism, religion and austerity, as well as helping us deal with the ultimate scary subject: mortality. 
 
Featuring a wealth of superb stand-ups including Sara Pascoe, Susan Calman, Lucy Porter, Ava Vidal, James Acaster, Boothby Graffoe, Marlon Davis, Richard Herring, Nish Kumar, Shazia Mirza, Alfie Moore, Andy Zaltzman, Tom Allen and Robin Ince, this hilarious show may not show you the meaning of life, but it will make you laugh about it. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Hosted by Stephen K Amos 
Additional material by Christine Rose, Hugh Sington and Stephen Grant 
Produced by Colin Anderson 
 
Pilot special guests: W Kamau Bell, Susan Calman, Tim FitzHigham, Josie Long and Simon Munnery 
 
Series 1 special guests: Sara Pascoe, Matt Forde, Carey Marx, David O'Doherty, Miss London, Jess Fostekew, Craig Campbell, Ava Vidal, Howard Read, Andy Wilkinson, Lucy Porter, Maeve Higgins, Tom Allen, Phil Nichol 
 
Series 2 special guests: Sarah Kendall, Gráinne Maguire, James Acaster, Michael Redmond, Holly Walsh, Boothby Graffoe, Marlon Davis, Jarlath Reagan, Lloyd Langford, Alfie Moore, Ava Vidal, Richard Herring, Fred MacAulay, Angela Barnes, Greg Proops, Paul Sinha, Andre Vincent, John Hegley 
 
Series 3 special guests: Stephen Grant, Nish Kumar, Andrew Maxwell, Susan Murray, Tom Craine Josie Long, Wil Hodgson, Gavin Webster, Shazia Mirza, Mae Martin, Travis Jay, Dan Antopolski, Suzi Ruffell, Tom Rhodes, Andy Zaltzman, Jason Cook, Brendon Burns, Robin Ince 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 August 2011 (Pilot), 7-28 March 2012 (Series 1), 17 January-21 February 2013 (Series 2). Series 3 first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra, 12 May-16 June 2014 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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