Steve Roud was Local Studies Librarian for the London Borough of Croydon and served as Honorary Librarian of the Folklore Society for over fifteen years. He has been researching British folklore for over thirty years and is the joint author of the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore, plus other books on traditional drama and folk song, and the Penguin Guide to the Superstitions of Britain and Ireland, which won the Katharine Briggs Folklore Award in 2004. His publications include London Lore (2008) and The Lore of the Playground (2010). He also compiles the Folk Song Index and the Broadside Index, two internationally acclaimed computer databases of traditional folk and popular song. He lives in Sussex.

Steve Roud

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BBC Radio Comedy

What would Jonathan Agnew do if he wasn't a cricket commentator? Who would play Romesh Ranganathan in a film of his life? What's the naughtiest thing Sara Pascoe did as a child? 
 
It's not what you know, but who you know that matters... and indeed, how well you know them. The show is a bit like ‘Mr and Mrs’, except that it's not played by husbands and wives. Instead, panellists can pick anyone they like: dad, cousin, best friend, mother-in-law. 
 
What is Bridget Christie's worst fear? Or Ainsley Harriott's worst habit? Or Seann Walsh's worst gig? 
 
All these burning questions, and more, will be answered in this BBC comedy panel show hosted by Miles Jupp, where panellists are tested on how well they know their nearest and dearest. 
 
Get to know panellists such Rebecca Front, Roisin Conaty, Mark Steel, Tom Wrigglesworth, Ed Byrne, Tony Hawks, Rachel Riley, Richard Madeley, Dave Gorman, Lucy Porter, Richard Osman, Frankie Boyle, Susan Calman, Sara Cox, Katherine Ryan, Alan Johnson and Sarah Millican. 
 
Produced by Sam Michell.

It’s Not What You Know: Series 1-5

The BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show

In a fascinating collection of archive interviews with the celebrated writer, presenter and polymath, you can hear - in his own words - the beliefs and aspirations that have shaped him. He talks about his upbringing, a time when Stephen admits he was a rebellious schoolboy and behaved outrageously in order to survive school, and discusses his early love of language and Oscar Wilde. He also recalls discovering classic radio comedy and meeting Emma Thompson and Hugh Laurie at Cambridge. 
 
 Stephen is extraordinarily honest about some of his personal experiences, which have included imprisonment for credit card fraud, going public about his sexuality, and coping with public criticism. He also comments on fame, addictions, being hard on himself and wanting to make people laugh. 
 
 The interviews in this collection include: Could Do Better, BBC Radio (first broadcast 4 November 1987); Walters' Weekly, BBC Radio (first broadcast 1 January 1988, featuring John Walters); Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio (first broadcast 27 November 1988, featuring Sue Lawley); Open to Questions, BBC TV (first broadcast 1 May 1989); Parkinson, BBC TV (first broadcast 15 January 1999, featuring Michael Parkinson); Front Row, BBC Radio (first broadcast 15 September 2010, featuring Mark Lawson). 
 
 
Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Stephen Fry In His Own Words

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

Lucy Porter

Robin Ince

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

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

Victoria Coren Mitchell

Victoria Coren Mitchell meets some fascinating women to explore the journeys they have made in the cars that they have known - and the sorts of things they shout in traffic. 
 
Hear what Dawn wrote on the back of her first car; find out which comedian totalled her beloved Cortina; and discover the advantages of the refrigerated glove compartment. Sarah Millican describes a traffic jam that lead to some desperate measures, Sheila Hancock explains how the trick of getting older is actually to speed up, and Jo Brand recounts how her car became an impromptu counselling couch for comedians (and when you shouldn't risk a roadside wee). 
 
Plus you can find out what no driving test examiner should ever say to a successful candidate. 
 
With guests including Dawn French, Germaine Greer, Sarah Millican, Olivia Coleman, Sheila Hancock, Jo Brand, Esther Rantzen and Claudia Winkleman. 
 
Produced by Gareth Edwards. 
A BBC Studios production.

Women Talking About Cars: Series 1-3

Willie Rushton

Career highlights from one of this country’s funniest satirists and comedy men. Willie Rushton’s career spanned decades, from the cutting edge satire of television’s 'That Was The Week That Was' to the razor-sharp punnery and verbal wizardry of Radio’s 'I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue'. Actor, writer, lyricist and veteran satirist, this is Rushton at his magical best – in 'The Wind in the Willows' and 'Gulliver’s Travels', with Roy Plomley on 'Desert Island Discs', reading 'Winnie the Pooh' and slogging it out on 'Trivia Test Match'. 'Remembering... Willie Rushton' features appearances by Barry Cryer, Kenny Everett, Brian Johnston, Humphrey Lyttelton, Sue MacGregor and Ned Sherrin. With songs, sketches and classic clips, this is a perfect portrait of one of the warmest and funniest humorists of our time. This recording was previously released as 'Willie Rushton at the Beeb'.

Remembering Willie Rushton

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

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

Spike Milligan

In this fascinating collection of interviews from the BBC radio and TV archive, Spike Milligan talks about his life and career as one of the foremost comedy writers and performers of the 20th Century. 
 
 The interviews included are: It Takes All Sorts, broadcast on BBC Radio, 23 January 1967 (featuring Holmes Tolley); Line Up, broadcast on BBC Radio, 30 October 1969 (featuring Joan Bakewell); Laugh Till It Hurts, broadcast on BBC Radio, 10 June 1971 (featuring Ralph Rolls); Parkinson, broadcast on BBC Television, 13th January 1973 (featuring Michael Parkinson); Face Your Image, broadcast on BBC Television, 14 March 1975 (featuring David Dimbleby); In the Psychiatrist's Chair, broadcast on BBC Radio, 25 September 1982 (featuring Anthony Clare); Famous Last Words, broadcast on BBC Television, 29 September 1986 (featuring Peter France). 
 
Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Spike Milligan In His Own Words

Kenneth Williams

In this documentary portrait of Kenneth Williams, who died in 1988, the much-loved comedy actor's diaries are drawn upon to illustrate his life and career. David Benson, who won acclaim for his one-man show in which he portrayed Kenneth Williams, reads extracts from the diaries, while archive audio clips from such programmes as Round the Horne and Beyond Out Ken illustrate the madcap versatility of Williams the performer. This Radio Collection version features material additional to the original Radio 4 broadcast.

The Private World Of Kenneth Williams

Comic icon Spike Milligan recollects highlights from his stellar career. The comic genius of Spike Milligan changed the face of radio comedy through 'The Goon Show'. Here Milligan chooses and introduces classic clips from his astonishing career: readings from his books 'Puckoon' and 'Adolf Hitler, My Part in his Downfall', poems, songs, sketches, extracts from 'Q6' and 'In the Psychiatrist’s Chair'. He reminisces about India and Bexhill and reads his favourite poems including 'Fred Fernakerpan'. Also included is the complete version of 'The Starlings' - the only 'Goon Show' recorded outside of London and without a studio audience. Plus, of course, there’s a generous helping of 'Goon Show' clips, including 'The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler of Bexhill-on-Sea' and 'The Pevensey Bay Disaster', featuring Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers. In this recording you can hear in his own words why Spike was one of the biggest figures in British comedy.This recording was previously released as 'Spike Milligan at the Beeb'.

Remembering Spike Milligan

Victoria Wood

Rebecca Front presents this two-part look back at Victoria Wood’s stand-up and songs using her own archives and tapes – including never-before-heard material 
 
Victoria Wood was a comedian, actress and all-round national treasure. She wrote and starred in countless sketches, plays, musicals, films and sitcoms over four decades, winning numerous awards, and her work remains timeless to this day. With her perceptive observational humour, she made the everyday and mundane hilarious – but how did she do it? 
 
In this BBC Radio 4 documentary, Rebecca Front uses Victoria Wood’s personal rehearsal recordings, rare live performances and behind-the-scenes footage to reveal some of her comedy tricks and techniques. We hear about her instinctive sense of rhythm, amazing rhyming ability and unerring knack for finding the perfect word to make a sentence sing, and learn how she honed her unique talent to become one of Britain’s favourite funny women. 
 
With unprecedented access to Victoria’s own boxes of battered cassette tapes, this programme is a shameless chance to hear some wonderful stand-up comedy, characters and songs, mixed with a look back at what made her so funny and so universally loved. 
 
Executive Producer: Geoff Posner 
Produced by David Tyler 
A Pozzitive production for BBC Radio 4.

Victoria Wood: From Soup to Nuts

A BBC Radio 4 Retrospective

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

This fascinating collection of archive interviews with the much-loved comedy actor and diarist Kenneth Williams begins in 1961, with an appearance on the BBC's Tonight programme, and culminates in 1987 when Kenneth Williams is a guest on Desert Island Discs. Along the way are several interviews on Parkinson, conversation from The John Dunn Show, and a number of radio items in which Williams recalls his childhood in London's East End and his formative years in the Army. Amongst other things he discusses his acting career, personal relationships, the art of keeping a diary, his views on critics, and his first beginnings in radio comedy. 
 
The full list of interviews included are: Tonight, BBC television (first broadcast 4 April 1961); Home This Afternoon, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast 15 April 1968); Parkinson, BBC One (first broadcast 17 February 1973); The Time Of My Life, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast 23 December 1973); Friday Call, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast 1 February 1974); Going Places, BBC television (first broadcast 5 August 1975; Parkinson, BBC One (first broadcast 8 October 1977); The John Dunn Show, BBC Radio 2 (first broadcast 4 February 1983; Outlook, BBC radio (first broadcast 17 September 1985); Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4 (first broadcast 26 July 1987). 
 
Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Kenneth Williams In His Own Words

John Wilson

Bill Morris

Marcus du Sautoy

Tasmin Little

Lauren Child

Gary Rhodes

Digby Jones

Rachel Portman

Michael Portillo

Andrea Levy

Major public figures go back to their beginnings and uncover where they really started 
 
John Wilson (acclaimed arts and culture reporter and journalist, and presenter of Front Row, Newsnight Review and Pick of the Week) meets up with a variety of public figures from such diverse fields as food, mathematics, politics, writing and music, and takes them back to the influential schools, teachers, and early workplaces they may have forgotten, but which have not forgotten them. 
 
His guests include the first Black trade union leader, Lord Bill Morris; classical violinist Tasmin Little; the late restaurateur and television chef, Gary Rhodes; Lord Digby Jones, former Minister of State for Trade and Investment; the late Women's Prize and Costa Book Award winning author, Andrea Levy; veteran journalist, broadcaster and former politician Michael Portillo, and many more. The locations too are widely varied and richly formative - from car component manufacturers and specialist vocational institutions to grammar and private schools. 
 
Top of the Class is a fascinating look beneath the usual façade of a public figure, perfect for anyone wanting to see the human face behind a successful life story, as well as the teachers, mentors, best friends and rivals who helped them grow into the person they became. 
 
Episode guide 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
Bill Morris 28 July 2008 
Tasmin Little 4 August 2008 
Lauren Child 11 August 2008 
Gary Rhodes 18 August 2008 
Marcus du Sautoy 28 December 2010 
Rachel Portman 18 January 2011 
Lord Digby Jones 25 January 2011 
Michael Portillo 19 July 2011 
Andrea Levy 26 July 2011 
 
Production credits 
Presented by John Wilson 
Produced by Sarah Taylor 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Top of the Class

The complete BBC Radio 4 series

Terry Wogan

Terry Wogan is one of Britain’s best-loved radio and television celebrities. Witty, charming and relaxed: he has undoubtedly captured the nation’s heart. Here, Terry tells his life story from his beginnings as a young Limerick boy to his incredible success as an enduring celebrity with shows such as ‘Wogan’ and ‘The Eurovision Song Contest’.   ‘Is It Me?’ is written in Terry’s own inimitable style, with self-deprecating humour and a wry take on everyday life. The story is a delightfully observed, light-hearted journey through Terry’s personal and professional lives.   After reluctantly starting his career in banking, Terry escaped to make a successful break into broadcasting with RTE. Fronting ‘Children in Need’, ‘Wogan’ and ‘The Eurovision Song Contest’ and collecting millions of listeners to his morning BBC 2 Radio show, ‘Wake Up to Wogan’, he is now the most prolific and popular presenter at the BBC.   'I am sure it's a challenging read' - Sir David Frost   'I don't remember him' - Jimmy Young

Is It Me?

A centenary collection of the best BBC Radio programmes about the legendary Spike Milligan – including brand new documentary Spike Milligan: Inside Out 
 
Named for Spike’s explanation of his sense of humour – ‘I’m Irish – we think sideways’ – this BBC radio anthology, published to celebrate the centenary of his birth, provides unique insight into his genius. 
 
Spike Milligan: Inside Out sees Milligan admirer Michael Palin and Spike’s daughter, Jane, chat through some of Spike’s many audio recordings. Also included in this compilation is a wealth of archive material, much of it from 2012’s The Spike Show: Milligan Remembered, presented by Spike’s agent and friend Norma Farnes. 
 
In Milligan Chota Sahib, Spike recalls the excitement of his early life in India. Denis Norden pays tribute to his friend in Vivat Milligna: A Twenty-One Goon Salute, while In the Psychiatrist’s Chair: Spike Milligan finds Spike telling Professor Anthony Clare about the profound impact of shellshock on his mental health. 
 
Plus, we hear Spike’s favourite Goon Show episode, Fear of Wages, some magical poemand Spike Milligan: The Serious Poet, an award-winning documentary in which Spike’s three daughters discuss how their father’s serious poetry reflected his life and personality.

Thinking Sideways

A BBC Celebration of Spike Milligan

Distinguished guests nominate a great musician for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives 
 
For 20 years, Great Lives has been a linchpin of Radio 4, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. In it, a household name is invited to choose one of their heroes to discuss with the presenter and a guest expert. But will their chosen person live up to intensive scrutiny, and merit the description of having led a great life? 
 
In this special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th anniversary, the very best episodes featuring musicians' lives are collected together. From Marvin Gaye to Lonnie Donegan, here are examples both classical and contemporary. Simon Armitage expresses his admiration for on Ian Curtis, Phill Jupitus nominates Joe Strummer, pianist Joanna MacGregor selects Nina Simone, and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo champions Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Whether it's Hanif Kureishi on David Bowie or Stuart Maconie on Ralph Vaughan Williams or the lives of the proponents are every bit as interesting as those of their nominees. 
 
Fascinating and engaging, these captivating episodes follow the ups and downs of some of the most iconic musicians of all time, separating the truth from the myths to reveal just what made them so great, and why they continue to influence and inspire us today. 
 
 
List of episodes and date of first broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
 
 Louis Armstrong 12.7.02 
 Sergei Rachmaninoff 11.4.03 
 Pyotr Tchaikovsky 16.4.04 
 Marvin Gaye 5.11.04 
 Sir Edward Elgar 19.11.04 
 Mozart 19.4.05 
 Samuel Coleridge-Taylor 21.10.05 
 Ella Fitzgerald 2.5.06 
 Nina Simone 19.9.06 
 Joe Strummer 3.4.07 
 Billie Holiday 1.5.07 
 John Cage 04.09.07 
 Paul Robeson 29.4.08 
 Ian Curtis 6.5.08 
 Alan Freed 26.8.08 
 Pavarotti 9.12.08 
 Thomas Beecham 21.04.09 
 John Coltrane 12.05.09 
 Miriam Makeba 15.09.09 
 Agustin Barrios Mangore 26.1.10 
 Malcolm McLaren 07.12.10 
 Kathleen Ferrier 26.04.11 
 Kirtsy McColl 09.08.11 
 Lonnie Donegan 03.1.12 
 Ralph Vaughan Williams 25.12.12 
 Fela Kuti 13.8.13 
 Jacqueline Du Pre 1.04.14 
 Dinu Lipatti 20.12.16 
 Captain Beefheart 03.04.18 
 Miles Davis 17.04.18 
 David Bowie 31.07.18 
 Ferruccio Busoni 30.04.19 
 Brian Epstein 14.5.19 
 Herbert Howells 06.08.19 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
Presented by Humphrey Carpenter, Matthew Parris and Francine Stock 
Produced by Mark Smalley, Miles Warde, Perminder Khatkar, Peter Everett, Isobel Eaton, Jolyon Jenkins, John Byrne, Maggie Ayre, Christine Hall, Julia Johnson, Mark Smalley, Chris Ledgard, Beth O'Dea, Lucy Lunt, Eliza Lomas, Melvin Rickarby

Great Musicians' Lives

David Attenborough

Collected together for the very first time, this is the complete Series 1 and 2 of Life Stories, written and presented by Sir David Attenborough. 
 
One of the nation's most popular presenters, Sir David examines 40 marvels of the natural world from his extraordinary and pioneering experiences. 
 
What was Sir David's first pet? Which animal would he most like to be? How did he track down a giant earthworm? Why does he respect rats? And what did he do when confronted by a ten-foot-long reptile? 
 
His enthusiasm is as infectious as ever, and conveys a unique fascination on topics as diverse as the sloth, monstrous flowers, the platypus, dragons, the fire salamander, the coelacanth, the dodo, bird's-nest soup and the large blue butterfly. So listen to these stories to find out the real reason why animals sing, the story behind a 150-million-year-old feather, and what it is about snakes that really unnerves Sir David. 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

David Attenborough's Life Stories

The Complete Collection

Joyce Grenfell

Maureen Lipman

Joyce Grenfell in her own words and through the eyes of Maureen Lipman 
 
Joyce Grenfell was one of the last century&rsquo;s greatest entertainers, renowned worldwide for her monologues, songs, and comic writing. Her career spanned over 30 years, ranging from wartime tours to solo stage shows, films such as the St Trinian&rsquo;s series, appearances on BBC TV and numerous radio broadcasts. Contained here are five sparkling productions of her work, performed by acting legend Maureen Lipman &ndash; who is celebrated for portraying Joyce in the 1991 TV film Re-Joyce &ndash; alongside a delightful reading by Joyce Grenfell herself of her autobiography. 
 
Hats Off &ndash; Before she became a star, Joyce Grenfell was a poet, and she continued to write verse all her life. Hats Off features over 40 of her witty, perceptive poems, read by Maureen Lipman and with an introduction by Grenfell&rsquo;s close friend and biographer Janie Hampton. 
 
Choice Grenfell &ndash; In this poignantly funny retrospective, Maureen Lipman perfectly recreates the much-loved material of the late, great comedian. Featuring monologues, sketches, songs and letters, it showcases Joyce Grenfell at her finest and funniest. 
 
Dear Joyce&hellip;. Dear Ginnie &ndash; Joyce Grenfell and fellow poet Virginia Graham were best friends for 62 years, and wrote to each other frequently. Maureen Lipman and Janie Hampton read a selection of their affectionate correspondence from 1929 to 1979, providing fascinating insight into both their lives. 
 
Two Light Up the Third &ndash; A fictionalised dramatisation of how one of the inaugural programmes to be broadcast by the Third Programme, How to Listen, made it onto the airwaves, written by Russell Davies and starring Maureen Lipman as Joyce Grenfell. This is accompanied by the fascinating original airing of How to Listen with Joyce Grenfell and Stephen Potter. 
 
Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure &ndash; Telling her life story with verve and brio, Joyce Grenfell recounts the highs and lows of her varied career, sketching wonderful comic descriptions of the many people she encountered along the way. Her glamorous, madcap American mother, her aunt Nancy Astor and her beloved husband Reggie are just some of the larger-than-life characters that people this captivating reading. 
 
Cast and Credits 
Hats Off 
Written by Joyce Grenfell 
Read by Maureen Lipman 
Introduced by Janie Hampton 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 3-10 Jun 2001 
 
Choice Grenfell 
Written by Joyce Grenfell 
Performed by Maureen Lipman 
Music by Denis King, Maureen Lipman, Richard Addinsell, Joyce Grenfell and Virginia Graham 
Pianist: Denis King 
Directed by Alan Strachan 
Produced by Jonathan James-Moore 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 2-6 Mar 1998 
 
Dear Joyce&hellip; Dear Ginnie 
Read by Maureen Lipman and Janie Hampton 
Produced by Jonathan James-Moore 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 20-24 Dec 1999 
 
Two Light Up the Third 
written by Russell Davies 
Starring Maureen Lipman as Joyce Grenfell 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 3, 29 Sep 1996 
 
How to Listen 
Starring Joyce Grenfell and Stephen Potter, featuring members of the &lsquo;How&rsquo; Repertory Company 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio Third Programme, 29 Sep 1946 
 
Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure 
Written and read by Joyce Grenfell 
Abridged by Janet Quigley 
Produced by Pat McLoughlin 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 Apr-3 May 1977 
 
&copy; 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Joyce Grenfell Remembered: The Pursuit of Joy

A BBC Collection with material performed by Maureen Lipman

David Attenborough reads his own bestselling memoir 
 
'An enthralling autobiography from one of the linchpins of television' Good Book Guide 
 
David Attenborough is the acknowledged voice of nature, loved and revered worldwide for his groundbreaking wildlife documentaries. Over the course of his long BBC career, David has risen from trainee producer to award-winning film-maker, and in Life on Air, he tells the extraordinary stories of the people and animals he has met along the way. 
 
We hear of his earliest days in television; his stint as Controller of BBC2, during which he introduced colour TV to Britain; and his encounters with luminaries such as Montgomery, Anthony Eden, Benjamin Britten and the Queen. Here, too, are tales of his travels to some of the most far-flung corners of the globe, including New Guinea, Borneo, Paraguay and the Australian outback, and the rare creatures he captures on film: from the exotic birds of paradise and the elusive Indri lemurs to the endangered Komodo dragon. 
 
Featuring behind-the-scenes accounts of the making of his landmark natural history series, beginning with the pioneering Zoo Quest and concluding with Life in Cold Blood, this wonderful memoir - read by David Attenborough himself - recounts the highlights of a remarkable life in broadcasting. 
 
Production credits 
Read by David Attenborough 
 
© 2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2010 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

David Attenborough Life On Air: Memoirs Of A Broadcaster

Famous fans choose their favourite writers for BBC Radio 4's Great Lives 
 
For 20 years, Great Lives has been a cornerstone of the Radio 4 schedules, presented by Joan Bakewell, Humphrey Carpenter, Francine Stock and Matthew Parris. Each week, a well-known personality is invited to select someone who has inspired them. They then discuss the 'Great Life' with the presenter and a guest expert to decide whether their hero really merits the accolade. 
 
This special collection, celebrating the programme's 20th anniversary, contains the very best episodes featuring authors' lives - from novelists to poets, playwrights to food writers. The eclectic selections include Armando Iannucci on Charles Dickens, Caroline Criado Perez on Jane Austen, and Rich Hall on Tennessee Williams. Two Prime Ministers, John Major and Boris Johnson, discuss the lives of Rudyard Kipling and Samuel Johnson respectively, while MP Rory Stewart champions Sir Walter Scott and Andrew Motion, Poet Laureate, nominates Alfred, Lord Tennyson. 
 
From Fay Weldon on H. G. Wells, to Prue Leith on Elizabeth David, the lives of the guests themselves are revealed to be just as fascinating as those of their chosen candidates for greatness. 
 
Illuminating and insightful, these gripping Great Lives episodes track the highs and lows of some of the most illustrious characters in the world of literature, sifting fact from fiction to show why they achieved so much and how they have inspired and influenced so many. 
 
List of episodes and date of first broadcast on BBC Radio 4: 
 HG Wells 12.10.2001 
 George Eliot 7.6.2002 
 Lord Byron 19.7.2002 
 Charles Dickins 21.11.2003 
 Edith Wharton 14.5.2004 
 George Orwell 12.11.2004 
 Robert Burns 31.12.2004 
 Elizabeth Gaskell 20.5.2005 
 Robert Louis Stevenson 22.4.2005 
 George Sand 8.4.2005 
 Vasily Grossman 28.10.2005 
 Anton Chekhov 17.4.2007 
 George Bernard Shaw 29.5.2007 
 Elizabeth David 25.9.2007 
 Katherine Mansfield 22.1.2008 
 Charles Bukowski 8.4.2008 
 Dr Samuel Johnson 8.9.2009 
 Rudyard Kipling 29.9.2009 
 Alfred, Lord Tennyson 4.8.2009 
 Tennessee Williams 15.12.2009 
 Bertolt Brecht 06.04.2010 
 Michel de Montaigne 21.09.2010 
 Samuel Beckett 21.12.2010 
 DH Lawrence 14.12.2010 
 Lewis Carroll 3.5.2011 
 Simone de Beauvoir 19.04.2011 
 Hans Fallada 6.9.2011 
 William Shakespeare 30.08.2011 
 Sir Walter Scott 14.8.2012 
 John Updike 07.01.2014 
 Elie Wiesel 13.12.2016 
 CS Lewis 03.01.2017 
 Jane Austen 7.5.2019 
 
 
Copyright © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 
Presented by Matthew Parris, Francine Stock and Humphrey Carpenter 
Produced by Perminder Khatkar, Miles Warde, Jolyon Jenkins, John Byrne, Maggie Ayre, Toby Field, Alasdair Cross, Mary Ward Lowery, Peter Everett, Mark Smalley, Isobel Eaton, Jolyon Jenkins, Christine Hall, Lizz Pearson, Beth O'Dea, Paul Dodgson, Nicola Humphries, Chris Ledgard, Melvin Rickarby, Camellia Sinclair, Eliza Lomas, Beatrice Fenton

Great Writers' Lives

Donald Macleod

He was a revolutionary, an innovator, a disruptor. A man who accomplished incredible success, but endured serious personal hardships. A legend who changed the way audiences listen to music and whose melodies still resonate today, 250 years after his birth. 
 
Go on a journey to explore the life and works of arguably the greatest composer in history: Ludwig van Beethoven. 
 
Join Donald Macleod, presenter of BBC Radio 3's Composer of the Week, as he brings Beethoven vividly to life: from his childhood in Bonn to how he won over the aristocratic music circles of Vienna, from the creation of his timeless works to the tragic loss of his hearing - and everything in between. 
 
Beethoven the legendary composer is just part of the story. In this exclusive BBC Audio release, other sides to his personality will be revealed, such as the man who experienced ordinary difficulties in family, friendship and love; and the playful character who introduced the scherzo (literally, "joke") into symphony. 
 
Over 60 episodes, this radio masterpiece includes more than six hours of Beethoven's timeless music performed by the BBC Philharmonic and BBC Symphony Orchestra. 
 
BBC Philharmonic / Gianandrea Noseda (conductor): 
 
Symphony No 4 B flat major, Op 60 
Symphony No 5 in C minor, Op 67 
Symphony No 6 in F major, Op 63 
Symphony No 8 in F major, Op 93 
Overture from Die Ruinen von Athen, Op 113 
 
BBC Symphony Orchestra; Sakari Oramo (conductor): 
 
Symphony No 3 in E flat major, Op 55 
Leonore Overture No 2 
 
BBC Philharmonic / Vassily Sinaisky (conductor): 
 
Fidelio Overture 
 
BBC Philharmonic / Juanjo Mena (conductor): 
 
Musik zu einem Ritterballet Woo.1 
Egmont overture 
Symphony No 7 in A major, Op 92 
 
Khatia Buniatishvili (piano): 
 
Khatia Buniatishvili appears courtesy of Sony Classical 
Excerpts from: 
Piano Sonata No.17 in D minor, Op.31 No.2, "The Tempest" 
Piano sonata No.19 in G minor, Op.49 No.1 
Piano Sonata No.23 in F minor, Op. 57, "Appassionata" 
 
Written and presented by Donald Macleod 
Produced by Martin Smith, Chris Taylor, Sam Phillips, Mike Evans, Amelia Parker, Amy Wheel 
Consultant: Dr Erica Buurman 
Commissioned by BBC Radio 3 
 
Music copyright restrictions mean that the musical interludes in this programme are provided as punctuation to the narrative, rather than a direct illustration.

Beethoven Unleashed

The music, the man and how he became an icon

Mick Jagger

In this fascinating collection of archive interviews with the famed lead singer of the Rolling Stones, we hear - in his owns words - about being the voice of his generation. 
 
Mick Jagger talks about touring with one of the biggest bands in the world and why he needs to perform. He discusses his favourite Stones songs and is extraordinarily open about some of his personal experiences, which have included drugs and alcohol, prison and being anti-establishment. He is particularly candid about earning money, being the businessman of the Stones and hating awards and ceremonies. In addition, Mick talks about his solo work, the longevity of the Rolling Stones, fatherhood and family, his love of cricket and, ultimately, making music to make you happy. 
 
Interviews include: archive radio newsreel, BBC Radio (first broadcast 25 July 1964); The Look of the Week, BBC TV (first broadcast 21 May 1967); 24 Hours, BBC TV (first broadcast 9 October 1970); My Top 12, BBC Radio 1 (first broadcast 8 August 1974); archive radio recording, BBC Radio (dated 1st January 1975); Rock On, BBC Radio 1 (first broadcast 21st October 1981); Whistle Test Special, BBC Two (first broadcast 9th April 1985); Janice Long, BBC Radio 1 (first broadcast 22 June 1986); Mick Jagger, BBC TV (28 August 1987); Steve Wright, BBC Radio 1 (first broadcast 8 September 1987); Nicky Campbell, BBC Radio 1 (first broadcast 5 September 1989); Simon Bates, BBC Radio 1 (first broadcast 21 November 1992). 
 
Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Mick Jagger In His Own Words

Noel Coward

In interviews ranging from 1960 to 1972, Noël Coward talks about being a legend; whether he is a cynical writer; his early days in acting and about his early reputation for upsetting fellow actors on stage. He also discusses acting with Laurence Olivier; his affection for the Navy; his film-making; his knighthood, and writing 'Private Lives' for his friend Gertrude Lawrence. 
 
Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Noel Coward In His Own Words

Stephen Sondheim

Stephen Sondheim was a multi award-winning American composer, whose works garnered over 60 Tony Awards, as well as an Oscar for Best Song and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Here he discusses his life and achievements in a series of interviews from the BBC radio and TV archive: PM, BBC Radio, 21 July 1973 (featuring Pete Myers); The Lively Arts, BBC Television, 2 January 1977 (featuring André Previn); The Levin Interviews, BBC Television, 24 May 1980 (featuring Bernard Levin); Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio, 16 August 1980 (featuring Roy Plomley); Face To Face, BBC Television, 9 January 1995 (featuring Jeremy Isaacs) and Front Row, BBC Radio, 19 October 2010 (featuring Mark Lawson). 
 
Due to the age and nature of this archive material, the sound quality may vary. 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Stephen Sondheim In His Own Words

John Betjeman

'For myself/ I knew as soon as I could read and write/ That I must be a poet. Even today,/ When all the way from Cambridge comes a wind/ To blow the lamps out every time they're lit/ I know that I must light mine up again.' From his earliest boyhood memories of Highgate and Archibald, his old stuffed bear, through to his undergraduate years at Oxford and his early career, John Betjeman’s unique narrative style poignantly describes the pains and pleasures of growing up. In the much-loved tones of Sir John himself, this magnificent autobiography in verse captures the voice of the late Poet Laureate. ‘Summoned by Bells can hardly help being a landmark... one seems to be living his childhood and boyhood with him’ - Stephen Spender.

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