"Topical" Comedy on Radio 4

[coppice]

Have to say I found the Goon Show toe curlingly unfunny, in period and now. Spike Milligan may have been a national treasure(etc etc ) , but I always sensed (and rightly ) that here was a man on the edge of a breakdown. Still, Prince Charles liked him so that's alright then...

ISIHAC is R4's crown jewel - just as I am unlikely to be a close friend of anybody who thinks Jeffrey Archer can write , or that Queen are The Best Band of All Time , I would find it impossible to dislike anybody who loves ISIHAC . It should be part of the citizenship test.

[Smiler.]

Mark Benson said:

The Don of Croy said:

Regrettably they've allowed Marcus Brigstocke back onto the airwaves (last night at 18:30).

How in the name of all that's holy does this man keep getting back on the radio?

Way past his sell by date.

Shame because he was good in The Museum of Everything, Think the Unthinkable & to a lesser extent, Giles Wembley Hogg.

His early rants on the Now Show were quite good too, back in the days when both were actually funny.

[K12beano]

Smiler. said:

Mark Benson said:

The Don of Croy said:

.... Brigstocke....

How in the name of all that's holy....?

Way past his sell by date.

Agreed, past expiry date. Marginally more tolerable than some, though (think Clare in The Count Arthur Community)

I can't be bothered to listen - am just wondering if I'm missing anything as I keep waking up to some punchlines and laughter....

[peterperkins]

I have been listening to 'The Mark Steel solution.' they are good old rants on various subjects..

Quite deep and well researched in some cases..

I could upload them to my webspace if needed.
Only fair quality but good enough for shed or car listening.

Series 1, 1992 (BBC Radio 5)

S01 E01 - The Royal Family - "The Royal Family should be chosen by weekly lottery" (9 October 1992)
S01 E02 - The Family - "Nobody should be allowed to live in the same family for more than a year" (16 October 1992)
S01 E03 - Judges - "Criminals should be recruited as high courts judges" (23 October 1992)
S01 E04 - School - "Nobody should go to school until they're 35" (30 October 1992)
S01 E05 - England - "Anyone born in England should be deported" (6 November 1992)
S01 E06 - The Economy - "All government economic policy should be decided by sport" (13 November 1992)
Series 2, 1994 (BBC Radio 4)

S02 E01 - Unemployment - "Having a job should be illegal" (15 July 1994)
S02 E02 - Transport - "Transport should only be paid for by people who don't use it" (22 July 1994)
S02 E03 - Housing - "Everyone in Britain should be rehoused at random" (29 July 1994)
S02 E04 - The Royal Family - "The Royal Family should be chosen by weekly lottery" (paraphrasing S01 E01) (presumably 5 August 1994)
Series 3, 1995 (BBC Radio 4)

S03 E01 - Sexuality - "Everyone should have to be gay for two years"
S03 E02 - Charity - "Anybody who gives to charity should be jailed"
S03 E03 - Crime - "Criminals should decide their own punishment" (Uses some sketches from S01 E03)
S03 E04 - Immigration - "Anyone born in England should be deported" (paraphrasing S01 E05)
Series 4, August and September 1996 (BBC Radio 4)

S04 E01 - Religion - "People should have to change their religion every Monday"
S04 E02 - Media - "Anyone in charge of the media should be sacked after thirty minutes"
S04 E03 - Education - "Nobody should go to school until they are 36" (paraphrasing S01 E04)
S04 E04 - Life - "Pessimists should be persecuted by law"

[Europa1]

Driving home last night, I heard "The Fair Intellectual Society". It was dire - almost "Gloomsbury" bad.

[MarshPhantom]

It really is appalling.

Anyone hear Ladies Talking Cars the other night? Victoria Coren this week with Dawn French. I feel they may be trying to find someone for Top Gear. I really wouldn't be surprised it's Jennifer Saunders.

[dxg]

Anyone hear the afternoon play yesterday, Red and Blue on Terror with good old Bill Paterson?

Really, old school highbrow thinking man's stuff. Surprised the BBC let it on the air! There's another couple from that series which I now have to catch up on.

[Europa1]

MarshPhantom said:

It really is appalling.

I agree about something with MarshPhantom. I need to go and lie down.

[mybrainhurts]

MarshPhantom said:

It really is appalling.

Anyone hear Ladies Talking Cars the other night? Victoria Coren this week with Dawn French. I feel they may be trying to find someone for Top Gear. I really wouldn't be surprised it's Jennifer Saunders.

Had to chuckle when one of them said Clarkson told her to buy a new Cerbera and the factory measured her arse before they made it...

[coppice]

It was very good I thought - a nice contrast to middle aged blokes coking about anyway and with rather more car content too.

[Riley Blue]

mybrainhurts said:

Had to chuckle when one of them said Clarkson told her to buy a new Cerbera and the factory measured her arse before they made it...

Dawn French said it...

[surveyor]

I wish they would bring back something with the quality of Cabin Pressure.

[K12beano]

surveyor said:

I wish they would bring back something with the quality of Cabin Pressure.

+1

[Johnnytheboy]

Fags, mags and bags. Brilliant.

[Steamer]

Johnnytheboy said:

Fags, mags and bags. Brilliant.

FIVE ALIVE!

[davepoth]

coppice said:

I would find it impossible to dislike anybody who loves ISIHAC . It should be part of the citizenship test.

A Spanish lady in my office is considering British citizenship, so I've been explaining the rules of Mornington Crescent to her. I think it's going quite well.

[Johnnytheboy]

Steamer said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Fags, mags and bags. Brilliant.

FIVE ALIVE!

"I am a bra monger, I mong bras."

[Janluke]

Johnnytheboy said:

Steamer said:

Johnnytheboy said:

Fags, mags and bags. Brilliant.

FIVE ALIVE!

"I am a bra monger, I mong bras."

I chuckle every time I see a "Wall of crisps"

[Riley Blue]

K12beano said:

surveyor said:

I wish they would bring back something with the quality of Cabin Pressure.

+1

Both parts of the final episode (Zurich) have been on Radio 4Extra in the last week. Series 1 takes off again on Christmas Day at 11pm.

[Halmyre]

Riley Blue said:

K12beano said:

surveyor said:

I wish they would bring back something with the quality of Cabin Pressure.

+1

Both parts of the final episode (Zurich) have been on Radio 4Extra in the last week. Series 1 takes off again on Christmas Day at 11pm.

I was a latecomer to Cabin Pressure but I'm tearing up now just thinking about it. The lemon is in play, indeed.