"Topical" Comedy on Radio 4

[thismonkeyhere]

There has been a 'comedy' in the 1830 slot on R4 recently - two women; sketch show; can't remember the name. Fanfared as 'the next big thing' it is, imo, utterly dire. The antithesis of comedy. I guess it's all subjective though....

On the other hand, there are many hilarious shows on R4 and R4extra. Has anyone mentioned 'The Masterson Inheritance' yet? Quite old now, but so, so funny.

[Europa1]

Mr Gearchange said:

The Don of Croy said:

Nimby said:

Mr Gearchange said:

I'm a stanch defender of R4 comedy content - but turned on the other night to find a sit com 'starring' Pam Ayres. Pam fking Ayres. She was dated in the late 70's for gods sake

I thought it was pretty good. Not topical or laugh out loud, but well observed and wry.

I think there's a time and a place for Pam Ayres.

Agreed. That place is Opportunity Knocks. That time is 1975.

It is a bit sad that my favourite comedy shows on Radio 4 remain Just A Minute, I'm SOrry I haven't a Clue, and the News Quiz, all of which are as old as the hills. Some of the newer stuff has come close (Would I Lie to You, Dead Ringers, The Unbelievable Truth), but nothing quite comes up to the bar. I used to enjoy the Now Show, but it's really started to grate now.

Slightly off topic, but I really enjoy 8 Out Of 10 Cats does Countdown, right up to the point at which they bring on that bearded prick Joe Wilkinson, who is about as funny as a pair of jump leads attached to your wedding tackle. In god's name, why?? The guy is not funny, adds nothing and just jars with the rest of the show. It's almost as if they regard him as a charity case and are trying to give him a leg up with his "career".

Rant over. Thank you for listening.

[hidetheelephants]

Europa1 said:

Slightly off topic, but I really enjoy 8 Out Of 10 Cats does Countdown, right up to the point at which they bring on that bearded prick Joe Wilkinson, who is about as funny as a pair of jump leads attached to your wedding tackle. In god's name, why?? The guy is not funny, adds nothing and just jars with the rest of the show. It's almost as if they regard him as a charity case and are trying to give him a leg up with his "career".

Rant over. Thank you for listening.

+1 It's not the greatest show ever but it has its moments and it passes the time, but he's as funny as a dose of Ebola.

[Morningside]

Mr Gearchange said:

The Don of Croy said:

Nimby said:

Mr Gearchange said:

I'm a stanch defender of R4 comedy content - but turned on the other night to find a sit com 'starring' Pam Ayres. Pam fking Ayres. She was dated in the late 70's for gods sake

I thought it was pretty good. Not topical or laugh out loud, but well observed and wry.

I think there's a time and a place for Pam Ayres.

Agreed. That place is Opportunity Knocks. That time is 1975.

That bloody woman was everywhere on Anglia TV during the 1970s. I thought she from Norwich.

I expect The News Quiz will be wking itself into a frenzy over the suspension of Clarkson. I bet Hardy has already passed out.

[marshalla]

Europa1 said:

Some of the newer stuff has come close (Would I Lie to You, Dead Ringers, The Unbelievable Truth), but nothing quite comes up to the bar.

Effectively, two remakes of "Call my bluff" and a radio version of Spitting Image...

[john2443]

Europa1 said:

hidetheelephants said:

....Chain Reaction....

Last week's was even worse - Bob Mortimer "interviewing" Vic Reeves. It was half an hour of utterly self indulgent nonsense, in which they indulged in a childish game of one-upmanship as to who could say the most off-the-wall thing.

And I can't forgive them for inflicting Miranda and Count Arthur Strong on us.

Bob Mortimer "interviewing" Vic Reeves - I heard part of it and agree that it wasn't up to the standard of many of the previous shows - seems a bit daft having a comedy duo interviewing each other it needs to be people who don't know each other that well to make it work.

Miranda - not to everyone's taste but my teenage kids love it, can't please all the people all the time.

The one I don't get is Stephen K Amos - there are a few mildly amusing bits but he really isn't funny.

Cabin Pressure was excellent, a shame there aren't more letters in the alphabet for a few more episodes!

There are some crap R4 comedies as well as some brilliant ones, but at least they're still making radio comedy, it's not like the commercial stations are all doing it and we could listen to theirs instead.

[mph1977]

john2443 said:

There are some crap R4 comedies as well as some brilliant ones, but at least they're still making radio comedy, it's not like the commercial stations are all doing it and we could listen to theirs instead.

but if the powerfully built borderline sociopaths get their way there will be no radio comedy in the UK at all - i strongly suspect that R4 would be among the first to fail if the BBC was fully commercialised as the Murdoch fellators wish

[gifdy]

I really enjoyed Start/Stop which I think was written by Jack Docherty. Cabin Pressure also good.

The Now show has it's moments but some of the guest slots are bloody awful. Eddie Mair on Friday's PM can be a laugh. Dry as a bone delivery.

[Riff Raff]

john2443 said:

There are some crap R4 comedies as well as some brilliant ones, but at least they're still making radio comedy, it's not like the commercial stations are all doing it and we could listen to theirs instead.

Oh, I don't know. Listening to Natalie Bennett being interviewed by Nick Ferrari on LBC was quite funny.

[gifdy]

Riff Raff said:

Oh, I don't know. Listening to Natalie Bennett being interviewed by Nick Ferrari on LBC was quite funny.

She's on Question time tonight if you fancy a laugh

[Steamer]

hidetheelephants said:

Not exactly topical, but tonight's Chain Reaction was dire; it was Vic Reeves interviewing Olivia Coleman. On paper it ought to be funny, but it was just painful to listen to.

There have been some excellent episodes... this is far from being one of them. Vic & Bob was even worse.

[Tyre Tread]

I particularly enoy the News Quiz, politics aside, and ISIHAC but the introduction of certain "personalities" can completey ruin any of the programmes. The main culprits being Gina Yashere or the bearded knob mentioned above whose name I refure to repeat.

By the way did I hear that Gina Yashere is from Nigeria? ISTR she might have mentioned it once.

We appear to living a world where most comedy revolves around being vulgar or insulting. Radio4Extra brings back some of the funnier times for me.

[rehab71]

thismonkeyhere said:

There has been a 'comedy' in the 1830 slot on R4 recently - two women; sketch show; can't remember the name. Fanfared as 'the next big thing' it is, imo, utterly dire. The antithesis of comedy. I guess it's all subjective though....

On the other hand, there are many hilarious shows on R4 and R4extra. Has anyone mentioned 'The Masterson Inheritance' yet? Quite old now, but so, so funny.

Mentioned by me about 4 posts ago, 'Well Done You' it's called and it's bloody dreadful.

[thismonkeyhere]

rehab71 said:

thismonkeyhere said:

There has been a 'comedy' in the 1830 slot on R4 recently - two women; sketch show; can't remember the name. Fanfared as 'the next big thing' it is, imo, utterly dire. The antithesis of comedy. I guess it's all subjective though....

On the other hand, there are many hilarious shows on R4 and R4extra. Has anyone mentioned 'The Masterson Inheritance' yet? Quite old now, but so, so funny.

Mentioned by me about 4 posts ago, 'Well Done You' it's called and it's bloody dreadful.

Ah, yes, that's the one. I was thinking the title was the women's names - I think the whole title is Trodd en Bratt say 'Well Done You'.

Anyway, whatever it's called, it's tripe. I've heard funnier holocaust documentaries.

[Europa1]

thismonkeyhere said:

rehab71 said:

thismonkeyhere said:

There has been a 'comedy' in the 1830 slot on R4 recently - two women; sketch show; can't remember the name. Fanfared as 'the next big thing' it is, imo, utterly dire. The antithesis of comedy. I guess it's all subjective though....

On the other hand, there are many hilarious shows on R4 and R4extra. Has anyone mentioned 'The Masterson Inheritance' yet? Quite old now, but so, so funny.

Mentioned by me about 4 posts ago, 'Well Done You' it's called and it's bloody dreadful.

Ah, yes, that's the one. I was thinking the title was the women's names - I think the whole title is Trodd en Bratt say 'Well Done You'.

Anyway, whatever it's called, it's tripe. I've heard funnier holocaust documentaries.

Amen to the above. I had the misfortune to catch it on the radio on the way home from work once. Fairly crappy day at work (a mixture of shovelling s%^t and trying to push water uphill), thought the 6:30 comedy slot would help me unwind. Instead of which it made me incandescent with rage.

I guess it's the quid pro quo of the licence fee - bright young things from Oxbridge get to "enjoy" that sort of crap, they had (until this week) to put up with Jeremy Clarkson.

[john2443]

One thing I did think was funny was a woman (yes, she was feminist and all that, but nevertheless I thought this was funny), Thursday night 6.30 a few weeks ago, the one where Fred McCauley did the male lines.

'That actor who plays Nigel Farage is brilliant isn't he, never comes out of character, never a slip that gives the game away'

[AdeTuono]

john2443 said:

One thing I did think was funny was a woman (yes, she was feminist and all that, but nevertheless I thought this was funny), Thursday night 6.30 a few weeks ago, the one where Fred McCauley did the male lines.

'That actor who plays Nigel Farage is brilliant isn't he, never comes out of character, never a slip that gives the game away'

Bridget Christie/Mind The Gap.

[Jezzerh]

Cabin Pressure was excellent, really, really great. I miss it. Claire in the Community was also a hit. Those are the only two shows that haven't dated for me. I do love Round the Horne though when they have it on R4 Extra. Can't believe they got away with that in those days!

Edited by Jezzerh on Friday 13th March 19:37

[Chocmonster]

I'm pretty new to listening to Comedy on Radio4, mainly via the Iplayer whilst I'm working.

Have listened to a couple of episodes of Cabin Pressure and really loved it but there doesn't seem to be any more available.

Found Britian versus the World quite good and The Now Show/News Quiz too also listened to the available episodes of So Wrong It's Right with Charlie Brooker.

Anything else I should be giving a go?

[surveyor]

Chocmonster said:

I'm pretty new to listening to Comedy on Radio4, mainly via the Iplayer whilst I'm working.

Have listened to a couple of episodes of Cabin Pressure and really loved it but there doesn't seem to be any more available.

Found Britian versus the World quite good and The Now Show/News Quiz too also listened to the available episodes of So Wrong It's Right with Charlie Brooker.

Anything else I should be giving a go?

Complete series of Cabin Presures are available on itunes, and I assume other popular download shops as 'albums' or audiobooks.

Edited by surveyor on Friday 13th March 13:10