Being from Canada, I don’t always listen to BBC Radio, but I do check in on line every so often, and listen to whatever catches my eye. Er… ear.
Mostly I check out comedy & quizzes, and there’s some awesome stuff in there right now.
Anyone else listen to ‘Absolute Power’? I’ve heard the whole series, I think, over the years, but they’ve just started re-airing them. Stephen Fry is hilarious. And Fry can be heard twice more, right now, in a side-splittingly funny program called ‘Current Puns’, about, well, puns and in the latest episode of ‘I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue’.
Other great re-runs are ‘That Mitchell And Webb Sound’, the radio sketch-show by the guys who hit internet fame with the “Hans, are we the baddies?” youtube clip, and ‘All The Way From Memphis’, the pop music panel quiz game. Tough questions that might even stump some dopers.
And there’s tons more. Gawd, I sound like a commercial, but it seems like all my favourite BBC Radio bits are on right now. I’m getting no work done…
I also love I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, especially when they have Jeremy Hardy on (at least I can sing better than someone!) I like the oldies like Hancock’s Half Hour and Steptoe and Son, too. I’m always amazed at having stuff like this available on the Internet. I can remember just a few years ago, I was thinking of buying some CD recordings of ISIHAC that were outrageously expensive. Now, I can just tune in and listen - technology is amazing!
Yep, there’s always one or two (or five or six) of the older shows available. Pretty much always a Just A Minute or something to listen to. People at work think I’m a bit odd, sitting with my headphones on and laughing away to myself.
Couldn’t agree more that the BBC produce some excellent radio. Far better in consistency than their TV output. ISIHAC is genius. And I’ve just been listening to a live broadcast of a White Stripes concert
There’s tons of older shows on BBC7 – it’s old shows 24/7.
Besides ISIHAC, I’m particularly fond of the News Quiz (though since Sandi Toksvig’s taken over the chair I haven’t decided whether the quality has declined or I just need time to adjust), Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation, The Mark Steele Solution, I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again, All the World’s a Globe, and the Reduced Shakespeare Company. The last two Sundays they’ve had an hour of Eddie Izzard, which as funny as anything can be.
Blimey, it shows that there’s times in the week I just fall asleep, I’d missed that entirely. As I found Simon Hoggart to be the one annoying thing about a very good programme, I’ll go and listen to it.
Very good recommendations. Also, look out for the Mark Steele Lectures, which have also been turned into excellent TV programmes which shamefully don’t seem to be available on DVD. IMO, they work far better on TV, with the humourous slant on often very pertinent points being well-balanced (and funny). The depiction of Newton as the last of the alchemists was something I found absolutely fascinating, and was a perspective of science in that period which I’d never encountered before.
I’ve really enjoyed
Toksvig in various things, and she says some funny stuff on TNQ. But I think she’s trying to hard to get her own quips in there instead of letting the panel shine through full strength. Everyone seems to talk over each other quite a bit more. On the other hand, Simon didn’t seem to be able to say anything that wasn’t in the script. My enjoyment of the show hasn’t changed much from the change of chair. What’s hurt the show most since I’ve been listening is the death of Linda Smith.
Sounds like she’s pushing for a Have I Got News For You style? And yes, Linda Smith fitted into that programme so well, able to go off on one but also aware of the real world.
I’d only started listening to TNQ in the last year or so before Simon left, although it’s hard to remember exactly when, as I listen to repeats from years past quite often. To me, Andy Hamilton is just about the best there is, which is why I’ve just started listening to Trevor’s World Of Sport. I’ll try Old Harry’s Game next.
I’ll have to give Mark Steel Solution a try. Hadn’t heard of that before. Thanks, zagloba!
At her best she was as sharp, inventive and, well, just plain funny as anyone I’ve ever heard (and a seemed a whole lot more likeable than most who have an acerbic wit)
Much missed
On the bright side; now she’s making Little Baby Jesus laugh in heaven
I listen to some of the books and drama that’s serialised (The Kraken Wakes was good) but I listen to Radio 6 more - The Freak Zone (3 hours of interesting/weird music); the Bob Dylan Radio Hour (sometimes bizarre comments from Dylan and some fine old music on some sort of theme for the show) and recently I’ve also started listening to Sounds of the Sixties as well… (which often plays little-known tracks)
