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back in the day (tm), Radio 4 comedy used to be fairly predicatable:
Mon eve: something long running and reliable with octogenarians
Fri eve: something topical and usually funny
rest of the week: stuff under test - keep 'em keen. Usually one was not too bad
Now they all seem to suck, or have I just been listening too long and need to move on :(. Anyone else lost the love for Radio4 funnies or never had it in the first place
Friday night is OK much of it pretentious and highbrow
Definitely lost the love for a chunk of it. I think the only ones I listen to in the 1830 slot now are The News Quiz & Museum Of Curiosities. Maybe SIHGAC ocassionally but parts of that are painful.
John Finnemore (spl?) has been excellent recently. Especially his Archers and Spiderman sketches.
i dont get Museum of Curiosities at all. maybe need to pay more attention bit it always seems laugh free
I expected to grow into Radio 4 comedy, as I got older. But most of them seem totally unfunny.
And I HATE the ones with people shouting in regional accents.
that might be worth hunting down. was always hugely impressed they stopped cabin pressurenat the end of the 26 rather than the usual eke out until it diesJohn Finnemore has been excellent
Another big John Finnemore fan here. Alexei Sayle's thing was good too. The rest seems pretty dismal to me - I've even fallen out of love with the News Quiz.
been terrible for at least a decade
Always used to be at least one stand out brilliant show
Last one i recall is Mitchell and Webb and that was ages ago
Some ot the other stuff is ik but nothing is worth searching out IMHO
I still enjoy the old stalwarts - museum of curiosities is like a talk show with anecdotes rather than a comedy
Mondays and Fridays only. Listened to about 30secs of tonight's and turned it off
yep, i think that's my problem with museum of curiosities - it's just a talk show and often not with people who are funny. The good shows they usually have some professional backup to keep it rolling.
The problem we have now is Radio 4 is no longer the proving ground for new comedians, as there are so many TV channels to fill most can go straight to air.
I remember listening to Mary Whitehouse Experience, Mighty Boosh, Little Britain (when it was funny), The Day Today, 15 Stories High etc all before the transition to TV.
I think the only comedy I listen to now on R4 is Ed Reardon's Week which is consistently excellent.
I remember when all this was fields etc etc and this is an interesting read: http://www.spectator.co.uk/2013/09/gagging-orders/
that link pretty much nails it.
young guys noticing things...
News quiz - Bring back Sandy!
I like the unbelievable truth and the one where Tom wrigglesworth rings up his Mum and Dad, but they've stuck that in a mid morning slot for some reason.
Can't beat the oldies (Just a minute and I'm sorry). And of course 'Clare'. As for the rest meh . . .
That was bizarrely good. Just a minute seems to struggle and should be put out of it's misery reallyunbelievable truth
Still like News Quiz Unbelievable Truth and the Jack Dee one, most of the rest sucks the boaby.
Especially Finnimore, Claire, Just a Minute.
If the first series if In and Out if the Kitchen can be found, it is golden.
They've recently had a regional showcase of up and coming standups (standsup?) - most of whom have been fresh and excellent.
Mark Steel is consistently good, Ed Reardon is anything but weak, Mark Watson and Alex Horne are brilliant and it wasn't long ago we were treated to Count Arthur Strong and John Shuttleworth.
But a lot of it is shit.
Sporadic listener at that time, but enjoyed the silliness of Clare in the Community.
I'm a big fan of anything that involves Andy Hamilton, Revolting People and Old Harry's Game being especially good. Old Harry's Game is being repeated on R4 Extra at the moment 11.30pm tonight.
Old Harry's Game was great and new but it's over 20 years old now 🙁
Was trying to think of In and Out of the Kitchen. Loved that. And I prefer Jupp in the News Quiz now. My long favourite has always been Edd Reardons Week.
Also loved.
Mark Steel's in Town
Clare
John Finnemores stuff. Always seems to be excellent.
Loved Bleak Expectations when it was on.
The Now Show.
Not to everyone's taste but Count Arthur used to have me in stitches. Thankfully I work alone, so no one can complain. 🙂
I suppose it's hit and miss like tele though. For every League of Gentlemen, they'll be a hundred My Family.
John Finnemore (spl?) has been excellent recently.
Cabin Pressure is one of the best things they've ever done.
If the first series if In and Out if the Kitchen can be found, it is golden.
On about a month ago.
🙂
Quick look at my iPlayer downloads:
1966 & All That.
Armando Iannucci.
Boosh.
Cabin Pressure
Chain Reaction
Clare in the Community.
Count Arthur.
Dave Podmore (same people as the Ed Reardon's week)
David Sedaris.
Dead Ringers.
Fighting Talk.
Heresy.
Hut 33.
And so on.
Yes, most of them are repeats.
Pay your licence fee and stop whining.
🙂
Forgot about David Sedaris. Brilliant.
And Dead Ringers.
There's bloody loads.
I never liked Cabin Pressure but his sketch show can be very good.
Clare has been good but now a little tired
Ed Reardon good but not funny.
Tom Wrigglesworth, Mark Watson, Alex Horne all excellent
Rich Halls election show was top class
John Shuttleworth - timeless genius
I agree, the older stuff is best (apart from the most excellent Cabin pressure of course!)
We're particular fans of Men from the ministry in this house (circa 1970's!) and I love a bit of Old Harry's Game.
Worth hunting out some of the old crime drama series like Lord Peter Wimsey and Paul Temple.
The now show has really gone downhill in recent years IMO and it took me a while to warm to Miles Jupp hosting the news quiz, but enjoying it again now. Dead ringers is up and down, as is Count Arthur strong.
We're particular fans of Men from the ministry in this house (circa 1970's!)
🙂
Have you heard the Michael Bentine Show?
Absolute genius.
Fond of the Navy Lark too and the Goon Show.
Struggle with Hancock sometimes, bit too close to the truth, knowing what we know now.
Can't stand Steptoe.
The Now Show is appalling these days and Marcus Brigstocke disappeared up his own smug fundament years ago.
The Secret World is fantastic, if you get the chance.
A darker, funnier Dead Ringers.
The News Quiz is very good (I like Mike Jupp a lot) agree about the Now Show going downhill to the point of being just dire now though
Mark Steel's in Town seems to one f the best things out there at the moment.
Nobody has mentioned "Its not what you know" Which miles Jupp did before he chaired the News Quiz.
It's your round (from a few years back but good and always good to hear Angus Deayton)
You can try some of the podcast that are out there:
no such thing as a fish ( done by the researchers from QI and is arguably far better that it)
Book Shambles with Josie Long and Robin Ince
Kermide and Mayos film review (5Live) podcast
As for Cabin Pressure....in my best BA captains voice: "the lemon is in play..." 🙂
Not much to add ... but Yes Minister is on R4Extra at the moment. I know it's old, still good though.
This is kind of my point though. The current 18:30 stuff is all a bit poor. You have to hit either 4extra or hunt around the late night stuff to find something good
Wanders off to internet radio land...
Still a big fan of the news quiz though if you hold any Brexit/Tory/Trump sympathies it's probably going to not be for you. My favourite from last year was Edwina Currie on the same week as the torm MP/dominatrix - I think the words were watch out for the quiet ones...
Yes minister is still right up amongst the best Mary White House ex had me giggling last week too. Forgotten the name of the food writer/chef that's good too.
New stuff for me was alexi sales sandwich shop episode 2 was very funny.
Tom Wrigglesworth Just for his dad
Finnemore disproves your argument...
I must admit the quality of show on the 18.30 slot seems to have dropped in recent years.
I used to enjoy Fags Mags & Bags,Bleak Expectations,Tom Wrigglesworths Hangups,Mark Steele's in town,David Sedaris.
I still look forward to The News Quiz,but as has been mentioned The Now Show isn't as funny as it used to be..
Alexi Sayle's Sandwich shop was a welcome bright spot the other month,but it wasn't in the 18.30 slot.
One show I've listened to over the last few weeks is Robert Newman 19.15 Sunday nights
Now show? Not current I know
Now show? Not current I know
The last series,finished last month was not up to previous standards
Imho obviously...
has anyone mentioned Milton Jones and the Sunday Format? Agree that it's pretty weak currently. That thing about Sweden is just dire. Linda Smith was a big loss too.
The Secret World and Down the Line are both excellent.
But bring back Week Ending FTW!
Just listened to "What Does The K Stand For - Stephen K Amos" on R4, after a brief 5 minutes listening i guess is stands for Krap, utter shite programming - whoever is in charge of commissioning this bilge needs a good slap.
Now show
is awful. Do a gag that's so obvious the audience are laughing before you're half-way through the set-up. Then deliver the punchline anyway. Then do a 30 second sketch basically repeating the punchline, but extra points if you manage to shoe-horn in some third-rate, not-very-topical impression from the 3 characters your cast have mastered.
Liked the Unbelievable Truth, News Quiz, JigSaw, Laura Solon (which seems to have dropped off Iplayer), Bleak Expectations which just got more bonkers as it went on, Cabin Pressure (Roger Allam's voice is perfect for radio character comedy). Also a fan of Finnemore; The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Red Trousers were proper spit-your-coffee funny.
and now for the musical comedy stylings of Mitch Benn...
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Radio 4 comedy is generally far superior to anything on TV. Loads of good things on and even more in the way of the old stuff on Radio 4 Extra.
Cabin Pressure is probably my favourite sit-com of all time (TV included). Basically anything John Finnemore touches is comedy genius. It does help if you listen to CP from episode 1 onwards, as a lot of the jokes will make more sense.
Other great sit-coms include Clare in the Community, Ed Reardon, Old Harry's Game and Hut 33.
News Quiz is a far superior version of Have I Got News For You. Pal of mine was chatting to Fred McAuley once who told him that before going on HIGNFY the producer told him "Remember this isn't the News Quiz, keep it dumb and don't use any long words".
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue is very silly British humour at it's very silly best.
And loads of other stuff too. For example a few weeks ago I came across a lovely, gentle little sit-com called The Cold Swedish Winter.
Still three episodes of 1966 And All That on iPlayer.
If you like Craig Brown, it's a bit of a gem.
HARRUMBLE!