Showing results by publisher "BBC Audio" in Entertainment & Celebrity

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...

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...

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...

David Dickinson is a household name, the king of the catchphrase, undisputed darling of daytime TV and a rising star. He's a respected antiques expert and exudes a taste for the finer things in life. But the road to his success has not been as smooth as his patter and he's learnt a lot at the...

Bertrand Russell was one of the greatest thinkers of the last century. His contributions to the fields of mathematics and philosophy are widely acknowledged as some of the most important of their kind. But he also brought his brand of rationalism and intellect to an audience far beyond the...

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...

When Brian Johnston died in 1994 at the age of 81, the Daily Telegraph described him as ‘the greatest natural broadcaster of them all’. In this delightful reading from his autobiography 'It’s Been a Lot of Fun', Brian recalls his schooldays at Eton and Oxford, his early career in the...

In this much-praised interview, octogenarian Peter Ustinov talks to John Bird. The man of many talents has an astonishing range of accomplishments behind him as an Oscar-winning film and theatre actor, author of novels, plays and screenplays. He is also a raconteur, graphic artist, photographer...

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...

Humph – bandleader, cartoonist, writer, chairman of BBC Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, president of the Society for Italic Handwriting and doyen of jazz trumpeters. In conversation with June Knox-Mawer, Humphrey Lyttelton reflects on his extraordinary life; from schooldays at Eton...

Move over Grumpy Old Men - it's time for the Grumpy Old Women to have their say in this hilarious guide, read by the narrator of the BBC TV series Alison Steadman. OK, enough is enough. Grumpy Old Men have had their turn at complaining and now the Grumpy Old Women are taking over. It's about...

A centenary collection of the best BBC Radio programmes about the legendary Spike Milligan - including the 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.

BBC Radio 4 celebrates the remarkable life of Humphrey Lyttelton, jazz genius, radio legend and master of the breathtaking double entendre, as friends and admirers recall Humph’s highlights as chairman of I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue. Presented by Stephen Fry, this programme features clips...

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Jack Rosenthal’s award-winning television play, starring Hugo Raine. At the tender age of thirteen Eliot Green is about to become a man - in the Jewish religion at least. In synagogue, in front of the whole congregation, he will read and sing in...

The humorous and moving tale of Miss Shepherd, an eccentric old lady who, by a bizarre series of twists and turns, lived in the author’s garden for many years. Alan Bennett reads his own acclaimed work, recently adapted as a West End smash hit starring Maggie Smith as the eccentric old lady...

A special compilation of highlights from cuddly Ken’s television and radio shows. Kenny Everett was one of radio’s great innovators, the funniest DJ of our time and a one-off whose madcap comedy burst the boundaries of broadcasting. Introduced and presented by Barry Cryer, this recording...

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...

This compilation brings together wonderful highlights of Kenneth Williams’ career. For more than 30 years, Kenneth Williams kept the nation in stitches with his outrageous gallery of comic creations and an effortlessly brilliant barrage of repartee and innuendo on radio and television. In...

Includes the BBC Radio 4 serialisation of ‘Margrave of the Marshes’, John Peel’s part-written autobiography completed by his wife, Sheila Ravenscroft and read by Michael Angelis and Carolyn Pickles. John Peel was one such, whose contribution to British culture is undeniable. His 40-year...

Lenny Kravitz, a lifelong fan of Curtis Mayfield, celebrates his life and musical achievements in this four-part series. Curtis was a prolific songwriter whose career was cut short following a tragic accident in 1990. He died in 1999, aged only 57. His songs influenced millions and he was an...