Showing results by publisher "BBC Audio" in Comedy & Humor

Perhaps best-known for his outrageously brilliant one-liners on Mock the Week, comedian Glenn Moore delivers a tale of comic mishaps in this BBC radio comedy series. Looking back through his almanac at a big event in history, Glenn finds out what he was doing at the time and looks into other strange connections to the day in question. Sit back and listen as Glenn interweaves extraordinary scenes from his life with a big event in history.

Dr Thomas Barrett and his wife Jane have a perfectly nice existence in 1950s Manchester, but dreams of a new life won’t let them rest. Leaving the security of their home and successful doctor’s practice, they set out for adventure, heading to Kalangadog Junction, a small Australian town of population fifty-nine that is so remote it’s not even on the map. Setting up Down Under isn’t quite as simple as the duo thought it would be.

Award-winning writer and comedian Mark Steel aims to put the world to rights in these 15 episodes, as he comes up with radical proposals to improve our lives and sort out our social ills. From the economy to transport, housing, crime and our current age of pessimism, Mark’s got a brilliant idea that’s sure to fix the problem. Each show sees him using witty, persuasive arguments and short, sharp sketches to present his case, as he contends that having a job should be illegal, everyone should have to be gay for two years, and nobody should have to go to school until they’re 36.

Sony Award-winning satirist and stand-up comedian Mark Steel takes us through the life stories of some of his favourite historical characters in this acclaimed radio series, which ran for three series on BBC Radio 4 before transferring to TV in 2003. From Oliver Cromwell to Ludvig van Beethoven, Mark’s chosen personalities are all passionate, driven – and more than a little eccentric.

Radio legends Kenneth Williams (Beyond Our Ken, Hancock’s Half Hour) and Ted Ray (Ray’s a Laugh) join forces for this quickfire mix of characters, songs and sketches, first broadcast on Radio 2 in 1974. Accompanied by Quote… Unquote’s Nigel Rees and veteran actress/comedian Miriam Margolyes, they cross their comedy swords and trade playful repartee.

Mark Steel turns his analytical mind to the theme of revolutions in these six entertaining lectures, examining some of the major historical forces at work and holding up a mirror to our own age. In these entertaining lectures, he reinterprets the French Revolution, examining everything from the storming of the Bastille to the guillotine; looks at the politics of the sexual revolution (taking in the pill, the women’s movement and the Stonewall riots); and assesses the motivating factors and key players in the Russian Revolution – including the Romanovs, Rasputin and the Red Guard.

Hosted by Mark Nelson, this lively show sees a panel of celebrities competing to share the best, worst and most hilarious anecdotes from their daily lives. Each guest is vying for the audience's vote as they try to convince Mark that their 'good' story is the most joyful, serendipitous or worthy, and their 'bad' story is the most unfortunate, outrageous or unforgivable. To keep them on their toes, they're also faced with some spontaneous surprise questions. Collected here are 39 of the finest episodes from Series 2-14, featuring a fantastic mix of talent from across Scotland and beyond.

Since winning the Perrier Best Newcomer Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1993, Dominic Holland has gone on to become one of the UK’s best loved comedians. He’s worked with Armando Iannucci, Rob Brydon and supported Eddie Izzard on tour. He is also the father of Tom Holland (best known for starring in the blockbuster Spider-man movies) and made the brilliant 2017 Dominic Holland Eclipsed Edinburgh Fringe show out of the experience of being a superhero’s dad.

There can be only one parody musical master, and Mitch Benn thinks it’s him. Although Richard Stilgoe may have something to say about that. Laugh out loud as Mitch sets out on a musical journey through the showbiz glitz and backstage litter of pop music. Teaming up with Mitch is comedian Robin Ince, and between them they delve into the world of super fans, the glamorous trappings and excesses of pop-star life and its highs and lows.

Room 101 is the anti-Desert Island Discs. Instead of picking the tracks, books and luxuries they love, guests are invited to banish their least favourite things to Orwell's eponymous chamber of horrors. Twenty-seven episodes of the show were broadcast on Radio 5 between 1992 and 1994, and it went on to run for 18 hit series on BBC TV before relaunching on Radio 4 in 2023. This specially curated collection contains 16 of the very best editions of the original radio series.

Lucy Porter explores family life via songs, sketches and stand-up. Lucy Porter is well known for her cheery, feelgood comedy. She has toured both nationally and internationally with her one-woman shows, and her many TV and radio appearances include Live at the Apollo, QI, The Now Show and The News Quiz. In this trilogy of stand-up specials, she examines domestic life from the dramatic to the dreary, aided by comedian and impressionist Luke Kempner.

Serving up razor-sharp caricatures and explosively satirical truth-bombs since January 2000, Dead Ringers is one of Radio 4’s most popular and critically acclaimed comedy shows. In these five series, first broadcast between 2015 and 2019, media mauling and celebrity savaging are once more the order of the day, as Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod, Debra Stephenson and Duncan Wisbey poke fun at the worlds of politics and entertainment.

Living in flats in a converted house in North London, a group of middle-aged neighbours navigate their careers, love lives and family dramas in this charming sitcom full of heart.

If you Google 'Lemn Sissay', all the results will be about him - he's the only person in the world with that name. But that's not the only thing that makes him unique. In this fascinating series, he mixe

When her 13-year-old twins head off to boarding school, Felicity Willow decides it's time to reconnect with her husband, Paul. The years of childcare have taken their toll on the marriage and Felicity dives headfirst into trying to re-ignite that spark of love. Paul, somewhat bewildered by his wife's endeavours, gamely plays along with her efforts. Hilarity ensues as Felicity devotes all her energies into the new project but as it turns out, recapturing romantic bliss isn't as easy as it sounds, and poor Felicity feels thwarted at every turn.

Brothers Jack and Lesley Burrows are as different from each other as they can possibly be. After their mum passes away, there's a surprise at the reading of her will. An unexpected windfall has been left to them, but there's one very big catch: the brothers must commit to living together for three months. As far as Jack and Lesley are concerned, this is a total disaster. They will do everything they can to avert the crisis and get their hands on their cash legacy.

In this brilliantly weird and hilarious sketch show, Dan Antopolski, Tom Craine and Nat Luurtsema find themselves trying not to annoy their accountant, taking a theatre trip to see Les Misérables, dreaming of opening a cattery, and singing a song in praise of fathers-in-law. Add to that a telling off to Clark Kent from his editor, a will reading with some rather odd twists, a bit of trouble with a life support machine and a very confusing cocktail bar, and you've got Jigsaw.

This hilarious, fast-paced parody sketch show sends up classic BBC radio shows, travels through time and brings you Shakespeare as you've never heard it before. Tune in to Desert Island Discs with a twist, appreciate an orange-inal version of Hamlet and discover Tolstoy with a peel good factor. A spoof show like no other, The Long Hot Satsuma is a laugh out loud comedy packed with quick-witted lines and the trademark dry humour of veteran comedians Alison Steadman, Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden.

Columnist, critic and award-winning author Craig Brown is well known for his Private Eye parodies lampooning politicians and celebrities. He has written for numerous newspapers, both under his own name and as his alter egos Wallace Arnold and Bel Littlejohn. Collected here are Brown's four fantastic radio series, plus two bonus programmes in which he discusses his life and work.

Dave is one of Irwell Cars' best drivers, although his life doesn't always reflect that. A run-down office with an uncertain future, Irwell Cars isn't offering Dave much—except the chance to pine after Lind, the long-suffering radio operator and his secret crush, and panic over what will become of him if the firm closes. Add in a crucial darts match, a 'Brief Encounter' themed date night, some former school bullies and a rather difficult omelette, and Dave is beginning to feel like even his pick ups are bringing him down...