Ben Moor's Elastic Planet - begins Thursday, BBC7, 23:45pm

[Darrell]

This highly-regarded series gets a re-run on BBC7 from the time quoted above. I've never heard it so don't know much about it myself.

From Radio Haha:

Brilliantly imaginative series by Ben Moor, which was the first programme to be transmitted in Radio 4's Late Night Opening strand (which went out late on Wednesday evenings, and originally consisted of two new quarter-hour shows followed by a half-hour repeat).  The series aimed to trace some of the causes and effects which lie in the elastic web of connections making up our experience of the world, and the narrative each week progressed gracefully through a succession of wildly improbable and ostensibly unconnected happenings and scenarios, always mysteriously winding up back at its starting point.  Highlights from the gallery of oddities on offer include the career of the White Mitres, a motorcycle display team made up entirely of bishops, and the Ballagon, a mysterious geometric figure with exactly four-and-a-half equal sides, which was discovered inadvertently during an episode of Johnny Ball's Think of a Number and subjected to a monumental government cover-up.

The show set out to do for the documentary report what The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy had done for the travel guide, and measured up well to that demanding ideal.  Like Hitch Hiker, Elastic Planet was interspersed with explanations and elaborations supplied by an amiable narrator: Oliver Postgate, whose voice is instantly recognisable to at least two generations from the soundtracks of Bagpuss, The Clangers and other fondly-remembered children's television classics.  A number of celebrity guests (usually 'experts') appeared as themselves, as did familiar actors including Kerry Shale and Miriam Margolyes.

From Ben Moor's own website:

The series was produced by JON NAISMITH and narrated by OLIVER POSTGATE, and was first broadcast by BBC Radio 4 in 1995.

Six episodes were made and overall the show went down very well. This was mainly thanks to the wonderful narration by Oliver who made the utter nonsense I had written comprehensible and entertaining. Being a child at the time of Bagpuss, Ivor the Engine and Noggin the Nog, his is a voice I instantly trust. I could listen to him read bus timetables all day. Not that he would, I'm sure, but if he did, I would listen to him.

Elastic Planet is a very gentle show, nothing too challenging and fairly meandering in its style. Anyway, here's a basic guide to the stories, cast and guest stars of the shows...

(then there's an episode guide which I'm not copying in here)

Err, so listen to it, bitch.

[benthalo]

A good thing. I've only got the Rebecca Front edition and missed the rest at the time.

[Neil]

Shit, wanted to listen to this but bumped into a Harry Hill repeat on UTV.  Ah, they have Listen Again now don't they?  Will check it out.

[benthalo]

According to RT and unfortunately BBC7's faulty html, I think this starts next Thursday, the 15th April. I'll be depressed to hear otherwise.

[Darrell]

It definitely starts *next* week. I forgot I'd left the date out.

[Neil]

I shall look forward to that then, all I know of Ben Moor is his appearances in stuff like Fist of Fun.  That bbc7 listen again thing is magic, just checking out some Delve Special at the minute.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/listenagain/