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Why is Radio 4 Comedy So Unrelentingly Shit?

Started by garnish, June 14, 2018, 10:09:36 PM

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garnish

Is there a problem with them only commissioning unfunny hacks straight from Oxbridge, or is there a wider problem?



Sebastian Cobb

They're a cut above the other stations in the their comedy programming.

Oh wait.

rasta-spouse

Quoteunfunny hacks straight from Oxbridge

who do you mean?

Bridget Christie and Sarah Kendall's r4 shows were pretty good.


idunnosomename

So what have we had recently?

Fags, Mags and Bags: brilliant, fuck you, I love it

Daliso Chaponda: Citizen of Nowhere: I thought this was great. Guy has super comedic patter. And he lays into empire something rotten, so good on him.

Thanks a lot, Milton Jones: I mean, whatever, it's silly, a good romp, better than his earlier series imo

Alone: Well, it has Angus Deayton in it, who is just one of those naturally funny deadpan voices, but I thought it was well-written.

I mean Just a Minute should be retired (house of cunts), but The Unbelievable Truth is consistently funny. And The News Quiz is funny and often quite biting. Dead Ringers can get fucked, terrible garbage.

I conclude, for all the shit, Radio 4 has better comedy at the moment than anything on TV.

magval

Quote from: rasta-spouse on June 14, 2018, 10:28:31 PM
who do you mean?

Bridget Christie and Sarah Kendall's r4 shows were pretty good.

Christie's have just been released on CD and I've enjoyed both quite a bit.

Malcy

It's not at all. There are tons of great stuff on R4. What's you're evidence for it all being Oxbridge hacks?

Crabwalk

'Angstrom', the recent Scandi-noir spoof by Morris and Hazeley was very good. As was Harry Hill's 'Life on Egg'.

Pretty much everything John Finnemore puts out is gold too.

So I wouldn't say unrelentingly shit.

gatchamandave

Though that last Hitch-Hikers WAS unrelentingly shit.

popcorn

Does anyone remember about 5 years ago there was a comedy program based on the idea of... historical tweets or something? I remember it being shockingly bad.

BeardFaceMan

I was going to start a thread similar to this. Lots of people here mention that they listen to radio comedy but there have been very few threads over the years dedicated to radio comedy. Even the most popular stuff never gets a thread, there are never listen along threads, or people coming in to say they enjoyed this weeks episode or a particular joke. Is it becuase its mostly panel shows, which generally dont generate much discussion? Or is it indeed because most of Radio 4s output is unrelentingly shit?

There do seem to be a greater number of comedians who annoy me now, the kind of people who seem like the only reason they got into comedy was so they could do the Radio 4 circuit (Nish Kumar, Lloyd Langford etc) and standup was just their way in. Not to mention you get the same group of people appearing on all the shows, theres little variety. Or is that comfort part of the appeal for the average Radio 4 listener?

I think the reason why I dont listen to a lot of radio comedy (Radio 4 stuff especially) is that it feels like comedy programs made for fans of radio, not for fans of comedy.

DrGreggles

Not sure about anyone else's listening habits, but I rarely listen to radio comedy as it is broadcast.
I generally get audio files of episodes (or the whole series) and then binge on them months or even years later.

Hobo With A Shit Pun

Quote from: DrGreggles on June 15, 2018, 08:38:56 AM
Not sure about anyone else's listening habits, but I rarely listen to radio comedy as it is broadcast.
I generally get audio files of episodes (or the whole series) and then binge on them months or even years later.

I was just about to post "I miss radioarchive.cc due to similar habits", then on a whim searched to see when it was last up... And there's a new variant, .cx, with many lovely serieses. Nice one.

Brundle-Fly

I agree with a lot that have been mentioned so far adding:

Kevin Eldon Will See You Now
John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme
The Museum Of Curiosity

Bring back The 99p Challenge!


lebowskibukowski

I have not heard enough of the range of shows to really comment, but my wife listens to The Archers and whatever is usually on in the slot before that is the absolute dregs of humour. Could be the same show for years and years, could be different every week, always appalling.

yesitsme

Taz Whatsisface's show was pretty good.

If you're searching out dire radio comedy output may I point you in the direction fo Radio Scotland.

Cold Meat Platter

The Now Show is unrelentingly shit.

Down the Line is not.

andy33

I really liked Liam Williams's "Ladhood". But I suppose given it's about him being at Oxbridge, it proves a bit of your point too.

garnish

The Now Show is awful, while the New Quiz is smug and it's unbearable that Jeremy Hardy is the voice of satire on the station.  Perhaps this is why mainstream satire in general is unable to move beyond bland personality jokes about politicians, instead of shining a light on things like corruption in the media, government lobbying (and the back door from being an MP to a cosy non-exec position), etc.

It's not all Radio 4's fault but the fact that it's the same voices and faces being commissioned again and again does suggest that the producers are drawn from a specific socio-economic background.

gloria

The (non-Oxbridge) Miles Jupp has been a breath of fresh air on the News Quiz. Extremely sharp and very funny.
Sophie Willan and Tez Ilyas are two superb non-Oxbridge stand-ups who have broken through in recent years with excellent Radio 4 comedy series.


Mind you, I caught a bit of John Moloney's show the other day and it was bollocks. Joke-free, ignorant anti-science stuff that made me squirm. He actually said without irony that scientists were "the kind of kid you'd hit in school". Pro-bullying humour!

garnish

Do you know, it's John Moloney that made me start this thread.  I know the premise is unnecessarily provocative and obviously there are plenty of good shows on there, but the half 6 slot on weekdays does seem to be filled with the same, tired old voices from the same section of society.  I don't know if John Moloney is Oxbridge but he's adopted the typical Radio 4 'style'.

The other one that sticks in my mind is a terrible radio sitcom set in a job centre from 3-4 years ago, starring Matthew Horne.  It had no jokes but it did have a sneering attitude towards the working class who were all seemingly played as Matt Lucas doing Vicky Pollard.  I looked up the writer on Twitter afterwards and he seemed to enjoy saying 'fuck' a lot, but not much else.

metaltax

Did anyone hear Living With Betty on 4 Extra a while back? It's from the 80s but was the most stereotypical middle-class Radio 4 thing I think I've ever heard. It'll probably never be repeated again but it's worth checking out if it is, if only to hear how bad R4 comedy used to be.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09g5sd6

gloria

Quote from: garnish on June 15, 2018, 02:56:22 PM
I don't know if John Moloney is Oxbridge but he's adopted the typical Radio 4 'style'.


John Moloney is non-Oxbridge. Can you explain what you mean by the typical Radio 4 style?

garnish

Not without giving examples, no.  I know what I mean but I appreciate that's not much use here.


garnish

I know what I mean but I appreciate that's not much use here.

thenoise

Would I lie to you is my favourite TV panel show, but the unbelievable truth is a slightly better format I think. Has Bob Mortimer ever been on it?

Danger Man

Right from the start Radio Comedy was about giving people a few minutes respite from the drudgery of their lives.

We've moved on a bit from ITMA and Much Binding in the Marsh but the overall aim is the same, it's the state broadcaster giving the people some safe chuckles.

Nothing wrong with that but if you are looking to be shocked out of your bourgeois complacency then you are looking in the wrong place.