"And Joining Us In The Studio Today..."

[TJ]

Here's a great idea for a thread that I'm amazed we've never done before now - in-character and/or promotional appearances on radio shows by comedians. Not simply just appearing as a guest on someone's show, but either 'performing' new material as a character from a show, or going on with the express purpose of plugging a new show/video/tour whatever and talking about virtually nothing else.

The most well known of these is probably the (Comic Relief-associated?) appearance by Blackadder and Baldrick on "Woman's Hour", but there are many, many others out there too. David Baddiel seemed to be endlessly plugging whatever new project he was working on in the early 1990s, for example, and there was that superb Cook/Moore appearance with Steve Wright to plug "The Best Of What's Left Of Not Only But Also", and going further back in time I've got hazy recollections of various members of "The Young Ones" showing up in character in unlikely places. Wasn't there some Hitch-Hikers tie-in stuff too?

Anything and everything you can remember, list it here...

[Robin]

Can remember Rowan Atkinson appearing on saturday morning shows like live and kicking  as Mr Bean. I might be wrong but i think he appeared on Richard and Judy in character as a plug for the Mr Bean film they did. I remember (being quite young) getting annoyed at the fact that he wouldnt answer any of the questions and would just make silly faces and noises instead.

[TJ]

Can remember Rowan Atkinson appearing on saturday morning shows like live and kicking  as Mr Bean. I might be wrong but i think he appeared on Richard and Judy in character as a plug for the Mr Bean film they did. I remember (being quite young) getting annoyed at the fact that he wouldnt answer any of the questions and would just make silly faces and noises instead.

He did indeed appear on both (wasn't it "Going Live", though?), although television appearances tend to be well known so this thread is really about corresponding radio appearances. Maybe we should start a new one for TV stuff, though.

[Particle Man]

Did John Shuttleworth ever do Loose Ends? Seem to vaguely remember that.

[TJ]

Did John Shuttleworth ever do Loose Ends? Seem to vaguely remember that.

Yes, he was on quite a few times... I seem to remember him turning up to plug one tour and singing 'Mars Of Slough' live. He turned up on a lot of Radio 1 shows too, often in support of records that never actually seemed to come out.

[benthalo]

Shuttleworth popped up on Loose Ends in 2001 to perform The Fleece Song, and was last spotted on there as Brian Appleton about a year ago. Fellows occupied two hours of Radio 2 a few months ago when he guested as Appleton on It's Been A Bad Week and then as Dave Tordoff on Radcliffe.

Shutteworth's Mark Radcliffe session from October 1996 is pretty much unbeatable.

[Cambrian Times]

Speaking of Radcliffe, he's got this guy called Count Arthur Strong who comes in occasionally, who is vaguely Shuttleworth-esque

[TJ]

Wasn't there some Hitch-Hikers mini-sketch performed as part of another Radio 4 show?

[Jemble Fred]

When I was copying videos like FUCK a year or two ago, I found an unutterably charming bit of Wogan, which, sadly I didn't have room to make a copy of. It was Simon Day as Tommy Cockles, circa 1992-ish, when he was completely unknown. He was on with Bedknobs & Broomsticks star David Tomlinson, by this time a lovely dithery old man. Cockles did 4 minutes of Music Hall schtick and Tomlinson was weeping with laughter into his hanky. Then Tel interviewed Cockles about the old days, and all three reminisced about things that never happened, while Tomlinson chuckled endlessly, wiping his eyes and repeating "Oh dear old Tommy, those were the days".

It was wonderful, and I feel a downright blighter for not copying the lot.

[Dark Sky]

Wasn't there some Hitch-Hikers mini-sketch performed as part of another Radio 4 show?

Yup...in "Steafel Plus", a one off Radio 4 programme in 1982, presented by Sheila Steafel.  And there's a short sketch written by Adams where she interviews Arthur Dent (played by Simon Jones).  

The script for it is in the revised edition of the Hitchhiker Radio Scriptbook, where MJ Simpson describes it to be a "lost episode" of the series, despite the fact the sketch can only be a couple of minutes long.  It's a bit misleading.

[Jemble Fred]

Wasn't there some Hitch-Hikers mini-sketch performed as part of another Radio 4 show?

Yup...in "Steafel Plus", a one off Radio 4 programme in 1982, presented by Sheila Steafel.  And there's a short sketch written by Adams where she interviews Arthur Dent (played by Simon Jones).  

The script for it is in the revised edition of the Hitchhiker Radio Scriptbook, where MJ Simpson describes it to be a "lost episode" of the series, despite the fact the sketch can only be a couple of minutes long.  It's a bit misleading.

Does the Marvin & Arthur business from the South Bank Show on DNA count, as well?

[Dark Sky]

Does the Marvin & Arthur business from the South Bank Show on DNA count, as well?

Well it's not in the Script Book so obviously MJ Simpson says NO!  All obey MJ Simpson.  Did you know "Douglas Adams at the BBC" was his idea?

I haven't seen the South Bank Show on DNA.  That's something they missed off the H2G2 DVD!

[Cupid Stunt]

There is of course the cast of Ever Decreasing Circles (minus Briars) appearing on Wogan, which is an extra on the Series 3 DVD. First Peter Egan and Penelope Wilton are interviewed as themselves (in Wogan's most gentle, boring and fawning style), and then, bizarrely, Stanley Lebor and Geraldine Newman come on in character as Harold & Hilda, and do an awkward and stilted 'bit'.  Egan & Wilton seem confused as to whether they should stay in or out of character, and so try to avoid saying anything at all.  Then the whole thing sort of fizzles out.  Wogan continues to look delighted, though - he always did have a look about him as if he were fondly watching his young grandchildren frolic, rather than interviewing grown-ups on telly.  Perhaps he was, in his mind.

Ooh, my first post.  Hello.

[Jemble Fred]

Any first post that mentions Harold & Hilda is one to look back on with pride – welcome.

But that EDC interview wasn't as merry as the Tommy Cockles Wogan episode, it has to be said.

[TJ]

Tons of Red Dwarf ones in the late 1980s - Danny John-Jules presenting an edition of "Babylon II" and giving an award at The Smash Hits Poll Winners' Party as The Cat, Norman Lovett 'doing' Holly on quite a few radio shows, that sort of thing. None of this is on the DVDs of course.

[benthalo]

Did John Shuttleworth ever do Loose Ends? Seem to vaguely remember that.

He's on this Saturday at 18:15.

[DonkeyRhubarb]

Frank Sidebottom used to turn up to every Altrincham F.C. home game in the mid 90's and sell his own personalised mugs, he'd go behind the oppositions goal and try to put the keeper off.

[RedboX]

Wasn't there some Hitch-Hikers tie-in stuff too?

Around the time of Hitch-Hikers TV series being shown I remember Marvin turning up on Blue Peter, and im fairly sure he was performing on of his records... yes singing..

[TJ]

Wasn't there some Hitch-Hikers tie-in stuff too?

Around the time of Hitch-Hikers TV series being shown I remember Marvin turning up on Blue Peter, and im fairly sure he was performing on of his records... yes singing..

Yes, I remember that too, and was a bit annoyed that it was missing from the DVD. I think it was the first single, and they 'interviewed' him too.

Incidentally, keep an eye on the History Of Radio 1 Comedy for some details on the weirdest and most inexplicable Marvin tie-in appearance of all (credit for the discovery of which must go to Bent Halo)...

[InfiniteFury]

Peter Cook's appearances on Clive Anderson are the first ones that spring to mind.
Do we have any captures of those appearances or are they under copyright?