Just a minute

[Ray Travez]

What is good on Radio 4?

Hardly ever listen anymore, but I caught 'Mark Watson talks a bit' on catch up over the last few days, and it made me laugh a fair amount. It's got Flo & Joan on it as well, who I think are GOOD. Unbelievable Truth aside, it's the best thing I've heard on 4 for years.

May be old and a repeat, I wouldn't know.

[Tony Tony Tony]

It's all very well trashing R4 comedy... but what I would ask is where is new radio comedy going to grow from? There isn't a decent speech radio station on the whole DAB universe as far as I can see that could churn out anything approaching JaM or Clue. So I guess we are looking at podcasts, but most of the comedy podcasts I listen to (RHLSTP, Buckles or Rule of Three) seem geared to getting on... well R4.

[Gurke and Hare]

8:00-9:00 is the classic slot. There's some good stuff there, I discovered Hancock's Half Hour, but there's a real of amount of stinkers from the "archive". "This contains dated humour" indeed.

Yeah, it seems to be RTH/Goons/Hancock etc at 8.00 and then something a bit more recent at 8.30.

[idunnosomename]

can i also say the Miles Jupp sitcom "Party's Over", about a shitty fictional ex-prime minister and his hilarious japes - which was clearly only commissioned because the Friday 6:30 HAS to be "topical satire" - was incredibly bad. and I like Miles Jupp. but this was, give it a chance for a minute while driving and then turn it off and continue down the motorway in silence bad.

written by Jon Hunter, who's been jobbing for the News Quiz/Now Show for a decade, and Paul Doolan who is, quote, "co-creator and writer of the sitcom TROLLIED, Sky's most successful comedy to date. He has also written on an array of shows including CUCKOO. HOSPITAL PEOPLE, TOP COPPERS, CARDINAL BURNS, MONGRELS, ANNA AND KATY, and MAN STROKE WOMAN."

wow

no it was so hacky and bad I couldnt take more than 60 seconds of it

[olliebean]

can i also say the Miles Jupp sitcom "Party's Over", about a shitty fictional ex-prime minister and his hilarious japes - which was clearly only commissioned because the Friday 6:30 HAS to be "topical satire" - was incredibly bad. and I like Miles Jupp. but this was, give it a chance for a minute while driving and then turn it off and continue down the motorway in silence bad.

I'll admit to having given that a very brief listen under the misapprehension that it was a sequel to the much better "Party," by Tom Basden.

[mippy]

The Wilsons Save The World is pretty dire, especially the episode where Caitlin Moran (for it is she) turns up to give a pep talk to the teenage daughters.

[gilbertharding]

8:00-9:00 is the classic slot. There's some good stuff there, I discovered Hancock's Half Hour, but there's a real of amount of stinkers from the "archive". "This contains dated humour" indeed.

Good Christ you're right. 0800-0830 is the proper old stuff - some of which is decent-to-very-good (Hancock, Kenneth Horne etc) if you allow for the odd off colour joke, and 0830-0900 is more recent and is often (usually) terrible and much more dated: when the boomers were in their 30s.

I actually find some of that Simon Brett stuff (was After Henry by him?) really really funny, but not in the way anyone involved was hoping. The extremely petit-bourgeoise morals and attitudes of the late 80s liberal middle classes, without any satirical lens... just hilarious.

[gilbertharding]

No it was so hacky and bad I couldnt take more than 60 seconds of it

I like Jupp too. I wondered if it suffered from something other than the writing and casting... something to do with the way it might have been produced? Guessing because of Covid? Like maybe everyone was on zoom? Zoom audiences are absolute death for comedy anyway.

That Mark Steel apparently got made for his son was awful in similar ways - you could virtually hear that there were too many people, with too similar voices, with too many lines, and they all sounded like they were just reading lines - and then stopping so that someone else could read the next line... (I realise this could describe any/all radio drama or sitcom, but there's clearly some magic missing somewhere).

[Petey Pate]

Maybe wait until Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden buy the farm, then do it.

I briefly heard a recent episode and neither Cryer nor Graeme were on it, despite both being alive, so it's likely the show won't die with them.

They probably should have ended it when Humphrey Lyttleton died, though Jack Dee was a sensible choice of replacement. Does anyone else remember when they also 'trialled' Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon as replacement hosts, despite it being obvious that neither would work in the long run?

[Famous Mortimer]

They probably should have ended it when Humphrey Lyttleton died

They definitely should have (although I did see them recording episodes in my old home town with Dee, and it was a fun night out).

[Johnny Foreigner]

Does anyone else remember when they also 'trialled' Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon as replacement hosts, despite it being obvious that neither would work in the long run?

Yes. Stephen Fry (I am surmising it was his idea) introduced a new version of Mornington Crescent called 'Bordo' or similar, which was supposedly even more complicated. That joke fell flat entirely, since it went on for ages.

[Gurke and Hare]

I actually find some of that Simon Brett stuff (was After Henry by him?)

Yes.

They sometimes run King Street Juniors in the 8.30-9.00 slot, which I don't mind, but it's not funny at all and doesn't even seem like it's trying to be a comedy - there aren't any obvious attempts at jokes that don't land, just a bit of gentle drama in a school.

[idunnosomename]

oh if we're doing radio 4 comedy show stuff (especially including Paul Merton), I did hear this today, basically an oral history of HIGNFY with Ian Hislop and Jimmy Mulville. was interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00101ql

series 1. have we spoken about this? i heard at least one of these. I turned off Ab Fab because i cant stand Joanna Lumley.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m000j35x

[Bennett Brauer]

I turned off Ab Fab because i cant stand Joanna Lumley.

I suspected as much after that All Gurkhas are poofs thread you started.

[idunnosomename]

well that and the Garden Bridge is an affront to planning process thing. seems an absolutely miniscule victory that never got built now.

[Ray Travez]

I can't remember why I stopped listening to Just A Minute. I suspect they may have allowed Susan Calman onto it. That was probably the final straw.

[Ignatius_S]

Yes.

They sometimes run King Street Juniors in the 8.30-9.00 slot, which I don't mind, but it's not funny at all and doesn't even seem like it's trying to be a comedy - there aren't any obvious attempts at jokes that don't land, just a bit of gentle drama in a school.

The humour is more character-based, I would say and although there is humour to the series, it's one that I would say is more amusing than funny. That said, I first listened to it, I was mainly intrigued because of the cast and ended up rather liking it - for me, it was a slow-burner and found that it was the kind of series that worked best listening to it regularly, rather than one to dip in and out of.

The series was first broadcast on R4 in the mornings (and possibly had a lunchtime slot) - R4 comedy shows with that scheduling tended to be in the light drama/ gentle sitcom mould. Second Thoughts was another one - loved it on R4 but the TV adaptation was a massive disappointment for me.

[mippy]

There's a similar one about a GP surgery, Polyoaks, which I think must only be funny to GPs. Weird, because I really like the programme Phil Hammond does where he goes to hospitals and interviews the staff.

[Gurke and Hare]

The humour is more character-based, I would say and although there is humour to the series, it's one that I would say is more amusing than funny.

That's fair - the characters are definitely comedy archetypes.

[Johnny Foreigner]

I was pleasantly surprised by Take It From Here, a wildly popular comedy programme from the fifties. Especially The Glums, which was a serial within the programme, I found highly amusing. June Whitfield was in that, alongside Dick Bentley. Alma Cogan just did some singing in an American accent, which was rather boring.

On the other hand, Ray's a Laugh, to my mind, is very bland; its erstwhile popularity is difficult to fathom now.

[Uncle TechTip]

oh if we're doing radio 4 comedy show stuff (especially including Paul Merton), I did hear this today, basically an oral history of HIGNFY with Ian Hislop and Jimmy Mulville. was interesting.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00101ql

series 1. have we spoken about this? i heard at least one of these. I turned off Ab Fab because i cant stand Joanna Lumley.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m000j35x

Thank you, loads of things on there I never knew, like Chris Evans auditioned for HIGNFY before Angus.

[idunnosomename]

yeah it was very interesting, especially on Hat Trick getting started, Harry Thompson and all that. and Sandi Toksvig auditioning, and being neck-and-neck with Angus. but Angus was the right choice. god that  "pompous little prick" delivery had me creased over doing the washing up (I forget the exact wording and the target, too lazy to go through it now)

[Bigfella]

There's a late, great guy called Al Read who shouldn't be missed when he's repeated on 4extra.  He was pioneering in developing characters rather than trotting out music hall 'I say, I say, I say' type gags.  He's masterful at the loudmouth know-it-all, the world weary husband and the wife who always knows best. If I remember correctly, he was the first Northerner on the radio.

[Das Reboot]

I think Andy Zaltzman has done a good job of breathing some new life into The News Quiz, plus they've finally ditched the somewhat dated 'cuttings' section.

I agree that Clue is becoming something of a chore, but I still listen to out of loyalty for some reason. I sacked off Just a Minute years ago.

[Bennett Brauer]

There's a late, great guy called Al Read who shouldn't be missed when he's repeated on 4extra.  He was pioneering in developing characters rather than trotting out music hall 'I say, I say, I say' type gags.  He's masterful at the loudmouth know-it-all, the world weary husband and the wife who always knows best. If I remember correctly, he was the first Northerner on the radio.

Tommy Handley and Robb Wilton were both on the radio in the 1920s and 1930s. Al Read was 1950s. I agree that Read's material doesn't sound so much of its period now - something to do with being about the way real people talk to each other that isn't so influenced by pre-war music hall patter, as you said.

[gilbertharding]

Tommy Handley and Robb Wilton were both on the radio in the 1920s and 1930s. Al Read was 1950s. I agree that Read's material doesn't sound so much of its period now - something to do with being about the way real people talk to each other that isn't so influenced by pre-war music hall patter, as you said.

Which was the one who used to start his monologues with the catchphrase 'The day war broke out...'?

My mum used to say "Right, monkey..." sometimes when she wanted us to pay attention, or get going, or anything like that - and of course I never realised that was an Al Read catchphrase.

[Gurke and Hare]

My mum used to say "Right, monkey..." sometimes when she wanted us to pay attention, or get going, or anything like that - and of course I never realised that was an Al Read catchphrase.

All sorts of radio comedy catchphrases were in use in our house, mostly "He's fallen in the water" and "I heard that, pardon".

[Bennett Brauer]

Which was the one who used to start his monologues with the catchphrase 'The day war broke out...'?

That was Robb Wilton.
The day wore broke out, my missus looked at me and said, 'What good are you?'

All sorts of radio comedy catchphrases were in use in our house, mostly "He's fallen in the water" and "I heard that, pardon".

The first one's Little Jim - people often wrongly say it was Eccles.
The second one is actually from a TV sitcom, I Didn't Know You Cared. I can't remember if it appeared in the Peter Tinniswood novel(s) it was based on, which were very funny but darker.

[Pauline Walnuts]

Actually, this does seem to have more life to it with the replacement host. Paul Merton has already mentioned Charlie Chaplin.

[Johnny Foreigner]

What filth is on Just a Minute these days. The vilest innuendo about bodily functions; it would have been inconceivable thrirty years ago. Disgusting.