Showing results by publisher "BBC Audio" in Entertainment & Performing Arts

Join Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, and Joan Sims as they go beyond Round the Horne. Taking over the mantle of Round the Horne, Stop Messing About carried on the comedy tradition that reunited Kenneth Williams with both Hugh Paddick and Kenneth's Carry On co-star, Joan Sims. These four episodes include such favorites as crusty old judge Sir Inigo Parchmutter, "Crackerjackanory With Mother", more visits to Tolpurgis Hall, as well as a couple who bear a bona fide similarity to Julian and Sandy.

Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, and Frances de la Tour star as part of the National Theatre cast. At a boys' grammar school in Sheffield, eight boys are being coached for the Oxbridge entrance exams. It is the mid-eighties, and the main concern of the unruly bunch of bright sixth-formers is getting out, starting university and starting life.

You'd better watch out, you'd better not cry, you'd better not pout, I'm telling you why: here, for the first time on audio, is the acclaimed, award-winning Christmas 'Clue' special I'm Sorry I Haven't a Christmas Carol.

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the bestselling novel by John le Carré, starring James Fox, Harriet Walter and Julian Rhind-Tutt. Magnus Pym, Counsellor at the British Embassy, is hosting a dinner party at his home in Vienna when he receives an unexpected telephone call that will profoundly affect his life. Once the guests have gone, Pym breaks the news to his wife, Mary: his father, Rick, is dead. In a state of shock, he says something Mary cannot understand - 'After all these years, I'm free.'

Eyewitness accounts from the BBC Archive are at the heart of this unique history of the first half of the 20th century, narrated by Tim Pigott-Smith. The events of 1900-1949 are described by the people who saw them happen, from the death of Queen Victoria and accession of Edward VII through the First World War, to the sinking of the Titanic, the General Strike and the Great Depression, to the Second World War and its aftermath.

Described by Barry Took as "a kaleidoscope of funny voices, catch phrases, and innuendo, revolving at breakneck speed and with a complete disregard for logic", I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again pre-dated I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue. It showcased the comic talents of Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Cleese, Graeme Garden, David Hatch, Jo Kendall, and Bill Oddie.

Hosted once again by the incomparable Sandi Toksvig, these four series of the satirical radio panel game take us through all the big stories of 2013, the year of Obama's inaugaration, Margaret Thatcher's funeral, Prince George's birth and Andy Murray's first Wimbledon win. Series 79 features a 'Best of 2012' compilation show and 'The News Now Quiz Show', hosted by Rory Bremner, which sees Sandi and fellow News Quizzer Jeremy Hardy take on The Now Show's Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis in the ultimate topical smackdown. And the specials don't stop there: Series 81 also includes an Edinburgh edition.

In this series, Adam’s church gets a makeover, complete with plasma screens and a smoothie bar, Adam researches some poledancers and then succumbs to envy when he hears an old rival on ‘Thought for the Day’. Adam’s new ‘bromance’ with Leon comes to a crashing halt at an embarrassing vicarage dinner party. Adam also has a crisis of faith and then gets drunk at a Vicars and Tarts party.

Poet Ian McMillan is our host in this gleeful game of literary tomfoolery, outrageous parody and biting wit. Joining him for some lighthearted competitive wordplay are a quartet of writers and comedians, all ready and eager to run riot through the halls of great literature.

Four more extended episodes from the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series, specially compiled by producer Jon Naismith. The antidote to panel games returns with this 16th glorious collection, in which Jack Dee gives regular panelists Tim Brooke-Taylor, Barry Cryer and Graeme Garden silly things to do. Joining them in this compilation are special guests Rob Brydon, Victoria Wood, Susan Calman and David Mitchell.

In this first fantabulosa selection of sketches from BBC radio's classic comedy Round the Horne, we find that two infamously outrageous resting thesps from Carnaby Street are game on for a variety of entrepreneurial endeavours.

Career highlights from one of this country’s funniest satirists and comedy men.

Willie Rushton’s career spanned decades, from the cutting edge satire of television’s That Was the Week That Was to the razor-sharp punnery and verbal wizardry of radio’s I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue.

In interviews ranging from 1972 to 2000, Brian Clough talks about 'the real Brian Clough' - how he is perceived by other people, his bluntness and forceful opinions and what makes him a good football manager. He also discusses the prospect of becoming an MP, his dream job, football hysteria and hooliganism, his childhood and mother's death and being imitated by Mike Yarwood.

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.

Tennessee Williams' iconic play tells the story of a catastrophic confrontation between fantasy and reality, embodied in the characters of Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski. Blanche DuBois arrives unexpectedly on the doorstep of her sister, Stella, and her explosive brother-in-law, Stanley. Over the course of one hot and steamy New Orleans summer, Blanche's fragile façade slowly crumbles, wreaking havoc on Stella and Stanley's already turbulent relationship....

Four vintage instalments of the classic radio comedy starring Jimmy Clitheroe in The Clitheroe Kid. James Robinson Clitheroe was enormously popular with the public as Jimmy in The Clitheroe Kid. At the height of his popularity, the diminutive Lancastrian comic had regular audiences of over 10 million listeners. He was a radio institution from 1958 to 1972.

Rediscovered and restored by radio enthusiasts, The Radio Circle, it was first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme on the 10th May 1955, just two days before Tony Hancock’s 31st birthday. Tony Hancock had taken an unscheduled trip to Italy, leaving Hancock Half Hour’s producer to ask Harry Secombe to step in to star for the first three episodes of the second series. The fourth episode saw Tony return, and begrudgingly make ‘A Visit To Swansea’, to thank Harry Secombe for stepping in.

1994 saw one of Peter Cooks most acclaimed performances since his 1960's heyday. Chris Morris' surreal and inventive questions brought out the very best of eccentric aristocrat Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling, a character whom Cook had carried with him through Beyond the Fringe and Not Only...But Also... to his latter years.

Titter lots at Frankie Howerd's ditties, sketches, limericks and stand up, recorded in front of a specially-invited audience. The star of TV's 'Up Pompeii' and mainstay of innumerable 'Carry-On' films, Frankie Howerd causes a mayhem of mirth, where even his co-stars can't help laughing. As well as songs, stories, naughtiness and his usual audience banter, 'Please Yourselves' sees Frankie visiting his (female) doctor about an accident where he fell artichoke over chip.

Barry Johnston presents a retrospective of his father's career as a much-loved BBC broadcaster. Jovial Johnners was the doyen of cricket commentators, as well as a consumer of chocolate cake, a reporter, presenter, quiz-master and much-loved voice at State occasions. For nearly 50 years the ever-affable, always enthusiastic Brian Johnston brought warmth and wit to a wide range of BBC programmes.