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An Ode to Radio 4
Dec. 11th, 2008 07:25 pmOn the local NPR station, they have two separate promos that feature expat Brits saying, in effect, 'When I first moved to the States I missed the BBC something fierce; then I found KPCC and it made everything better.' Clearly these are aimed at people who have not discovered Radio 4, because there is no way NPR can ever beat it. I almost want to find those people and tell them they can listen to the BBC online, as they appear to be ignorant of this, and it might remind them of the proper hierarchy of quality broadcasting. Some of the shows you'll find on Radio 4 this week but not on NPR:
The Golden Oriole - the French composer Olivier Messiaen's fascination for using birdsong in his music.
The Long View - looking at the 1930 Christmas shopping season and its effect on leading retailers of the day, and comparing/contrasting to the present situation
The Man with a Hole in His Head - the true story of a 19th century railway worker who survived a bizarre accident
Behind the Scenes with Carbon Dioxide - The story of Joseph Black, the chemist who described carbon dioxide for the first time. (How much do I love the title of this show? Let me count the ways ... )
Listen Against - and if you love Radio 4, why not love a show that is almost entirely self-referential in a completely absurd and yet brilliant way?
The Penny Dreadfuls Present the Brothers Faversham - I do espy a very silly mock Victorian bio-comedy radio show!
Bad Habits: Procrastination - A host of Fist of Fun (how can you top a title like that?) talks for fifteen minutes about procrastination, in the most recent of a series that has also included workaholism and perfectionism. I listen while simultaneously committing all three.
And next Monday – get this – there is a Christmas special
... of The Unbelievable Truth
... hosted by David Mitchell
... with special guest Armando Iannucci.
CAN IT POSSIBLY GET ANY BETTER?
Having grown up with NPR I feel guilty for getting all this radio joy for free, but I have yet to find a way to pay the license fee from this side of the Atlantic. If I did, could I watch the TV too? Wouldn't they make a lot more money if they granted access to the iPlayer via license fee rather than geographic location? Only so long as they promise not to listen to any of their offshore listeners' demands – we don't want another TLC on our hands.
LONG LIVE RADIO 4!
The Golden Oriole - the French composer Olivier Messiaen's fascination for using birdsong in his music.
The Long View - looking at the 1930 Christmas shopping season and its effect on leading retailers of the day, and comparing/contrasting to the present situation
The Man with a Hole in His Head - the true story of a 19th century railway worker who survived a bizarre accident
Behind the Scenes with Carbon Dioxide - The story of Joseph Black, the chemist who described carbon dioxide for the first time. (How much do I love the title of this show? Let me count the ways ... )
Listen Against - and if you love Radio 4, why not love a show that is almost entirely self-referential in a completely absurd and yet brilliant way?
The Penny Dreadfuls Present the Brothers Faversham - I do espy a very silly mock Victorian bio-comedy radio show!
Bad Habits: Procrastination - A host of Fist of Fun (how can you top a title like that?) talks for fifteen minutes about procrastination, in the most recent of a series that has also included workaholism and perfectionism. I listen while simultaneously committing all three.
And next Monday – get this – there is a Christmas special
... of The Unbelievable Truth
... hosted by David Mitchell
... with special guest Armando Iannucci.
CAN IT POSSIBLY GET ANY BETTER?
Having grown up with NPR I feel guilty for getting all this radio joy for free, but I have yet to find a way to pay the license fee from this side of the Atlantic. If I did, could I watch the TV too? Wouldn't they make a lot more money if they granted access to the iPlayer via license fee rather than geographic location? Only so long as they promise not to listen to any of their offshore listeners' demands – we don't want another TLC on our hands.
LONG LIVE RADIO 4!
