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Radio Roundup
Nov. 19th, 2015 08:25 pmIt's been a stressful week. To wind down, have a Shipping Forecast read by Neil Nunes. Mmmmm, soothing. Nevermind the gale warnings. 'S fine.
This was the week of the 'we recorded this before Paris' disclaimer. It's actually a little astonishing how relevant much of the pre-planned programming was, and a lot of it was very good with or without its inadvertent timeliness, so I'm throwing it into its own section:
WE WERE JUST STARTING A FRANCE SEASON, HONEST
Start the Week: France Special - In which the definitive works of Emile Zola, the legacy of the Resistance in WWII, and the everyday reality of those infamous suburbs are brought to bear on our understanding of modern France.
Analysis - Examining the very real potential to reconcile groups in conflict, looking at past successes and psychological factors. Please listen to this, it's important and fascinating.
In Our Time: The Battle of Lepanto - Historically sold as Christendom vs Islam, it's more accurately the uneasy alliance of religiously fragmented European nations vs the expansionist Ottoman Empire. Aside from its modern resonances, it was recent history when Othello was written, which answers 'why Cyprus?'
The Current - The CBC outdoes everyone in the analysis department and this is no exception; here they talk to a French sociologist who specialises in violence and terrorism, and to someone who's just written a book about ISIS. (Not part of the BBC's accidental relevancy, but it bears a listen and belongs in this section.)
Well, that's a drag, let's have some
COMEDY
The Horne Section - I wondered how to describe it and thought "like a children's show, but for grownups" was close ... then I heard this week's episode.
Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme - It's like Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better but minus the structure or adult moderating influence of Mark Watson.
Hot Desk - I haven't heard it yet and I already know the last episode of John Finnemore's Double Acts will be worth listening to. (Update: It totally was. I told you.)
Concrete Cow - Always a delight; we've got work experience at NASA in that one and another entry for the Scott Comedy Club in this.
Creme de la Crime - Steve Punt did this spoof whodunit series years before doing a actual mystery-solving series, which makes the latter difficult for me to take seriously. Anyway this is the funny one. Funnier one.
DRAMA
Day of the Locust - Written in 1938, it's one of those so-real-it-hurts depictions of LA; give everyone an iPhone and it could happen today.
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk - Once again I link to somethink I didn't finish, myself; I personally didn't care much for the characters, but it's a good production and a classic piece of literature, so someone out there might be interested.
DOCUMENTARY
The documentary about Day of the Locust is even more interesting than the play as it juxtaposes the societal observations of the 1930s book with the social currents that brought California's two presidents, Nixon and Reagan, into power.
The Last Post - The history and broadening legacy of the bugle call played every Remembrance Day.
Smash Hit of 1453 - I have long said that the 13th century was the rockingest century, but musical comedian Rainer Hirsch argues well for the 15th century's long-running hit single 'L'homme armé' (The Armed Man). This is the track that got him hooked, just as resonant now as it was in 2010, or 1453:
This was the week of the 'we recorded this before Paris' disclaimer. It's actually a little astonishing how relevant much of the pre-planned programming was, and a lot of it was very good with or without its inadvertent timeliness, so I'm throwing it into its own section:
WE WERE JUST STARTING A FRANCE SEASON, HONEST
Start the Week: France Special - In which the definitive works of Emile Zola, the legacy of the Resistance in WWII, and the everyday reality of those infamous suburbs are brought to bear on our understanding of modern France.
Analysis - Examining the very real potential to reconcile groups in conflict, looking at past successes and psychological factors. Please listen to this, it's important and fascinating.
In Our Time: The Battle of Lepanto - Historically sold as Christendom vs Islam, it's more accurately the uneasy alliance of religiously fragmented European nations vs the expansionist Ottoman Empire. Aside from its modern resonances, it was recent history when Othello was written, which answers 'why Cyprus?'
The Current - The CBC outdoes everyone in the analysis department and this is no exception; here they talk to a French sociologist who specialises in violence and terrorism, and to someone who's just written a book about ISIS. (Not part of the BBC's accidental relevancy, but it bears a listen and belongs in this section.)
Well, that's a drag, let's have some
COMEDY
The Horne Section - I wondered how to describe it and thought "like a children's show, but for grownups" was close ... then I heard this week's episode.
Tim Key's Late Night Poetry Programme - It's like Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better but minus the structure or adult moderating influence of Mark Watson.
Hot Desk - I haven't heard it yet and I already know the last episode of John Finnemore's Double Acts will be worth listening to. (Update: It totally was. I told you.)
Concrete Cow - Always a delight; we've got work experience at NASA in that one and another entry for the Scott Comedy Club in this.
Creme de la Crime - Steve Punt did this spoof whodunit series years before doing a actual mystery-solving series, which makes the latter difficult for me to take seriously. Anyway this is the funny one. Funnier one.
DRAMA
Day of the Locust - Written in 1938, it's one of those so-real-it-hurts depictions of LA; give everyone an iPhone and it could happen today.
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk - Once again I link to somethink I didn't finish, myself; I personally didn't care much for the characters, but it's a good production and a classic piece of literature, so someone out there might be interested.
DOCUMENTARY
The documentary about Day of the Locust is even more interesting than the play as it juxtaposes the societal observations of the 1930s book with the social currents that brought California's two presidents, Nixon and Reagan, into power.
The Last Post - The history and broadening legacy of the bugle call played every Remembrance Day.
Smash Hit of 1453 - I have long said that the 13th century was the rockingest century, but musical comedian Rainer Hirsch argues well for the 15th century's long-running hit single 'L'homme armé' (The Armed Man). This is the track that got him hooked, just as resonant now as it was in 2010, or 1453:
