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Radio Roundup
Back to the BBC this week. There's an embarrassment of riches. I can never stay away long.
COMEDY
Mark Watson Talks a Bit About Life - Mark Watson's series are always a nice half hour of apparent anarchy and lighthearted distractions, which I suspect are actually rather tightly written.
The News Quiz - The weekly quiz of the week's news is back, and with it a modicum more balance in the universe. This week, Susan Calman talks about cake, or possibly the soul of the nation, it's hard to tell.
Newsjack - Even more topical comedy, this time in the form of sketches.
Listen Against - This used to be vaguely topical, but is still funny enough to rerun out of date. As near as possible to proof that Radio 4 is its own universe.
Look Back at the Nineties - Never topical; it was a show written in the early 1990s as a prognostoretrospective of the later 1990s.
Safety Catch - A sitcom about a reluctant arms dealer, featuring also a very enthusiastic arms dealer and someone who works for Oxfam. Hilarity ensues.
99p Challenge - It's nominally a panel game, but ... like a panel game in a loony bin. What you really need to know is, it's hosted by Sue Perkins. Perkins forever.
Heresy - People are funny about controversial things.
DRAMA
The Idiot - I don't usually like 19thC drawing room dramas, but Dostoevsky has the gift of being able to see through all the upper class nonsense that other writers take so seriously. I am always perplexed when people complain of things that reflect slightly less positive aspects of reality as being 'dark' – THIS is DARK. Here, have a magnificently prepared feast of perspective.
Ivan the Terrible: Absolute Power - More Russian drama, this time historical. I haven't listened to this yet, but Mike Walker's historical epics are usually worth listening to, Sasha Yetvushenko is a dependable director, and David Threlfall is my Iago, so I forecast quality.
We - Yet more Russian; in this case a dystopian speculation something like Brave New World, but from the early Soviet era.
A Tale of Two Cities - A production from a few years ago, but always worth a listen when it comes back around. Andrew Scott makes Charles Darnay actually sympathetic, and Lydia Wilson gives Lucie Manette an actual personality. The text is messed around a bit but the drama is so good I find I don't mind.
A Dream of Armageddon - H.G. Wells' vision of the future of war. A reading, not a drama, but certainly not a comedy ...
There's probably a lot more to be found on the listings, but it's been a brain-heavy week again so I am not the one to bring it to you.
COMEDY
Mark Watson Talks a Bit About Life - Mark Watson's series are always a nice half hour of apparent anarchy and lighthearted distractions, which I suspect are actually rather tightly written.
The News Quiz - The weekly quiz of the week's news is back, and with it a modicum more balance in the universe. This week, Susan Calman talks about cake, or possibly the soul of the nation, it's hard to tell.
Newsjack - Even more topical comedy, this time in the form of sketches.
Listen Against - This used to be vaguely topical, but is still funny enough to rerun out of date. As near as possible to proof that Radio 4 is its own universe.
Look Back at the Nineties - Never topical; it was a show written in the early 1990s as a prognostoretrospective of the later 1990s.
Safety Catch - A sitcom about a reluctant arms dealer, featuring also a very enthusiastic arms dealer and someone who works for Oxfam. Hilarity ensues.
99p Challenge - It's nominally a panel game, but ... like a panel game in a loony bin. What you really need to know is, it's hosted by Sue Perkins. Perkins forever.
Heresy - People are funny about controversial things.
DRAMA
The Idiot - I don't usually like 19thC drawing room dramas, but Dostoevsky has the gift of being able to see through all the upper class nonsense that other writers take so seriously. I am always perplexed when people complain of things that reflect slightly less positive aspects of reality as being 'dark' – THIS is DARK. Here, have a magnificently prepared feast of perspective.
Ivan the Terrible: Absolute Power - More Russian drama, this time historical. I haven't listened to this yet, but Mike Walker's historical epics are usually worth listening to, Sasha Yetvushenko is a dependable director, and David Threlfall is my Iago, so I forecast quality.
We - Yet more Russian; in this case a dystopian speculation something like Brave New World, but from the early Soviet era.
A Tale of Two Cities - A production from a few years ago, but always worth a listen when it comes back around. Andrew Scott makes Charles Darnay actually sympathetic, and Lydia Wilson gives Lucie Manette an actual personality. The text is messed around a bit but the drama is so good I find I don't mind.
A Dream of Armageddon - H.G. Wells' vision of the future of war. A reading, not a drama, but certainly not a comedy ...
There's probably a lot more to be found on the listings, but it's been a brain-heavy week again so I am not the one to bring it to you.