Editor's Note: You can listen to Feedback online or download it here.
This blog is usually concerned with concerns or controversy about BBC radio, so I thought I’d start this week with some praise, for the often maligned Radio 4 comedy output, well, for some of it.
I was just about to switch the radio off at 11pm on Monday night, and settle down to sleep after a particularly grey and gloomy day, when Fresh From The Fringe came on. It showcased new comedy talent from the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe, was hosted by Jason Cook, and featured award winners Alex Edelman and Funz and Gamz. There were a few misses but it was mostly comprised of palpable hits and my wife and I laughed out loud – together. A rare occurrence.
At 6.30pm the following day, driving back from work ,I heard the last edition of the comedy sketch show Lewis Macleod Is Not Himself, starring Lewis MacLeod, Kate O’Sullivan, Duncan Wiseby and Julian Dutton Like the Fringe show it was produced by Lyndsey Fenner, and it was hilarious, full of brilliant impersonations and surreal story lines.
Next morning, when I was supposed to be working on a book, I turned on the last edition of Wordaholics. The panel show had a great cast, including Ed Byrne and Milton Jones, but the undoubted star is Gyles Brandreth.
There was a time when I could not stand him or the absurd pullovers he then wore, but then I read his brilliant diaries and watched his one man show at Edinburgh and fell for his frequently dangerous wit and intelligence. Yes he can come across as immensely self -satisfied, but he has a wonderful line in self-deprecation and mock outrage, knows everybody and is so well-read. So what if he revels in the spotlight? He clearly wants to be elevated to the House of Lords. I hope for its members’ sake, he is. The gossip would be premier cru.
All those shows have now finished their runs, but you now have a month to catch up on them via the BBC Radio Radio iPlayer, and see if you agree with me.
They will still be funny in 20 odd days’ time, which I’m not sure you can always say about Feedback.
We strive to be topical and this week, while welcoming the extension of iPlayer catch up from seven to thirty days, we also looked at some of the teething troubles with Andrew Scott, who is in charge of iPlayer development for BBC Radio.
Also this week we followed Jarvis Cocker as he collaborated for his Radio 4 series Wireless Nights. Is Radio 4 becoming a speech and music station? And more listeners have contacted us about the planners’ decision to cut You and Yours by a quarter to make way for other series. Our correspondents are not impressed, to put it mildly.
So why not go to iPlayer and listen to the whole show? And please let us know what you would like to hear in Feedback. It is your programme.
Roger Bolton
Roger Bolton presents Feedback on Radio 4
