Sisters In Satire: The Pioneering Women In Comedy

From the dawn of broadcast comedy, women played a vital but largely overlooked role - more in the background rather than the forefront. What impact did the sisters of satire from the 1960s and 70s have on the comedy we know today, and what was their cultural influence?

In the less enlightened 60s and 70s, women were often the joke, rather than making them.

Just because they weren’t the stars of the show didn’t mean their influence wasn’t felt. June Whitfield, Eleanor Bron and Miriam Margolyes were all quietly but firmly making their name in comedies such as The Glums, The Establishment Club and The Betty Witherspoon Show. These women paved the way for comedians and actors such as Sally Grace, Meera Syal and Linda Smith.

Samira Ahmed, in conversation with actor Sally Grace, radio producer Lissa Evans and stand-up comedian and actress Tiffany Stevenson, discusses some of the best sitcoms from the BBC archives and listens again to the joys of Week Ending, Goodness Gracious Me! and a Brief History Of Time Wasting, and assesses the impact these funny women have had on contemporary comedy and the extent of their satirical legacy.

This three-hour showcase takes us on a comic journey from the early 1970s to the present day and celebrates women in satire.

• Producer: Belinda Naylor

Publicity contact: Radio 4 Extra Publicity