fun and novelty items, bbc
There are lots of items on BBC radio broadcast as comedy, most of which are well-known.
Here,
I've tried to draw attention to some lesser-known items which are likely to amuse.
So - here we go:
*DWELLING UNIT, SWEET DWELLING UNIT....1976
31 Jan 76. Extremely peculiar comedy play by John Miles and Tony Allen. A guy is employed by the local
Council to condemn unsuitable properties. Including his own... With John Miles and Kathleen Helme.
*MORNINGTON CRESCENT....1984
Broadcast 23 Dec 1984. Feature programme on the noble game; presented by Raymond Baxter, with
Humphrey Lyttelton, Graeme Garden, Barry Cryer, Wille Rushton, Tim Brooke-Taylor . "Mornington Crescent
is the fourth most played parlour game after Scrabble, Monopoly and Stump. It
remains shrouded in mystery ; a mystery which we now hope to clear up". Produced by Paul Mayhew-Archer.
*THE DEMON CAKESTAND OF BEASTLEY CHASE....1985
A one-off tale from the mausoleum Club, broadcast Jan 1985. Refreshing piece of nonsense written by
M.R.James Hendrie and Edgar Ian Brown, with Stephen Fry, Ballard Berkeley, Royce Mills, Sheila Steafel,
Michael Ripper & Nick Revell. Produced by Paul Spencer. Repeated Christmas 2007 on bbc7.
THE TEETH OF ABBOT THOMAS....1988
1 Jan 1988. An antique collector comes across a set of medieval teeth. They are cursed.
Written by the master of o-t-t Gothic horror on radio, Stephen Sheridan. Alfred Marks as Abbot Thomas, with
Robert Bathurst, Denise Coffey, Jonathan Adams, Bill Wallis, Phil Nice, Stephen Tomkinson, Caroline
Gruber, John Baddeley; produced by Dan Patterson.
*THE PIE-THROWER....2002
Noel Godin, pie-thrower, wages a war against the pompous and self-important. He has pushed custard pies in
the faces of many well-known politicians, statesmen and personalities. This is a short feature programme
about him.
DESERT ISLAND DISCS - GEORGE FOREMAN....c2004
I am trying to find this programme, which I heard at the time. George has several sons - he named them all George. "As a boxer I need
to be prepared for the possibility of memory loss".
*MUSEUM OF THE LOST KEYBOARDS....2003
13 Dec 03, R3. Surreal feature programme written by Armando Iannucci.
The museum of lost keyboards was established by Sir Samuel Holt, where he assembled an amazing collection:
the snow harpsichord,living and
extinct keyboards, fossilised keyboards, pianos found in the forests of Sri Lanka,
the last clavichord to be hunted by dogs, the Westinghouse nuclear fortepiano, an organ built from
cathedrals, and a self-perpetuating fugue which has lasted for over a century. Museum
guide Stephen Critchlow, music by Django Bates; produced by John Gaudi.
*ALF TUPPER-THE TOUGH OF THE TRACK....2005
Feature on the world's most famous fictional runner, from the pages of "The Victor". Interviews with
personalities and runners, including Ken Whitmore, playwright. Broadcast 30 Jul 05.
*MORNINGTON CRESCENT....2005
Mornington Crescent - the rules. Presented by Andrew Marr. Update to the Raymond Baxter programme.
Excellent feature on the well-known game. With Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden, Barry Cryer. Broadcast
2 Dec 05.
*HUMPH IN WONDERLAND....2007
The isihac team present a brand-new pantomime. Christmas 2007. Full of some of the best jokes
of the year. There was another pantomime sometime around 2003; not sure of the title. "I'm Sorry,
I Haven't a Christmas Carol", possibly?
compiled by Nigel Deacon / Diversity website
Asterisked items known to exist iv vrpcc collections.
