Radio 4 last word

Original poster

Catalogs · 18/01/2025 18:07

Now this weeks is excellent although I wish the presenter would be a little bit little less obvious when he asks leading questions. Like did she have a house in France? Of course she bloody had a house in France you know she did.

OP posts:

FlorbelaEspanca · 30/12/2024 20:36

Annabella92 · 30/12/2024 07:17

Will they though? Today has has huge losses in listenership and don't seem to care. Same with radio 2 which has become indistinguishable from radio1. I haven't heard a good thing about it from anyone, but theres no response from the BBC who do what they like and hang the plebs who may or may not listen to whatever slop they plan on dishing out.

Maybe that's a bit strong. I used to be a huge R4 fan and had it on 24/7. Now I pop it on every so often and just think "nope", and find a podcast.

Show quote history

Agree about R2. The Organist Entertains and Listen to the Band went a while back and that was the end for me. Many years ago I developed my own black and white photographs. The darkroom could be a lonely place - I always had the radio on, and there were often light classics on R2. Never now.

MereDintofPandiculation · 30/12/2024 17:21

This is results in things like this week’s being a pioneering model traction engine maker - ooh - I'd be interested in that!

don’t mind ‘unknowns’. I often don’t know the person even if they were apparently famous / notable, and still find their lives interesting. Precisely!

TeaAndStrumpets · 30/12/2024 17:19

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 15:04

Nice to see “they should teach it in schools” making an appearance 🫠

Happy to oblige.

Yes I think schools should teach about women's achievements, especially in technical subjects traditionally dominated by men. A well written obituary is always of interest, whichever sex of course. I thought this was your theme?

Perhaps you have some useful comments too. I'm all ears.

Original poster

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 15:04

Nice to see “they should teach it in schools” making an appearance 🫠

OP posts:

Original poster

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 15:03

Oh yes, I definitely don’t want it all to be celebrities, it’s a bit like Desert Island Discs as you say that the scientists and really niche people are very interesting

OP posts:

SpanThatWorld · 30/12/2024 14:58

WitcheryDivine · 30/12/2024 12:01

I’m sorry for your loss x

Thank you.
It's a few years ago now.

WitcheryDivine · 30/12/2024 12:01

I’m sorry for your loss x

SpanThatWorld · 30/12/2024 11:54

My dad was featured on Last Word. You probably wouldn't have heard of him but he had an interesting life in a niche field.

It's like Desert Island Discs. The biographies of people you don't know are interesting but sometimes it's those people you haven't heard of that fascinate.

TeaAndStrumpets · 30/12/2024 11:37

bridgetreilly · 30/12/2024 10:33

I like the mix on Last Word. One of my favourite people they featured was the lady who invented disposable nappies. Her daughter talked about how much she hated housework. Instead of ironing, she would lay dresses out under the carpet and wait until they had been walked on enough.

My kind of woman!

bridgetreilly · 30/12/2024 10:33

I like the mix on Last Word. One of my favourite people they featured was the lady who invented disposable nappies. Her daughter talked about how much she hated housework. Instead of ironing, she would lay dresses out under the carpet and wait until they had been walked on enough.

TeaAndStrumpets · 30/12/2024 10:20

Oh was it Cherry somebody? I read her Times obit recently and it was absolutely amazing and really inspirational. I think it is so offensive to dismiss her as just a "model traction engine maker" She was much more than that and a brilliant engineer who designed a wide range of machinery and for relaxation handmade tiny components for models.

People bewail low uptake of STEM subjects so it would be great if some school lessons were devoted to showing what a mere woman can achieve.

ArchMemory · 30/12/2024 10:13

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 07:20

One thing that brought out to me was the other week when Eddie Stobart died and they didn’t even do it - he had a fascinating life

They don’t always feature people straight away though do they? They might have had a packed episode and do Eddie Stobart later?

I don’t mind ‘unknowns’. I often don’t know the person even if they were apparently famous / notable, and still find their lives interesting.

Pussycat22 · 30/12/2024 10:09

Reetpetitenot · 30/12/2024 08:16

'It's a really sad state of affairs that after a lifetime of being a constant radio listener I now am getting used to living in a silent house because it's preferable to what's on the radio'

This is me. We moved house nearly three years ago and I didn't set my radio up in the kitchen, having previously had R4 as my day long background for 20 years.

Dumbing down is part of it - Saturday Live without Richard Coles' erudite questions is like some awful ITV magazine show. So many comedian/other presenter combinations - what on earth is that about? Do the producers think we can't listen to 30 minutes of science broadcasting without some inane comedic interlude.

There was a Saturday morning programme about travel on for several weeks with 2 or 3 contributors cackling stupidly, at the end of which I had learned precisely nothing. The dramas are now usually either weird or worthy (done the same to the R4 dramas as they've done to Dr Who only made it unlistenable instead of unwatchable.)

The sharply intelligent and genuinely funny doesn’t seem to exist any more. And why so many unnecessary schedule changes?

I know they're all about trying to attract a younger audience but they're losing their core audience in droves because of their new podcast, soundbites content. I could cry.

I find he BBC which is supposedly ad free is full of people flogging their wares, books, concerts etc.

Butteredtoast55 · 30/12/2024 10:06

Reetpetitenot · 30/12/2024 08:16

'It's a really sad state of affairs that after a lifetime of being a constant radio listener I now am getting used to living in a silent house because it's preferable to what's on the radio'

This is me. We moved house nearly three years ago and I didn't set my radio up in the kitchen, having previously had R4 as my day long background for 20 years.

Dumbing down is part of it - Saturday Live without Richard Coles' erudite questions is like some awful ITV magazine show. So many comedian/other presenter combinations - what on earth is that about? Do the producers think we can't listen to 30 minutes of science broadcasting without some inane comedic interlude.

There was a Saturday morning programme about travel on for several weeks with 2 or 3 contributors cackling stupidly, at the end of which I had learned precisely nothing. The dramas are now usually either weird or worthy (done the same to the R4 dramas as they've done to Dr Who only made it unlistenable instead of unwatchable.)

The sharply intelligent and genuinely funny doesn’t seem to exist any more. And why so many unnecessary schedule changes?

I know they're all about trying to attract a younger audience but they're losing their core audience in droves because of their new podcast, soundbites content. I could cry.

This 100%
In trying to woo a younger audience (which they're failing to do) they're losing loyal listeners. I honestly can't remember the last time I listened live whilst pottering about, and I detest the constant adverts for BBC Sounds that pepper their broadcasting.

MissMarplesNiece · 30/12/2024 09:49

Agree very much with what other posters have written about Radio 4 and also Radio 3. I mostly listen to R3 these days but I've noticed how it's starting to become like Classic FM, especially in the morning.

R4 depends too much on shouty comedians. They seem to be everywhere, presenting programmes, featuring in programs or worse of all shouting in their own "comedy" programmes at 6.30pm or at 11pm. For some reason, shouting has replaced wit. They must be cheap to employ, that's the only reason I can think of for them being there. These people are not funny. Everytime I put Women's Hour on - which isn't often now - they seem to have an article about Women's Football (yawn). The quality of the afternoon play has gone down hill. The Archers is dire these days.

Original poster

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 09:42

Thanks for the help, it’s much harder work isn’t it?!

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 30/12/2024 09:42

Oh! Yes, I see what you mean. That's daft to not have them under the 'umbrella' titles any more, so you have to go to stations&schedules to find them. Or Browse all Speech, Audiobooks category.

Original poster

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 09:28

I get a result from 2011

OP posts:

ErrolTheDragon · 30/12/2024 09:24

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 09:11

I’m confused by book of the week or book at bedtime
why can’t I find the “umbrella” title on sounds

Edited

Does typing 'book at bedtime' or 'book of the week' in the search bar not work for you?

ErrolTheDragon · 30/12/2024 09:21

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 07:03

I really love this show. However, recently they’ve started encouraging people to nominate “interesting people” so they can cover them.

This is results in things like this week’s being a pioneering model traction engine maker 🤔

RIP. Last word

I listened to that episode accidentally, I did think she was interesting so don't really know why you're complaining. Famous people get covered in all sorts of other obits, I think this is a good idea.

Original poster

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 09:11

I’m confused by book of the week or book at bedtime
why can’t I find the “umbrella” title on sounds

OP posts:

NameChanges123 · 30/12/2024 09:10

Reetpetitenot · 30/12/2024 08:16

'It's a really sad state of affairs that after a lifetime of being a constant radio listener I now am getting used to living in a silent house because it's preferable to what's on the radio'

This is me. We moved house nearly three years ago and I didn't set my radio up in the kitchen, having previously had R4 as my day long background for 20 years.

Dumbing down is part of it - Saturday Live without Richard Coles' erudite questions is like some awful ITV magazine show. So many comedian/other presenter combinations - what on earth is that about? Do the producers think we can't listen to 30 minutes of science broadcasting without some inane comedic interlude.

There was a Saturday morning programme about travel on for several weeks with 2 or 3 contributors cackling stupidly, at the end of which I had learned precisely nothing. The dramas are now usually either weird or worthy (done the same to the R4 dramas as they've done to Dr Who only made it unlistenable instead of unwatchable.)

The sharply intelligent and genuinely funny doesn’t seem to exist any more. And why so many unnecessary schedule changes?

I know they're all about trying to attract a younger audience but they're losing their core audience in droves because of their new podcast, soundbites content. I could cry.

All of the above plus the number of repeats now on R4. I swear I've heard 'The Reunion - Absolutely Fabulous' 3 or 4 times already this week.

I can't remember the last time I heard a decent play on R4 and there's so much focus on VAGW. While that's good in some ways, I don't really want to be hearing the word 'rape' every 2 minutes when listening to the radio (it's not good for my mental health).

Radio 4 used to be really high quality and it formed the main part of my adult education. These days, I often find myself switching off as the quality has reduced so much.

WitcheryDivine · 30/12/2024 08:57

I guess sometimes they do it based on whether they can get some one decent to talk about the person who’s died? Must be tricky sometimes I imagine.

What do you miss from radio 4? I agree there’s less on I enjoy but I can’t put my finger on what.

Original poster

Catalogs · 30/12/2024 08:53

Several weeks ago now I don’t think they’re gonna do it

OP posts: