To think the majority of radio 4 drama is awful?

[Mogginthemog]

Today’s offerings I’ve cringed through were something called, “Tom Wrigglesworth’s hang-ups’ and, “Introduction and Allegro”, about a string quartet. Both supposedly comedies and both pathetically unfunny and irritating. I’ve been at home far more than usual due to illness and bad weather and just about every drama that’s come on I’ve ended up turning off. I don’t understand why they can do factual programmes so well yet don’t seem to be able to find people to write decent drama.

I don’t know if I’m being unreasonable and am totally out of kilter with what decent drama involves or whether most of it is actually a pile of rubbish.

I love r4 but yes the afternoon play has gone downhill recently. Currently got pm on

Yes I suppose the two things i used as examples are comedies not drama but I am sort of lumping it together with all the no -factual content. I couldn’t handle the Pliny and Me series. Though it did sound better written and acted from the bits I caught before turning off.

I wouldn’t mind trying a spooky section if they had one MrsDilber

Ooo Stone was good. I cried. Same with Pliny and me and Shardlake. A lot of them are so strange though I tend to read a synopsis then make a judgement call
Same here, been so ill with the lurgy it's been hard to watch telly

MrsD R4Extra do lots of spooky stuff around Christmas and Halloween, also if the author (M R James in this case) has an important birth/death/publication anniversary.
They have just broadcast a two hour two part 'Frankenstein' for Mary Shelley's anniversary.

The spooky ones are terrifying though Mogg you can get them on I player

Most of it is utter cringe-inducing dross that is full of lame, tired themes, hammed up to the max.

The comedy stuff is the sort of thing I can imagine retired English/Drama teachers enjoy fake laughing along to.

Nothing too challenging and reassuringly middle class wank-fests.

My main problem on R4 is the ubiquity of Julian Rhind-Tutt who sounds the same in everything. I expect to hear him as a continuity announcer on R4 any time soon.

The plays used to be brilliant. Now stories are set in India, Pakistan and other countries when it adds no value or interest to the story at all, characters all have accents and some are really difficult to understand, there's always some socially-deprived/exclusion angle to it, and a left wing political message bubbling underneath or explicitly displayed.

Comedy is 99% total left wing dogma (I can't stand The Now Show which is just a Labour Party advert).

Such a shame, as the drama was some of the best ever. Now it's just "tick box" vehicle for someone's agenda of 'representation'. Yawn.

Another vote for Stone. It was long with 8 episodes 45mins each I think. I was really looking forward to it every day.

I love the really old dramas too, like Agatha Christie with the funny accents.

I love radio
When you are talking about Stone, are you meaning CP Snow's Strangers and Brothers? I see that's on 4 extra and I'll perhaps listen to it after I've heard the Somerset Maugham stories this week, think there's one at 9pm every night.. It was the 50th anniversary of his death a few days ago and there was a whole 3hrs dedicated to him.
So I'm happy. Think I could go on mastermind for both these authors.
Oh, and I liked the first part of the string quartet thingy today.

Sometimes being disabled and (mostly) housebound during the winter has an upside....

flowerpot I am constantly surprised at just how many dramas seem to be set in India or Pakistan and how similar they appear. There are so many other countries but then again that would mean more dreadful accents.

hoochy. I love really scary spooky stuff so will try find those on iplayer.

Love everything on radio 4 except the drama which often seems simplistic and badly acted

I’ve just finished listening to How to stop time on iplayer, it was the book at bedtime a couple of weeks back. Not the same as a drama I know (agree the comedies are dreadful!) The actor who read it had the most wonderfully soothing voice, I listened to it mostly so I could listen to him.

The afternoon stuff has been pretty bad lately. And I can't stand Home Front.

I've liked Pliny & me. Loved Tracks, but missed the last few episodes. (Was that the one with the pig farm?)

I love Fags, Mags & Bags. I know I'm in the minority here but it tickles me just so. I actually lol at it.

I love the way Radio 4 actors speak in a Special Meaningful Way, totally unlike how anyone communicates in real life.

I always switch off 10 seconds into a radio play as I can't bear any more.

the afternoon play was shocking! I used to have a drama teacher who wrote plays for R4. she was rubbish at both imo.

a lot of the comedy is totally dire. agree it sounds like it's written by students!

there is a lot of amazing stuff though.

the Saturday morning topical show is DIRE - especially the thank you section, where some dullard called Maureen calls in to spend 10 mins telling her story about a stranger helping her change a tyre. Who gives a fuck

The 11.30 am shot is comedy rather than drama.
The 2.15 slot is drama, and usually terrible. But today I heard part of the string quartet thing with a friend who is actually in a string quartet, She was crying with laughter. Small target audience if that's who it speaks to.
Interested to hear that some people find 4 London centric. I live in the west county and this had not occurred to me. But maybe it gives me nostalgia for my youth.

just realised I used dire twice. very R4

berwickswan Stone was the Radio 4 afternoon drama (2.15) for two weeks (8th - 19th Jan) - a detective drama which held my attention for the 20 x 45 minutes.

Agree re radio drama, mostly poor quality. The comedies are a bit hit and miss too. There are some genuinely funny programmes but I usually seek these out on iPlayer. Loving cabin pressure, angstrom, John Finnemore's souvenir programme & Mark Steel's in town. They are all funny, grown up and affectionate, not crude or studenty.

The afternoon plays are mostly pretty meh but you occasionally get a gem.

Notable recent exceptions include series of plays with Toby Jones as a mafia boss, the series by Val McDairmid about a superbug ( that was terrifying) and a pretty amazing drama last year voicing the experiences of parents of children with autism.

There was an afternoon play on a few months ago written by a woman who had experienced post partum psychosis. It was deeply moving.

My all-time favourite though has to be Spoonface Steinburg. If that doesn't get to your soul, you might want to check your pulse.

Oh thanks iwanta I'll find it on I player, good to have something to listen to that comes so recommended. Ta.

I like the Agatha Christie type ones too. And Martin Jarvis.

Stupid question time but how do you find radio programmes on iPlayer? Is there a separate iPlayer for radio or is it on the one with the tv on? I can’t work out how to find them?