What can I listen to on iPlayer?

[stainesmassif]

DON'T say the archers.

I like ed reardon's week, Charles Paris mysteries, bob servant emails - there is honestly no pattern though!

Anyone? I need something to listen to n the small hours and find drama is hit and miss on r 4 but love these three programmes.

Radio 7? Drama, comedy, loads of stuff. I found I'd missed out on some good comedy series by the description so now I dip in for a minute to see if I do like it. That's one of the great things about the iPlayer.

Yes, lots on R7 - isn't it all recycled from R4 though? Have you heard anything good recently, Monica? I tend to fall asleep within 30 seconds if I like a programme - if I'm not enjoying it I can't sleep!

Some, I think, is recycled. And when, I believe, so long ago I can't remember the originals so I don't mind. There is so much more on R7 & as you say, R4 is a bit thin on drama so I reckon there must be more, at least at any given time, on R7.

Lately I've heard nothing - cue sob story... I & the 3c had the flu. Painful enough & then I managed during a coughing fit to spill water over my laptop. I got over the flu, laptop died & so I've been on DVDs of the West Wing since then to get me though the wee small hours.

Uh oh. Talk about a catalogue of disasters!

really? doesn't anyone have any recommendations for this week? pleeeeeeeease?

I caught a bit of Brian Gulliver's Travels today. Haven't heard it before. Not sure what I think of it yet, but it's different.

For years Bill Dare wanted to create a satire about different worlds exploring Kipling's idea that we travel, 'not just to explore civilizations, but to better understand our own'. But science fiction and space ships never interested him, so he put the idea on ice. Then Brian Gulliver arrived and meant that our hero could be lost in a fictional world without the need for any sci-fi.

Satirical targets over the series: the medical profession and its need to pathologize everything; the effect of marriage on children; spirituality and pseudo-science; compensation culture; sexism; the affect of our obsession with fame.

oh blast, thanks R4 - that's the one other show that i've been listening to. What is it with Radio 4 and comedies named after men's names? i've listened to the first two episodes, but given that i enjoy it, and therefore fall asleep after approximately six minutes, my critical analysis of it isn't the best.

Bumping for any radio listeners - anyone?

I was going to recommend Brian Gulliver's Travels, which I've got on at the moment. I really like it.

Daunt & Dervish is back, and I love that.

I like 'No Commitments', Bleak Expectations, Clare in the Community, usually listen to the crime drama of the week on Radio 7, and usually check out the classics. I'm enjoying The Count of Monte Christo as well.

Whatever's chosen as 'Radio4 Choice Podcast' is almost always excellent as well - some real quirky stuff. I also have a dreadful addiction to Moneybox Live, and keep inflicting financial advice on people as a result.

Please people, keep recommending stuff on here, too!

I once maanged to fall asleep 4 nights running listening to a documentary about the lack of Asian professional football players - it was amazing, just the right level of dull / interesting to go to sleep.

Thanks Grendel, much appreciated, hopefully i'll drop off to one of your recommendations in eight minutes later on this evening.

Daunt and dervish did the trick!

resurrecting this thread, as in need of recommendations and unable to listen during the day while pesky kids around...

one thing I caught accidentally the other day, and found strangely compelling (in the way of R4 where you start listening half heartedly and then get sucked in) was called something like 'lives in an environment' about a book group in Putney.

also, does anyone listen to other stations over the internet? I wouldn't know where to start, but R4 doesn't always do it for me these days....

World Radio Network www.wrn.org is a London based service has been going for over 10 years, and offers programmes mostly in English (originally only bia satellite to Europe and USA, but now more widely). Choose the N American service for streaming audio and you can listen to a wide variety of programmes from the external services (think BBC World Service, so a mix of news, touristy-type facts/ history, and events) of different countries.

www.radio-directory.fm is a mostly US/Canada index of radio services, where you can locate stations by State and Genre.

Many of the 'talk' stations that have 4-letter callsigns like KQED, WBUR, WHYY, WQED, are public radio services, funded by the public paying a membership fee (in return getting baseball caps, magazine subscriptions, coffee mugs, thermos flasks, and so on, depending on the level of gift... from time to time there will be heard "membership drives" where they use the normal news/weather/traffic slots to ask for cash... whilst not carrying adverts as such, some 'sponsors' will be named, presumably pumping in hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars).

USA "public radio" networks: www.npr.org (National Public Radio) and www.pri.org (Public Radio International). Both services (and mpr.org - Minnesota public radio) have a wide range of shows from news quiz ("Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me") to phone-ins ("Talk of the Nation") to variety ("Whadd'ya Know" and "A Prairie Home Companion") plus documentaries ("American Routes", "This American Life") and interviews ("Fresh Air").

Unlike the BBC, where they don't know the concept of podcasts being made available forever, several US / Canadian stations /programmes have podcast /"listen again" libraries that cover 10 to 30 years of broadcasts.

That's fantastic - thanks. One of my gripes is disappearing podcasts.....

meant to say, 'lives in a landscape' was more likely the name

if you like a good giggle and silly chat... i heartily recommend the adam and joe podcast... radio 6... it is the funniest thing ever.... it has me guffawing and giggling all the way to work...other drivers must think i am insane!!!!
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00876k2

go on... it's sooo funny!!!!

thanks bea, will try it!

Have I previously recommended This American Life from Chicago Public Radio? Very good - like getting an extra hour of Radio 4 every week.

ooh, not heard of that one

Yes, "This American Life" is a good programme - well worth a listen.

Also, for a bit of variety (and general info about current affairs, politics, plus a computer Q+A and even car test drives!) there's Steve (m) and Johnnie (f) a husband and wife presenting couple on WGN in Chicago - www.wgnradio.com - they're on from 2300-0500 Chicago time, 0500-1100 UK, with a phone in show, but they also have live music sessions when artists pop in to talk (and play).

(declaring an interest - I have sometimes been one of the geeky 'A' people on Thursday mornings, but have to admit I am far less often awake at 5am to be involved with the Q+A show these days - no pay, just a mention now and then!)

will check it out