R4 lovers, what programme[s] do you hate?

[Fink]

In an effort to avoid writing an essay ...

Those of us who are almost constant R4 listeners (I get tense when it switches to the World Service for the night), what programme/programmes can't you stand?

I love quite a lot of it, will put up with a lot more rather than switch over, but there are some programmes I genuinely destest. The Moral Maze is probably top of my list.

Any others?

I hate Round Britain Quiz, and Any Ranters (otherwise known as Any Answers - sometimes I can cope with Any Questions - but depends who is on).

Count Arthur Strong is awful - comedies are either brilliant or truly rubbish. Same for the drama. Poetry please and the bookclub ones don't do much for me either.

And any political interview where the interviewer won't let the interviewee get a word in edgeways, or conversely they don't challenge the trite nonsense the interviewee comes out with - somewhere in the middle is what I want.

I also can't stand the Sunday morning (8am) religious program - I usually get as far as the first hymn before I realise and turn it off.

Winifrid Robinson on her high horse is ridiculous and annoying. She is terrible at interviewing people. I now switch off at the sound of her voice.

Count Arthur Strong is v clever imo and quite funny but also a bit teeth gritting.

I emailed Today, very angrily, about interviewers not nailing MPs letting them avoid the question and just slate the opposition, next day Evan Davies repeated and repeated and repeated the question - Paddy Ashdown did some good evasion but it was made clear he had no solution (refugees crossing med). Felt listened to for once!

Oh, PigeonPie, you've just reminded me how much I miss the UK theme, even as a republican defnitely not at all nationalist. Turned You & Yours off and got it up on repeat on youtube. Nostalgic genuis. It did use to wake me up with a shock though (I have a bad habit of keeping the radio on all night).

That comedy version of the Odyssey over the weekend was good.

PeaceofWildThings, I completely agree about Winifred. Awful woman.

My thoughts exactly. He sounds like someone from the Fast Show being a poetry fan.

You have GOT to listen to this:

RIP Peter Donaldsn

Specifically, the Today Programme, In Our Time & Gardener's Question Time. Generally the stupid "alternative" comedy stuff they put out at 11pm, I resort to 4 Extra when those are on.

Gardeners Question Time makes me feel nauseous. DP didn't believe me until he saw it last weekend.
I hate Round Britain Quiz - is that really still going? I've dodged it successfully for years.
I also reach for the off switch as soon as a drama comes on - painful, all of them. And Saturday Live which is a shame as it's the perfect radio listening time.
I used to hate Breakaway. It was the stupid theme tune - which is now, of course, stuck in my head.

I used to listen to R4 all the time when I was a student. So much of my general knowledge came from listening to it. But that was about 30 years ago and I don't listen much now. What depresses me is that, all you current listeners are mentioning the very same programmes I listened to all those years ago! Does a programme never get dumped once it is on R4?

Anyway, I don't know the full schedule anymore, but one programme/broadcaster I deliberately turn on for is Eddie Mair doing PM (just to counteract the earlier poster who said her dh loathed him). I adore EM, his take on the news makes everything seem ok. I used to turn the radio on at 5 as I was beginning to prep dinner, but now we eat later, I often miss him unless I can find another reason to be in the kitchen.

I came across Pick of the Week again the other day. That used to be a firm favourite and it sounded like it was still really good.

I always catch Midweek as I am in the car on Wednesday mornings. I still like that.

Topical comedy, eg the Now Show and the News Quiz are popular with my teens.

My one big Cannot Stand is Melvyn Bragg. His voice is so boring and I have absolutely not the faintest idea what he is on about.

Also, although I feel a bit ashamed to admit this, I find From Our Own Correspondent unremittingly boring too. I think it is the formulaic presentation. It's been the same for 30 plus years.

hate weekends
love to hate the archers
can't stand afternoon plays

the rest is great

Great clip Dumbledore! The only thing I disagree with is the but about no one downloading the In Our Time podcast. I subscribe to it & they've reset it twice meaning that the whole back catalogue has been resent to my computer & crashed my iPod.

I think the Oxbridge Chronicles could well be better than some of the actual 6.30 comedy.

@Arthur I hate Round Britain Quiz - is that really still going? I've dodged it successfully for years. - very much still going - yesterday afternoon 3-3.30 - just as I am driving home and nothing much as an alternative that I can find easily - grrrr.

oh gawd the 'comedy' on right now is quite mindbogglingly dreffle

Philomena Cunk is in it

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN

Well I love Rpund Britain Quiz - sorry! Great mixture of lateral thinking and general knowledge ( cf, Only Connect). Admittedly the participants are somewhat lacking in charisma!

Also a fan of In Our Time - though not of MB in most other contexts.

Sunday Worship and the Round Britain Quiz are the two things that make me switch over. Don't like Poetry Please but can sometimes cope with it, if I'm too busy to switch.

The 11pm comedy slot. I mean, why?? Loathe canned laughter.
The God slot on Sunday morning
The Saturday morning magazine prog . Find the devlin fella v irritating.
GQT - tho less than I used to. A sign of advancing decrepitude.
Everything else pretty fab really.
Am listening to R 3 a lot more these days and downloads on my commute. Heaven.

Voyage - I remember Westway, but when it was on the World Service at 3 in the morning - it was pretty dreadful!

Just a minute eeeeeuuuw I hate it for not being I'm sorry I haven't a clue or as good as in the Kenneth Williams days.
The national anthem
Weirdy afternoon plays just as I'm driving home for school pickup
Any Answers
You and Yours seems dedicated to social care, pensions and elderly health
Some Desert Island discs - although then some are absolute gems.

Anything on at a time when I miss it.

Love everything else. I told DH if I'm in a coma just put earphones in with Radio 4 all day. Just a Minute will probably bring me round in disgust.

Ooh - good question! R4 is the default soundtrack to life at home - I get along with most of it, but...

Agree Any Answers is loathsome. Not sure what's worst - that it's fronted by a woman who simpers to callers that she is a 'bear of little brain', or that said callers are consistently an extraordinary band of swivel-eyed crypto-fascists.

Agree with you too on the Moral Maze.

The Long View is a pet hate - ever more ridiculous and contrived historical parallels presented with breath-taking urgency/self importance.

Beyond these, things that are not objectionable, but a bit of disappointment and cue to channel hop:

GQT - just dull;
Clive Anderson thing on Saturday night. The slot isn't right for a magazine;
The 7.45pm drama. Works fine during Woman's Hour - but not here;
You and Yours - sell by date in last millennium?
Round Britain Quiz - ditto.

I especially like More or Less and Thinking Allowed. A colleague once tried to make a case for a flexi-credit to sit at home every week and listen to In Our Time on the grounds it was developmental!