OMG R4, comedy slot 6.30 on now - beyond dull!

[Neveratruerfriend]

Yep, the new offering this evening. Some kind of "comedy" quiz which seems to be about the panel guessing the correct date of celebrities' birthdays.

My husband is using Spotify in the kitchen which means I can't put music on upstairs (where I currently am, doing some chores).

I cannot believe how low the bar is set for some so-called comedy. Get a grip, Radio 4. Please.

Agreed! It's as if someone pitched the idea as a dare...
Beyond tedious

Truly dire. I caught about 10 minutes of it. Truly dire.

Grim

It's always the worst slot in the whole day. I listen to radio four a lot but I can't listen to it at 6:30.

I love Richard Osman's House of Games on BBC 2 but this is dire. I listened to 10 minutes of last week's and don't understand how they commissioned a series.

It was rubbish!

I caught one a few days ago where they was guessing celebrities ages, is it the same one? I was cringing listening to it.

Ha! I too thought this must be a dare when I first heard it mentioned.

Now I’m thinking only blackmail could have sealed the production deal. It really, really hasn’t required much creative work. I’m certain I made extra noise in the kitchen to drown out the screaming inanity of the pointless thing.

I listened to the original version when it was a non-BBC podcast and it was harmlessly entertaining. DH and I frequently play the same game over the weekend papers. But somehow although the radio version is exactly the same format as the podcast it seems to have undefinably sucked all of the fun out of it.

I gave up after about 5 minutes. I did wonder why there was a big advert for "turn over to R4 Extra". It was a frothy piece about Beethoven's 5th, or 7th I think (I wish I'd tried listening to that instead).

Is the essence of the programme that two teams of people we might know try to guess the DOB of someone we might know/have to look up on Wikipedia?

Something very odd is happening to R4.

It is literally so boring I fell asleep listening to it! I too wondered how the actual fuck it got commissioned.

I love R4 comedy mainly, a few clangers that I just ignore, but generally they were good, but recently it's just been a bit shit.

Love Sue Perkins doing Just a Minute mind, but everything else has been utterly pants, especially when you consider they brought us Cabin Pressure/Just a Minute/Mark Steels in Town etc.

Richard Osman is the celeb dude jour at the moment though isn't he? I reckon if he pitched a show about how long it would it take for a wall of paint would take to dry it'd be on some channel before you knew it.

Plus his novel was shit.

Also don't forget we have him to thank for the C4 boom of shitty reality shows.... He's responsible for Big Brother.

Oh and he's like the mafia boss of TV atm, in charge of everything and everyone laughs at his jokes in case they get killed sacked. He runs one of the biggest production companies in TV.

Oh just realised he does not work for Endemol since last year.
But still.....

To be fair to the commissioners it was genuinely popular in podcast form.
A few of the 1 star ratings are because there were technical download errors.
No idea why it's falling flat now.

Glad it's not just me. Was driving and came in part way through. Not clever and not funny..Turned over to R3. Lovely music at this time of day, followed by the In Tune mixtape, much more fun than Achers. Sob.

I used to play that with my exH too, as the Saturday Guardian had birthdays for both days of the weekend. I would read out the names, he guesses the ages. Amusing for 5 mins. When I heard the trail for that show on R4 a few weeks ago, I did wonder how they were going to fill a half hour on that premise alone, so am not at all surprised it's not working! I miss good comedy on R4; it's almost as bad as the drama.

Glad it's not just me then, that doesn't get it. It really is a case of the Emperor's new clothes.

No OP, you're right. It's rubbish, but they do it because lots of people are having a cup of tea/ commuting or having dinner at that time and are not actively listening to the radio. There are tonnes of really funny comedians that they could commission, for example Gina Yashere, jo brand, Eddie Izzard. But no, they choose the least interesting fools around.

I've heard it and would not bother to llisten, but I didn't switch the radio off. Had I been in the car I would have switched channel

The Phil Hammond one is quite amusing in a gentle way,

I switch off when it's The Unbelievably Shite. Can't face JAM with SP in the chair.

I liked the Miles Jupp one about the ex PM.

I heard the trailer and thought that I wouldn't even have to tune in to find out if it was any good. And I'll listen to just about anything!

That slot is going through a pretty dire phase at the moment. I'll listen to My Teenage Diary (depending on the guest) and the News Quiz can be amusing. I skip the other days.

I listened to about 5 minutes of it on Sounds. Never again. It’s like they just saw Richard Osman’s name and said yes.

Dire! Also the Simon Callow thing on at 6:30pm on thurdays. And Ellie Taylors "woke" safe space on wednesdays. Unbearable.

I hate "comedy"'on radio 4. It's just not funny. Like some embarrassing uncle telling cracker jokes at Christmas.

Yep thought it was a very flimsy idea to base a quiz on. Had to admire the persistence in going for it, though. They soldiered through. I listened out of morbid curiosity more than anything else. I too have learned to dread the 6.30pm slot.

Is "its a fair cop" on at 6:30? I like that.