BBC sounds - add your review or recommendation here

[idontgetitdoyou]

Inspired by another thread about how rubbish the search functionality on Sounds is.

It’s also annoying that there are no listener reviews. So a few times I’ve listened to some pretty poor quality dramas etc and really wished I could have read a review first.

So I thought it would be good to have a thread for this so people can share recommendations for shows they liked (or warnings for those they didn’t!)

I’ll start with:
Really enjoyed a dramatisation of Behind the Scenes at the Museum (Kate Atkinson)
plus just listened to the Barchester Chronicles which I enjoyed.

I like fiction especially detective and historical, but post about anything you like on Sounds. There’s so much on there but it’s hard to navigate and the length of time things are available for is so random.

Getting on a flight now so look forward to reading later!

I loved Home Front. Was so bereft when it finished and was traumatised by the Spanish flu storyline.
Sherlock Holmes is great for insomnia.
Have just listened to the Round the World in 80 Days dramatisation and really enjoyed it.
Anything with John Finnemore is amazing. Mark Steel is fab.

I've listened to all of these too! Also love Tortoise Investigates, Love Bombed and my all time favourite, Cautionary Tales.

Place marking for when I need to find something new. The search on Sounds is rubbish.

I really want to like Sliced Bread, but the guests he has on really annoy me with their OTT sycophantic howling with laughter at something that barely raises a smile in RL.

I'm mostly interested in the comedy! Two things have been mentioned upthread that I really like: John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme, and The Pin. I also loved Cabin Pressure (also written by and starring John Finnermore) - hope you can still listen to it. I also have been really enjoying Party.
Does anyone know any more comedy series that are as good as these/like these?

I love Desert Island Discs, Private Passions and This Cultural Life. They are all basically the same kind of format and you can just choose who you’re interested in.

have just started listening to GONE WITH THE WIND R4 love an epic story

currently going through This Cultural life its so interesting with insights to personalities that you wouldnt necessarily relate to

I’ve just finished listening to The Fort. It’s about an operation that goes wrong for the marines in Afghanistan, told by the people who were there. Not my usual subject matter but really compelling.

Great thread OP.

I don't listen to much on Sounds as the interface is so rubbish, but some great suggestions here.

The Unbelievable Truth (R4) always makes me laugh.

To Desert Island Discs, This Cultural Life and Private Passions I'd add The Life Scientific. I'm not a scientist but I've never listened to an episode and not found it interesting.

So many good recommendations here! I had no idea about the Graham Norton podcast, for example.

Does anyone else like Miss Me? I'm a recent-ish convert, started listening last year.

I'd add Quick Book Reviews ( not BBC) for fiction reviews and author interviews, a nice 30 mins ideal for readers. Also second BBC A good read although that takes a break every few weeks.

I really enjoyed The Crossbow Killer - fascinating case really well told. If others liked this, I’d love more suggestions!

Have you heard That Mitchell and Webb Sound? John Finnemore wrote for it and it’s pretty good. There’s a series on Sounds now.

F

Favourite at the moment is This Thing of darkness . 4 series - sort of Why rather than whodunnit .
Love Desert island Discs but will sometimes switch off if they are a bit boring .

Just discovered - Wanging on with Graham Norton . Have been a fan for decades , but I found it really annoying .
The Rylan series about Love was also good , he interviewed really interesting people . I think he did a celeb one before that , but wasn’t as good .

Find Last word really poignant and also feel a bit sad when listening to Just One Thing with Michael Mosley .
I also don’t find it that easy to navigate the search function on sounds .

If listening on my phone I will often screenshot what’s on and if I remember try and find other episodes .

Whoever recommended Conversations From A Long Marriage, thank you. I started listening today and I love it.

I’m not in the UK but would be happy to pay if I could use the BBC player and the BBC Sounds App.
It was a very short time ago that we were stopped from accessing the BBC Sounds App. 🥲
We were never able to use the BBC Player unless through a VPN.

@deeahgwitch

I didn't realise that access to Sounds was no longer available. That sucks.

The BBC are missing a trick here. We lived abroad for many years and, like you, I would have been more than happy to pay the license fee to access iPlayer - especially when you take into account the time difference.

Now we are back in the UK it took a while to get used to things being on an hour earlier than France.

Tracks - sort of a mystery drama, over 3 series. Listened to it ages ago and still think about it now
Julie Enfield is a good detective series
Love the Charles Paris’s with Bill Nighy.
I really enjoyed the adaptation of Sense and Sensibility so will try to listen to some more classics.
Like the Shedunnit podcast too, on female detective fiction

Why is the search function so bad? It puts me off using the app. I often hear an advert for something when I’m driving. I can never remember the exact name and find the damn thing when I actually get chance to listen later….grrrr!

I did email the BBC Director General with my suggestion 😂 @Prickitwithafork
I got an email back saying they weren’t considering it.
I thought they were short of money.
It would raise revenue.

This is lovely https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002ntmx?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

And this one https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/m002pj8s?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

I thought the problem with getting people overseas to pay was down to all the different ways subscrption broadcasting is managed in different countries, and it makes it too complicated.

Ladies of Letters is quite fun, correspondence between two older women, prunella scales and Patricia routledge

Im loving Susan Owens book on John Constable and the seasons on audiobooks. Also James by Percival Everette. Also audiobooks.