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Discuss your favourite podcast, radio show or The Archers episode.

Original poster

I love Radio 4 BUT.....

219 replies

MrsDickens · 30/04/2010 12:47

....there are some programmes that have me bellowing at the radio like an enraged moose . Like their 'hilarious' comedy slots at 11.30am and 6.30pm. Just endured the horror of a sitcom with Ronnie Corbett as a bumbling grand-dad whose ghastly family ticked every cliche box you can name. Just unbelievably bad, and the memory of many others lingers with me, more's the pity (eg. Pam Ayres' sitcom; that appalling thing about the spies on a boat, and the interminable Scottish woman and her nightmare friends/dog/mother/boyfriend)

So I was wondering - what on Radio 4 can you otherwise-loyal listeners just not abide?

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Cadelaide · 30/04/2010 12:48

yes, those comedy things are dronesome indeed.

Cadelaide · 30/04/2010 12:49

I wish they'd re-schedule the afternoon play. I always miss the end 'cos I have to run off to school.

Lio · 30/04/2010 12:49

I have a love-hate relationship with The Moral Maze.

Original poster
MrsDickens · 30/04/2010 12:50

I can't believe they get re-commissioned, that's the thing. Veg Talk was another one, if anybody remembers that. Responsible for inflicting Greg Wallace on the general population, unfortunately.....

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ProfYaffle · 30/04/2010 12:50

I do agree. Haven't heard the Ronnie Corbett thing but I somehow or other manage to listen to the others without ever meaning to, they're just there when I switch the radio on.

Original poster
MrsDickens · 30/04/2010 12:58

That's the weird thing....they always DO seem to be on, don't they?

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BendyBob · 30/04/2010 13:01

I don't like Loose Ends especially in previous years with Ned Sherrin who I thought was an unbearable luvvy fawning over some ghastly bit of music or west end 'thea-tah' show.

In fact nearly always if R4 swerves over into music I don't enjoy it (except the time wonderful Grayson Perry was on Desert Island discs and played The Fall which I thought was a magnificent choice)

ProfYaffle · 30/04/2010 13:10

I find the Archers is the same, always on. Yet no matter how many episodes I accidentally hear, I still don't know what's going on.

Dumbledoresgirl · 30/04/2010 13:14

Oh my family and I love the Now Show. Trouble is, it is on just as we are eating and ds1 often chokes on his food he is laughing so much.

Women's Hour with Jenni Murray irritates me. It is so boringly right on.

BigBadMummy · 30/04/2010 13:14

the last word. Obituaries for a bunch of people I have never heard of. It makes me feel inadequate because I dont know who they are and something tells me I should.

BendyBob · 30/04/2010 13:21

Ikwym about Womans Hour. It tries very hard to be 'pc' but it's very name suggests it's not. Imagine the rumpus if there was a 'Men's Hour'. (I can see though it's a left-over programme from a bygone age, hence the name)

Jenni Murray is very scary. I like her but I think she's terrified a good few guests before now

I do love most of the 6.30 comedy. I like the way the slot isn't afraid to try new things and the quality is so much better than most of than pulp on tv.

girlscout · 30/04/2010 13:22

count arthur strong-- aggggh!
BENDYBOB ,agree with you about Loose Ends (far too self involved and often the live sketches are so poor ,you can hear the tumble weed rolling past)

Love fag,mags and bags-the thing about the indian scottish shopkeeper and his clientele. Its wonderful, wish he lived round here!

BrokenBananaTantrum · 30/04/2010 13:27

i just don't get count arthur strong wtf is that all about?????

I like womans hour

BendyBob · 30/04/2010 13:29

Lol Count Arthur Strong is one of my favourite things on the radio! But I know from a previous thread he er..polarises listeners, shall we say..

squeaver · 30/04/2010 13:32

Midweek!! God you're all SO boring.

And Loose Ends, too - it's embarrassing to listen to it sometimes.

tvaerialmagpiebin · 30/04/2010 13:36

There WAS once a men's prog. It was called the Men's Room, or something obvious like that. But it was pulled quite soon, as it was dire.

I can't abide Quote Unquote or Counterpoint.
I used to have to turn off Alastair Cooke, I can still hear his voice in my head "I am reminded of the closing days of the Nixon administration..." ARRCH - Click.

I don't get Arthur Strong either. But I love Hut 13 and I thought the Ronnie Corbett thing today wasn't too bad.

Does anyone else remember the kids' programme "Go For It", used to be on a Sunday after the Archers in the evening I think, much pilloried by pretty much everyone

Original poster
MrsDickens · 30/04/2010 13:39

Now see, I love Count Arthur Strong! Ditto the Archers and Woman's Hour (though I agree Jenni Murray is scary - and I'm not madly keen on Jane Garvey's weird way of speaking).

Loose Ends - yes, tedious in the extreme. Why do people think Clive Anderson is so funny? Or do they just snigger along sycophantically because everyone else is doing it?

I'm afraid 'Poetry Please' is another of my bugbears. As is 'With Great Pleasure'

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squeaver · 30/04/2010 13:41

Oh yes Go For It. Taken off air when they discovered the average listener was 53 or something like that.

Original poster
MrsDickens · 30/04/2010 13:46

You've really got me going now, lankyalto! 'Quote, Unquote' - words fail me. It's been on for about 10,000 years and is so greasily smug I can't bear it. All those people smirking 'oh, yes, I think this is from Ovid's 'Metamorphoses', isn't it?' Yeah, like it's their regular bedtime reading and they haven't just been slipped a few, ahem, hints by the production team...

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SoMuchToBits · 30/04/2010 13:52

I agree with Dg about Jenni Murray. And "Go For It" was sooooo condescending to kids, I can't imagine any of them ever listened to it.

BendyBob · 30/04/2010 13:54

Agre with you Lanky.. Go For It was terrible; and was it Barney presenting it? I used to go for it alright - straight to the off button.

And yes yes again re Alistair Cooke. He seemed to have such a bizarre (and dull) way of deliveing his 'Letter'. The intonation was all over the place; I kept thinking he'd stopped or dozed off, then he'd chug back into life again.

CaptainNancy · 30/04/2010 14:01

No- I love last word!
And start the week/midweek.
Have to admit I never hear the 6:30 comedies anymore- usually too fouulmouthed to have on around pre-schoolers [cats bum face]

tvaerialmagpiebin · 30/04/2010 14:07

Snurk at Ovid on QunQ.

Counterpoint was better with Robert Robinson, at least you knew he was as nutty as a fruit cake. Now it is all "trrendy" with music written after 1700 FFS.

Oh yes, With Great Pleasure - eeeeek.
Loose Ends was MUCH worse with Nedo, and it was on longer.

Although I hate sport I sed to love the Sat am sport programme, the music was excellent too.

I don't like the Food Programme as they always seem to be diecting some poor critter - who thought that Sunday luchtime was a good time for that?

Oh I LOVED Veg Talk - I was never sure whether it was meant to be a comedy. "Veg of the Week"!!!!!!

BendyBob · 30/04/2010 14:11

Veg Talk is a helluva name for a programme though isn't it?

I think they must've come up with that after a few Friday sherbets down the pub.

Original poster
MrsDickens · 30/04/2010 14:18

I also can't bear Mark Lawson's delivery on 'Front Row'. However, I'm very partial to 'Saturday Review' - and was when a colleague said how much he loathed it. I love hearing them tear things to shreds; they seem to enjoy it so much!

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