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Last broadcast on Sun, 1 May 2011, 20:30 on BBC Radio 4 (see all broadcasts).
Synopsis
Matthew Bannister on
The TV comedy writer John Sullivan who brought us Only Fools and Horses and Citizen Smith. Robert Lindsay pays tribute.
The Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba, head of a multi billion pound foundation with millions of followers around the world.
Punk icon Poly Styrene - lead singer of X-Ray Spexs - noted for her outrageous dress sense.
The white Zimbabwean farmer Mike Campbell who won a court victory against Robert Mugabe's land reforms but was badly beaten by militia.
And Max Mathews, pioneer of computer synthesised music.
John Sullivan
Creator of TV sitcoms such as Only Fools and Horses and Citizen Smith that became national institutions.
Matthew talks to Dick Fiddy, TV consultant for the BFI, Robert Lindsay, who starred as Wolfie in Citizen Smith, and Gareth Gwenlan who produced many of John’s programmes.
John Sullivan was born 23 December 1946 and died 23 April 2011.
Sri Satya Sai Baba
India's revered spiritual guru who counted presidents, prime ministers, judges and generals amongst his millions of followers around the world. Over half a million people attended his funeral.
Matthew speaks to Ranu Mehta-Radia, Founder of the Sai School of Harrow, and to journalist Mick Brown.
Sai Baba was born 23 November 1926 and died 24 April 2011.
Poly Styrene
One of the punk era's original talents, the woman who fronted the band X-Ray Spex.
Last Word hears her final interview.
Marianne Joan Elliott-Said was born 3 July 1957 and died 25 April 2011.
Mike Campbell
White Zimbabwean farmer who took President Robert Mugabe to court.
Last Word hears from Ben Freeth, his son-in-law who worked with him on the farm, Lucy Bailey who made a film about Mike Campbell’s struggle for justice and from Miles Tendi, an expert on Zimbabwean politics.
Mike Campbell was born 12 October 1932 and died 6 April 2011.
Max Mathews
Father of synthesized computer music. Max Mathews wrote the first programme to make it possible for a computer to synthesize sound and play it back.
Last Word hears from Joe Paradiso, Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences at MIT.
Max Mathews was born 13 November 1926 and died 21 April 2011.
Broadcasts
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Fri 29 Apr 201116:00
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Sun 1 May 201120:30
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