We gave you the chance to vote for the Radio 4 comedy show you wanted to hear again. You chose On The Hour.
The vote is now closed, the winner was - On The Hour
For Radio Ha Ha, Radio 4 will bring together comedians, producers and agents to share their favourite archive clips, indulge in a bit of thoughtful analysis and generate, hopefully, a load of laughs. Adjudicated and led by Steve Punt, our panel of comedians and industry movers and shakers will compare and contrast the highs and lows of both radio and TV comedy shows. And at the end of the show, we will repeat the very first broadcast outing of a contemporary comedy classic which made the successful transition from Radio 4 to TV. The choice of show depends on you. Vote now to register which of the following pilots you would like to hear again.
ON THE HOUR
First broadcast on 9th August 1991. Written by Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci, Steven Wells, Andrew Glover, Stewart Lee, Richard Herring and David Quantick, the show starred Morris as the overzealous and self-important principal anchor (for which he used his own name). He was aided and abetted by a regular cast of Steve Coogan, Patrick Marber, David Schneider, Doon Mackichan and Rebecca Front as news reporters, presenters, interviewees, etc. It also featured the very first appearance of Coogan's character Alan Partridge as the Sportsdesk reporter. In all, 13 episodes were made during 1991 and 1992 (the last broadcast on Radio 1) before it made the jump to BBC 2 at The Day Today (6 episodes broadcast in January and February 1994)
First broadcast on 10th June 1995. Perhaps the purest and finest spoof of the fly-on-the-wall documentary was this John Morton-written show that introduced viewers to the hapless reporter Roy Mallard. His attempts to be 'merely an observer' were doomed to fail - inexorably, often disastrously, always hilariously. It ran for three series (10 June-15 July 1995; 8 June-13 July 1996; 19 July-9 August 1997), before it made the switch to BBC 2, with the radio scripts successfully adapted for the visual medium. The idea was that Mallard would focus on a different profession each week, to show viewers that, no matter what the subjects do for a living, they are 'people like us'.
First broadcast on 5th July 1996. The show's title alludes to the hit comedy record 'Goodness Gracious Me' made by Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren to promote their 1960 film The Millionairess, in which Sellers, in brownface make-up, played an Indian doctor. Although the subjects were inspired by the writers' (including Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal, Nina Wadia, Nitin Sawhney and Anil Gupta) Anglo-Asian experiences the humour was broad enough for the comedy to break out from its target area and make waves in the mainstream, winning a Sony Award along the way. The show ran for three series on BBC Radio 4, the first two airing before it made the switch to BBC 2 in 1998. The third series, six editions, was broadcast from 21 May to 25 June 1998.
First broadcast on 6th November 1997. The League Of Gentlemen rose to prominence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where their sketches made an impact with the public, the talent-spotters and the judges of the Perrier Award. As the 1997 winners of this prestigious prize, the team was given their own series on BBC Radio 4 (six episodes, 6 November-11 December 1997), titled On The Town With The League Of Gentlemen and went on to win a Sony Award. In 1999 the team made the (seemingly) effortless transition from radio to the small screen for a total of three series, one special and a feature film.
First broadcast on 7th January 2000. On radio there have been eleven series plus a number of specials, including one devoted entirely The Archers and another to Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee. It didn’t make it to television until the spring of 2002, where so far it has clocked up 6 series on both BBC 1 & 2. From the start the show was well known for its portrayal of fellow BBC employees, such as Radio 4 newsreader Brian Perkins as a Godfather-like figure ("Who's the daddy?"); Greg Dyke, portrayed with a Michael Caine-like accent by Phil Cornwell; and both Fiona Bruce and Charlotte Green, portrayed as seductive and saucy. Radio 4 shows were also ripe targets, including the Today Programme, the Archers, Letter from America, Money Box, Brain of Britain, Counterpoint, Loose Ends, You and Yours and Front Row.
First broadcast on 3rd August 2000. When Matt Lucas and David Walliams took their production on the road in 2005-06 more than 150 shows sold out; and when the first TV series (2003) was put on sale it became Britain's biggest selling DVD. However, Little Britain originated on Radio 4 three years before introducing the world to Tom Baker’s God-like linking narration; Daffyd, the only gay in the village; the tiny Dennis Waterman who wants to compose and sing the theme song for every TV programme he is offered; teenager Jason who is sexually obsessed with his mate Gary's grandmother; and (“I’m a…) lady” Emily Howard.
First broadcast on 9th August 1991. Written by Chris Morris, Armando Iannucci, Steven Wells, Andrew Glover, Stewart Lee, Richard Herring and David Quantick, the show starred Morris as the overzealous and self-important principal anchor (for which he used his own name). He was aided and abetted by a regular cast of Steve Coogan, Patrick Marber, David Schneider, Doon Mackichan and Rebecca Front as news reporters, presenters, interviewees, etc. It also featured the very first appearance of Coogan's character Alan Partridge as the Sportsdesk reporter. In all, 13 episodes were made during 1991 and 1992 (the last broadcast on Radio 1) before it made the jump to BBC 2 at The Day Today (6 episodes broadcast in January and February 1994)
First broadcast on 10th June 1995. Perhaps the purest and finest spoof of the fly-on-the-wall documentary was this John Morton-written show that introduced viewers to the hapless reporter Roy Mallard. His attempts to be 'merely an observer' were doomed to fail - inexorably, often disastrously, always hilariously. It ran for three series (10 June-15 July 1995; 8 June-13 July 1996; 19 July-9 August 1997), before it made the switch to BBC 2, with the radio scripts successfully adapted for the visual medium. The idea was that Mallard would focus on a different profession each week, to show viewers that, no matter what the subjects do for a living, they are 'people like us'.
First broadcast on 5th July 1996. The show's title alludes to the hit comedy record 'Goodness Gracious Me' made by Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren to promote their 1960 film The Millionairess, in which Sellers, in brownface make-up, played an Indian doctor. Although the subjects were inspired by the writers' (including Sanjeev Bhaskar, Kulvinder Ghir, Meera Syal, Nina Wadia, Nitin Sawhney and Anil Gupta) Anglo-Asian experiences the humour was broad enough for the comedy to break out from its target area and make waves in the mainstream, winning a Sony Award along the way. The show ran for three series on BBC Radio 4, the first two airing before it made the switch to BBC 2 in 1998. The third series, six editions, was broadcast from 21 May to 25 June 1998.
First broadcast on 6th November 1997. The League Of Gentlemen rose to prominence at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where their sketches made an impact with the public, the talent-spotters and the judges of the Perrier Award. As the 1997 winners of this prestigious prize, the team was given their own series on BBC Radio 4 (six episodes, 6 November-11 December 1997), titled On The Town With The League Of Gentlemen and went on to win a Sony Award. In 1999 the team made the (seemingly) effortless transition from radio to the small screen for a total of three series, one special and a feature film.
First broadcast on 7th January 2000. On radio there have been eleven series plus a number of specials, including one devoted entirely The Archers and another to Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee. It didn’t make it to television until the spring of 2002, where so far it has clocked up 6 series on both BBC 1 & 2. From the start the show was well known for its portrayal of fellow BBC employees, such as Radio 4 newsreader Brian Perkins as a Godfather-like figure ("Who's the daddy?"); Greg Dyke, portrayed with a Michael Caine-like accent by Phil Cornwell; and both Fiona Bruce and Charlotte Green, portrayed as seductive and saucy. Radio 4 shows were also ripe targets, including the Today Programme, the Archers, Letter from America, Money Box, Brain of Britain, Counterpoint, Loose Ends, You and Yours and Front Row.
First broadcast on 3rd August 2000. When Matt Lucas and David Walliams took their production on the road in 2005-06 more than 150 shows sold out; and when the first TV series (2003) was put on sale it became Britain's biggest selling DVD. However, Little Britain originated on Radio 4 three years before introducing the world to Tom Baker’s God-like linking narration; Daffyd, the only gay in the village; the tiny Dennis Waterman who wants to compose and sing the theme song for every TV programme he is offered; teenager Jason who is sexually obsessed with his mate Gary's grandmother; and (“I’m a…) lady” Emily Howard.
