A. J. Liebling, born in Manhattan in 1904, joined the staff of the New Yorker in 1935 and contributed innumerable articles to the magazine throughout his lifetime, on subjects ranging from food to boxing and France to horse racing. As a war correspondent during the Second World War, he reported from France, England and Algeria, and participated in the Normandy landings. In later life he married the writer Jean Stafford, his third wife. He died in 1963.

A. J. Liebling

A. J. Rosen is an author of YA fantasy and is known as @agatharoza on Wattpad.

A. J. Rosen

A. K. Davidson

A. O. Scott has been a film critic at the New York Times since 2000. His writing has appeared in many other publications, including the New York Review of Books, Slate, the New Yorker and the Nation. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism in 2010, Scott is currently Distinguished Professor of Film Criticism at Wesleyan University. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York. 
 
@aoscott

A. O. Scott

A.S. Byatt (1936-2023) was a novelist, short-story writer and critic of international renown. Her novels include Possession (winner of the Booker Prize 1990), the Frederica Quartet and The Children’s Book, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction. She was appointed CBE in 1990 and DBE in 1999, and was awarded the Erasmus Prize 2016 for her ‘inspiring contribution to life writing’ and the Pak Kyongni Prize 2017. In 2018 she received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award.

A. S. Byatt

A. T. Williams won the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing in 2013 for his book A Very British Killing: The Death of Baha Mousa. He lives in Warwickshire.

A. T. Williams

A. W. Chase

Dubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper, and ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post, A.C. 'Ava' Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of Alias Emma (The Chase), The Traitor and The Trap. The Traitor was a 2023 Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. Alias Emma was a Barnes and Noble book of the month. A former crime reporter and communications consultant, for five years Ava worked closely with spies. Her time in that world fascinated her, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.

A.C. Glass

A.E. Housman

Arthur Edward Waite was the designer and co-creator of the now famous Rider Waite Tarot deck. 
 
An American-born British poet and scholarly mystic, his strong interest in all esoteric matters - divination, magic, Kabbalism, alchemy and Freemasony - led to him penning a number of books. These include the Key to the Tarot, The Book of Ceremonial Magic and A New Encyclopedia of Freemasony.

A.E. Waite

A.E. Warren is the author of the Tomorrow's Ancestors series, which consists of Subject Twenty-One, The Hidden Base, The Fourth Species and The Final Rising. 
 
After spending eight years working as a lawyer, she began to write in the evenings and early mornings as a form of escapism from life in a very small cubicle with lots of files. She self-published her first novels in her spare time, which were picked up by Del Rey UK which is the science fiction/fantasy imprint of Penguin Random House. 
 
 She is an avid reader, occasional gamer and fair-weather runner. She lives in the UK with her husband, daughter and hopefully, one day, a wise border terrier named Austen.

A.E. Warren

A.G.D. Maran

A.J. Ayer

A K Benedict writes crime and speculative fiction in a room filled with clowns, mannequins and Doctor Who figures. Her first novel, The Beauty of Murder, was nominated for an eDunnit award and is in development for a major 8-part TV series by Company Pictures. Her second, Jonathan Dark or The Evidence of Ghosts, came out in February 2016. She's written Torchwood audio dramas for Big Finish and her short stories have featured in anthologies including Great British Horror and Best British Short Stories. She lives in St Leonards-on-Sea with her dog, Dame Margaret Rutherford.

A.K.Benedict

A. L. Kennedy has twice been selected as one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists and has won a host of other awards – including the Costa Book of the Year for her novel Day. She lives in Essex.

A.L. Kennedy

A.M. Ellis is a speculative fiction author and lover of everything steeped in myth and mystery. Her stories often lean into diverse voices, not only in her identity as a Black woman, but in exploring neurodivergence and mental health. A proud introvert and nostalgic gamer, she lives in Maryland, USA, with her husband and three children. Angelica is also the author of Hunt A Killer, a PERFECT SCORE novel, under the pen name A.M. Ellis, which she wrote as an IP for Scholastic in the US.

A.M. Ellis

A.N. Wilson was born in 1950 and educated at Rugby and New College, Oxford. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, he holds a prominent position in the world of literature and journalism. He is an award-winning biographer and a celebrated novelist, winning prizes for much of his work. He lives in North London.

A.N. Wilson

A.W. Priest

A.B.C. Merriman-Labor was a barrister, writer and munitions worker born in Freetown, Sierra Leone in 1877. His published works include A Series of Lectures on the Negro Race and The Story of the African Slave in a Nutshell. He also edited two editions of the Handbook of Sierra Leone. He arrived in the UK in 1904 to study law. In 1907, he organised a centenary commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade in Westminster Abbey. He later embarked on an 'entertainment-lecture' tour called Life and Scenes in Britain, travelling across thousands of miles of West, South West and Central Africa, which he expanded on to create Britons Through Negro Spectacles.

ABC Merriman-Labor

AJ Cronin

AJ Molloy

Aabria Iyengar is an American actress and author.

Aabria Iyengar

Aaliya Jaleel is a freelance illustrator, designer, and visual development artist, currently majoring in Animation at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also the illustrator of Under My Hijab and Muslim Girls Rise. You can visit her online at www.aaliyamj.com.

Aaliya Jaleel

Aaron Allston

After more than fifteen years of experience as a clinical psychotherapist, Dr Aaron Balick has taken the amazing insights from psychology and psychotherapy out of the consultation room and made them accessible to the wider world. 
 
He has been an ‘agony uncle’ for many years for both CBBC and BBC Radio 1, as well as on television, including BBC Worldwide, BBC 3 and BBC Learning.

Aaron Balick

Aaron Carroll

Aaron Dignan is the founder of The Ready--a global organizational transformation and coaching practice--that helps companies large and small adopt new forms of self-organization and dynamic teaming. Clients include Johnson &amp; Johnson, Microsoft, Lloyds Bank, Citibank, Boeing, Mailchimp, Airbnb, Dropbox, and charity: water. 
 
He is also the founder of Murmur--a SaaS startup that helps teams scale culture through the magic of working agreements. The Murmur platform will allow every team on the planet to define and share their ways of working. 
 
Dignan is the author of Brave New Work (2019) and Game Frame (2011), co-host of the Brave New Work podcast, and a friend to misfit toys.

Aaron Dignan

Aaron Edwards is a senior lecturer in defence and international affairs at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, specialising in terrorism and counter-insurgency. He is the author and editor of several books, including Defending the Realm: The Politics of Britain’s Small Wars Since 1945, and has lectured all over the world on aspects of national and international security. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Aaron Edwards

Aaron Robertson is a writer, an editor, and a translator of Italian literature. His translation of Igiaba Scego’s Beyond Babylon was short-listed for the 2020 PEN Translation Prize and the National Translation Award, and in 2021 he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant. His work has appeared in the New York Times, The Nation, Foreign Policy, n+1, The Point, and Literary Hub, among other publications. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Aaron Robertson

Aaron Shapiro

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BBC Radio Comedy

Four further series of the award-winning satirical panel show 
 
For over 45 years, The News Quiz has been taking a scalpel to the headlines, dissecting them with its inimitable blend of satire, silliness and sharp-witted commentary. These 32 episodes, first broadcast between April 2018 and May 2019, find the team tackling stories big and small from that news-packed year. 
 
Miles Jupp is in the chair for three of the four series, while in Series 97 he shares presenting duties with guest hosts Simon Evans, Susan Calman, Fred MacAulay, Bridget Christie, Jo Brand and Lucy Porter. Jostling for a by-line are panellists including Rory Bremner, Phill Jupitus, Paul Sinha, Neil Delamere, Felicity Ward, Ayesha Hazarika, Phil Wang, Jayde Adams, Katie Perrior, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Geoff Norcott, Kemah Bob and Andy Zaltzman. 
 
Topics under the magnifying glass include the treatment of the Windrush Generation, the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral, Greta Thunberg, Vladimir Putin, a Royal Wedding, a Royal baby and Theresa May's resignation. In addition, there's a special 'Best of 2018' show and a tribute to Jeremy Hardy, who died in 2019. 
 
Production credits 
Chaired by Miles Jupp, Simon Evans, Susan Calman, Fred MacAulay, Bridget Christie, Jo Brand and Lucy Porter 
Chair's script written by Ed Amsden, Madeleine Brettingham, Catherine Brinkworth, Liam Byrne, Sarah Campbell, Lucy Clarke, Tom Coles, Max Davis, Nick Doody, Clint Edwards, Dan Evans, Jessica Fostekew, Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch, Jon Hunter, James Kettle, Jenny Laville, Laura Major, Robin Morgan, Sarah Morgan, Benjamin Partridge, Mike Shephard, Ian Smith, Katie Storey and Danielle Ward 
With additional material by Simon Alcock, Gemma Arrowsmith, Dan Beckett, Adele Cliff, Lee Dilley, Charlie Dinkin, Will Duggan, Edward Easton, Alice Etches, Jules Garnett, Sara Gibbs, Alex Hardy, Cameron Loxdale, Tom Mayhew, Jane McCutcheon, Eleanor Morton, Dan Page, Heidi Regan, Vivienne Riddoch, Nathan Roberts, Phoebe Roy, Kat Sadler, Esyllt Sears, Michael Stranney and Edward Tew 
Produced by Joe Nunnery, Sam Michell, Richard Morris and Victoria Lloyd 
A BBC Studios Production 
 
Series 96 featuring: Angela Barnes, Fern Brady, Desiree Burch, Susan Calman, Michael Deacon, Neil Delamere, Simon Evans, Daniel Finkelstein, Kerry Godliman, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Helen Lewis, Zoe Lyons, Vicki Pepperdine, Lucy Porter, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Hugo Rifkind, Suzi Ruffell, Mark Steel, Holly Walsh, Felicity Ward, Francis Wheen, Andy Zaltzman 
 
Series 97 featuring: Jayde Adams, Angela Barnes, Katy Brand, Rory Bremner, Jen Brister, Susan Calman, Daliso Chaponda, Neil Delamere, Simon Evans, Deborah Frances-White, Andy Hamilton, Ayesha Hazarika, London Hughes, Rhys James, Phill Jupitus, Helen Lewis, Lloyd Langford, Andrew Maxwell, Katie Perrior, Lucy Porter, Hugo Rifkind, Mark Steel, Eleanor Tiernan, Sindhu Vee, Phil Wang, Danielle Ward, Felicity Ward, Francis Wheen 
 
Series 98 featuring: Jen Brister, Desiree Burch, Susan Calman, Neil Delamere, Simon Evans, Andy Hamilton, Ayesha Hazarika, Nish Kumar, Helen Lewis, Zoe Lyons, Andrew Maxwell, Katie Perrior, Lucy Porter, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Hugo Rifkind, Tim Shipman, Paul Sinha, Eleanor Tiernan, Phil Wang, Danielle Ward, Francis Wheen 
 
Series 99 featuring: Angela Barnes, Kemah Bob, Frankie Boyle, Jen Brister, Desiree Burch, Alun Cochrane, Neil Delamere, Simon Evans, Kerry Godliman, Andy Hamilton, Julia Hartley-Brewer, Ayesha Hazarika, Helen Lewis, Zoe Lyons, Fred MacAulay, Andrew Maxwell, Geoff Norcott, Rachel Parris, Katie Perrior, Lucy Porter, Hugo Rifkind, John Robins, Mark Steel, Ellie Taylor, Danielle Ward, Andy Zaltzman 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13 April-1 June 2018 (Series 96), 31 August-19 October 2018 (Series 97), 28 December 2018-15 February 2019 (Series 98), 12 April-31 May 2019 (Series 99) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

The News Quiz: 2018 – 2019

Series 96, 97, 98 and 99 of the topical BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show

Andrew Martin

Andrew Martin reflects on Britain's customs, attitudes and social and supernatural phenomena in these six BBC Radio series 
 
Drawn from Radio 3's The Essay strand and presented by journalist and award-winning author Andrew Martin, this beguiling collection brings together his witty, Alan Bennett-esque observations on England's disappearing pastimes, rituals and beliefs. 
 
Yorkshire sees him musing on the county of his birth and upbringing, as he considers his 'Tyke' identity and the ancient rivalry between Yorkshire and Lancashire; chews over questions of class in 'God's Own County'; ponders its past and future; and recalls the coastal jaunts of his youth. In Hanging On, Martin celebrates five aspects of British life that are still with us - just, as he raises a toast to the boating pond; the ventriloquist's doll; the telephone; the milkman and sex shops. 
 
The Lost Hours memorialises the staging posts of the day that are gradually fading away, such as elevenses and the cocktail hour; while England Ejects explores the inclinations and habits that no longer seem so vital nowadays, including modesty, gentility and Sunday church-going. The Further Realm sees Martin contemplating whether he believes in ghosts; reflecting on mediaeval and modern sightings and telling tales of the undead from resonant times of the year. Finally, in The Sound and the Fury, he discusses the noises that annoy us, from piped music to public transport announcements, asking 'how do we cope with jarring sounds in our world today, and could we live without the daily cacophony?' 
 
Quirky and engaging, these delightfully entertaining essays will give you a whole new perspective on the modern world - and the world beyond. 
 
Production credits 
Produced by Duncan Minshull (Yorkshire, Hanging On, England Ejects, The Further Realm, The Sound and the Fury) and Karen Holden (The Lost Hours) 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on the following dates: 23-27 January 2012 (The Sound and the Fury), 27-31 January 2014 (England Ejects), 26-30 October 2015 (The Further Realm), 17-21 April 2017 (Hanging On), 21-25 January 2019 (Yorkshire), 25-29 October 2021 (The Lost Hours) 
 
© 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

On the World Around Us

25 Explorations of Britain, Past and Present

John Sergeant

Greg Dyke

Gyles Brandreth

Jennie Bond

Roy Hattersley

Adam Hart-Davis

Antony Worrall-Thompson

Esther Rantzen

Janet Street-Porter

Lorraine Kelly

Edwina Currie

Alan Carr

Sue Perkins

Lucy Porter

Robin Ince

The comedy panel game where all the questions are about the guest host 
 
Welcome to The Personality Test, the panel show in which a brand new host takes the chair for every episode to present a quiz entirely themed around themselves. Each gets to run the show by their own rules, devising topics and queries based on their life, whims, fancies and past glories. Among the showbiz celebrities in the hot seat are Gyles Brandreth, Jennie Bond, Antony Worrall Thompson, Esther Rantzen, Janet Street-Porter and Edwina Currie, while the rounds include Love It Or Hate It, True or False, That Special Day and Life's a Pitch. 
 
Is John Sergeant a fan of Julia Roberts? Would Greg Dyke give Radio 4 just a minute, or leave it on a desert island? And does Claire Rayner have a penchant for jelly babies? Having spent a week swotting up on their host, the contestants must tackle these questions and more, as they do their best to amuse, entertain, charm, flatter - and occasionally, flirt outrageously - in a bid to chalk up the points and win the game. Battling it out are regular panellists and comedy heavyweights Alan Carr, Sue Perkins, Robert Ince, Lucy Porter, Will Smith and Carrie Quinlan. 
 
Intriguing and challenging, riotous and revealing, this unique panel show shines a fascinating spotlight on the interests and enthusiasms of your favourite personalities - and keeps you laughing along the way. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Richard Turner, Simon Littlefield and Kieron Quirke 
Devised and produced by Aled Evans 
 
Series 1 presented by: John Sergeant, Greg Dyke, Gyles Brandreth and Jennie Bond 
With Sue Perkins, Alan Carr, Lucy Porter, Will Smith, Robin Ince and Natalie Haynes 
 
Series 2 presented by: Roy Hattersley, Rick Wakeman, Adam Hart-Davis, Antony Worrall Thompson, Claire Rayner and Esther Rantzen 
With Sue Perkins, Lucy Porter, Robin Ince, Mark Dolan and Will Smith 
 
Series 3 presented by: Janet Street-Porter, Lorraine Kelly, Andrew Neill, Edwina Currie, Toyah Willcox and Eve Pollard 
With Sue Perkins, Will Smith, Nick Doody, Lucy Porter, Robin Ince, Carrie Quinlan and Dan Tetsell 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 July-2 August 2006 (Series 1), 7 December 2006-11 January 2007 (Series 2), 5 July-9 August 2007 (Series 3) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

The Personality Test

The complete BBC Radio 4 comedy quiz series

Five collected series of the award-winning panel show, hosted by the late Nicholas Parsons 
 
Just a Minute is the grandaddy of panel games, entertaining Radio 4 listeners since 1967 with wit, whimsy and wonderful wordplay. To mark the show's 55th anniversary in December 2022, here are five fantastic series from 2011, 2012 and 2013, all chaired by the legendary Nicholas Parsons. Among them is Series 62, which commemorated JAM's 45th birthday with an episode tackling the same subjects given out in the very first series, and featured two special editions from Mumbai. 
 
Among the panellists keen to show their mettle are first-timers Russell Kane, Miles Jupp, Hannibal Buress and Tim Vine, relative newcomers Richard Herring, Paul Sinha, Jason Manford and Stephen Mangan, and veterans Paul Merton, Sheila Hancock, Graham Norton, Gyles Brandreth and Sue Perkins (proving that she's as skilled at playing the game as she is at hosting it). 
 
Under the watchful eye of the chairman, they attempt to talk for 60 uninterrupted seconds on topics including My Tartan Underwear, The Search for Intelligent Life, The Importance of Eyebrows, How to Annoy the Audience and My Mate Dan - but can they make it to a minute without hesitation, repetition or deviation? As the Minute Waltz fades away, let the hilarity commence... 
 
Cast and credits 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Produced by Tilusha Ghelani and Claire Jones 
Chairman: Nicholas Parsons 
 
Series 61 featuring: Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Shelia Hancock, Graham Norton, Josie Lawrence, Julian Clary, Phill Jupitus, Rick Wakeman, Gyles Brandreth, Jason Byrne, Shappi Khorsandi, Russell Kane, Miles Jupp, Pam Ayres 
 
Series 62 featuring: Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Ross Noble, Jenny Eclair, Julian Clary, Sue Perkins, Charles Collingwood, Liza Tarbuck, Josie Lawrence, Kit Hesketh-Harvey, Marcus Brigstocke, Anuvab Pal, Cyrus Broacha 
 
Series 63 featuring: Paul Merton, Julian Clary, Sue Perkins, Greg Proops, Graham Norton, Gyles Brandreth, Alun Cochrane, Jenny Eclair, Tony Hawks, Richard Herring, Paul Sinha 
 
Series 64 featuring: Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, Liza Tarbuck, Graham Norton, Miles Jupp, Pam Ayres, Charles Collingwood, Gyles Brandreth, Janey Godley, Hannibal Buress, Tim Vine, Jason Byrne, Jenny Eclair, Tony Hawks, Alun Cochrane, Kevin Eldon 
 
Series 65 featuring: Paul Merton, Graham Norton, Sue Perkins, Jason Manford, Gyles Brandreth, Alun Cochrane, Stephen Mangan, Julian Clary, Jenny Eclair, Richard Herring 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 8 August-19 September 2011 (Series 61), 6 February-19 March 2012 (Series 62), 14 May-18 June 2012 (Series 63), 6 August-24 September 2012 (Series 64), 11 February-1 April 2013 (Series 65) 
 
© BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Just a Minute: Series 61 – 65

The BBC Radio 4 comedy panel game

Five series of the perennially popular panel show, hosted by the late Nicholas Parsons 
 
Loved by Radio 4 listeners since 1967, Just a Minute is the deliciously devious word game that asks players to speak for sixty seconds on any given subject without hesitation, deviation or repetition. Putting them through their linguistic paces - and keeping order over the proceedings - is chairman Nicholas Parsons. 
 
Included here are five series from 2013-14, collected together to celebrate the show's 55th birthday and featuring its 900th episode and a Christmas special. The polished performers are a mix of old hands such as Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Sue Perkins, Sheila Hancock and Jenny Eclair, and new kids on the block like Roy Walker, Henry Blofeld, Patrick Kielty, Joe Lycett, Rebecca Front, Holly Walsh, Vanessa Feltz, Kerry Godliman, Jonathan Ross and Frank Skinner. 
 
Topics include 'Fur Coat and No Knickers', 'Murder Most Foul', 'Unanswerable Questions', 'Random Acts of Kindness', 'My Five a Day' and 'Books I Shouldn't Have Read': as well as one that will test the contestants' memory as well as their linguistic skills - 'Previously on Just a Minute'... 
 
Cast and credits 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Produced by Katie Tyrell, Tilusha Ghelani and Claire Jones 
Chairman: Nicholas Parsons 
 
Series 66 featuring: Paul Merton, Pam Ayres, Kevin Eldon, Graham Norton, Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Fred MacAulay, Roy Walker, Richard Herring, Russell Kane, Kevin Eldon 
 
Series 67 featuring: Tony Hawks, Alun Cochrane, Patrick Kielty, Gyles Brandreth, Paul Merton, Greg Proops, Joe Lycett, Sue Perkins, Russell Kane, Henry Blofeld, Julian Clary, Jenny Eclair, Liza Tarbuck, Stephen Mangan, Pam Ayres 
 
Just a Christmas Minute featuring: Pam Ayres, Stephen Mangan, Gyles Brandreth, Paul Merton 
 
Series 68 featuring: Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Fi Glover, Paul Merton, Alun Cochrane, Rebecca Front, Russell Kane, Sheila Hancock, Richard Herring, Josie Lawrence, Fi Glover, Miles Jupp, Holly Walsh 
 
Series 69 featuring: Paul Merton, Jenny Eclair, Julian Clary, Vanessa Feltz, Gyles Brandreth, Shappi Khorsandi, Patrick Kielty, Paul Sinha, Kevin Eldon, Joe Lycett, Sheila Hancock 
 
Series 70 featuring: Paul Merton, Alun Cochrane, Jonathan Ross, Liza Tarbuck, Gyles Brandreth, Sue Perkins, Frank Skinner, Josie Long, Stephen Mangan, Tony Hawks, Kerry Godliman, Holly Walsh, Russell Kane, Jonathan Ross, Sheila Hancock 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 20 May - 24 June 2013 (Series 66), 12 August - 23 September 2013 (Series 67), 23 December 2013 (Just a Christmas Minute), 10 February - 31 March 2014 (Series 68), 19 May - 23 June 2014 (Series 69), 11 August - 29 September 2014 (Series 70) 
 
© BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Just a Minute: Series 66 – 70

Five fantastic series of the much-loved panel show, hosted by the late Nicholas Parsons 
 
First broadcast in 1967, Just a Minute is Radio 4's longest-running panel game, and a national institution. These five series from 2015-2016, brought together in one collection to commemorate the show's 55th anniversary, feature some of the most magical moments in JAM's history - among them David Tennant's spectacular performance, speaking for an uninterrupted minute in his very first show. 
 
Other debutants include Lucy Beaumont, Susan Calman, Tom Allen, Andy Hamilton, Josh Widdicombe, Rufus Hound, Nish Kumar, Esther Rantzen, John Finnemore and Alexei Sayle - but will any of them match the Tenth Doctor for verbal dexterity? Meanwhile, notching up their 100th appearance are Sheila Hancock, Gyles Brandreth and Graham Norton. 
 
Whether novices or veterans, all the panellists are faced with the same challenge: to talk for 60 seconds without hesitation, deviation and repetition on any given subject - from 'Crows' Feet' to 'Hypnotising Chickens', 'Genghis Khan' to 'Kermit the Frog' and 'Wellington Boots' to 'Beef Wellington'. Join host Nicholas Parsons and the distinguished panellists, as they use their intellect, imagination and gift of the gab to beat the clock and win the points. 
 
Cast and credits 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Produced by Tilusha Ghelani and Victoria Lloyd 
Chairman: Nicholas Parsons 
 
Series 71 featuring: Julian Clary, Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, David Tennant, Tony Hawks, Josie Lawrence, Alun Cochrane, Gyles Brandreth, Marcus Brigstocke, Jenny Eclair, Shappi Khorsandi, Sheila Hancock, Graham Norton, Robin Ince 
 
Series 72 featuring: Paul Merton, Tim Rice, Liza Tarbuck, Graham Norton, Alun Cochrane, Susan Calman, Gyles Brandreth, Sheila Hancock, Mike McShane, Pam Ayres, Lucy Beaumont, Marcus Brigstocke 
 
Series 73 featuring: Janey Godley, Gyles Brandreth, Joe Lycett, Paul Merton, Andy Hamilton, Sue Perkins, Tony Hawks, Josh Widdicombe, Jenny Eclair, Sheila Hancock, Julian Clary, Susan Calman, Josie Lawrence, Tom Allen 
 
Series 74 featuring: Paul Merton, Rufus Hound, Graham Norton, Pam Ayres, Gyles Brandreth, Tim Rice, Esther Rantzen, Stephen Fry, Jenny Eclair, Josie Lawrence, Nish Kumar 
 
Series 75 featuring: Paul Merton, John Finnemore, Gyles Brandreth, Sheila Hancock, Josie Lawrence, Alexei Sayle, Graham Norton, Josh Widdicombe, Holly Walsh, Marcus Brigstocke 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 9 February - 30 March 2015 (Series 71), 18 May - 6 July 2015 (Series 72), 24 August - 16 November 2015 (Series 73), 22 February - 28 March 2016 (Series 74), 16 May - 20 June 2016 (Series 75) 
 
© BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Just a Minute: Series 71 – 75

Five sensational series of the classic panel show, hosted by the late Nicholas Parsons 
 
Born the same year as Radio 4 itself, Just a Minute is one of the BBC's longest-running and most popular panel games. In these five series from 2016-2018, collected together to mark the 55th birthday of the show, Nicholas Parsons presides over more hilarious linguistic shenanigans. Highlights include a festive edition, Just a Minute Does Panto!, which sees the players journeying through Panto-land in search of the missing Golden Whistle. Also featured is Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes, which was specially compiled to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary in 2017 and featured panellists from across the decades. 
 
Among other sparkling moments in this ferociously funny collection are Paul Merton's 400th appearance, and Katherine Ryan's amazing achievement of talking for a full minute without hesitation, deviation or repetition on her very first turn. Endeavouring to follow in her footsteps are fellow first-timers Pippa Evans, Zoe Lyons, Will Self, Al Murray, Fern Britton, James Acaster and Mark Watson, as well as a multitude of JAM stalwarts including Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock and Graham Norton. 
 
The topics range from 'Schrödinger's Cat', 'Hair of the Dog' and 'The Early Bird' to 'Sailing Close to the Wind', 'Playing Second Fiddle' and 'Giving Up the Ghost'. So join the plucky panellists as they prepare to do verbal battle on the show where every second counts! 
 
Cast and credits 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Produced by Matt Stronge and Victoria Lloyd 
Chairman: Nicholas Parsons 
 
Series 76 featuring: Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Josie Lawrence, Katherine Ryan, Julian Clary, Tony Hawks, Zoe Lyons, Janey Godley, Nish Kumar, Marcus Brigstocke, Fred MacAulay, Pippa Evans, Ross Noble, Sheila Hancock, Will Self 
 
Just a Minute Does Panto! featuring: Paul Merton, Sheila Hancock, Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Tom Allen, Rufus Hound, Pippa Evans, Julian Clary 
 
Series 77 featuring: Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Zoe Lyons, Graham Norton, Sheila Hancock, Tom Allen, Gyles Brandreth, Jenny Eclair, Marcus Brigstocke, Al Murray 
 
Series 78 featuring: Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Graham Norton, Stephen Fry, Pam Ayres, Zoe Lyons, Julian Clary, Ross Noble, Fern Britton, Gyles Brandreth 
 
Series 79 featuring: Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Andy Hamilton, Sue Perkins, Tony Hawks, Phill Jupitus, Sheila Hancock, Jenny Eclair, Josie Lawrence, Fred Macaulay, James Acaster, Paul Sinha, Janey Godley, Mark Watson, Rufus Hound, Zoe Lyons 
 
Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes featuring Paul Merton, Peter Jones, Derek Nimmo, Tony Hawks, Sheila Hancock, Gyles Brandreth, Graham Norton, Jenny Eclair, Sue Perkins, Andree Melly, Linda Smith, Ross Noble, Wendy Richard, Liza Tarbuck, Aimi Macdonald, Stephen Fry, Chris Neill, Fred MacAulay, Shappi Khorsandi, Patrick Moore, Janey Godley, Richard Murdoch, Lance Percival, Maureen Lipman, Susan Calman, Peter Cook, Betty Marsden, Ian McMillan, David Mitchell, Annabel Giles, Sandi Toksvig, Barbara Castle 
 
Series 80 featuring: Paul Merton, Josie Lawrence, Jenny Eclair, Tony Hawks, Shappi Khorsandi, Jo Caulfield, Julian Clary, Paul Merton, Stephen Fry, Jan Ravens, Gyles Brandreth 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 8 August - 26 September 2016 (Series 76), 25 December 2016 (Just a Minute Does Panto!), 20 February - 27 March 2017 (Series 77), 15 May - 19 June 2017 (Series 78), 7 August - 25 September 2017 (Series 79), 25 December 2017 (Just a Minute: 50 Years in 28 Minutes), 19 February - 26 March 2018 (Series 80) 
 
© BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Just a Minute: Series 76 – 80

Five sparkling series of the evergreen BBC Radio 4 panel show 
 
Just a Minute has been entertaining generations of listeners since its first series in 1967. This collection of five series from 2018-2019, commemorating the programme's 55th anniversary, contains the last ever episodes chaired by broadcasting legend Nicholas Parsons, as well as several shows in which Gyles Brandreth sits in for him as temporary host. 
 
Between them, they keep the scores and the peace, as players including newbies Sara Pascoe, Angela Barnes, Cariad Lloyd, Phil Wang, Ed Byrne and Kiri Pritchard-McLean join regulars such as Paul Merton, Pam Ayres, Josie Lawrence and Julian Clary to pit their wits against each other. One of them will achieve the rare feat of speaking for a full minute without hesitation, repetition or deviation - but who? 
 
Among the subjects stretching the panellists' linguistic elastic to breaking point are 'Fishnet Stockings', 'The Wild West', 'The Theory of Evolution', 'George V', 'Bad Apples' and 'Pasta'. So sit back and marvel at their wonderful way with words, as they show off their ingenuity, invention and improvisational skills in a bid to trounce the competition and secure the game. 
 
Cast and credits 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Produced by Matt Stronge and Richard Morris 
Chairman: Nicholas Parsons 
Temporary chairman: Gyles Brandreth (Episodes 4 and 5, Series 81 and Episodes 3 and 4, Series 85) 
 
Series 81 featuring: Paul Merton, Sheila Hancock, Fern Britton, Graham Norton, Marcus Brigstocke, Rebecca Front, Gyles Brandreth, Josie Lawrence, Sara Pascoe, Tony Hawks 
 
Series 82 featuring: Paul Merton, Gyles Brandreth, Tony Hawks, Zoe Lyons, Pam Ayres, Josie Lawrence, Julian Clary, Janey Godley, Fred MacAulay, Mark Watson, Jo Caulfield, Sheila Hancock, Jan Ravens, Rufus Hound 
 
Series 83 featuring: Tony Hawks, Josie Lawrence, Gyles Brandreth, Angela Barnes, Paul Merton, Sheila Hancock, Josh Widdicombe, Julian Clary, Lee Mack, Zoe Lyons, Jenny Eclair, Fern Britton 
 
Series 84 featuring: Gyles Brandreth, Kerry Godliman, Jenny Eclair, Paul Merton, Graham Norton, Lucy Porter, Tony Hawks, Cariad Lloyd, Zoe Lyons 
 
Series 85 featuring: Graham Norton, Zoe Lyons, Jenny Eclair, Paul Merton, Tony Hawks, Phil Wang, Sheila Hancock, Fred MacAulay, Lucy Porter, Ed Byrne, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Mark Watson, Stephen Fry, Jan Ravens, Pam Ayres 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 14 May - 18 June 2018 (Series 81), 6 August - 24 September 2018 (Series 82), 4 February - 25 March 2019 (Series 83), 13 May - 17 June 2019 (Series 84), 5 August - 23 September 2019 (Series 85) 
 
© BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Just a Minute: Series 81 – 85

All fourteen fantastic episodes of Just a Minute from 2022 
 
Celebrating its 55th year on the air, the panel game that rewards those who can talk the hind leg off a donkey returns for two more sparkling series. Sue Perkins, now firmly established as host, is back in the chair, inviting the celebrity panellists to speak for 60 seconds without hesitating, deviating from the allotted subject or repeating themselves. 
 
Taking up the challenge are an assortment of chatterbox comedians including Dane Baptiste, Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Gyles Brandreth, Shazia Mirza, Lucy Porter, Ria Lina, Jayde Adams and Daliso Chaponda. As ever, they're faced with topics ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous - among them My Favourite Kardashian, She Sells Sea Shells, Nosey Neighbours, The Ukulele, Kendal Mint Cake and The Art of Seduction. 
 
So join them for more marvellous, magical, mirth-filled minutes, as they compete to find out who has the biggest gift of the gab. Seconds out, let battle commence... 
 
Production credits 
Devised by Ian Messiter 
Chaired by Sue Perkins 
Production co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow 
Sound editor: Marc Willcox 
Produced by Richard Morris, Hayley Sterling and Sarah Sharpe 
 
Series 88 featuring: Dane Baptiste, Stephen Fry, Sheila Hancock, Paul Merton, Zoe Lyons, Gyles Brandreth, Shazia Mirza, Lucy Porter, Shaparak Khorsandi, Julian Clary 
 
Series 89 featuring: Paul Merton, Pippa Evans, Tony Hawks, Suzi Ruffell, Gyles Brandreth, Ria Lina, Zoe Lyons, Dane Baptiste, Jayde Adams, Jan Ravens, Desiree Burch, Daliso Chaponda, Lucy Porter 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 21 February-28 March 2022 (Series 88), 16 May-4 July 2022 (Series 89) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Just a Minute 2022: The Complete Series 88 & 89

All 24 episodes of the flagship comedy show from 2022 
 
The radio precursor to Have I Got News for You, The News Quiz has been serving up sizzling satire and sardonic commentary since 1977. In these three series, Andy Zaltzman brings together some of Britain’s finest comedians, journalists and commentators to chew over the headlines of 2022. 
 
Starting with a ‘Best of 2021’ episode in which he raids the archive to remember events such as the Capitol riots, petrol panic-buying and goats on Zoom, he goes on to grill the panel on topics including Partygate, the war in Ukraine, the end of Covid restrictions in England, the Platinum Jubilee, Liz Truss’s brief tenure as PM, whether climate change is making people shrink – and why a brain in a petri dish is playing video games. There’s also a headline-book-newsfest broadcast live from the Hay Literature Festival, and a special edition of the show reflecting on the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. 
 
Facing up to this barrage of news stories are Shaparak Khorsandi, Lucy Porter, Paul Sinha, Steve Punt, Angela Barnes, Simon Evans, Alice Fraser, Celya AB, Anuvab Pal, Nish Kumar, Hugo Rifkind, Anand Menon, Zoe Lyons and News Quiz debutant Ed Balls. 
 
Production credits 
Hosted and written by Andy Zaltzman 
With additional material by Celya AB, Simon Alcock, Ray Badran, Rebecca Bain, Davina Bentley, Catherine Brinkworth, Stephen Buchanan, Carl Carzana, Suchandrika Chakrabarti, Ken Cheng, Max Davis, Tasha Dhanraj, Nathan D'Arcy Roberts, Aidan Fitzmaurice, Alice Fraser, Jade Gebbie, Rajiv Karia, Alex Kealy, Stephanie Kemp, Cameron Loxdale, Eleri Morgan, Benjamin Partridge, Sam Picone, Hannah Platt, Heidi Regan, Rhiannon Shaw, Mike Shephard, Sean Stoakes, Peter Tellouche, Zoë Tomalin 
 
Produced by Richard Morris, Gwyn Rhys Davies, James Robinson, Georgia Keating and Sam Holmes 
Executive producer: James Robinson and Pete Strauss 
Production Co-ordinators: Katie Baum, Caroline Barlow and Ryan Walker-Edwards 
Sound Editors: Marc Willcox 
 
Series 107 featuring: Ed Balls, Angela Barnes, Desiree Burch, Daliso Chaponda, Neil Delamere, Simon Evans, Rachel Fairburn, Daniel Finkelstein, Alice Fraser, Isabel Hardman, Ayesha Hazarika, Elis James, Shaparak Khorsandi, Olga Koch, Athena Kugblenu, Nish Kumar, Ola Labib, Zoe Lyons, Chris McCausland, Geoff Norcott, Katie Perrior, Lucy Porter, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Hugo Rifkind, Ahir Shah, Tim Shipman, Paul Sinha, Ian Smith, Mark Steel, Sindhu Vee, Jackie Weaver 
 
Series 108 featuring: Celya AB, Maisie Adam, Angela Barnes, Scott Bennett, Daliso Chaponda, Des Clarke, Michael Deacon, Diona Doherty, Simon Evans, Alice Fraser, Amy Gledhill, Andy Hamilton, Isabel Hardman, Ayesha Hazarika, Athena Kugblenu, Ria Lina, Chris McCausland, Anand Menon, Robin Morgan, Shaparak Khorsandi, Susie McCabe, Tudur Owen, Anuvab Pal, Lucy Porter, Hugo Rifkind, Paul Sinha, Ian Smith, Mark Steel, Eleanor Tiernan, Felicity Ward 
 
Series 109 featuring: Celya AB, Stephen Bailey, Katy Balls, Simon Evans, Jessica Fostekew, Alice Fraser, Ayesha Hazarika, Athena Kugblenu, Ria Lina, Zoe Lyons, Esther Manito, Alex Massie, Susie McCabe, Anand Menon, Glenn Moore, Anuvab Pal, Lucy Porter, Steve Punt, Hugo Rifkind, Adam Rowe, Ian Smith, Sonia Sodha, Eleanor Tiernan 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2021-4 March 2022 (Series 107), 22 April-10 June 2022 (Series 108), 16 September-21 October 2022 (Series 109) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

The News Quiz 2022: The Complete Series 107, 108 and 109

The topical BBC Radio 4 panel show

Martin Young

The buzzworthy 'famous people' quiz about noteworthy and notorious figures from fact and fiction 
 
Who Goes There? is the classic stardom panel quiz chaired by Martin Young. Proving that it's not what you know but who you know, each breezy episode features two celebrity teams battling to answer questions on famous figures from history, fiction, sport, and the gossip pages. Martin Young challenges the teams with hilarious and unusual archive clips, tests them on bizarre stage names and aliases, and reads out surprising CVs to have the panel guess the famous name at the top. 
 
Enjoying scandalous quotations, unconventional career highlights, and even a 'fleeting fame' round (in which panellists are challenged to remember when a certain person was all everyone talked about), Who Goes There? welcomes in anyone from Julius Caesar to Juliet Capulet to Julia Roberts. If you've made a name for yourself, you could be a question! 
 
A lively, fun show featuring sparkling and sharp-witted guest panellists, including Claire Rayner, Joan Bakewell, Francis Wheen, Carmen Callil, Gyles Brandreth, Annabel Giles, Sheridan Morley, Jonathan Meades, David Aaronovitch, Lynne Truss, and many, many more. Perfect for testing exactly which names to drop... 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
27 November 2005 - 8 January 2006 (Series 1) 
9 June - 24 July 1998 (Series 2) 
5 January - 9 February 2000 (Series 3) 
25 October - 29 November 2000 (Series 4) 
20 February - 27 March 2002 (Series 5) 
9 October - 13 November 2002 (Series 6) 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Martin Young 
Written and compiled by Nick Hildred and Hugh Rycroft 
Produced by Aled Evans and Elizabeth Freestone 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Who Goes There?

Selected episodes from the classic BBC Radio 4 quiz show

Barry Took

Barry Took presents this revised radio version of the popular parlour game 'Twenty Questions' 
 
Hosted by veteran humorist Barry Took, presenter of Points of View and former chair of The News Quiz, this entertaining guessing game sees a panel of intellectually acute guests attempting to determine a mystery object in 20 tries. Their only clue is the category it falls into: animal, vegetable, mineral, abstract, or a combination of all four. 
 
For most rounds, the studio audience know the answer and cheer on the contestants with promising guesses - but sometimes, both they and the listeners are kept in the dark, giving them an opportunity to play along too. 
 
Pitting their wits against Barry Took are panellists Geoffrey Durham, Jeremy Hanley, Helen Atkinson Wood, Hattie Hayridge, Dick Vosburgh, Neil Innes, Jan Ravens, Nigel Dempster, Frances Edmonds, Chris Serle and Clare Francis, as they play their hunches and attempt to identify everything from a supermodel to a Page 3 girl, the Channel Tunnel to the shipping forecast, and a minicab driver to man's best friend. Using their best deductive reasoning, will they figure it out - or will they get stumped? 
 
Production credits 
Chaired by Barry Took 
Written and compiled by Michael Dines 
Voice provided by Peter Donaldson 
Produced by Andy Aliffe 
 
With: Geoffrey Durham, Jeremy Hanley, Helen Atkinson Wood, Hattie Hayridge, Dick Vosburgh, Neil Innes, Jan Ravens, Nigel Dempster, Frances Edmonds, Chris Serle, Clare Francis 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 April-10 June 1998 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Guess What?

The BBC Radio 4 20 questions game show

Paul Sinha

Five fantastic shows from The Chase's 'Sinnerman', award-winning comic and broadcaster Paul Sinha 
 
'One of our most thoughtful and enjoyable comedians' The Times 
 
Paul Sinha loves a quiz. Not only is he the sixth-ranked quizzer in the UK, he's also a regular on Radio 4's long-running Round Britain Quiz and a resident Chaser on ITV's The Chase. In these collected BBC shows, Paul offers us his unique perspective as a quizmaster, stand-up star, ex-GP and second-generation migrant, as he takes a comedic look at British culture, history, nationalism and sport. 
 
Paul Sinha's Quiz Culture sees him travelling to the European Quizzing Championships in Derby, to meet the Continent's superstars, pit his skills against them, and find out why trivia has become such a serious business. In Paul Sinha's Citizenship Test, he examines the test that newcomers to Britain must pass to become citizens, and finds the questions deeply disappointing. Deciding he can do better, he rewrites it to reflect his own ideas of Britishness, focussing on the history syllabus, the arts, health and social cohesion. 
 
The Sinha Carta finds Paul scrutinising England's most important legal document, Magna Carta, explaining what's in it, why it's brilliant, and how it came to be. He also suggests some new, up-to-date additions, for a Magna Carta fit for a modern Britain. In The Sinha Test, Paul draws on his experience as a proudly English son of Indian immigrants to conduct a comic analysis of cricket, national identity and divided loyalties. Finally, in The Sinha Games, he weighs up the pros and cons of hosting the Olympics. Using archive material, interviews, jokes and heavy sarcasm, he examines the past, present and future of the Games, as well as talking to the gold medallist who most influenced him as a young man - his former teacher, Olympic pentathlete Andy Archibald. 
 
Production credits 
Written and performed by Paul Sinha 
 
Paul Sinha's Quiz Culture 
Produced by Monise Durrani 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 March 2011 
 
Paul Sinha's Citizenship Test 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra on the following dates: 
 
1 History Syllabus 5 August 2013 
2 Health of the Nation 12 August 2013 
3 British Culture 19 August 2013 
4 British Greatness 26 August 2013 
 
The Sinha Carta 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 11 February 2015 
 
The Sinha Test 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 14 July 2011 
 
The Sinha Games 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 July 2012 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Paul Sinha: A BBC Radio 4 Collection

Quiz Culture, Citizenship Test and more

Susan Calman

Susan Calman hosts this BBC Radio panel game exploring the wonderful world of lists 
 
Presented by writer, comedian and self-confessed listomaniac Susan Calman, this hilarious show celebrates the power of the humble list - from 'Buzzfeed' to 'bucket' and everything in between. 
 
Accompanying Susan for a spot of comic categorising are a panel of special guests, including Lucy Porter, Joe Lycett, Richard Herring, Katherine Ryan, James Acaster, Miles Jupp, Lucy Beaumont, Nat Luurtsema, Alun Cochrane, Sarah Millican, Ricky Wilson, Roisin Conaty and Isy Suttie. Together, they participate in a variety of anarchic games themed around lists both magnificent and mundane. 
 
What would be on Mary Poppins' to-do list? What things should you resolutely avoid doing before you die? And can you tell the difference between a list of 'My Little Pony' names and a list of illegal narcotics? All these questions, and more, are tackled by the plucky panellists, who are also challenged to improvise their own quickfire lists, including 'fresh quirks for a TV detective', 'new additions to the Ten Commandments' and 'Disney dwarves that were left out of the final 7'. 
 
Full of great gags, diverting topics and off-the-wall trivia, Listomania is sure to make your list of favourite radio comedy shows - so grab a pen and paper and join in the fun! 
 
Production credits 
 
Presented by Susan Calman 
Written by James Kettle, Gráinne Maguire, Sarah Campbell, Sian Harries and Juliet Meyers, with additional material by Max Davis and Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch 
 
Produced by Adnan Ahmed, Sam Bryant and Jane Berthoud 
 
With: Lucy Porter, Joe Lycett, Richard Herring, Katherine Ryan, Dane Baptiste, Elis James, Aisling Bea, Celia Pacquola, Holly Walsh, Lloyd Langford, Sara Cox, James Acaster, Miles Jupp, Jocelyn Jee Esien, Lucy Beaumont, Nat Luurtsema, Alun Cochrane, Sarah Millican, Andrew O'Neill, Ricky Wilson, Roisin Conaty, Isy Suttie, Gary Delaney 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 June 2014 (Pilot), 19 February-26 March 2015 (Series 1) 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Susan Calman’s Listomania

A BBC Radio 2 panel show

Neil MacGregor

World-renowned art historian Neil MacGregor takes us across Britain to discover local museums and their hidden gems 
 
 
Neil MacGregor, former director of the National Gallery and the British Museum, knows the importance of public museums. In The Museums That Make Us, he takes us around the country to visit twenty local museums and to talk to their curators, staff and local figures about the most prized objects in their collections. Often a child's first experience of valuable objects and historical belongings, these regional spaces can be a wonderful way to recognise local pride and shine a light on buried history. 
 
At Penrhyn Castle in North Wales, the museum strives to tell the story of their rich collection of art while also being truthful about the slave trade that made it possible; on the Isle of Lewis, the Museum Tasglann nan Eilean wants to share the story of land ownership and clearances through their objects; at the Leeds Museum, a Roman child's sandal has been chosen to demonstrate their ambitious and thriving scheme of having exhibits leave the museum to go out to schools; and in Bristol's M Shed Museum, one of the city's old Lodekka Buses is used to tell the story of the successful Bristol Bus boycott of 1963. 
 
Travelling from Stowe, one of the first examples of a vision of Britain outside London, to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, where he looks at an ancient Syrian model clay wagon, possibly a child's toy, to examine how museums can provide for a huge breadth of local people from all over the world, Neil MacGregor uses these invaluable community sites to consider how they are run, who they draw in, and how they can inspire us all. 
 
Episode guide 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: 
Stowe and the Temple of British Worthies 7 March 2022 
The Tower Museum, Derry Londonderry 8 March 2022 
Penrhyn Castle, North Wales 9 March 2022 
PK Porthcurno - Museum of Global Communications 10 March 2022 
Museum &amp; Tasglann nan Eilean, Stornoway 11 March 2022 
Derby - The Museum of Making 14 March 2022 
The Food Museum, Suffolk 15 March 2022 
The Auckland Project, Bishop Auckland 16 March 2022 
The Hepworth, Wakefield 17 March 2022 
Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton 18 March 2022 
Leicester Museum and Art Gallery 11 April 2022 
Bristol's M Shed Museum 12 April 2022 
Birmingham 13 April 2022 
Liverpool 14 April 2022 
Leeds 15 April 2022 
The National Museum of Scotland 18 April 2022 
The National Museum of NI, Belfast 19 April 2022 
The National Museums of Wales, Cardiff 20 April 2022 
The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford 21 April 2022 
What are museums for? 22 April 2022 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Neil MacGregor 
Produced by Tom Alban 
Original music by Phil Channell 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The Museums That Make Us

Curating Our Shared History

Steve Chambers

The complete Series 1 and 2 of the historical drama set in a bustling Midlands railway station in the Victorian era 
 
In these two series, set on selected dates in January 1895 and December 1896, we follow the day-to-day shenanigans of Bridgford station master Joe Braddock and his staff, along with a motley crew of passengers and passers-by. Each episode is a self-contained drama, as well as telling the ongoing story of the crises and challenges tackled by the team, and their rivalries, enmities, friendships and burgeoning romances. 
 
As Series 1 begins, a goods train is derailed - just as a VIP visitor is about to arrive. As the crew scramble to clear the line, it becomes evident that the accident has damaged the Sherwood Tunnel: and something sinister lurks within. When a man is found dead, a public inquiry is launched - and as a second disaster looms, Signalman Fred Roberts fights to clear his name... 
 
In Series 2, newly promoted Regional Superintendent Archibald Cripps is hatching a plot to replace Joe as Station Manager. Adding to Joe's worries are a painful tooth, pickpockets, fare-dodgers and his daughter Josie's relationship with porter Jack Robson. But when a train gets stuck in a snowdrift, with a young pregnant woman on board, it's up to Joe and his rescue party to save the day - even if it means getting fired... 
 
Written by Steve Chambers (HighLites), these gentle, engaging plays take us back to a bygone age of travel, when the railways ruled the roost. They star Sean Baker as Joe Braddock, with a full cast including Philip Jackson, Christopher Scott, Julia Ford, Colleen Prendergast, Pauline Letts and John Hartley. 
 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 4 January-1 February 1995 (Series 1), 27 November-18 December 1996 (Series 2) 
 
Credits 
Written by Steve Chambers 
Directed by David Hunter, Celia de Wolff and Marion Nancarrow 
Technical presentation by Richard Beadsmore, Keith Graham, David Blount, Tim Sturgeon, Ian Harker and Hilary Carruthers 
 
Cast 
Joe Braddock - Sean Baker 
Tidmarsh - Philip Jackson/Christopher Scott 
Josie - Julia Ford/Colleen Prendergast 
Ada - Pauline Letts 
Fred Roberts - John Hartley 
Mr Cripps/Moran/Woodcock - Gavin Muir 
Phoebe - Becky Hindley 
Sydney - Tom Bevan 
Jackson - Joshua Towb/Chris Pavlo 
Wheeler - Tom Knight/Keith Drinkel 
Robson - Lloyd Notice/Robert Harper 
Mrs Brook Hammond - Frances Jeater 
General Booth/Blind man - Michael Tudor Barnes 
Parkin - Michael Tudor Barnes/Stephen Thorne 
Girl thief/Sheena - Deborah Berlin 
Professor Geider - David Collings 
McCarthy - Ian Masters 
Lydia - Geraldine Fitzgerald 
Hancock - Nicholas Collett/Alex Lowe 
Ellen Davison - Annabel Mullion 
Sarah - Elizabeth Anson 
Crippled John - Ronald Herdman 
Russian acrobat - David B Miller 
Reverend Sentence/Dr Keeble - George Parsons 
Meat porter - Ian Peck 
Purvis - Oliver Senton 
Nellie - Jane Slavin 
Hall/Mr Newton - Peter Whitman 
Sheena MacDonald - Deborah Berlin 
Mrs MacDonald/Miss Walker - Jilly Bond 
Mr MacDonald - Peter Yapp 
Dr Pettigrew - David Holt 
Tuffnell/Mr Alcock - Don McCorkindale 
Sir James Chettle/Ridley - Stephen Thorne 
Mrs Peabody - Joyce Gibbs 
Hickman - Tim Seely 
Jamie - Ian Taylor 
Captain Hargreaves - Mark Bonnar 
Bishop - James Taylor 
Bert - Peter Gunn 
Colonel Smithers-Jenkins/Holbrook/Farmer White/Mr Jenkins - Ioan Meredith 
Florrie - Amanda Gordon 
Flora - Tracy Wiles 
Mrs Ellen Scrimshaw - Ann Beach 
Dr Marie Pascal - Alice Arnold 
Harry - James Daley 
Dora - Ashley Moore 
Paper Seller - Kim Wall 
Janet/Jane Cakebread - Joanna Monro 
Mary - Adjoa Andoh 
Miss Joseph - Mary Roscoe 
Mrs Gunn/Lady Casterton - Shirley Dixon 
 
©2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Victoria Station

A BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Drama

Nigel Rees

The last ever episodes of the acclaimed quotations quiz, devised and introduced by Nigel Rees - including the historic 500th show 
 
Ever since 1976, Quote... Unquote chairman Nigel Rees has quizzed a host of well-known personalities on the origins of popular sayings, both familiar and obscure, and encouraged them to contribute their own quotes, anecdotes and catchphrases. But - to paraphrase Chaucer - all good things must come to an end, and with Series 57, the long-running panel game takes its final bow. 
 
Among the household names gracing the stage in these final eighteen episodes are comedians Ken Cheng, Shazia Mirza and Sophie Duker, actors Steve Pemberton and Paterson Joseph, authors Juno Dawson, Luke Jennings and Victoria Hislop, lyricist Tim Rice, presenters Konnie Huq and Dame Esther Rantzen and journalist Jonathan Freedland (aka thriller writer Sam Bourne). 
 
Their quota of quotations to identify ranges from memorable lines from the worlds of literature, film and music, to comic catchphrases, famous last words and evergreen epitaphs. There's also an opportunity for the panellists to share the brilliant bon mots they wish they'd said, and dispense their favourite family sayings and the nuggets of wisdom that they've picked up over the years. 
 
Also included in this release is 'Quote... Unquote: A Celebration', a special episode marking the end of an era for the long-running literary panel game. 
 
So join Nigel and guests for a feast of aphorisms, epigrams, wisecracks and witty rejoinders, and prepare to be inspired, amazed and thoroughly entertained. 
 
 
Production credits 
Devised and introduced by Nigel Rees 
Quotes read by Sally Grace, Charlotte Green and Alison Skilbeck 
Produced by Simon Nicholls, Victoria Lloyd and Ella Watts 
Production Coordinators: Candace Wilson and Gwyn Davies 
Theme tune: 'Duddley Dell', written and performed by Dudley Moore 
Sound design: Hedley Knights 
A BBC Studios Production 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
(P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Quote…Unquote

Series 55, 56 & 57 of the classic comedy panel show

Ian McMillan

All 36 episodes of the maverick literary quiz 
 
Poet Ian McMillan is our host in this gleeful game of literary tomfoolery, outrageous parody and biting wit. Joining him for some lighthearted competitive wordplay are a quartet of writers and comedians, all ready and eager to run riot through the halls of great literature. 
 
Their bookish challenges include 'New Beginnings and Endings', which sees them topping and tailing well-known literary works to produce some very tall tales, 'Sound Effects', where they have to guess a book title from a mélange of sounds, and 'Conversation Consequences', where they imagine some unlikely meetings between fictional characters. Mrs Malaprop shares a Jacuzzi with Eliza Doolittle, Inspector Clouseau takes Blanche Dubois to a dance and The Dong with the luminous nose honks hooters with Cyrano de Bergerac... 
 
In addition, the panellists seize the chance to liberate famous authors from their individual genres and turn them loose on something different. Among their freewheeling stylings are Hunter S Thompson writing a public school prospectus, John Betjeman creating the copy for a Ford Probe brochure and Franz Kafka dispensing self-help advice in his Little Book of Calm. 
 
Wreaking havoc with the literary canon are Roger McGough, Miles Kington, Mark Thomas, Dillie Keane, John Hegley, Rory Motion, Mark Radcliffe, Arthur Smith, David Stafford, Helen Lederer, Sophie Hannah, Simon Armitage, Stuart Maconie, Linda Smith and Mark Steel. 
 
Presented by Ian McMillan 
Devised by Marc Jobst 
Produced by Marc Jobst and Viv Beeby 
 
NB: contains some dated attitudes and language 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 31 October-5 December 1995 (Series 1), 18 February-25 March 1997 (Series 2), 14 October-18 November 1997 (Series 3), 2 July-6 August 1998 (Series 4), 25 November-30 December 1998 (Series 5), 22 June-27 July 1999 (Series 6) 
 
 
(p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Booked!: The Complete Series 1-6

The BBC Radio 4 literary panel game

Almost as breathtaking as the treasures from Sutton Hoo, 14 archive episodes of the long-running topical Radio 4 panel show, chaired by Barry Took, Bill Tidy, Simon Hoggart and Sandi Toksvig. 
 
 Now on display for the first time, these valuable editions can be dated to between 1980 and 2012 and tell us much about the headline-grabbing issues, incidents and individuals of yesteryear. 
 
 Joining regular panellists Alan Coren, Richard Ingrams, Jeremy Hardy and Andy Hamilton are a treasure trove of guest players including Nigel Dempster, Ian Hislop, Michael Grade, Rory Bremner, Linda Smith, Sue MacGregor, Armando Iannucci, Fred MacAulay, Francis Wheen, Sue Perkins, Josie Long, Hugo Rifkind, Miles Jupp, Sarah Millican, Paul Sinha, John Craven, Gay Search, Tom Wrigglesworth, Susan Calman and many more. 
 
 Alongside the regular programmes are three bejewelled editions of News Quiz of the Year, from 1991, plus the Millennium Special edition first broadcast on New Year's Eve 1999. 
 
This release contains adult language and references that reflect the era in which it was first broadcast. 
 
Episode selection by Michael Stevens 
 
 (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd 
 © 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The News Quiz: Vintage Treasures

Classic highlights from the topical BBC Radio 4 panel show

Sally Magnusson

Tracing Your Roots explores one of the UK's most popular pastimes: researching family history. Bestselling author Sally Magnusson follows the genealogy trail back in time, uncovering facets of social history through personal stories and giving you the information you need to add branches to your own family tree. With the right tools, you can not only find lost ancestors, but discover what they did for a living, what their lives were like, and maybe even what kind of people they were... 
 
Accompanied by resident genealogist Nick Barratt, who offers insider tips and ideas, she talks to professional and amateur researchers, revealing the wealth of resources available and how to make the most of them. In these six series, the duo determine what clues can be gleaned from photographs, diaries and DNA analysis, learn about unravelling wartime secrets, investigate how stories handed down through generations can offer a new slant on history and hear how the manner of an ancestor's death can offer clues to the life they led. They also explain why shady characters are good news for family history hunters, tackle the issues of illegitimacy and immigration, track down relatives who vanished without trace and probe mysteries surrounding name changes and adoption. 
 
Fascinating family stories are unearthed, as they talk to families including one woman who believes her grandmother may have been the illegitimate daughter of Louis XVI, another whose ancestor was locked away indefinitely on the Queen's orders, and two correspondents with Caribbean roots who suspect there is slavery on their family tree. Two follow-up episodes see Sally and Nick revisiting their favourite Tracing Your Roots tales, finding out what families did next and unveiling new information and lasting repercussions... 
 
In addition, a themed show, tied in with the British Library's 'History of the World in 100 Objects' project, investigates family heirlooms, and four special episodes mark events including the 90th anniversary of World War One, Scotland's Homecoming Year and the 2011 Census. 
 
Production credits 
Presented by Sally Magnusson, with resident genealogist Nick Barratt 
Produced by Anne McNaught (Series 1-2), Moira Hickey (Series 3, 5), Claire White (Series 4) and Lucy Lloyd (Series 6) 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 12 March-16 April 2007 (Series 1), 24 October-28 November 2007 (Series 2), 11 May 2008 (Family History Special), 20 August-24 September 2008 (Series 3), 7 November 2008 (90th Anniversary of World War 1 Special), 2 August 2009 (Homecoming Scotland Special), 31 August-28 September 2009 (Series 4), 14 September-12 October 2010 (Series 5), 20 March 2011 (Census Special), 13 September-11 October 2011 (Series 6) 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Tracing Your Roots

A BBC family history show

Simon Brett

All four series of the murder mystery game played by people whose business is murder 
 
Chaired by Simon Brett (author of the hugely popular 'Charles Paris' series), this intriguing, interactive panel show challenges professional crime novelists to put their experience and expertise to the test as they try to unravel various mind-bending mysteries. 
 
Each episode features a death and a denouement - with various red herrings and misdirections along the way. As the murder scenario is described and the clues laid out, our writer-detectives take turns cross-examining the suspects. After receiving the latest police updates, it's time to decide whodunit - but will the panellists pick the right perpetrator, or have they been cunningly led astray? We find out in the Foul Play 'Foul Playlet', in which the truth is revealed... 
 
All the victims, suspects, witnesses and police officers are played by actors Lee Simpson and Maria McErlane (who part-improvise their roles based on the information they've been given), while the guest investigators include Val McDermid, Lindsey Davis, HRF Keating, PD James, Reginald Hill, Ruth Dudley Edwards, Frances Fyfield, John Harvey, Stella Duffy, Robert Barnard and Ian Rankin. Among the baffling cases they tackle are a dead Dowager Duchess, a 1930s murder at sea, a pantomime crime, a monastery mystery and an Elizabethan court killing. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Devised, written and chaired by Simon Brett 
Produced by Ann Jobson and Liz Anstee 
Actors: Lee Simpson and Maria McErlane 
 
Series 1 panellists: Liza Cody, Susan Moody, John Harvey, Margaret Yorke, Lindsey Davis, Val McDermid, PD James, HRF Keating, Lady Antonia Fraser, Reginald Hill, Ruth Dudley Edwards and Simon Shaw 
 
Series 2 panellists: Tim Heald, Jessica Mann, Frances Fyfield, Minette Walters, Sarah Dunant, Keith Miles, Paula Gosling, Peter N Walker, Robert Barnard, Caroline Graham, Gavin Lyall and Anthony Price 
 
Series 3 panellists: Lady Antonia Fraser, Anthony Price, PD James, HRF Keating, Susan Moody, Simon Shaw, Liza Cody, Reginald Hill, John Harvey, Val McDermid, Frances Fyfield and Peter N Walker 
 
Series 4 panellists: Ruth Dudley Edwards, Robert Richardson, Jean McConnell, Keith Miles, Jessica Mann, James Melville, Tim Heald, Margaret Yorke, Robert Barnard, Lindsey Davis, Ian Rankin and Stella Duffy 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 7 November-12 December 1996 (Series 1), 27 February-3 April 1997 (Series 2), 18 December 1997-22 January 1998 (Series 3), 11 September -16 October 1998 (Series 4)

Foul Play: The Complete Series 1-4

The BBC Radio 4 murder mystery panel game

Nicholas Parsons was the host of Just a Minute for nearly 52 years - from its first broadcast on 22 December 1967 until his last show on 23 September 2019, aged 96. He was a comedy 'straight man', West End actor, radio personality, game show presenter, chat show host, quiz master supreme, and larger than life stage superstar. Here we celebrate his life and work with a series of programmes compered by Paul Merton, plus Series 85 of Just a Minute - his final series. 
 
In Nicholas Parsons: A Man of Many Parts, Paul Jackson tries to pin down the essence of Nicholas Parsons with the help of Paul Merton, Jean Diamond, John Antrobus, Laura Beaumont, Gyles Brandreth, Jill Sinclair and Adrian Edmondson. 
 
Then Paul Merton selects his favourite episode of Just a Minute, originally broadcast in 2010 and featuring Sheila Hancock, Gyles Brandreth and Barnsley poet Ian McMillan. 
 
Also included here is Nicholas Parsons' appearance as a castaway on Desert Island Discs. He reflects on his career spanning more than 60 years, despite not being an obvious star in the making. 
 
Lastly, this collection includes the complete Series 85 of Just Minute, the panel game that rewards those who can talk the hind leg off a donkey. This is the final ever series hosted by Nicholas Parsons, with panellists including Paul Merton, Stephen Fry, Graham Norton, Jenny Eclair, Sheila Hancock, Phil Wang, Tony Hawks, Pam Ayres, Jan Ravens and Zoe Lyons. 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Just a Minute: Remembering Nicholas Parsons

Including Series 85 of the BBC Radio 4 panel game

Twenty-four episodes of the much-loved satirical panel show 
 
Since 1977, The News Quiz has entertained the nation with its satirical take on contemporary events. In these three series from 2020, hosts Nish Kumar, Angela Barnes and Andy Zaltzman invite a panel of comedians and journalists to find the funny behind the headlines (a tricky task in this difficult year). Regular players including Mark Steel, Lucy Porter, Hugo Rifkind and Kerry Godliman rub shoulders with newer contestants such as Geoff Norcott, Sophie Duker, Sindhu Vee, Jess Fostekew, Daliso Chaponda and Athena Kugblenu. 
 
In Series 101, among the subjects unpicked by Nish Kumar and guests are Brexit Day, the Big Ben Bong brouhaha, Harry and Meghan's 'Sussexit', Labour's leadership election and the advice from the WHO about coronavirus... 
 
As lockdown hits, Angela Barnes sets up her home studio/duvet fort to host Series 102 without a live audience, posing cryptic questions on such Covid-related topics as social distancing in sport and Dominic Cummings' Barnard Castle trip, as well as Donald Trump's 'Death Star' and the Black Lives Matter protests. 
 
Series 103 sees chairman Andy Zaltzman and the team broadcasting online via Zoom, with added audience participation and aided by a 'cyber satirist'. They chew over issues including the Last Night of the Proms controversy, record-breaking sheep, the Rule of Six and breaking international law - but only in a limited and specific way. 
 
Credits 
Chaired by Nish Kumar, Angela Barnes and Andy Zaltzman 
Produced by Sam Michell, Suzy Grant and Richard Morris 
Production Co-ordinator: Gwyn Davies 
News items read by: Neil Sleat, Susan Rae, Zeb Soanes, Alan Smith, Diana Speed, Caroline Nicholls and Corrie Corfield 
A BBC Studios Production 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 10 January-28 February 2020 (Series 101), 17 April-5 June 2020 (Series 102), 4 September-23 October 2020 (Series 103)

The News Quiz 2020: The Complete Series 101, 102 & 103

A finely matured selection of episodes from the long-running topical Radio 4 panel show, chaired by Barry Norman, Barry Took, Simon Hoggart, Sandi Toksvig and Miles Jupp. 
 
These fourteen archive editions, all published for the first time, span the decades from 1978 to 2017 and recall the headline-grabbing issues, incidents and individuals of yesteryear. 
 
Joining regular panellists Alan Coren, Richard Ingrams, Francis Wheen, Jeremy Hardy and Andy Hamilton are a plethora of guest players including Clive James, Angela Rippon, Jeffrey Archer, Peter Cook, Clive Anderson, Ian Hislop, Kate Adie, John Sergeant, Jack Dee, Mark Steel, Phill Jupitus, Sarah Millican, Sarah Kendall, Lucy Porter and many more. A special Tribute to Alan Coren is included. 
 
Also making appearances on the panel are future News Quiz chairs Sandi Toskvig and Miles Jupp, and none other than the future Prime Minister of the United Kingdom - at that time editor of The Spectator - Boris Johnson. 
 
Hold the front page! 
 
22/07/1978 chaired by Barry Norman with Alan Coren, Peter Hillmore, Clive James, Angela Rippon 
 
28/06/1986 chaired by Barry Took with Alan Coren, Julian Critchley, Angela Gordon, Richard Ingrams 
 
28/03/1987 chaired by Barry Took with Jeffrey Archer, Alan Coren, Richard Ingrams, John Wells 
 
11/11/1989 chaired by Barry Took with Clive Anderson, Peter Cook, Richard Ingrams, Donald MacCormick 
 
30/06/1990 chaired by Barry Took with Kate Adie, Alan Coren, Ian Hislop, Richard Ingrams 
 
24/10/1992 chaired by Barry Took with Alan Coren, Nick Clarke, Bill Deedes, Richard Ingrams 
 
19/04/1997 chaired by Simon Hoggart with Alan Coren, Jeremy Hardy, Sandi Toksvig, Francis Wheen 
 
08/10/1999 chaired by Simon Hoggart with Jeremy Hardy, Boris Johnson, John Sergeant, Linda Smith 
 
26/10/2007 (Tribute to Alan Coren) with Sandi Toksvig, Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy 
 
22/02/2008 chaired by Sandi Toksvig with Jack Dee, Fred MacAuley, Carrie Quinlan, Mark Steel 
 
29/10/2010 chaired by Sandi Toskvig with Jeremy Hardy, Phill Jupitus, Ava Vidal, Francis Wheen 
 
07/01/2011 chaired by Sandi Toksvig with Justin Edwards, Jeremy Hardy, Phill Jupitus, Miles Jupp 
 
07/09/2012 chaired by Andy Hamilton, Jeremy Hardy, Fred McAulay, Sarah Millican 
 
22/09/2017 chaired by Miles Jupp with Daniel Finkelstein, Jeremy Hardy, Sarah Kendall, Lucy Porter 
 
Chaired by Barry Norman, Barry Took, Simon Hoggart, Sandi Toksvig, Miles Jupp 
 
Featuring Clive James, Angela Rippon, Alan Coren, Peter Hillmore, Richard Ingrams, Angela Gordon, Julian Critchley, John Wells, Jeffrey Archer, Peter Cook, Clive Anderson, Donald MacCormick, Ian Hislop, Kate Adie, Bill Deedes, Nick Clarke, Francis Wheen, Linda Smith, Jeremy Hardy, John Sergeant, Boris Johnson, Andy Hamilton, Jack Dee, Fred MacAuley, Mark Steel, Carrie Quinlan, Phill Jupitus, Justin Edwards, Ava Vidal, Sarah Millican, Daniel Finkelstein, Sarah Kendall, Lucy Porter 
 
Newsreaders: John Marsh, Brian Perkins, Bryan Martin, Charlotte Green, Peter Donaldson, Neal Sleat,Corrie Corfield, Zeb Soames 
 
Produced by John Lloyd, Danny Greenstone, Harry Thompson, Armando Iannuncci, Colin Walsh, Aled Evans, Lucy Armitage, Ed Morrish, Victoria Lloyd, Sam Bryant, Lyndsay Fenner, Joe Nunnery 
 
Written by John Langdon, Iain Pattinson, Robert Fraser Steele, Hugh Ryecroft, David Spicer, Dave Cohen, Tom Jamieson, George Poles, Simon Littlefield, Lucy Cox, Paul Carenza, James Sherwood, Steven Carling, Lucy Clarke, Rhodri Crooks, John Luke Roberts, John Hunter, Toby Wilson, Andy Walton, Gareth Gwynn, Kevin Caull, Tom Neenan, Madeleine Brettingham, Max Davis, James Kettle, Danielle Grufferty, Jenny Lavelle 
Episode selection by Michael Stevens 
Contains adult language and references that reflect the era in which it was first broadcast. 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The News Quiz: Through the Years

Vintage highlights from the topical Radio 4 comedy panel show

Dan Patterson

Mark Leveson

The hit improvisation radio show that spawned the TV phenomenon 
 
Regular team captains Stephen Fry and John Sessions are joined by Lenny Henry, Dawn French, Hugh Laurie, Enn Reitel, Jimmy Mulville, Nonny Williams, Griff Rhys Jones, Kate Robbins, John Bird, Rory Bremner and Jon Glover, as they battle their way through a succession of games and romp through a world of literary styles, TV theme tunes, and film genres. Chairman Clive Anderson desperately tries to hold the whole thing together and the guests make it up as they go along in this riot of improvisation. 
 
First heard on BBC Radio 4 in January 1988, Whose Line is it Anyway? went on to run for 10 series on Channel 4 and found success in America. 
 
Based on comedy suggestions from the studio audience, this is ad-libbed comedy at its best. 
 
With Colin Sell at the piano. 
Devised and compiled by Mark Leveson, with additional material by Martin Booth. 
Produced by Dan Patterson

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

The complete BBC radio series

Jim Eldridge

The complete first and second series of the charming railway station comedy starring Arthur Lowe, Ian Lavender and Kenneth Connor 
 
 Parsley Sidings ran for two highly successful series from 1971-1973, and was the only radio sitcom (other than Dad’s Army) to star the much-loved Arthur Lowe. As Horace Hepplewhite, station master of a sleepy railway station, he spends his time dealing with small crises and supervising his errant staff – including his son, ticket clerk Bert; blonde bombshell Gloria the station announcer; crafty Cockney porter Percy and ancient signalman Bradshaw – not to mention his nemesis, Phineas Perkins, who manages the station one stop down the line. 
 
 This collection includes all 21 episodes of the classic comedy, many of which were thought lost but were recently rediscovered and restored for fans to enjoy once more. Included are: The Market Special; The Postal Express; The Beauty Queen Contest; The Inspector Calls; The 1890 Rocket; The Excursion; Cricket, Lovely Cricket; Who’ll Be Mother?; The Concert; Goodbye Parsley Sidings; Pass the Parcel; The Flower Show; The Entente Cordiale; A Night Out; The Goods Train; A Bird in the Hand; The Purity League; The New Level Crossing; The Film Makers and The Secret Agent and the pilot episode, The Royal Train. 
 
 Starring Arthur Lowe as Horace, Ian Lavender as Bert, Kenneth Connor as Percy and Liz Fraser as Gloria, with guest stars including Elizabeth Morgan, Pat Coombs, Bill Pertwee and Roger Delgado. 
 
Please note: Due to the archive nature of this recording sound quality may vary and that some of the humour in this programme reflects the era in which it was first broadcast.

Parsley Sidings: The Complete Series 1 and 2

Twelve rare archive editions of the humorous radio quiz show that gives a poke in the eye to the people and stories that make the news. 
 
For over forty years The News Quiz has graced the Radio 4 airwaves with an irreverent sideways look at the headlines. Having first appeared in 1977, it boasts a tantalising archive of episodes to remind us of the news from yesteryear, refracted through the satirical gaze of regular panellists including Alan Coren, Andy Hamilton, Mark Steel, Francis Wheen and Jeremy Hardy. Among the many guest panellists featured here are Boris Johnson, Nigella Lawson, Jo Brand, Eddie Mair, John Sergeant, Linda Smith and Roy Hattersley. 
 
Sit back and enjoy these twelve vintage episodes, previously unpublished in their entirety. Barry Norman, Sheridan Morley, Barry Took, John Sergeant, Simon Hoggart and Sandi Toksvig take turns in the chair as a parade of Prime Ministers, party leaders, US presidents and other newsworthy mortals passes by. 
 
The episodes included in this collection are: 
 
01/04/1977 with Barry Normal as the Chairman and Richard Ingrams, Nigel Dempster, Russell Davies and Alan Coren as the players. 
16/08/1980 with Sheridan Morley as the Chairman and Simon Hoggart, Clement Freud, Bel Mooney and Alan Coren as the players. 
06/05/1995 with Barry Normal as the Chairman and Francis Wheen, Bill Deedes, Alan Coren and Gillian Reynolds as the players. 
20/04/1996 with Barry Normal as the Chairman and Francis Wheen, Roy Hattersley, Alan Coren and Andy Hamilton as the players. 
09/04/1999 with John Sergeant as the Chairman and Boris Johnson, Tony Hawks, Francis Wheen, and Alan Coren as the players. 
01/10/1999 with Simon Hoggart as the Chairman and Andy Hamilton, Francis Wheen, John O’Donnell and Mark Steel as the players. 
29/10/1999 with Simon Hoggart as the Chairman and Nigella Lawson, Jeremy Hardy, Alan Coren and Andy Hamilton as the players. 
19/10/2001 with Simon Hoggart as the Chairman and Jeremy Hardy, Jo Brand, Alan Coren and John Sergeant as the players. 
18/07/2003 with Simon Hoggart as the Chairman and Linda Smith, Francis Wheen, Jeremy Hardy and Eddie Mair as the players. 
29/10/2004 with Simon Hoggart as the Chairman and Richard Ingrams, Francis Wheen, Alan Coren and Sandi Toksvig as the players. 
20/02/2009 with Sandi Toksvig as the Chairman and Jeremy Hardy, Fred MacAulay, Shappi Khorsandi and Mark Steel as the players. 
10/05/2013 with Sandi Toksvig as the Chairman and Francis Wheen, Jeremy Hardy, Bridget Christie and Bob Mills as the players.

The News Quiz Classic Collection

12 original episodes from the topical Radio 4 comedy panel show

Steve Punt

The BBC Radio 4 show where Steve Punt turns private investigator, examining little mysteries that perplex, amuse and beguile. 
His methods may be unconventional but he gets the job done in this collection of all 18 epsiodes from series 6-10 of Punt PI. 
Ranging from the bizarre to the macabre, he investigates the following tantalising cases: 
Series 6: 
The Case of the Vanishing Machine Gun Maker, The Holliwell Incident, Pitchfork Murder - Lower Quinton and Who Killed the Bears? 
Series 7: 
The Mysterious Death of Flying Millionaire Alfred Loewnstein, The Baker Street Bank Robbery, The Case of the MP Who Vanished and Who Put Bella in the Wych Elm? 
Series 8: 
The Murder of Hollywood Director William Desmond Taylor, The Case of the Missing Cezanne, and The Great Mull Air Mystery. 
Series 9: 
The Suspicious Death of Emile Zola, The Reclusive Skeleton of Fingringhoe and There's a Kind of Hum. 
Series 10: 
Lost Nukes, Treasure in the Piano, Missing Priest and Taking the Pissoir? 
 
Produced by Laurence Grissell 
A BBC Studios production

Punt PI: Series 6-10

The BBC Radio 4 comedy series

The BBC Radio 4 show where Steve Punt turns private investigator, examining little mysteries that perplex, amuse and beguile. 
His methods may be unconventional but he gets the job done in this collection of all 17 epsiodes from series 1-5 of Punt PI. 
 
Ranging from the bizarre to the macabre, he investigates the following tantalising cases: 
Series 1: 
Steve probes cases including; a couple who find 400 false legs beneath their floor, missing steam trains hidden in case of nuclear war and Britian's own Bermuda triangle. 
Series 2: 
Steve investigates whether Hitler really was going to set up and HQ in Balham, goes on the trail of TV detector vans and searches for the real Manchurian Candidate. 
Series 3: 
The PI turns his hand to investigating the cases of Argelton, a place only existing on internet maps, whether the Nazis developed flying saucer technology, a search for Queen Victoria's voice and a curse of crying boy paintings. 
Series 4: 
Steve delves into the mysteries of a poisoned partridge, the disappearance of a film about David LLoyd George, and the site for the epic Battle of Wattling Street. 
Series 5: 
Our diligent investigator is called on to look into a pensioner's secret stash of arms, the 1928 Charfield Rail crash and a 400 year-old case of a missing person. 
 
Produced by Laurence Grissell 
A BBC Studios production

Punt, PI: Series 1-5

Joe Lycett

Joe Lycett explores the nation's weird and wonderful obsessions by getting to know a selection of famous and not so famous guests. 
 
Hear Katherine Ryan share her love of the Kardashians, Greg James introduce Joe to the world of cricket, and Janice Connolly share her collection of de-cluttering books. Can Lloyd Griffith inspire you with his adoration of fire engines? Or will June Sarpong get you into hula hooping? 
 
Guests include comedian Katherine Ryan, Radio 1 DJ Greg James, comedian Janice Connolly, broadcasting legend Nick Owen, comedian Angela Barnes, author and performer Adam Kay, comedian Lloyd Griffith and broadcaster June Sarpong. 
 
Joe also welcomes members of the public to share their secret passions, as well as inviting a weekly VOP (very obsessed person) to introduce their weird and wonderful collections of curiosities (not for the faint-hearted)! 
 
Written and performed by Joe Lycett, with material from James Kettle and additional material from Laura Major and Mike Shepherd. 
Produced by Suzy Grant. 
Production coordinator: Hayley Sterling. 
A BBC Studios production.

Joe Lycett’s Obsessions: Series 1

The BBC Radio 4 comedy

A Private Thriller

A series of children's modern classic novels by renowned 20th century children's writers. All the titles in this series have the A Puffin Book logo, contemporary-style covers, and child-friendly endnotes.

A Puffin Book

A Ripley Novel

A Slice of the Moon

A Victorian Mystery

A Walk in...

A Women’s Murder Club Thriller

A chef Paul Delamare Mystery

Aberrations

Across the Universe

Actiphons

Adelia Aguilar

Adrian Mole

Adventures in Time

Aftermath

Against War

Age of X

Agent 21

Agent Z

Detective Aidan Waits is a troubled junior detective haunted by his past. Facing an uncertain future, and disconnected from his history, DC Waits and his partner, Detective Inspector Peter 'Sutty' Sutcliffe work on Manchester's streets to uncover the city's worst criminals among the grime of the underworld.

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