BBC Radio International Comedy Catalogue The BBC has been making people laugh for eighty years and has a legendary reputation for developing comedy talent… so put a smile on your listeners’ faces by taking a selection from our comedy catalogue. On Radio, and later Television, the BBC has dominated in the world of comedy, presenting and inventing many of the subgenres we see today. It has discovered and nurtured talented writers and performers, and has not been afraid to give them creative free rein. Take a peek through our catalogue to discover the best of BBC Comedy, from present day talent, to classics as far back as 1966, some of which proved so popular they sparked TV shows and film spin offs and took the world by storm. From double entendre-laden Round the Horne, long running panel shows like Just a Minute and I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, and standup comedy genius and improvisation - BBC Radio International has something for every taste to leave your audience in fits of laughter. Have a question or want to know more about a specific genre or programme? Contact: Larissa Abid, Ana Bastos or Laura Lawrence for more details. Contents New this month – September 2021 ............................................................................................................... 2 Chat..............................................................................................................................................................3 Sitcom ..........................................................................................................................................................7 Stand up .....................................................................................................................................................15 Comedy ......................................................................................................................................................17 Panel Show ................................................................................................................................................ 23 Sketch ........................................................................................................................................................27 Spoof ..........................................................................................................................................................33 Famous for 15 ............................................................................................................................................ 34 Features .....................................................................................................................................................35 *Please note that these genres offer a loose labelling system https://wspartners.bbc.com/article/comedy w 1 | Page New this month – September 2021 John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme (Series 9) CO125 6 x 30’ John Finnemore presents a new series of his award-winning sketch show. But, with no live studio audience this year, John has taken the opportunity to try something completely new, with each episode made up of scenes from one person's life, played in reverse order. Episode 1 - All about Russ, this episode takes place between a Christmas day Zoom in 2020, and a funeral he attended as a six-year-old in 1986. Episode 2 - All about Deborah, this episode takes place between a catch-up Zoom in lockdown, and a bedtime story she was told in 1962. Episode 3 - We follow our way back through the life of Jerry, starting earlier in 2021 and going back to a wartime poem in 1943. Episode 4 - All about Vanessa, this episode starts with a television quiz show in 1990, and ends with a fairy-tale walk in 1921. Episode 5 - This episode concerns Newt, following his life backwards from a funeral in 1990 to an eventful Christmas dinner in 1898. Episode 6 - To follow. 2 | Page Chat The Infinite Monkey Cage (Series 21) CO121 6 x 30’ Physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince return with the show that takes an irreverent look at the world according to science. 1. Science of Laughter. Robin and Brian are joined by comedian Frank Skinner, neuroscientist Sophie Scott and psychologist Richard Wiseman to look at the science behind laughter and humour. 2. Conspiracy Theories. Brian and Robin are joined by comedian Shazia Mirza, science writer David Robert Grimes and psychologist Karen Douglas to looks at the weird world of conspiracy theories. 3. Coral Reefs. Brian and Robin are joined by comedian Marcus Brigstocke and marine biologists Callum Roberts and Heather Koldewey to look at the amazing creatures that create and colonise coral reefs. 4. Fire. Robin and Brian are joined by comedian Ed Byrne, Niamh Nic Daeid and Adam Rutherford as they explore the science of fire and how it has impacted the evolution of life. 5. Quantum Worlds. Brian and Robin are joined by comedian Katy Brand and physicists Sean Carroll and Jim Al-khalili as they explore our strange and bizarre Quantum world. 6. UFO Special. Brian and Robin host a close encounter of the 1st kind. They are joined by comedian Lucy Beaumont, to ask if UFOs and aliens have visited Earth... The Infinite Monkey Cage (35-39) - CO116 5 x 30’ Those infinite monkeys physicist Professor Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince return with a new series of their science/comedy show, which takes a witty and irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. 1. Dinosaurs: Brian and Robin kick off with a look at dinosaurs, with the help of comedian Rufus Hound, and palaeontologists Susannah Maidment and Steve Brusatte. 2. Clever Creatures: Brian and Robin are joined by author Danny Wallace, ornithologist Professor Tim Birkhead and marine biologist Helen Scales to look at animal intelligence. 3. Science of Dreaming: Brian and Robin are joined by comedian Bridget Christie, neuroscientist Prof Penny Lewis and psychologist Richard Wiseman, to take a sleepy look at the science of dreaming. 4. The Periodic Table: Brian and Robin are joined by comedian Katy Brand, Prof Polly Arnold and Prof Andrea Sella to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Dmitri Mendeleev’s creation of the periodic table. 5. Brits in Space: Brian and Robin present a Brits in Space special, with the help of former astronauts Tim Peake and Helen Sharman and comedian Mark Steel. 3 | Page The Infinite Monkey Cage - Series 19 –CO112 6 x 30’ In front of a live audience, physicist Professor Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince and guests take a witty and irreverent look at the world through scientists' eyes. Microbes: Brian and Robin are joined by oceanographer Jon Copley, planetary scientist Monica Grady and comedian Ed Byrne to ask whether the real master-race on planet Earth is not human but microbe. The Future of Humanity: Brian and Robin are joined by comedian Chris Addison, astronomer royal Martin Rees and Labour peer Cathy Ashton to discuss the future of humanity. Can science offer solutions to the problems we face? Origin of Numbers: Robin and Brian are joined by comedian Matt Parker, mathematician Hannah Fry and neuroscientist Brian Butterworth to discuss the origin of numbers and examine whether counting is a uniquely human trait that started before the evolution of language. Are Human Beings Still Evolving?: Brian and Robin are joined by comedian and author David Baddiel and geneticists Aoife McLysaght and Adam Rutherford to discuss whether human beings are still evolving or have reached a peak. How to Build a Bionic Human: Robin and Brian are joined by vet Noel Fitzpatrick, physiologist Kevin Fong and comedian Lucy Beaumont for a discussion on how to build a bionic human. How to Measure the Universe: Brian and Robin guests are the by comedian Jo Brand and physicists Jo Dunkley and Adam Masters, who look at how we go about measuring our universe, from the contents of atmospheres of planets and moons at the outer edges of our solar system to looking far back in time to study the very earliest beginnings of the cosmos. The Infinite Money Cage (23-28)- CO106 1 x 60’ + 5 x 30’ In front of a live audience, physicist Brian Cox and comedian Robin Ince present more episodes from the hit science/comedy show which takes a witty and irreverent look at the world through scientists’ eyes. 1. Monkey Cage 100! Brian and Robin celebrate their 100th episode by inviting some well-known monkey cage alumni to join them. Brian Blessed, Eric Idle, Dave Gorman, Andy Hamilton, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Fay Dowker and Alice Roberts (to name a few) take to the stage to consider what has been learnt since Episode 1... 2. Big Data: Brian and Robin are joined by Danny Wallace, mathematician Hannah Fry and science writer Timandra Harkness, as they go big on Big Data, and ask just how big is it? 3. Invasion: The infinite monkeys are joined by comedian Phill Jupitus, bat expert and ecologist Professor Kate Jones and forensic botanist Dr Mark Spencer to talk alien invasions – although not of the little green men kind. 4. Immune System: A look at our amazingly complex and clever immune system, with the help of guests comedian Shappi Khorsandi, and professors Dan Davis and Steve Jones 5. The Human Voice: Brian and Robin are joined by comedian and beatboxer Beardyman, acoustic engineer Trevor Cox and neuroscientist Sophie Scott to explore the amazing capabilities of the human voice. 6. GCHQ: Brian and Robin are joined by comedian Katy Brand as they transport the cage of infinite proportions to the home of modern day cryptography and codebreaking. 4 | Page The Infinite Monkey Cage –CO101 6