Showing results by author "BBC Radio" in All Categories

With its brilliant blend of the silly, the serious and the satirical, The News Quiz has been a must-listen for comedy fans since it started 46 years ago. Recorded in front of an audience, these three series see Andy Zaltzman presiding over a motley crew of comedians and journalists as they trawl through the biggest (and smallest) news stories of 2024 to provide comedy, commentary, irony and irreverence.

Exploring arguments from both the prosecution and the defence whilst combing through evidence heard in major UK criminal cases.

It’s the 100th series of The News Quiz – let the centennial celebrations commence! To mark the occasion, each of these eight episodes is presented by a different guest host from the world of comedy, who keeps the chair warm in their own inimitable style (and with their cushion of choice). Zoe Lyons, Angela Barnes, Patrick Kielty, Andrew Maxwell, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Andy Zaltzman, Phil Wang and Nish Kumar lead a panel of guests as they dissect the latest political machinations and round up news stories both big and small.

Peter Crouch, Tom Fordyce and Chris Stark tell you how to be a professional footballer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Now Show: Series 39: Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by guests including John Finnemore, Mitch Benn and Laura Shavin to present a comedic breakdown of the news.

If you have an appetite for sharp satirical comedy blended with vintage news items, be sure to sample these 14 archive episodes of BBC Radio 4's long-running panel show, chaired by Barry Took, Simon Hoggart and Sandi Toksvig. This latest smorgasbord of editions, all first broadcast between 1980 and 2012, has for its subjects such delicacies as the Royal family, 'boisterous' TV presenters, Oscar acceptance speeches, pop stars, Teletubbies, the EU referendum, the 2010 financial crash, super-injunctions, ice cream vans and much, much more.

Humanity's journey to understanding the body has been a gory one; littered with unethical experiments, unintended consequences and unimaginable endurance. It's the story of catastrophic failures, at great human cost - but also successes which made history and saved countless lives.In The Human Subject, Dr Adam Rutherford and Dr Julia Shaw investigate the threads connecting modern day medicine to its often brutal origins. With every episode they explore some of that dark history and ask - is our present day knowledge worth the suffering it took to get us here?

A long-time favourite of Friday night comedy fans, The Now Show presents the headlines through sketches, songs and stand-up, providing a wry, satirical perspective on UK and world events. In these 19 episodes from 2015 and 2016, hosts Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis are joined by some of the brightest and best comedy writers and performers—including Mitch Benn, Pippa Evans, John Finnemore, Mae Martin, Adam Kay and Nish Kumar—for an entertaining romp through the worlds of politics, popular culture and current affairs.

Jo Whiley and Steve Lamacq explore the 30th anniversary of Britpop.

The Radio 2 Book club celebrates the best in new fiction and recommends great reads. Sara will be interviewing top authors about their latest novels, and she’ll be catching up with librarians and reading groups from across the UK. Whether you’re after a summer blockbuster, a twist-filled thriller, or want to curl up with a heart-warming love story, Sara has you covered!

An entertaining guide to some of our commonest and most curious coastal wildlife. Brett Westwood is joined by naturalist Phil Gates in this informative and entertaining guide to a variety of common coastal wildlife. Recorded in early summer along the coast of Northumberland, each programme focuses on a different habitat - rock pools, sandy beaches, sea cliffs, strandlines and mudflats adjoining saltmarshes.

In this new series, Helen Lewis and Armando Iannucci investigate which political buzzwords are strong and stable and which are a crock of covfefe.Each week Helen and Armando will crack open the political phrasebook and attempt to decode the doublespeak. Why does everything now have to be 'turbo-charged'? What's the difference between a 'pledge' and a 'mission'? Why has my local MP been 'weaponised' and should I be worried?You'll be treated to a crash course in the dark arts of political language from two people both baffled and beguiled by it. They'll walk you through the various verbal ...

Join world-leading scientists as they delve into the incredible stories behind 16 elements, including the dark and controversial history of gold; how a solar eclipse in 1868 led to the discovery of the periodic table's most notorious escape artist, helium; the role of iron in the rise and fall of human civilisations; why you might find iodine in British milk, but not necessarily anywhere else in the world; and how a discovery in boiled urine led to the trade union movement and a chemical weapon.

Stand-up comedy from some of the best comedians at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe including Mark Simmons, Amy Gledhill, Vittorio Angelone, Harriet Dyer, Joshua Bethania, Martin Angolo, John Meagher, Michelle Shaughnessy. Hosted by Alison Spittle.

In 2023, Jon Holmes was diagnosed with cancer - which came as a bit of a surprise because quite frankly he was far too busy for all of that nonsense. After a very odd, intense, unexpected, ridiculous year, Jon realised that men don't tend to talk openly about the preposterous indignity of dealing with cancer. So he decided he would, with other men who've been through it. So here - inevitably - comes his new chatty podcast. Across the series Jon will be joined by the comedians Stephen Fry, Mark Steel, Richard Herring, Matt Forde, and Eric Idle, actors Colin McFarlane and Ben Richards, rock star...

Elon Musk's visions of the future all stem from the same place: the science-fiction he grew up on. To understand where Musk wants to take the rest of us - with his electric cars, his rockets to Mars, his meme stocks, and tunnels deep beneath the earth — Harvard professor and New Yorker writer Jill Lepore looks at those science fiction stories and helps us understand what Musk missed about them. The Evening Rocket explores Musk's strange new kind of extravagant, extreme capitalism — call it Muskism — where stock prices are driven by earnings, and also by fantasies. Follow along on Twitter...

Holly Hamilton leads the consumer fightback - getting answers, righting wrongs and making things better for consumers everywhere.If you have a story or experience you want to share with Consumer Fight Back, email cfb@bbc.co.uk

How do other cultures handle the universal problems that we face here at home? Something to Declare is here to find the answer. Join Jack Boswell as he explores the roots of global cultural practices and how people are interpreting them today, from Japanese Wabi Sabi philosophy to the Sacred Geography of Andean tribes.

In this film noir parody, Private Detective Howard Dick is called to Belfast to crack a case for his old flame.

Politically is BBC Radio 4's home for insightful, inside takes on how politics and power really work. Step into a world steeped in ambition and intrigue... a world that demands tough decisions and delicate compromises. And let those who've walked the corridors of power reveal how they believe them best navigated, through the frank and illuminating series you'll find in this feed.