The World Leaders

Credit for this post needs to go to Kate who commented on my review of ITV 1’s Headcases with a link to World Leaders - an online show about world leaders living in a Big Brother style house.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

Hitting The Wall

No I’m not talking about the London Marathon but a new comedy series on BBC THREE featuring some of the hottest comedic talent in the UK right now.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

A new guilty pleasure

I’m going to admit to something but you can’t tell anybody. For years I’ve been saying that I hate all American sitcoms - they just don’t get comedy (with the exception of The Office US which is a British creation anyway). But that isn’t the revelation.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

Take that Grouville

Read more

Frost “I know my place” Report

It was the show that led to the birth of The Two Ronnies, the formation of Monty Python and the regurgitation of The Goodies.

Read more

Sphere: Related Content

Beeb go pod happy

I’ve just been reading on the BBC Radio 4 site that the News Quiz with Sandi Toksvig, Alan Coren, Jeremy Hardy and Andy Hamilton is going to be published as a podcast - this can only be a good thing.

I love what the BBC is doing for podcasting and the fact that they’ve accepted and embraced it as the ‘completely’ new medium it actually is and not just seen it as an extension of the web.

In fact the BBC Podcast page is a great example of a podcast directory and the BBC Podcast section of iTunes is one of the best on the platform.

I know many see me as a BBC Evangelist and I am, I’m not ashamed of the fact - I’ve always been a big BBC fan but this is one area where the corporation really does deserve praise.

OK so some have issues and raise complaints about the podcasts - a lot of those complaints came about after the last series of The Now Show wasn’t made available as a podcast but the reasons were explained and there wasn’t much that could be done.

Others complain about the fact shows disappear or aren’t updated anymore - often Americans that don’t realise that once a series has finished there are no new shows TO update but that when the new series begins they will start to appear again.

That is one of the real downsides of ‘radio’ and it’s series based concept being applied to podcasting and its always on concept.

Maybe the solution is to remove listings for shows from iTunes and the BBC directory or for iTunes to have a ‘This show is currently off the air but should return in May’ statement - maybe something that removes the list of available downloads.

120 and counting

There are now 30 podcasts from BBC Radio 4 alone - some are full shows, some are parts of shows - some comedies, some news - others long and a few short - but they’re all pretty good and worth the time it takes to get them on your iPod.

In total there are 120 podcasts from the BBC so far with many more likely to join that number in the not to distant future - expect to see podcasts of other regular comedies on Radio 4 as well as dramas when the BBC gets the rights and more news/feature content from across the BBC Radio network.

To break it down further there are currently six podcasts from BBC Radio 1 which include two from Chris Moyles, one from Scott Miles, entertainment news, documentary and a new music podcast from Huw Stephens which is very good.

Radio 2 also offers six podcasts including Chris Evans Jonathan Ross, Russell Brand, Steve Wright, Wogan and Matthew Wright.

Radio 3 only has the one - Arts and Ideas a pick of short features and portraits from across BBC Radio 3.

We’ve already been into the numbers on BBC Radio 4 - 30 in total so far. These include everything from the Best of Today to Broadcasting House on the political side and Beyond Belief on the religious.

Other personal favourites are Start the Week (when it’s on air), Thinking Allowed and File on 4.

Five Live is giving us 17 podcasts - mainly sport and news stuff but also includes the best film reviewer on the planet - Mark Kermode as well as the brilliant Pods and Blogs.

The digital networks have less with one from 1Xtra - Home Grown Mix, two from 6music - including Music Week and Russell Howard, two from BBC 7 - Cbeebies best bits and Heroes and just one from The Asian Network - Love Bollywood.

There are 25 very good podcasts from the World Service - my favourite being Digital Planet and World Have Your Say.

Then there are nations and regions - a part of the BBC output often overlooked nationally but still producing some amazing stuff.

Seven podcasts from BBC Radio Scotland, six from Radio Ulster, seven from BBC Radio Wales and so far five from English Regions.

There are also four podcasts that pull in content from across the BBC Radio network including NewsPod, World of Business, UK Black and World Football.

Oh and this post did start life as praise for Radio 4 but turned in to a full blown BBC Podcast Praise fest.

Charts

Oh and as of this moment in time BBC Podcasts count for 12 of the top 25 Podcasts on iTunes - ok so when you publish 120 podcasts and they’re all from shows broadcast nationwide it’s easier to get in the top 25 but still impressive.

From what I can work out there isn’t a single podcast in the top 25 on iTunes that isn’t produced by a major production company - with the exception possibly of the Best of You Tube by Plankton.

The rest are by magazines, newspapers, television channels or celebrities.

Code

This isn’t the most elegant code in the world and I know it uses horrible tables - I’ll produce a better version when I’ve got time - but here is the code I created to generate the little BBC Podcasts box on the sidebar.

It basically has a drop down of catagories (like the one on the iTunes podcast directory) and opens iTunes on the relevant BBC section.

<script language="JavaScript" type="text/JavaScript"> <!-- function jumpMenu(targ,selObj,restore){ //v3.0 eval(targ+".location='"+selObj.options[selObj.selectedIndex].value+"'"); if (restore) selObj.selectedIndex=0; } //--> </script></p> <table width="125" height="90" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" background="http://www.upyourego.com/blog/images/bbc_box.jpg"> <tr> <td align="center"> <form name="bbcpods" method="post" action=""> <select name="bbcpodsmenu" onChange="jumpMenu('parent',this,0)"> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?id=121676617&id=33" selected>All</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225270&id=33">Arts</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225472&id=33">Business</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225502&id=33">Comedy</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225588&id=33">Education</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225618&id=33">Health</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225639&id=33">Family</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225649&id=33">Music</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225752&id=33">News/Politics</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225778&id=33">Religion</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225797&id=33">Science</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225865&id=33">Society</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225880&id=33">Sport</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225895&id=33">Technology</option><br /> <option value="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewRoom?fcId=262225971&id=33">TV/Film</option><br /> </select> </p></form> </td> </tr> </table> <p>

Sphere: Related Content

To me - to you - to me

I was shocked this morning to hear a story about the legendary Chuckle Brothers on BBC News 24 - not so much because a ‘News’ service has a story about a pair of childrens entertainers - I’m used to that - but because of the point of the story.

The Chuckle Brothers have been going for 20 years, well the Chuckle Brothers have probably been going a lot longer but Chucklevision, their most famous show has been going for 20 years.

I mean - I remember when they first started - I remember watching TV on a Saturday morning in 1987 (aged six) and saw these weird blokes with mustaches prancing around like idiots - I loved it - it felt like something out of the Beano come to life.

And it is a testament to their comic timing and genious that they’re still loved and enjoyed 20 years later - including by my six year old daughter.

Also - the amazingly brilliant Charlie Brooker likes them - describing them as “Britain’s most wizened comedy duo”.So I say “Oh dear, Oh dear” and done a fake mustache in salute to the greatest childrens comedy duo in Britain and possibly the world - stick Barney up your arse and ride the wave of Chuckle mania - I give you 20 years of the Chuckle Brothers.

Sphere: Related Content

Political comedy

I’ll be honest with you - I don’t really listen to the sort of radio shows or watch the sort of television programmes expected of somebody ‘into’ politics and specifically the British political system.

For the most part I’m bored silly by the News, and yes that includes Channel 4 News and the Today programme and I have every intention of watching Newsnight but never get beyond ten minutes before my finger gets restless and press the channel up button.

I sometimes watch a few minutes of Question Time before I’m drawn away by a mindless sitcom on BBC THREE (yes I watch BBC THREE and so do more people than are prepared to admit).

You see - the problem is - at work I have to think, I have to concentrate and know whats going on - at home I don’t. At home I can chill and do sod all - I can be the brain dead idiot in front of the box.

That’s why I got an iPod - I love listening to politics, I just don’t want to do it during my TV time. So I use podcasts and listen to the shows while walking to work in the morning.

Alternatively - I turn to political comedy, to satire, to the greats such as Yes, Minister, The New Statesman and Absolute Power (the radio series not the TV series).

Drop the Dead Donkey, Spitting Image, Not the Nine O Clock News, The Now Show, The Thick of It, Have I got news for You, Dead Ringers … and the list goes on.

In fact it was the brilliant satire of the great British PolCom that got me ‘into’ politics in the first place.

It’s lines such as “Two kinds of government chair correspond with the two kinds of minister: one sort folds up instantly and the other sort goes round and round in circles.”

Or the brilliant “If people don’t know what you’re doing, they don’t know what you’re doing wrong.” Both from Yes, Minister that inspired me to find out more.

Or how about “Trevor McDonald: What did Blair tell the NHS staff to do? Paul Merton: Go private?” from the wonderful Have I Got News for You?

Maybe even one from The New Statesman “Why should we, the country that produced Shakespeare, Christopher Wren, and those are just the people on our banknotes for Christ’s sake. Cower down, to the countries that produced Hitler, Napoleon, the Mafia, and the the the, the the the, the the the Smurfs!”

Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It was also good for a comment “Sam? Can you get me Terri Coverley and Glenn Cullen? Make them an appointment to come over? I think I got to shout at somebody, you know? Oh, actually, get me John at Culture on the phone, I think I’ll have a bit of a shout now.”

And finally “Martin McCabe: …the people’s Morris says speech writers are the parasites of democracy, a politician should say precisely what he thinks in the way wants to say it. Charles Prentis: God lord, thats appalling!”

What are your favourite political comedies?

Sphere: Related Content

Making a tit of myself

powered by ODEO

We all do things that make us look a bit um… odd at one time or another and my most recent was playing the part of a musician for the pilot of a new radio show I’m making.

With that explanation you’d expect it to be a comedy but it isn’t - the show is a weekly look at new music in Jersey and playing tracks/interviews from local bands.

However, BBC local radio is traditionally aimed at people over 55 and Jersey is no exception - so, although many a local station has launched new music shows - including a podcast from Northamptons Weekender - boards are being tread lightly when it comes to something this different.

We’ve more or less been given the go ahead but we needed to make a pilot to prove the idea, to showcase some of the music we’ll be playing and to prove we can actually talk like human beings.

We’ve been told to put a rough cut pilot together without expending too many resources - so we did and one of our regular features is called I was, I am and I will be - where we ask a musician for a track he was inspired by, a track he wrote and a track he wished he wrote or would like to write one like.

This is where the being able to talk like human beings bit falls down.

We didn’t have a musician to hand so I played one - this was ALL improv done on the spot - Claire (asking questions) didn’t know how I would play it and I didn’t know what she would ask or what the name of my band would be.

Obviously this would never go to air - normally it would feature a Jersey musician talking to us about his musical tastes and playing the songs he puts forward - but I thought I’d share my moment of um… making a tit of myself with you.

Listen to me making a tit of myself (mp3) >>>

Oh and for non Brits - ASDA is Wal-Mart and George is their own brand clothing line.

And yes I know we didn’t really play the Teletubbies or Bob the Builder - we didn’t have either to hand when making the pilot.

Sphere: Related Content