For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
#1635379
I've been a listener of the News Quiz, the Now Show and Dead Ringers for years and have always enjoyed them. However, the last few series of Ringers and Now Show have been awful. Perhaps time for something new...or at least some fresh writing staff ?
The exception of course is the News Quiz which has always been, and remains, hilarious.
#1635384
The Now Show needs Mitch Benn and Marcus Brigstocke. The problem is they are male, and under the present gender-balanced regime you have to shoehorn in some females for balance, regardless of whether they have talent or are suited to the slot

See: BBC R2 Drivetime and Jo Whiley

Meanwhile the good news is that Chris Evans is leaving the breakfast-time show on R2. :thumleft: Doubtless to be replaced by a woman, or a gender-matched couple :evil:

Rob P
#1635418
Sorry, the show used to consist of Punt, Dennis, Benn and Brigstocke. All male = Bad

Latterly Benn and Brigstocke no longer appear and almost inevitably you get someone in what used to be their slots (music and rants) who is female, and so far, rarely in their league - though I have effectively stopped listening, so if some mega-star has appeared, apologies to her.

Rob P
#1635431
Rob P wrote:
who is female, and so far, rarely in their league - though I have effectively stopped listening, so if some mega-star has appeared, apologies to her.

Rob P


It's not just that, as I posted on a similar topic previously :-

"Sandi Toksvig, Sue Perkins, Susan Calman ....
Mmm .... I think I'm detecting a kind of common thread …"

I must say that I found the "comedy" on R4 from the Edinburgh Fringe absolutely dire.

Bill H
#1635448
Interesting, I used to find Dead Ringers tedious but the last year or two I reckon it has improved immensely. Now Show is not quite as good as it was, I also miss Mitch and Marcus. I was playing Mitch Benn albums in the car recently and Marcus' double set of rants (I can think of no better word or compliment) against the Abrahamic faiths are still favourites of mine. They have always had women on The Now Show, the brilliant Grace Petrie springs to mind.

Susan Calman and Sandi Toksvig are brilliant. There are very few people on The News Quiz who are not in fact. Comedy, like all the bits of life that don't involve messy biological stuff i.e. nearly all of it, is about what is above the neck not below it.
#1635529
Pete L wrote:The problem is that the goal now is achieving diversity not balance.

The problem is that it's not as funny. These days I download the shows as podcasts for convenience (which I expect will count as a listen) but probably haven't actually listened to more than a quarter of them this year. Women seem to perform much better on more initiate programs than the panel shows offer so some of the lower profile Comedy Of The Week featuring women are very good.

The Now Show is just an awful collection of random guests instead of the tried and tested formula with a little bit of guest randomness to keep it fresh. I can't get on with the bloke from Ballamory and Jeremy Hardy so News Quiz is off the list these days too.

ISIHAC is still excellent with Jack, Barry, Tim, Graham.... oh hang on I think I see the problem with that show.
#1635707
Bill Haddow wrote:
eltonioni wrote:
ISIHAC is still excellent with Jack, Barry, Tim, Graham.... oh hang on I think I see the problem with that show.


Fair's fair, ISIHAC still has Samantha, - I'll stop before I get donked, again

Bill H


Good call Bill, if you stop now she won't need to pull you off.