A bit like trying to pick out a handful of your favourite chocolates from a Christmas selection box while blindfold, you never quite know what the results will be when predicting the tastiest treats over the coming festive radio season. Traditionally, television is stuffed full - a la turkey - with somewhat thinly disguised ‘best of’ run-downs, the final top few being as predictable as the socks and handkerchief combination present from your auntie. But radio, unhampered by the need to dress up programmes in tat and tinsel, can offer relaxing and entertaining alternatives. As is usual, some swift twiddling of the tuning dial may be required to seek out the best.
It’s likely that those fans tuning into Radio 2’s Heavenly Johnny Mathis, presented by Paul Gambaccini, may not be quite so up on the collected works of Joe Strummer - the iconic frontman of punk band The Clash, once described as “the only band that ever mattered”. Hopefully, it will be a worthy retrospective of someone the music industry lost far too early. By then, fans of more genteel singing should have been nicely eased into Christmas by Radio 2’s Cliff - Take Another Look, which may have provided aficionados of Sir Cliff some solace for not troubling the Number One spot in the charts this Christmas. Loading up Real Player on the PC being the key to catching this and any other programmes missed when first aired. The third and final episode sees Cilla Black front an ultimate Top 20 of Cliff Richard hits.
For many though, thanks to a single tune which either drives you mad or you love, the vocals most identified with Christmas belong to Slade’s Noddy Holder. Depending on that point of view, some may well want Stuart Maconie on Radio 2 to elicit penance from the man who helped inflict Merry Christmas Everybody on the nation.
Having stood passionately by his musical principles from the day he picked up his first guitar - and blew into his first harmonica - few concessions will probably be offered by Bob Dylan during what is being claimed as his first ever radio show, the Theme Time Radio Hour. Described as an “hour-long eclectic mix of music, interviews with special guests” the format debuted in March on American satellite radio station XM, Dylan apparently given carte blanche on the content.
The equally legendary Liza Minnelli chats with Radio 3’s Edward Seckerson in Stage and Screen on Christmas day about her career, paying no-doubt fulsome praise along the biographical journey to writer Fred Ebb, to whom she owes much. Should Barbra Streisand be more your musical vibe, she’s the subject sitting in Seckerson’s chair on Radio 3 on New Year’s Day. Focusing the musical microscope even more closely and on to just a specific tune is Radio 4’s Page to Performance with Lowri Blake tracing the history of Gershwin’s hit I Got Rhythm, an extra treat being archive recordings of the composer himself playing and talking, plus contributions from Lorna Luft, among others.
Christmas is nothing though without a few giggles, the season being a gift for comedy producers, a typical Yuletide-inspired example being Radio 4’s Christmas Crackers with Phil Jupitus promising to explore quite how Christmas Day has contributed to television and radio down the decades. Following straight after is Clare in the Community, created by the ever-acerbic pen of The Stage’s own Harry ‘Hamlet’ Venning, together with David Ramsden, an excellent cast including Sally Phillips and Gemma Craven, guaranteed to rattle a whole cage full of sensitive festive home truths.
Quite how another Stage stalwart, Arthur Smith, came to front Radio 4’s Boys, Badges and Baden-Powell - a look back over the 100-year history of the Boy Scouts movement - is anyone’s guess. But, over the years, he’s certainly earnt his comedy badges - and one for embroidery - so maybe stand by for assorted woggle puns along the way. Similarly, BBC 7’s serial Revenge of The Celebrity Mummies, a comedy horror set in the British Museum, must be worth a tune in on the strength of its potentially scream-filled scenario alone.
In between straining the sprouts then, wrestling the sherry bottle off a relative and trying to stop the dog chewing a vital bit of Mouse Trap, time may actually only allow for a very quick listen to some comedy. That being the case, Radio 4’s ever entertaining 15-Minute Musical skits promise perfect, quick pick-me-ups if things are getting a little fraught. The first over five consecutive days is entitled Oh What A Lovely Blair, billed as a First World War musical that has Cherie keeping the home fires burning. It sounds thoroughly disrespectful - and great fun.
DETAILS
Heavenly Johnny Mathis - R2, Friday, December 22, 7pm
London Calling - BBC6 Music, December 20 and 21, 9.30pm
Cliff - Take Another Look - R2, Tuesday, December 19 and 26, 8.30pm and 8pm
Stuart Maconie - R2, Thursday, December 21 (10.15pm)
Theme Time Radio Hour - R2, Saturday, December 23, 7pm
Stage and Screen - R3, Christmas Day, 3.30pm
Edward Seckerson - R3, New Year’s Day, 4pm
Page to Performance - R4, Boxing Day, 1.30pm
Christmas Crackers - R4, Christmas Day, 11am
Clare in the Community - R4, Christmas Day, 11.30am
Boys, Badges and Baden-Powell - R4, Saturday, December 30, 10.30am
Revenge of The Celebrity Mummies - BBC7, Saturday, December 23, 6pm
15-Minute Musical - Oh What A Lovely Blair - R4, Christmas Day, 6.15pm
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