Radio review - Light programme

Published Tuesday 14 October 2008 at 12:30 by Lisa Martland

When radio critics receive preview copies of broadcasts the programmes in question are sometimes still being edited. Hence the 12 excerpts of material I received which were due to be included in Radio 4’s The Archive Hour: King of Comedy, A Tribute to Geoffrey Perkins.

On the whole I would avoid listening to such a trail of soundbites and tune in to the finished article, but not on this occasion. As close friends and colleagues shocked by the recent, sudden death of this much loved TV/radio writer and producer traded fond memories and happy anecdotes, I had the bizarre sensation that I was privy to a private rather than a public discussion.

Without any linking narrative, there was something very poignant about hearing these heartfelt tributes one after the other in which the mood was never morbid or maudlin.

Angus Deayton and the cast of the hit R4 series Radio Active had great fun reminiscing about Perkins’ nickname ‘Mr Lunch’, a reference to how much of the scriptwriting took place in restaurants. Plus there was an opportunity to remember brilliant comedy sketches he had a hand in, such as the KYTV Bee Gees spoof - Meaningless Songs in Very High Voices - and the cruelly effective Davids Steel and Owen in bed sketch, from Spitting Image.

Others spoke of Perkins’ great professionalism, his patience at Douglas Adams’ erratic behaviour during the radio recordings of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, as well as his great generosity in showcasing other people’s talent.

Schoolfriend Michael Portillo spoke particularly eloquently about Perkins’ extraordinary sense of humour that never appeared to diminish despite suffering tragedy in his personal life.

A current BBC7 radio comedy that perhaps Perkins would have approved of is The Penny Dreadfuls Present: More Brothers Faversham. The second series of this spoof documentary charting the history of that prestigious 19th Century family the Favershams is amusing and witty, with the odd laugh-out-loud moment thrown in for good measure.

Four sons of Sir Digby and Lady Alexandra Faversham were featured previously. This time the first of four instalments placed the spotlight on Titus Faversham (known to his friends as TC), son number five and Victorian Britain’s greatest sportsman.

The writing of this tale really came into its own as TC became such an accomplished athlete at school that he simply leapt from one team to another, whether it be polo, cricket, football etc - he even beat a dolphin at swimming. But as his teammates were persuaded to turn pro and get paid for their sporting prowess, TC was determined to stay a gentleman amateur, however poverty stricken it made him.

Soon he discovered that one nasty entrepreneur in the new world was not just scheming to overthrow the mighty England at sport but was taking a stab at the Empire as well. Surely TC had to step in and save the day.

Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck (The Penny Dreadfuls) provided some of the best radio comedy writing and wordplay I had heard in a long while, boosted by great performances from other cast members Ingrid Oliver and Miles Jupp. Interestingly the producer was Julia McKenzie, an actress who, in her own right, has performed everything from satire to sitcom. Her experience in the genre must have been a bonus.

By the end of the first half of Sounds of the Sixties: Saturday Club Special, I could have done with a few laughs. It is 50 years since the groundbreaking pop music series of the sixties Saturday Club was born, so here was an opportunity to reminisce about the high profile British and American musicians who popped in for a chat and/or recorded a session especially for the programme.

Brian Matthew was, naturally, the man to lead us down memory lane, having hosted the show for its first 468 editions and he did conjure up some interesting stories. It was also rewarding to hear stuff from the archives such as an interview with the Everly Brothers, and The Beatles singing the programme a Happy 5th Birthday. I just wish there had been more of this quirky material included, and perhaps anecdotes from listeners, presenters and musicians who remember the show and what it meant to them at the time. That is when a programme such as this begins to lose its blandness and gains some colour.

DETAILS

The Archive Hour: King of Comedy - A Tribute to Geoffrey Perkins - R4, Saturday, October 4

The Penny Dreadfuls Present: More Brothers Faversham - BBC7, Sunday, October 5

Sounds of the Sixties: Saturday Club Special - R2, Saturday, October 4