Funny Fortnight will feature talent including Tom Allen, Charlie Brooker, Daliso Chaponda, Sophie Duker, Rhys James, Russell Kane, Gary Lewis, James May, AJ Odudu, Vicki Pepperdine, Morgana Robinson, Suzi Ruffell, Ahir Shah, Emma Sidi, Stacey Solomon, and Sindhu Vee. These programmes, comprised of six 30 minute shows, will be broadcast across Saturday 21 - Sunday 22 March, and Saturday 28 - Sunday 29 March.
The station has a proven history in nurturing some of the country’s best comedic talent, with Miranda’s hit TV show starting life on the station as Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop in 2007.
Robert Gallacher, Commissioning Editor, Radio 2 says: “Radio 2 is delighted to be bringing this special season of programming to air this Spring. From emerging talent to treasured favourites, there’s something to entertain all our listeners across the UK.”
Patrick Kielty’s Comedy Heroes: Steve Martin And Martin Short
29 February
Patrick interviews these two great comedy legends as they reveal their inspirations and career highlights.
From meeting Elvis to hosting the Oscars, Steve’s career has been packed with stand-out moments. Reflecting on working with the likes of Glen Campbell and selling-out stadiums in the 70s, he discusses the moments that have shaped his career. Martin shares stories about meeting Tony Bennett and Al Pacino, and tells Patrick what it was like growing up and working with Paul Shaffer and Eugene Levy. He also talks about working on Saturday Night Live and the pressures of performing every week on live TV.
Steve and Martin also discuss the enduring legacy of their film The Three Amigos, and what it means now to them and to audiences around the world.
Steve Martin is a multi-award winning actor, comedian, writer and musician, with not only an Honorary Academy Award, but also Grammys, an Emmy and a Writers Guild of America award to his name. Martin first rose to prominence in the 1960s as a writer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and later become a familiar face on The Tonight Show. He went on to star in classics including Roxanne, The Runaway Bride, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and can currently be found on tour with fellow guest and one of Canada’s most celebrated performers, Martin Short.
The creator of numerous iconic sketch characters, including Ed Grimley and Jiminy Glick, Short is the winner of two Primetime Emmy awards and a Tony award, and received a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2016 Canadian Screen Awards. Best known for his work on SCTV and Saturday Night Live, he has also appeared in numerous films, including Innerspace and Mars Attacks!
Patrick Kielty’s Comedy Heroes: Mel Brooks
29 March
Patrick interviews Mel at home in Los Angeles. Mel shares stories from the iconic movies he’s made, growing up in New York, working with Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor and creating some of the most memorable moments in comedy history.
He also shares stories of his time with Alfred Hitchcock, Dustin Hoffman, Cary Grant and his beloved wife Anne Bancroft.
Mel Brooks is an Oscar, Grammy and Tony award-winning actor, writer, producer and director who has created some of the most iconic comedy films such as The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.
Infectious Personalities
21 March
A chat show with a unique twist. Real-life doctor, Dr Ed Patrick, interviews celebrities about their medical history as well as their current concerns and worries. With an excellent bed-side manner, Dr Ed offers a funny insight into the world (and hang-ups) of his guests.
In this episode, he interviews Primetime Emmy award-winning writer, Charlie Brooker (Black Mirror) and comedian and actor, Sindhu Vee (Sex Education). Charlie has a deep-seated horror of vomiting and once ignored an infected insect bite because of his almost fatal devotion to the writer’s deadline. Meanwhile, Sindhu is a self-confessed ‘full-blown, all-systems-go hypochondriac’, and has had a fibroid for so long that she’s given it a name.
Always June
21 March
Vicki Pepperdine (Getting On) and Morgana Robinson (The Windsors) are the creators and stars of Always June, a new sitcom delving into the life of eccentric landlady June Pursglove (Pepperdine) and the motley group of lodgers in her seafront lodging house.
With June’s bills mounting up and the house falling into disrepair, self-monikered femme fatale and wannabe business guru, Karen Buckle, (Robinson) has her hopes set on a life away from the boarding house when aspiring novelist Becky (Emma Sidi - W1A) arrives. The cast also includes Janine Duvitski (Benidorm), Paul G Raymond (Black Mirror) and George Fouracres (Pls Like).
Explicable Me
22 March
You might think you know a celebrity pretty well… but do you know what animal they would be?
Explicable Me is a new comedy entertainment show built on personality tests. Suzi Ruffell (Live at the Apollo) hosts as Ahir Shah (The Mash Report) tests guests Tom Allen (The Apprentice: You’re Fired) and AJ Odudu (Loose Women) and reveals the results. They’ll get the answers to pressing questions such as what body part they would be, which famous billionaire they are most like and what they would do in the event of a dinner party disaster.
Celebrity Groupchat
22 March
We’re all in social media group chats, sharing a stream of our private thoughts, updates and lols. But are the group chats of the stars just like ours?
Celebrity Groupchat is a new comedy show that finds out just what celebrities chat about in private by bringing together four familiar faces in their very own ‘celebrity groupchat’ to shoot the breeze, share their lives and let the hilarity ensue.
Jock
28 March
Until today Jock (Gary Lewis - Billy Elliot) was one of the world’s most successful football managers, but this is his first day of retirement. Without the beautiful game to keep him going what will he do with his time, and how will he avoid the irritating friends, family and neighbours he suddenly finds himself surrounded by?
Written by Greg Hemphill (creator and writer of Still Game) and Donald McLeary (Mountain Goats) Jock stars Maureen Beattie (Deadwater Fell), Robin Laing (Shetland), Anne Kidd (Shetland), Richard Conlon (Age of Genius), Anita Vettesse (The Loch) Julie Austin (River City) and Gabriel Quigley (A Long Long Crime Ago).
Lost In Translation
28 March
A brand-new comedy panel show in which host Tom Allen (The Apprentice - You’re Fired) and his celebrity guests James May (The Grand Tour), Stacey Solomon (Loose Women), Daliso Chaponda (QI), Russell Kane (Live At The Apollo) Sophie Duker (Mock The Week) and Rhys James (Mock The Week) will dissect and analyse language, foreign cultures and everything in between that gets misunderstood, with sometimes hilarious consequences. With insights from linguistics expert Dr Laura Bailey, the show will demonstrate how language can not only bring us together, but also create national outcry; and that though some words may be a term of endearment in some cultures, they can be a damning insult in others.
From untranslatable words to seemingly nonsensical idioms to some of the greatest insults ever created, this show will peel back the layers to reveal the secret quirks of communication.
Bitch, Bitch, Bitch
Recently announced, new Radio 2 podcast Bitch, Bitch, Bitch with Matt Lucas will be coming to BBC Sounds this spring.
What brings the people of Britain together like nothing else? Complaining about their jobs, of course! And in his new podcast, Bitch Bitch Bitch, Matt Lucas is witness to the unpleasant side of the jobs we all wish we had. In every episode, three guests in the same line of work come together to reveal what really grinds their gears about their jobs. Big-name West End actors, glamorous flight attendants, acclaimed chefs; they’ll give you the gossip you never knew you needed about these aspirational professions.
Matt Lucas says: “I’m thrilled to be providing these free therapy sessions for the workers of Britain through my new Radio 2 podcast for BBC Sounds. No gripe will be left unheard!”
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