Comedy of the Week

Mark Steel returns to Radio 4 with the ninth series of his award-winning show that travels around the country visiting towns that have nothing in common but their uniqueness. After thoroughly researching each town, Mark writes and performs a bespoke evening of comedy for the local residents. In the first episode Mark visits Hastings. Hastings is mainly known for its famous battle, but they don't like to go on about that. Apart from over seventy businesses with 1066 in the title, you hardly see it mentioned. A lot has happened there since 1066 though; they have an annual Pirates Day, for example, where everyone dresses as pirates and gets drunk. They have Jack in the Green day, where everyone paints themselves green and gets drunk. They also have a statue of a giant winkle, an alley under the prom with a spectacular light show and there are lots of lovely pubs too, where you can watch one of their thousands of bands... and get drunk. Oh, and there's a building supplier called William the Concreter. Written and performed by Mark Steel Additional material by Pete Sinclair Production co-ordinator, Hayley Sterling / Beverly Tagg Sound Manager, Jerry Peal Producer, Carl Cooper

Comedy drama set in AA starring Sue Johnston, Rebecca Front, John Hannah, Paul Kaye and Johnny Vegas. Written by Pete Jackson, based on his own road to recovery.

Award-winning comedian and super-sharp everywoman Angela Barnes tackles life and love and, with the help of the audience, packs herself a fantasy coffin. In part tribute to Angela's beloved late father - a larger than life gregarious character, he was a sex shop manager, naturist, and a big fan of caravans and pranks - Angela celebrates his carpe diem approach to life, and his motto "You Can't Take It With You". When her father died very suddenly in 2008, Angela and her family proved him wrong and stuffed his coffin with sentimental keepsakes for his final journey. Angela now does the very same thing, nominating objects that she would choose to send on with her as mementoes of her life, and asking the audience to share items they would take with them, all acting as prompts for contemplative, heart-warming and captivating comedy. Angela Barnes is a vivacious, critically acclaimed stand-up comic from Maidstone, Kent. After a career in health and social care, at the age of 33, she decided to pursue a long-held ambition and give comedy a go. Within a couple of years, Angela and her witty worldview had won the 2011 BBC New Comedy Award by a public vote, secured a weekly star slot in Channel 4's Stand Up For The Week and appeared on numerous radio and television shows including Loose Ends, The Now Show, The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4), Russell Howard's Good News (BBC 3), and Mock The Week and Live at the Apollo (BBC 2). She has been the host of BBC Radio 4 Extra's Newsjack for the last two series. An Impatient production for BBC Radio 4

Writer Tom Basden reunites the cast of this critically acclaimed Radio 4 series six years on as the group of aspiring political agitators once again apply their small minds to big problems. This Christmas one-off special sees the team reunite one last time to take on Donald Trump. Starring Tom Basden...Simon Anna Crilly...Mel Tim Key...Duncan Jonny Sweet...Jared Katy Wix...Phoebe Producer...Julia McKenzie A BBC Studios Production