the
online encyclopaedia of contemporary british radio comedy
|
|
|
|
Radio 1
The 'Radio 1:4 Comedy Network' was a project which toured various comedies from the output of Radios 1 and 4 around the country, usually in student venues, in order to bring both the acts and radio comedy in general to a wider audience. This show (which was only a part of the overall project) consisted of straightforward recordings of established club stand-up acts, usually with no prior radio presence. Each programme came from a different university venue and the acts were linked by a guest compère: there was a strong 'live' feeling although the show was actually pre-recorded. Each programme came from a different university venue and the acts were linked by a guest compère: there was a strong 'live' feeling although the show was actually pre-recorded, and many of the acts were heavily-edited. The first two shows captured some key emerging performers from the era: Peter Baynham as his long-lamented 'Mr Buckstead' character, Kevin Eldon as 'Kevin Boyle', Caroline Aherne with her original 'Mrs Merton' stage act, and Stewart Lee performing a magnificently dry solo piece. Harry Hill was the compere for the first show. Only a very few of these shows (probably four or six) were transmitted: they had no regular place in the Radio 1 listings, but were inserted into the schedules in batches of two. At least one programme was used as a filler during the Chris Morris Music Show's absence from the air.
Sporadic appearances around 1994
