30 Blogs of Night: Comedians I Love

Day 22

I love comedy, especially radio comedy (I don't watch television). I've grabbed some of my favourites for today's blog. I should warn you that some of these are quite political (I like that sort of comedy, along with some of the more surreal material out there). Because I'm trying for brevity, a lot of these are clips from The Now Show, I don't feel it's fair to post too many long things, though there is a half hour programme second from bottom. 

Susan Calman

One of my favourites, Susan Calman is funny, pithy, and weird. She talks about giving her cats middle names and playing dress up with them, along with the Prime Suspect Day joke she played on the Tesco Man. This is actually her discussing Scottish politics for BBC Radio 4's The Now Show, 

John Finnemore

Another radio comic I love, John Finnemore is one of the most talented people I know of, doing sketches, a sitcom based on an airline (now sadly no longer with us), and stand up. Here he talks about religion, again for The Now Show.

Marcus Brigstocke

Another political firebrand, Brigstocke for a time was arguably the 'grumpiest man on the radio' and wore that hat very well indeed.

Natalie Haynes

Classicist and Comedian, Natalie Haynes is bright, clever, and funny. She draws a lot of her stand-up material (for all that she rarely does stand up these days) from the Ancient World. Here she discusses the Roman satirist Juvenal and what he has to teach us.

Jeremy Hardy

Bonafide grumpy git, though much of it is a pose, Hardy is a real trooper. Willing to humiliate himself on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, especially in the singing rounds, this is an entire episode of Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation, his series where he explores concepts and ideas in a funny way.

Finally, as Victoria Wood died this week I'd like to post something funny she did on the radio. A semi-regular panellist on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, this is her singing Bob the Builder to the tune of I Dreamed a Dream. I know this isn't one of her own songs, but somehow I admire her more for being able to do this, it must be so hard not to just completely screw it up.

 Weirdly I feel like I've barely mentioned any of the comedians I love, and would urge you to check out Sue Perkins, Sandi Toskvig, Mitch Benn, John Holmes and dozens of other brilliant people who are waiting on your radio. I haven't even touched on sitcoms like Cabin Pressure, Bleak Expectations, Old Harry's Game, or Welcome to our Village, Please Invade Carefully. There's so much brilliant radio out there.