Comments on: Rum Doings Episode 4

By: url404

url404 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:05:54 +0000

How incredibly rude of me. I just wanted to pop on and say thanks very much Nick for your comprehensive reply to my post (although I clearly know all about the Murdochs – and I guess I can only apologise).

Can’t wait for the next podcast.

By: Gassalasca

Gassalasca — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:33:09 +0000

I agree with Nick about John’s accent (though BBC would never hire someone so friendly, honest and cute-sounding), but I must say that I find Nick’s voice suitable as well. The accent is not too strong (and it’s more posh than anything else), and his diction is good. I think many Britons would enjoy having their news delivered in Nick’s reassuring Hitler cadence.

By: Mike Arthur

Mike Arthur — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:59:44 +0000

In your comments about the national anthem, the Scottish one is predominantly about beating the English in war and normally has Scottish people shouting “bastards” whenever there is a gap after the English are mentioned.

I’m a Scot though so I perhaps shouldn’t be letting you into our secrets.

By: Sartoris

Sartoris — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:55:50 +0000

I love anything that has the enchanting sound of Mr. Walker’s voice in it. Please continue making these. Also, I demand that John Walker be officially proclaimed one of the Care Bears. That is all.

By: Fat Zombie

Fat Zombie — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:09:44 +0000

I still enjoy The Now Show, it’s a bit of nostalgic glee for me. Though I agree that the new thing on Fridays isn’t very funny at all (and by my standards, that’s a deathly condemnation).

We’ve heard enough of what comedy programmes that John and Nick dislike; what comedy programmes do the dynamic duo favour? This I feel would be an interesting thing to know, if only so I myself can re-calibrate my humour sensors.

By: Le Pace

Le Pace — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 06:34:05 +0000

All the cool people use holes in the ground.

By: Andy

Andy — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:02:16 +0000

Pace said “Come on, a hole in the ground is pretty much as good as a toilet”.

I suspect Pace is French.

By: NM

NM — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:29:33 +0000

Hi url404,

I created a little reference lexicon for an American listener who had a similar experience to yours. I’ll paste it here. I hope it helps :-)

The Licence Fee: The BBC is funded by every owner of a television set paying a flat-rate tax to get a “television licence”. In fact, this funds the BBC’s TV stations, its news website and the radio stations. It’s about $150 per year per TV-owning household. This allows the BBC not to have any commercials or sponsorship etc. Every year, for the last 50 years or so, people have debated whether to retain this fee!

BBC Radio One: A national pop/rock channel particularly devoted to youthmusic.
BBC Radio Two: A more MOR station, which also includes show tunes and so on, as well as light rock.
BBC Radio Three: A very intellectual classical music and culture station, that also includes jazz and some *very* eclectic programs at night, including modern dance music, folk, world and so on.
BBC Radio Four: An intelligent speech station which includes news, comedy and so on – a bit like a less dull NPR :-)

Terry Wogan: A very long-time Irish presenter on Radio Two who’s giving up his morning programme. A well known and charming figure.

Chris Moyles: a well-paid DJ on Radio One, whose charms we debate.

Cream Tea: A tradition where one is given scones (what you might be call a ‘biscuit’) on which clotted cream and jam (jelly) is placed, had with a cup of hot milky tea and other pastry sundries at about 4pm.

Cub scouts: Young boys in the scouting movement.

Bob-a-job: Cub scouts go around performing tasks for people (packing their groceries etc) for which they ask for money (it used to be a ‘bob’, the nickname for a defunct coin – hence bob-a-job). They then give the money to charity.

The Now Show: An annoying satirical programme on Radio Four. Think of SNL for radio, but even less funny.

Punt and Dennis: The comedians who script and perform much of The Now Show and have been doing the same lazy nonsense for decades.

James Murdoch: Rupert Murdoch’s son, who runs commercial satellite TV in the UK, and is annoyed by the BBC (for obvious reasons).

By: url404

url404 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 03:19:48 +0000

Another enjoyable casting of your pod.

I do have to say though that as an Australian listener a large swathe of the references as lost on me.

I guess this is more my problem then yours though.

By: Quercus

Quercus — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 08:42:28 +0000

I like Radio 4 comedy (including The Now Show) and also I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, which I first heard in 1986. Most of it is scripted these days but it is still very funny. I think they found a hapy medium in the late eighties, where some rounds were scripted and some (such as ad lib poem) weren’t, but dropped a lot of these in the nineties because some of the panelists weren’t keen on them.
I agree with you about the current Fred McAuley show though, I don’t think he is bad as a comedian but this latest show is appalling.

And yes, is used with a certain level of scepticism, Wikipedia is fantastic.