It seemed to me that "The Music Group" was a programme which was shoved into the 6.30pm slot to fill a gap which had cropped up, possibly due to a miscalculation with the scheduling?
I agree that, not only did it not really fit in that slot (i.e. it really wasn't funny) but it was also very shoddily produced (people talking over each other, poor links, terrible guests etc), it seemed like a bit of a rush job.
Welcome to the BCG forums Tony. 
Quote: Ian Wolf @ October 22 2009, 4:09 PM BSTWelcome to the BCG forums Tony.
Cheers. I've been lurking for a while but finally decided to take the plunge.
I love Radio 4 and a lot of the comedy but I have to admit that the standard is incredibly variable, sometimes I listen and just wonder how on Earth some of it got commissioned, I'm guess it's not just me that thinks this?
Quote: Tony Cowards @ October 22 2009, 4:17 PM BSTCheers. I've been lurking for a while but finally decided to take the plunge.
I love Radio 4 and a lot of the comedy but I have to admit that the standard is incredibly variable, sometimes I listen and just wonder how on Earth some of it got commissioned, I'm guess it's not just me that thinks this?
I think that on the whole, it is remarkably successful. If you name the shows you don't like, I'm sure there will be people here who love them.
My only slight criticism is that they are always terribly slick and well put together, conforming to certain standards, and I'd like to hear some more experimental stuff. So in fact, I'd like to hear *more* variability.
Quote: Tony Cowards @ October 22 2009, 4:17 PM BSTsometimes I listen and just wonder how on Earth some of it got commissioned, I'm guess it's not just me that thinks this?
No, I'm sure Lenny Henry is thinking the exact same thing . . .
Quote: Oldrocker @ October 22 2009, 11:59 PM BSTNo, I'm sure Lenny Henry is thinking the exact same thing . . .
As already stated, I like the show! It's good old fashioned entertainment.
I quite liked Pick Ups last night, it had a very interesting plot and slowly built up.
I've got Hut 33 and Count Arthur recorded to listen to.
Quote: Nogget @ October 22 2009, 4:19 PM BSTI think that on the whole, it is remarkably successful. If you name the shows you don't like, I'm sure there will be people here who love them.
Yes I guess you are absolutely right, one man's meat etc.
Specifically though I thought Shappi Khorsandi's (who I think it a good stand-up) "Shappi Talk" was pretty awful, it seemed to me that it was an ill thought out vehicle to put her in whilst she was flavour of the month, and the recent topical show with Fred McCauley (have forgotten the name now as I think my memory tried to save me from the horror of it) which I actually had to turn off as I thought it was almost unlistenable (weak, contrived jokes, no chemistry between the acts, terrible hosting, etc, etc).
I also think that the 6.30pm slot has a propensity for attracting commissions which elicit wry smiles rather than out-and-out laughter, which is not necessarily a bad thing but I'd love there to be more joke driven serials like Milton Jones (but then that's probably because I'm a joke writer and stand-up) in amongst the standard fare.
The fantastic Count Arthur Strong is on Thursday nights on Radio 4. This week he wanted to know if anyone rode zebras, apart from Tarbuck who used a horse with emulsion painted on it.
I'm not entirely decided about Count Arthur Strong, sometimes it makes me laugh but others I think some of the jokes are obvious and very formulaic (overuse of spooner and malapropisms).
Ah, I've just spotted this thread. Fair enough - guess a good idea can't be kept down. Having separate threads for each show has definitely failed then. All I ask is if we could discuss the bigger radio shows in their own threads still that'd be great (various reasons for that).
For the record, I love Count Arthur Strong. Quite a bit of the current radio comedy is a bit average-at-best, but we do have the simply brilliant Bleak Expectations back soon - don't miss that!
*Chipolata runs round room high-fiving sexy late teenage girls*
*blissfully unaware of Mark's assassination plan*
Dan
Too Much Information on Tuesday was pretty awful, and made me long for the dire record show from the previous week. Even the opening credits are annoying.
Again, I enjoyed Rudy's Rare Records last night, although quite why, I'm not sure.
One was good. But I'm still having major trouble with the Rik Mayall programme that follows it.