Like They've Never Been Gone
1998 - 2002 radio sitcom. Four 6-episode series. What do you want to know?
Dunno really . .
They've been re-running this on BBC Radio 7. I've really enjoyed it. I hope they're going to re-run series two next.
Listened to first episode of the second series the other night and have found that they have suddenly acquired a studio audience which has lowered my opinion of this. I really enjoyed the first series but the studio audience has changed the way the actors and performing the lines. Roy Hudd seems to be laughing at every joke out of character and some of the other characters seem to have changed for the sake of laughs.
They made me do it, Guv. Honest.
I would have preferred no audience - but that's executives for you ...
Oh well, long time ago, now
Glad you liked the 1st series
Hi Steve,
With a quick Google search, I assume you must be the same Steve Doherty who produced the show? 
How fantastic. Can you share anything with us or will the BBC hounds-of-Hell be unleashed.
Quote: Steve Doherty @ April 15 2010, 9:36 AM BSTThey made me do it, Guv. Honest.
I would have preferred no audience - but that's executives for you ...Oh well, long time ago, now
Glad you liked the 1st series
Yeah I really enjoyed listening to the series and I'm glad there re-running them all again on BBC 7. Although I'm warming to the audience I still prefer it without a audience.
Did you produce all four series?
Woo Steve ! How fabulous ! Welcome.
How did you find us?
Were they called Tristram in those days ? 
Quote: will Cam @ April 15 2010, 1:12 PM BSTHi Steve,
With a quick Google search, I assume you must be the same Steve Doherty who produced the show?
Hello. Is there anybody still there? Sorry for not replying before - I didn't think anyone would be very interested - but it seems I was wrong.
What do you want to know? Happy to be here! I think Mike, the writer, might be around, too...
SD
Quote: Steve Doherty @ June 16 2010, 1:20 PM BSTHello. Is there anybody still there? Sorry for not replying before - I didn't think anyone would be very interested - but it seems I was wrong.
What do you want to know? Happy to be here! I think Mike, the writer, might be around, too...
SD
I've been contact with Mike like I tweeted to you on Twitter. He was telling me he preferred it without a audience as you had to cut 5 to 10 minutes out of each show.
Sorry to arrive late for this - although Steve will no doubt confirm that that's fairly typical of writers.
Can't really add anything to what Steve said. Someone high up in the BBC decided they needed more audience shows on Radio 4 and, because we were using three brilliant, experienced comedy performers, all of whom were born knowing how to work an audience, they decided we were an obvious choice.
Series 2 was the biggest problem because it was done in the BBC Concert Hall, a massive auditorium, which we filled every week but which required our performers to be very much larger than life.
I hope you'll persist on to Series 3 and 4, which were done in much smaller, more intimate venues and thus worked much better.
Mike
PS James, I didn't mean to imply that I liked the audience shows better. Cutting so much out of every show was actually a big problem until I realised I could write less!
Quote: Mike Coleman @ June 18 2010, 9:43 AM BSTPS James, I didn't mean to imply that I liked the audience shows better. Cutting so much out of every show was actually a big problem until I realised I could write less!
No sorry Mike I meant to say preferred it without a audience not with. Grammar mistake which has now been corrected. Thank God for script editors as none of my scripts would make any bloody sense without them.
Something I've always wanted to know if Steve or Mike could answer it. Does June and Roy sing the theme tune at the beginning. It's a good song. And do they sing all of Tommy and Shelia's songs like Why Don't The World?