Audio: Twenty Twelve 'is art imitating life'

A bus carrying an important delegation to the London Olympic Park was badly delayed because the bus driver didn't know his way around the capital. Sound familiar? It's not the news story but the plot of episode two of the BBC comedy Twenty Twelve.

But just how close to the truth is the Olympic spoof?

Jon Plowman, the executive producer of the series, told The World At One's Martha Kearney that it was a case of art imitating life.

"I think what's happened is they can't work out what disasters to have over there and so they're looking to our show to work out what should go wrong next," he explained.

Video: Michael Palin on Brazil and carnivals

Michael Palin says he is looking forward to seeing carnival season in Brazil as part of his new series on the country.

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show to Martha Kearney the former Monty Python star spoke about Brazil's increasing role in the world.

The use of props to add colour to a show that is, let's face it, better suited to Radio 4, is understandable. It doesn't stop the programme from being both amusing and informative, certainly. So it's just a shame that the toy horned helmets worn by Andy Hamilton, Reginald D Hunter and guest scrutineer Martha Kearney don't really support Julian Richards's theory that the Vikings were a force for good. Then again, a Viking shield might have helped ward off the spiky quips from Dr Peter Thompson, who believes our eyes don't tell us what's really out there.