Review: Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting

One of radio's most sorely missed talents is comedian Linda Smith, so it's a joy to be tucking into repeats of Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting (Radio 7). Yesterday's episode of the sitcom, from 2002, was silly and marvellous, and it's a real treat to hear both her writing and her voice again.

There can't be many comedies covering such wide-ranging and seemingly disparate references as are contained in Linda Smith's A Brief History of Time-Wasting. In it we are treated to a tremendous selection of topics filtered through the prism of Linda's amazingly swift and fertile mind. Subjects might include the philosophy of patriotism, poet Robert Frost, or curtain making. She might give consideration to the constituent parts of a modern art installation, urban gentrification, the ludicrous results of public utility privatisation, and the sham of television makeover shows. East Londoners' capacity for self myth-making as well as the ubiquity of certain Radio 4 personalities would also be punctured by Linda's sharp humour. The etiquette of viewing paintings in galleries, daytime television adverts for ways to obliterate the not particularly prevalent British sun, and the nasty sounding dish of Pop Tarts Mornay (the haddock had been stolen by the cat) would not be overlooked, either.