Brian Cox returns as Bob Servant for two final Radio 4 specials
- Brian Cox is to play his burger van owner character Bob Servant again, for two final specials on Radio 4
- He says: "To once again have the opportunity to play Bob Servant is a great thrill"
- Bob Servant Says Cheerio will air on Radio 4 on 27th December and 3rd January
Succession star Brian Cox is returning to his burger van owner character for two Radio 4 specials.
Creator Neil Forsyth has written the two-part Bob Servant Says Cheerio to allow the character to "announce his retirement from public life".
Cox first played "Dundee's third most successful cheeseburger van owner" in the 2010 BBC Radio Scotland series The Bob Servant Emails. The character transferred to TV in 2013 with the BBC Four sitcom Bob Servant.
Radio 4 says: "Bob's retirement has rightfully been honoured with two special radio programmes as Bob looks back on his career - righting wrongs, bearing grudges and offering what he has learnt about life, romance, Scotland, and running a genuinely profitable burger van.
"Whether he is providing advice on the best way to approach a funeral or compliment a woman, or negotiating a pardon from the Tayside Police for a litany of minor criminal charges; Bob's delusion and determination never fail. These qualities are unflinchingly demonstrated when urging his doctor to provide on-air confirmation of his physical attributes or - most importantly - persevering in his attempts to re-establish contact with Lulu who he met outside a petrol station in 1983 and with whom, in his words, he formed a 'genuine lifelong connection'."
The episodes - which will air on Wednesday 27th December 2023 and Wednesday 3rd January 2024 at 11:30am - will feature Phyllis Logan, Greg McHugh, Rufus Jones and Jonathan Watson. Radio 4 teases "as well as a climactic reunion between Bob Servant and special guest, Lulu. Yes, that one."
Brian Cox says: "To once again have the opportunity to play Bob Servant is a great thrill. There are a handful of roles which are coveted by all actors, and playing the third most successful cheeseburger van operator in Dundee is certainly one of them."
Neil Forsyth comments: "It was a great joy to bring Bob Servant back to where he first began, bewildering the listeners of BBC Radio. Brian slipped back into Bob's moccasins as if he'd never taken them off, while Jonathan, Greg, Phyllis, Rufus and Lulu (that's right, Lulu), provided wonderful support. What a way to go."
Julia McKenzie, Comedy and Entertainment Commissioner for BBC Radio 4, jokes: "After a bidding war between ourselves, Netflix and Channel 5, I'm delighted that Radio 4 secured this two-parter which finds Bob Servant on peppery, vigorous form as he approaches retirement and takes time to reflect on his many achievements and innate qualities."
Meanwhile, a new book, With My Head Held High: The Very Best Of Bob Servant, is published later this month. All proceeds go to children's charity Dundee Bairns.
The Bob Servant Emails - The Complete Series
Born and bred in Dundee, Bob Servant sees himself as a people's champion. His extraordinary self-belief stems largely from his dominant position in Dundee's notorious Cheeseburger Wars of the early 1980s - a period of riotous appreciation for the traditional American snack that caused madness on the streets and lined Servant's pockets. He continued his Midas touch in the 1990s by running what he often claims to have been the 'largest window cleaning round in Western Europe'. Now he's retired and, feeling purposeless and a little bored, he's taking on the internet spammers of the world. Playing the fraudsters at their own game, he soon has them in the palm of his hand. Starring Brian Cox as Bob Servant, with Felix Dexter, Laura Solon, Sanjeev Kohli and Lewis MacLeod.
First released: Monday 5th March 2012
- Distributor: AudioGo
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Bob Servant Independent
The Scottish town of Broughty Ferry doesn't know what's hit it. The sudden death of the sitting MP has resulted in a by-election that could change the political map of the UK. Bob Servant has been waiting his whole life for this level of attention and he's willing to do anything to keep it.
Bob sells himself as a man of the people but doesn't really like people. He also has absolutely no understanding of the political process and uses the by-election campaign as a heaven sent opportunity for self-promotion. While the bewildered Broughty Ferry locals watch on, Bob and his long-suffering best pal and campaign manager Frank, attempt to pull off the greatest political shock of all.
Starring Brian Cox, Jonathan Watson, Rufus Jones and Pollyanna McIntosh.
First released: Monday 4th March 2013
- Distributor: BBC
- Region: 2 & 4
- Discs: 1
- Minutes: 169
- Subtitles: English
- Catalogue: BBCDVD3787
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- Distributor: BBC
BCG may earn commission on sales generated through the links above.
Not in the UK?
Fear not! Many items can still be ordered. Amazon in the UK delivers to many international territories, whilst their Australia, USA and Canada stores also supply many equivalent or imported items.
If you are in the North America, look out for US/Canadian flag icons on popular product listings for direct links.
If you order from a UK store, please note that the UK is in Region 2 and B, respectively, for DVDs and Blu-rays - check your player's compatibility, or look for multi-region products if you are located in another region.
If you are in Australia or New Zealand (DVD Region 4), note that almost all DVDs distributed in the UK by the BBC and 2entertain are encoded for both Region 2 and Region 4. The UK and Australasia are in the same Blu-ray region (B).
Neil Forsyth - With My Head Held High: The Very Best Of Bob Servant
Bob Servant has had an extraordinary life. Window cleaning legend, Cheeseburger Van Svengali, bestselling author, star of his own BBC radio show and television series and a genuine legend in his much-admired hometown of Broughty Ferry, Dundee.
And now, to mark his retirement from public life, With My Head Held High is a compilation of the very best of Bob's writing, from his email exchanges with Internet scammers, his Ask Bob responses to his adoring public, his relatively celebrated romantic fiction and his underrated guides to life's greatest challenges.
From the pen of writer Neil Forsyth, the book includes a foreword by Bob Servant actor Brian Cox.
First published: Saturday 18th November 2023
- Catalogue: 9781916162952
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Not in the UK?
Fear not! Many items can still be ordered. Amazon in the UK delivers to many international territories, whilst their Australia, USA and Canada stores also supply many equivalent or imported items.
If you are in the North America, look out for US/Canadian flag icons on popular product listings for direct links.
If you order from a UK store, please note that the UK is in Region 2 and B, respectively, for DVDs and Blu-rays - check your player's compatibility, or look for multi-region products if you are located in another region.
If you are in Australia or New Zealand (DVD Region 4), note that almost all DVDs distributed in the UK by the BBC and 2entertain are encoded for both Region 2 and Region 4. The UK and Australasia are in the same Blu-ray region (B).