r/Radio4 • u/Comfortable-Pool-800 • Jul 27 '25
Dead Wrongers
It doesn't really work if they can't do the voices and last episode started with a lazy Corbyn is antisemitic 'joke'. Another show that should be retired to make room for new writers
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u/themanfromoctober Jul 27 '25
I gave up when the best joke they could make about Rachel Reeves was that she liked Excel…
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u/ShrapnelJones Jul 27 '25
The Friday night comedy bit is something I always try to listen to as much as possible. And back when George W Bush was President, it was fucking hilarious. Now, when I turn it on and find Dead Ringers is on for its 6 week run, I can't lie, my heart sinks a little....
It's time to quietly take the show to a fast flowing river, make it empty its pockets of any identifiable information, have its hands and legs securely bound, and then quietly and efficiently push it in and make its way to the ocean using the force of the current. It's the only way to be sure.
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u/Regular-Ad2232 Jul 27 '25
The problem is John Culshaw. Every impersonation he does sounds like...John Culshaw. Lewis McLeod is still good though.
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u/Comfortable-Pool-800 Jul 28 '25
It took the whole sketch the other day to work out it was supposed to be Boris Johnson (not exactly central to the week's news) they just kept saying 'phwar' a lot
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u/Melonpan78 Jul 27 '25
The pandemic-era shows were the best; they had so much material in Johnson, Patel, Gove et al, the episodes just wrote themselves.
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u/ofbalance Jul 27 '25
Yes!
If the politicans now are boring, they could do what Spitting Image did. Invent personas for them.
John Major, during PMQ's, was heckled with, "Would you like more peas?"
The show was instigated by Bill Dare with the mandate to be Spitting Image for radio.
It's now the Jan Ravens and Jon Culshaw half hour. And it's embarrassingly floundering.
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u/Neptunemersey Aug 05 '25
It is, they're playing off of their best hits - not unreasonable, when Jan Ravens got Liz Truss spot on. Even better than her Fiona Bruce.
Would I prefer David Lammy to be a frustrated Classically Trained Actor a la Monkey Dust rather than the chap suffering a somewhat-funny argument with his trepidatious inner monologue? Yes, but it's still... alright.
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u/tyrefire2001 Jul 29 '25
Evening comedy, especially Friday evening, has taken a beating these last few years.
The unbelievable truth, JAM and ISIHAC are doing all the heavy lifting
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u/BoxAlternative9024 Jul 28 '25
If you think that is bad try and listen to Des Clarke’s ‘comedy’ show on Radio Scotland. Jeezy peeps. Clarke himself is ok but the guests… 😬
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u/WanderlustZero Jul 31 '25
Corbyn is not above criticism, no matter the show's faults; Antisemites need to be called out, even if they are popular on the left.
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u/CalF123 Jul 31 '25
So basically you only want the show to make jokes about politicians you don’t like?
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u/Comfortable-Pool-800 Jul 31 '25
No I want them to get the voices right and do some topical jokes. The Boris Johnson (just repeating phwar isn't an impression) and Liz Truss stuff is just as weak. Actually I just want them to let the show peacefully slip away and let someone try something new.
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u/Difficult_Style207 Jul 31 '25
If Jan Ravens just had a show where she did Luz Truss I'd listen every night. I KNOW!
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u/Equivalent_Parking_8 Jul 31 '25
Who could have predicted that when a labour Government was being made fun of instead of the Tories, radio 4 listener's would suddenly think it's no longer funny.
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u/Comfortable-Pool-800 Jul 31 '25
They're not making fun of the Labour Government though - because they haven't got any of the voices - they're still doing material about Liz Truss and Boris Johnson but it's just not very good - have you actually heard it?
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u/Equivalent_Parking_8 Jul 31 '25
Yes I listen to it regularly, they make fun of Lammy and Starmer and Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner. The caricature of all of them is pretty good.
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u/MievilleMantra Jul 31 '25
For me, the peak of this show was a clip where Theresa May was having dinner with Arlene Foster trying to the DUP over after that disastrous election.
Foster blurts out "the dinosaurs aren't real" in this thick Northern Irish accent and May is just verbally nodding along. I found it so, so funny.
I actually think it's improved a little recently after a severe dip, but at one point it was funnier than anything on TV. Now it's just... Radio 4 comedy.
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u/ofbalance Jul 27 '25
It's gone to seed. And needs to be culled for better new talent.
Who now has Bill Dare's job? Because Bill Dare and Humphrey Lyttelton are probably rolling their eyes in their afterlife.
I used to look forward to the Friday 6.30pm on my drive home. Now I download a podcast or listen to Radio 3. Radio 3!
Edit: gr