Paul O'Grady Stands Up for Liverpool

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BBC Radio 4 Extra

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BBC Radio 4 Extra - Paul O'Grady Stands Up for Liverpool

Liverpudlian Paul O'Grady celebrates Merseyside's funny men and women.

Liverpudlian Paul O'Grady celebrates Merseyside's funny men and women including Arthur Askey, Kenny Everett, Ken Dodd, Alexei Sayle, Patricia Routledge and John Bishop.

Another chance to enjoy Paul O'Grady's celebration of some of Merseyside's funniest Scouse men and women: 

Arthur Askey
Rob Wilton
Tommy Handley
Kenny Everett
Ken Dodd
Jimmy Tarbuck
Alexei Sayle
Patricia Routledge
John Bishop

*  Big-hearted Arthur Askey was born in Liverpool in 1900 and went on to front Band Waggon, the first regular BBC radio comedy series. Russell Davies introduces an episode of TURNS OF THE CENTURY profiling the man who coined the famous phase "Ay-Thang-You." 

*  Rob Wilton's was a different catch-phrase, but like Arthur Askey, his comedy entertained millions during the war years, kicking off with those immortal words "The Day War Broke Out". Mark Radcliffe tells Rob's story in an episode of HOW TICKLED AM I? 

*  ITMA, or IT'S THAT MAN AGAIN for those not in the know, was the radio home of Tommy Handley, a comedian who was struck down in his prime, bringing to an end one of the most popular radio comedy series the BBC has ever known. And sticking with comedy catchphrases, it was Tommy who first started using the acronym TTFN - long before instant messaging and mobile phone text speak! 

*  Ken Dodd loves a catch phrase too, and he loves his tickling stick. Find out what happened when he chatted to fellow Liverpudlian funny-man Ricky Tomlinson in WHEN DODDY MET RICKY

*  As radio revolutionaries go, they don't get much more radical than Kenny Everett. Well known on both commercial and BBC national radio, Paul focuses on his time at local BBC Radio Merseyside - from KENNY EVERETT: THE LOCAL RADIO YEARS.   

*  Jimmy Tarbuck tells DESERT ISLAND DISCS presenter Sue Lawley how he got his start in comedy.

*  Barry Cryer profiles a bit on an imposter to the programme - Patricia Routledge. As Paul O'Grady is quick to point out, Patricia hails from Birkenhead rather than Liverpool, but she's very welcome. The star of Keeping Up Appearances became best known for being the lady of the house at the notorious Bucket Residence.

*  And finally, current star John Bishop chats to DESERT ISLAND DISCS' Kirsty Young about the career change that took him from salesman to stand-up.

Producer: Elizabeth Clark  

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by BBC Scotland and first broadcast in September 2012.

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