Sisters in Satire: The Pioneering Women of Comedy

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BBC Radio 4 Extra

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Comedy

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Sisters in Satire: The Pioneering Women of Comedy

Samira Ahmed leads a comedy journey exploring women in satire.

Samira Ahmed and guests discuss women’s evolution in satirical comedy with Arabella Weir, Lissa Evans and Tiffany Stevenson.

What impact did the sisters of satire from the 1960’s and 70’s have on the comedy we know today and what was their cultural influence?  

From the dawn of broadcast comedy, women played a vital but largely overlooked role.

Yet they were more in the background rather than the forefront - often the joke target, instead of cracking the gags themselves.  

But just because they weren’t the stars of the show didn’t mean their influence wasn’t felt.

June Whitfield, Eleanor Bron and Miriam Margolyes were all quietly but firmly making their name in comedies such as The Glums, The Establishment Club and The Betty Witherspoon Show. These women paved the way for comedians and actors such as Jan Ravens, Meera Syal and Linda Smith.  

Samira Ahmed is joined by actor and director Arabella Weir, ex-radio producer and novelist Lissa Evans and stand-up comic and actress Tiffany Stevenson to discuss some of the best sitcoms from the BBC archives and assess the impact these funny women have had on contemporary comedy and the extent of their satirical legacy.  

Their comic journey from the early 1970’s to the present day features:  

*    Week Ending
*    Goodness Gracious Me
*    A Brief History of Time Wasting 


Producer: Belinda Naylor

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra and first broadcast in November 2019.

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