LOLs on LPs

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David Walliams remembers the comedy albums which inspired him to write and perform.

4 Extra Debut. David Walliams remembers the comedy albums which inspired him to perform, from Richard Pryor to Derek and Clive. From 2020.

What inspired David Walliams to pursue a career in comedy?

It was all thanks to his experience as a teenager growing up in suburban Surrey, listening to albums like The Secret Policeman's Ball and Not The Nine O’clock News' Hedgehog Sandwich. 

David explores the story of comedy albums, from the early George Martin-produced Peter Sellers records to the big-selling stand up albums that kickstarted the careers of Billy Connolly and Richard Pryor,

The it's on to  adolescent favourites like Monty Python and Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's unfiltered excesses as Derek and Clive. 

Now that comedy albums have largely disappeared, replaced by the streamed comedy special, David looks in detail at some of the iconic comedy records of the last 60 years, the influence they had on today's generations of performers, and the way their too-rude-for-radio content changed what became acceptable in comedy.

Presenter: David Walliams

A Trevor Dann Company production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in August 2020.

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