Last Word

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Radio 4's weekly obituary programme, telling the life stories of those who have died recently

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Last Word: Sergei Kovalev (pictured), Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Abebech Gobena, Ed Asner

Sergei Kovalev, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Abebech Gobena, Ed Asner

Sergei Kovalev (pictured), Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Abebech Gobena, Ed Asner

BBC Radio 4 - Last Word, Sergei Kovalev (pictured), Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Abebech Gobena, Ed Asner

Matthew Bannister on a dissident, a reggae pioneer, a humanitarian, an actor

Matthew Bannister on dissident Sergei Kovalev, reggae pioneer Lee 'Scratch' Perry, humanitarian Abebech Gobena, actor Ed Asner.

Matthew Bannister on 

Sergei Kovalev, the scientist and leading dissident, who spoke out against human rights abuses under the Soviet Union and the Yeltsin and  Putin regimes. He was sent to a labour camp and suffered internal exile. 

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, the reggae pioneer who helped Bob Marley to develop his sound.

Abebech Gobena, the Ethiopian humanitarian who devoted her life to helping thousands of disadvantaged children, with some calling her ‘Africa’s Mother Theresa’.

Ed Asner, the American actor best known for playing the irascible but principled news editor in the TV series Lou Grant.


Producer: Neil George

Interviewed guest: Jonathan Dimbleby
Interviewed guest: Victor Davidoff
Interviewed guest: Neil ‘Mad Professor’ Fraser
Interviewed guest: David Katz
Interviewed guest: Elias Mulugeta Hordofa
Interviewed guest: David Gritten
Interviewed guest: Angie Errigo

Archive clips used: BBC, Russia: A Journey with Jonathan Dimbleby 25/05/2008; ITN, Chechnya war report 1995; YouTube - Human Rights Watch, Sergei Kovalev interview 28/12/2011; BBC, Lee 'Scratch' Perry in His Own Words 13/06/2011; YouTube - Choir at Emmanuel Orphanage in Woliso 2010; BBC, News Report 1Ethiopia Famine 7/07/1984; BBC, Everywoman 27/02/2004; Addis Post, Abebech Gobena funeral 06/07/2021; My Generation, Bill Newcott interview with Ed Asner 2021; Pixar/Disney, Up movie 2009; MTM Productions, Lou Grant S01 E01 1977; EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG, Ed Asner interview 2011; New Line Cinema/Guy Walks into a Bar Productions/Gold/Miller Productions, Elf movie 2003.

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Last Word

Sergei Kovalev (pictured), Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Abebech Gobena, Ed Asner

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