What's Funny About...

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BBC Radio 4 Extra

What's Funny About ...

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Comedy: Chat

Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman hear the inside story of the biggest TV comedies..

Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman hear the inside story of the biggest TV comedies in Britain.

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 FM

BBC Radio 4 LW

What's Funny About ...: Series 2: 4. Pamela Stephenson & John Lloyd on Not The Nine O’Clock News

4. Pamela Stephenson & John Lloyd on Not The Nine O’Clock News

Series 2

BBC Radio 4 Extra - What's Funny About ..., Series 2, 4. Pamela Stephenson & John Lloyd on Not The Nine O’Clock News

John Lloyd and Dr Pamela Stephenson tell the inside story of their pioneering sketch show.

John Lloyd and Dr Pamela Stephenson share the inside story of the BBC pioneering sketch show with Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman.

John Lloyd and Dr Pamela Stephenson talk about their pioneering BBC TV sketch show Not The Nine O’Clock News

The duo share the inside story with TV veterans Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman.

Over 17 million viewers tuned in over 4 series to watch Pamela alongside Rowan Atkinson, Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith, and Chris Langham perform scripts written by some of the cream of British comedy talent – Richard Curtis, Andy Hamilton, and even a (then undergraduate!) Stephen Fry.
 
John Lloyd recalls how the NTNON team was put together, and how a chance meeting with Pamela at a party led to her becoming the one of the most recognisable faces on British television. 

They talk us through some of their favourite sketches and reveal how they created their vast array of characters, from Gerald the Gorilla to Janet Street-Porter (and in particular, the interview that Pamela’s Janet did with Billy Connolly that would change both of their lives).

And John and Pamela discuss the perks and perils of commercial success in the world of comedy, when the business of books, albums, and movies come calling, and how it eventually led to the end of Not The Nine O’Clock News.

With Peter and Jon as our guides, we’ll take the opportunity to ask quite how they went about making a great bit of TV comedy. Who came up with it? How did it get written? We’ll talk about the commissioning, the casting, and the reception the show received when it first aired.

We’ll do our very best to winkle out some backstage secrets straight from the horse’s mouth, as we hear the unvarnished truth from the people who were there, and who put these iconic shows on the telly.

Producer: Owen Braben

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra by Expectation Productions, and first broadcast October 2021.

What's Funny About ...: Series 2

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama

Your digital radio entertainment station showcasing the best in comedy and drama. With recent favourites from BBC Radio 4.

Peter Fincham and Jon Plowman hear the inside story of the biggest TV comedies.

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What's Funny About ...

Series 2

4. Pamela Stephenson & John Lloyd on Not The Nine O’Clock News

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