Growing Pains

Original version

BBC Radio 4 Extra

Growing Pains: 3. Teenage Diary & Summer with Monika

3. Teenage Diary & Summer with Monika

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Growing Pains, 3. Teenage Diary & Summer with Monika

Grace Dent goes back to her awkward teenage years with help from the BBC archives. 

Grace Dent rifles through the BBC Radio archives to celebrate the awkward, emotional, and unfortunately inevitable adolescent experience.

Grace Dent locks herself in her teenage bedroom for one last time, and rifles through the BBC Archives to celebrate the awkward, emotional, and unfortunately inevitable adolescent experience.

Grace concludes reminiscing about the heartbreak and arguments that were an everyday part of her own teenage years growing up in Carlisle in the 1970s. 

She takes Young Adult author Steven Camden back to the park to conjure up memories of adolescent boredom and longing and persuades some real-life teenagers to explain their lives, lingo and of course mobile phones to her.

In the last of three episodes, Grace dips into the BBC Archives and come up with one of her favourite depictions of adolescence:

*     'My Teenage Diary'
Richard Herring opens up his teenage diary for Rufus Hound

*    'Summer with Monika'
Dramatisation of Roger McGough's iconic poem about young love in the 1960s.  
Starring Mark McGann and Katy Carmichael.

Producer: Jessica Treen

Made for BBC Radio 4 Extra. First broadcast in October 2017.

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.

Factual: Life Stories

Grace Dent celebrates the awkward, emotional, and unavoidable experience of adolescence.

Made for 4 Extra. Grace Dent locks herself in her bedroom and rifles through the BBC Radio archives to celebrate the awkward, emotional, and unavoidable experience of adolescence.

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Growing Pains

3. Teenage Diary & Summer with Monika

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