The best thing on Radio Four at the moment is Genius. It's presented by the estimable Dave Gorman and involves members of the public proposing strange ideas - summer clothes for Goths, running the House Of Commons along the lines of Just A Minute, hooking up gym equipment to run the National Grid – to a celebrity panelist. Last week's, in which a bloke tried to sell Germaine Greer on the idea that his wife should be compelled to make him a hot pudding three nights a week, had me laughing out loud at the traffic lights on the North Circular.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Genius
The best thing on Radio Four at the moment is Genius. It's presented by the estimable Dave Gorman and involves members of the public proposing strange ideas - summer clothes for Goths, running the House Of Commons along the lines of Just A Minute, hooking up gym equipment to run the National Grid – to a celebrity panelist. Last week's, in which a bloke tried to sell Germaine Greer on the idea that his wife should be compelled to make him a hot pudding three nights a week, had me laughing out loud at the traffic lights on the North Circular.
I loved the bloke this evening whose idea of a work out was to let people pay him to dig over his allotment instead of spending money joining a gym. Genius.
ReplyDeleteI'll happily own up to being a big Genius fan too. Last series' episode where Johnny Vegas was pitched the idea of combining metal-detecting and dog-walking is a personal favourite.
ReplyDeleteI'm delighted that Genius has replaced the god-awful Quote, Unquote in the Sunday noon slot on Radio 4. However, the Germaine Greer one made me feel old as she mentioned the word 'truss' in a building sense, and nobody laughed. Too young, you see...
ReplyDeleteHook Germaine Greer up to the National Grid? I've been saying that for years. Nobody listens.
ReplyDeleteHello Clair, At least Quote, Unquote is on the radio and thus isn't as bad as BBC Four's Never Mind The Fullstops - it is the smugness you could actually see that really made me cry.
ReplyDeleteAnd David, yes 'Genius' is absolutely bloody marvellous.
I love Genius... especially the fact that tickets to see it are free. Live recordings of Radio4 shows are amazing, I heartily recommend attending - Richard Madeley and the tiny elephant pets was a favourite, quickly followed by all of Charlie Brooker's appearance.
ReplyDeleteHe has a great blog too, I always head there after this one.
ReplyDeleteMentally subdividing the entertainment world into "Word" and "Not Word", he's always seemed very "Word".