Elastic Planet is a six-part radio comedy series, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1995, [1] taking the form of a surreal documentary reminiscent of Connections . It was written by Ben Moor, narrated by Oliver Postgate and produced by Jon Naismith. [2]
The series deals with subjects such as the decline of the British dust industry, bad spelling rings and cheese sculpture.
The series has been repeated on BBC 7 and BBC Radio 4 Extra on various occasions.
Various roles in the show are taken on by the cast members Ben Moor, Dan Strauss, Kerry Shale, and Michael Troughton. Others appearing included Neil Mullarkey, Geoffrey McGivern, Miriam Margolyes, Rebecca Front, Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Alexander Armstrong
Benjamin Charles Elton is an English comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms The Young Ones and Blackadder, as well as continuing as a stand-up comedian on stage and television. His style in the 1980s was left-wing political satire. Since then he has published 17 novels and written the musicals The Beautiful Game (2000), We Will Rock You (2002), Tonight's the Night (2003), and Love Never Dies (2010), the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. His novels cover the dystopian, comedy, and crime genres.
BBC Radio 4 Extra is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the principal broadcaster of the BBC's spoken-word archive, and as a result the majority of its programming originates from that archive. It also broadcasts extended and companion programmes to those broadcast on Radio 4, and provides a "catch-up" service for certain programmes.
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six-episode radio series, it has since spanned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three which aired from 2004 to 2007, and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the United States. The first television series is set in a zoo operated by Bob Fossil, the second in a flat and the third in a secondhand shop in Dalston called Nabootique.
Week Ending was a satirical radio current affairs sketch show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1970 and 1998. It was devised by writer-producers Simon Brett and David Hatch and was originally hosted by Nationwide presenter Michael Barratt.
John Docherty is a Scottish writer, actor, presenter and producer.
Mark Heap is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his roles in television comedies, including, Brass Eye, Big Train, Spaced, Jam, Green Wing, Friday Night Dinner, Upstart Crow and Benidorm.
Bennet Evan Miller is an English actor and comedian. He rose to fame as one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller. Miller is also known for playing the lead role of DI Richard Poole in the first two series of the BBC crime drama Death in Paradise, and for portraying James Lester in the ITV science-fiction series Primeval.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy radio series primarily written by Douglas Adams. It was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom by BBC Radio 4 in 1978, and afterwards the BBC World Service, National Public Radio in the US and CBC Radio in Canada. The series was the first radio comedy programme to be produced in stereo, and was innovative in its use of music and sound effects, winning a number of awards.
Reeson Wayne "Reece" Shearsmith is an English actor, writer and comedian. He is best known for being a member of The League of Gentlemen, alongside Steve Pemberton, Mark Gatiss, and Jeremy Dyson. With Pemberton, he later created, wrote and starred in the sitcom Psychoville, as well as the dark comedy anthology series, Inside No. 9.
Josie Isabel Long is a British comedian. She started performing as a stand-up at the age of 14 and won the BBC New Comedy Awards at 17.
Benjamin Thomas Willbond is an English actor and screenwriter best known as a member of the British Horrible Histories troupe in which he appears in the TV series Horrible Histories, Yonderland and Ghosts. He is best known for his numerous roles in the CBBC children's programme Horrible Histories, running from 2009 to 2013. As well as starring as various characters throughout the show's run, he also, along with the other five main actors, wrote numerous episodes. Again alongside the same five actors, he also stars as “Captain” in the 2019 TV series Ghosts.
Alun Cochrane is a Scottish comedian. He was born in Glasgow and raised in Mirfield, West Yorkshire.
Benedict Moor is an English comedy writer and actor.
Lewis MacLeod is a Scottish voice actor. He is known for voicing various characters in Dead Ringers, Newzoids and 64 Zoo Lane and Master Pud in Little Big Planet 3.
Jess Robinson is an English comedy actress, singer, impressionist, voice artist and comedian.
Tom Goodman-Hill is an English actor of film, television, theatre and radio.
Gareth Edwards is a radio and television producer and writer. He is the great-grandson of Hollywood pioneer Albert E. Smith, founder of Vitagraph Studios.
Death in Paradise is a British–French crime comedy drama television series created by Robert Thorogood, starring Ben Miller, Kris Marshall, Ardal O'Hanlon and Ralf Little. The programme is filmed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe and is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom, France 2 in France, PBS, Ovation and Britbox in the United States and Canada, Prime in New Zealand, and ABC and 9Gem in Australia.
Detectorists is a British television series first broadcast on BBC Four in October 2014. It is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, who also stars alongside Toby Jones.