Radio Active
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- For the New Zealand student radio station, see Radio Active (New Zealand)
Radio Active was a radio comedy programme, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 during the 1980s. The first episode was broadcast in 1980, and it ran for seven series. The show starred, amongst others, Angus Deayton, Geoffrey Perkins, Michael Fenton-Stevens, Helen Atkinson-Wood and Philip Pope.
The show was based around an imaginary local radio station and the programmes that it might transmit. Characters on the show were mostly named after pieces of sound equipment, including Anna Daptor, Mike Flex, Mike Channel and Mike Stand. Filling out the character list was the incomprehensible Nigel Pry, the incompetent Martin Brown and the carefully enunciated Mike Hunt.
The show had its origins in the Oxford Student Drama community, especially in the musical parodies of Philip Pope, which were regularly featured on Radio Active. The best known of these is the Bee Gees parody The Hee Bee Gee Bees, with their song Meaningless Songs, which became a moderate hit.
The show transferred to TV as KYTV, which never realised the success of its radio version.
The series was repeated on Radio 4 in late 2002, and again on BBC 7 in 2003, late 2004 and early 2005.
A new one-off episode of Radio Active, the first for 15 years, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2002.
| Contents |
A chronological Show List of RadioActive!
Original Episode # Air Date Episode Title
Pilot 1980 BBC Radio 4
1. P- 1 8-Apr-1980 The Oxford Review
1st Series 1981
2. 1- 1 8-Sep-1981 The Late Show (a.k.a. Late Night Radio) 3. 1- 2 15-Sep-1981 Bedrock, The Early Morning Breakfast Show 4. 1- 3 22-Sep-1981 Midday Show 5. 1- 4 29-Sep-1981 The Radio Active Roadshow 6. 1- 5 6-Oct-1981 Whats News 7. 1- 6 13-Oct-1981 Radio Active Awards
Special 1981 BBC Radio 2
S- 1 19-Dec-1981 The Hee Bee Gee Bees Story
2nd Series 1982 BBC Radio 4
8. 2- 1 16-Aug-1982 The History of Radio Active 9. 2- 2 23-Aug-1982 Radiothon 10. 2- 3 30-Aug-1982 Good Day Sport 11. 2- 4 6-Sep-1982 What's Going On 12. 2- 5 13-Sep-1982 The Nigel Pry Story 13. 2- 6 20-Sep-1982 (Operation Scott)
3rd Series 1983
14. 3- 1 12-Jul-1983 Radio Active's Euroshow 15. 3- 2 19-Jul-1983 Probe Round the Back 16. 3- 3 26-Jul-1983 Radio Active's Funday 17. 3- 4 2-Aug-1983 Repeat After Three 18. 3- 5 9-Aug-1983 Lunchtime with Anna 19. 3- 6 16-Aug-1983 What's Going On at the Edinburgh Festival
Christmas Special 1983
20. S- 2 20-Dec-1983 Radio Active's Christmas Turkey
4th Series 1984
21. 4- 1 9-Jul-1984 Salute to New York 22. 4- 2 16-Jul-1984 The Martin Brown Show 23. 4- 3 23-Jul-1984 Round Your Parts 24. 4- 4 30-Jul-1984 The Breakfast Show (a.k.a. Radiovision) 25. 4- 5 6-Aug-1984 Minorities Programme 26. 4- 6 13-Aug-1984 Radio Active's Bioshow 27. 4- 7 20-Aug-1984 Radio Active's Gigantaquiz 28. 4- 8 27-Aug-1984 Martin Chizzlenutt
5th Series 1985 BBC Radio 2
29. 5- 1 5-Jul-1985 Wimbledon Special 30. 5- 2 12-Jul-1985 Nuclear Debate 31. 5- 3 19-Jul-1985 Out of Your Depth 32. 5- 4 26-Jul-1985 Radio Active in Australia 33. 5- 5 2-Aug-1985 Get Away with You 34. 5- 6 9-Aug-1985 Wey Hey, It's Saturday 35. 5- 7 16-Aug-1985 Radio Active Musical Festival 36. 5- 8 23-Aug-1985 Did You Catch It?
6th Series 1986
37. 6- 1 11-Oct-1986 The Thodding By-Election 38. 6- 2 18-Oct-1986 The Fit and Fat Show 39. 6- 3 25-Oct-1986 Radio Active's Bogey Awards 40. 6- 4 1-Nov-1986 The D Day Show 41. 6- 5 8 Nov-1986 Radio Active Goes to the Movies (a.k.a. Nice Film Festival) 42. 6- 6 15-Nov-1986 Stop That Crime UK 43. 6- 7 22-Nov-1986 The In-House Documentary 44. 6- 8 29-Nov-1986 Backchat
7th Series 1987
45. 7- 1 29-Aug-1987 It was 20 Years Ago Last Tuesday 46. 7- 2 5-Sep-1987 Radio Radio Programme 47. 7- 3 12-Sep-1987 Radio Active's Sunday Programme: God Alone Knows 48. 7- 4 19-Sep-1987 Probe Round the Back 49. 7- 5 26-Sep-1987 Here's a Bit of Talent (Kate Robbins) 50. 7- 6 3-Oct-1987 The Flu Special (Kate Robbins) 51. 7- 7 10-Oct-1987 You Together with Your House and Possessions and Other Things as Well 52. 7- 8 17-Oct-1987 Radio Active's Mega Phone-In
New Year's Special 1988
53. S- 3 2-Jan-1988 [cannot confirm the existence of this episode]
Revised Repeat Series 2002 BBC Radio 4 (was anything actually revised?)
RR- 1 12-Nov-2002 Radio Active's Euroshow
RR- 2 19-Nov-2002 Did You Catch It?
RR- 3 26-Nov-2002 Nuclear Debate
RR- 4 3-Dec-2002 Out of Your Depth
RR- 5 10-Dec-2002 Martin Chizzlenutt
Reunion Special 2002
54. S- 4 17-Dec-2002 Radio Active's Digital Turn-On
The Radio Active Staff
ANGUS DEAYTON
Mike Channel - the stations "imploding" personality, who started out as a presenter of a peak time weekday show, was moved to the Sunday morning 4am time slot, and ended up as Aaron The Aardvark on the Saturday morning kiddies show.
Sir Norman Tonsil - the pompous, opinionated and downright obnoxious Chairman.
The Right Reverend Reverend Wright - the resident Head of Religious Affairs, with a liking for heavy metal hymns.
"(Oh so daring) Mike Hunt" - the station's daredevil, who performed stunts which even a five-year-old would consider tame.
GEOFFREY PERKINS
Mike Flex - the cocky presenter whose career was heading in the opposite direction to Channels.
Oivind Vinstra -a Norwegian DJ with a poor command of English (an inexpensive announcer).
HELEN ATKINSON WOOD
Anna Daptor - the podgy host of the midday show, whose obsession with food caused all sorts of problems.
Anna Rabies - the very aggressive agony aunt, whose solution was usually to kill the source of the problem.
MICHAEL FENTON-STEVENS
"Uncle" Mike Stand - the 'kiddies favourite', whose well-intended actions inevitably lead to his arrest for child molesting.
Martin Brown - the shyest DJ on radio who started out on the local hospital radio 4am show and was employed for one reason - he was cheap.
PHILIP POPE
Nigel Pry - a one-man accident black-spot who often demolished the studio within seconds of starting his show.
Dr Philip Percygo - the singing medico.
Commercially Available Material
Meaningless Songs / Posing In the Moonlight Original records/R.C.A. single ABO2 (1980)
439 Golden Greats - The Original Hee Bee Jee Bees Original records/RCA LP TWITS101 (1981) Meaningless Songs (The Hee Bee Jee Bees) / (Dancing) Up The Wall (Jack Michaelson) / Dead Cicada (The Beagles) / Quite Ahead Of My Time (David Bowwow) / You're My Son (Kenny Rogered) / Boring song (Status Quid) / Ah! (The Hee Bee Jee Bees) / Too Depressed To Commit Suicide (The PeeCees) / Simple Song (Paul McCarthrob and Wangs) / Granma (St Winnalot's Reform School Choir) / Music Machine (Babba) / Oh Me! (Larry Pilsson) / Bird Of Peace (Neil Dung, Bob Vylan, The Bland, Frank Sumatra, Dean Martian, Leonard Crowing, George Harrassing)
Too Depressed To Commit Suicide / Up the Wall + Meaningless Songs Original Records / R.C.A. single HGBG 1 (1981)
Boring Song / Dead Cicada Original Records / R.C.A. single HGBG 2 (1981)
Radio Active BBC LP REH 471 (1983)
Highlights from series 1 and 2: Police File + Shipping Forecast / Commercial Break / Ches And Des / Luscivia In The Foyer / Dedication + Wordplay Jackpot / Radiothon / Kate Bosch / Pensioner At The Ritz / Soap Box Corner / Commercials (Wilsons Cricket Bat + Martins Of Bond Street) / S.O.S. Message / Thought For The Day / Sword Fighting / Results Service / Next Time / Incorrect Traffic Report / Commercial Time (Bad Breath Advert) / Bob Dylan Sings / Sootys Magic Show / David Copperfield / Hymen and Carbuncle / Playhouse / Masterquiz / Commercials (The Basement + Nappies) / Adventure Holiday / Wang Wang / Should You Find Any Fault
Hee Bee Gee Bees Present - 20 Big No. 2s J&B LP (Australia only) JB197 Pretty Boys On Video (Drone Drone) / Kiss And Make Up (Couture Club) / Purple Pants (Ponce) / When Two Songs Sound The Same (Frankie Goes To the Bank) / Wherever I Lay (Paul Yuk) / Scatological Song (Supertrash) / Down Tools (Men Relaxing) / Dancelot (Poxy Music) / Toyland Rhapsody (Queer) / Gary Clitter Is Back (Gary Clitter) / Get Em Off, Irene (Sexist Midnight Runners) / I Dont Want Your Baby (Human Leak) / Me! (The Kids From Shame) / Bored In The USA (Bruce Springbok) / Song Without A Tune (Billy Idiot) / Curdled Milk And Boot Polish (Paul McCarthrob And Stevie Blunder) / Are Trains Electric? (Gary Inhuman) / Out Of Proportion (Jack Michaelson) / A Dont Wanna Smoke Anymore Dope (Eddy Grunt) / Lies (Spamdown Belly) / We Cant Have Hits Of Our Own Anymore (Stars Over 45: Kenny Rogered, Dolly Hardon, Julio Insidias, Bob Vylan, Frank Sumatra, Paul McCarthrob, John Denture, Jack Michaelson and The HeeBeeJeeBees)
When two songs (sound the same) - Frankie Goes To The Bank / Purple pants - Ponce 10 Records single TEN61 (1989)
Radio Active BBC / Canned Laughter ZBBC 1522 (1993)
Features Mega Phone In and Martin Chizzlenut
Further Selections From Radio Active BBC / Canned Laughter ZBBC 1718 (1995)
Radio Active BBC/ ZBBC 1718 (ISBN 0563 390549) This double cassette contains the material previously released on the first canned laughter tape (ZBBC1522) and the BBC Record REH 471
Video
KYTV BBCV 5193 Featuring The Making Of David Chizzlenut / Those Sextiting Sixties / Fly On The Walls
Books
Radio Active Times Sphere Books paperback, 1986
The Utterly, Utterly Amusing And Pretty Damn Definitive Comic Relief Revue Book Penguin paperback 1989 (Includes the scripts of Three Way Quiz and Martins Of Bond Street)
External links
- BBC Radio Active page (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/radioactive.shtml)
- Michael Fenton Stevens Radio Active page (http://www.mikefs.co.uk/r-active.html)zh:活宝电台