Audiobooks by James Cary

Think the Unthinkable: The Complete Series 1-4

"All four series of the Sony Award-winning radio sitcom Meet the hapless management consultants of Unthinkable Solutions – idealistic team leader Ryan, sociopathic Sophie and hippy-dippy Daisy. Enthusiastic and enterprising, they’re strong on jargon (and always ready to ‘imaginate, reincentivise and skin the leopard’), but short on practical ideas – unfortunately for the unsuspecting corporations that come to them for help. Aided by morally dubious IT expert Owen, and fellow member of the Fraternity of the Sacred Goat, Jed, the team get proactive with clients including a bank, a struggling high street retailer, an inner city school, the Post Office, a zoo, an ailing hospital and the MoD. Over 21 episodes, Unthinkable Solutions prove that there is no 'i' in team – but there is one in 'incompetent'. Brought in by Barrington Council to rationalise refuse services (ie sack people), Ryan and Daisy decide to take the binmen on a weekend in the Cairngorms instead; and in a bid to revitalise London’s transport system, the consultants put a bus driver in charge while the chief executive is sent back to driving tube trains. Plus, the team get to the bottom of a scam at an electricity company, face the tricky task of making cuts at the firm that insures Ryan’s flashy new car, and set out to smooth the path for Superco, a Megastore that wants to expand into a Terrastore. Created by acclaimed comedy writer James Cary, this witty, satirical sitcom won the Sony Silver Award for Comedy. It stars Marcus Brigstocke as Ryan, with Emma Kennedy and Beth Chalmers as Sophie, Catherine Shepherd as Daisy, David Mitchell as Owen and Robin Ince as Jed."

James Cary (Author), David Mitchell, Emma Kennedy, Full Cast, Marcus Brigstocke, Robin Ince (Narrator)

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Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop: The Complete BBC Radio Comedy Series

"The complete BBC Radio 4 collection by the BAFTA nominated and NTA award winning Miranda Hart. Miranda is an unconventional woman. She’s six feet tall, self-conscious and posh. And is frequently mistaken for a man. She’s also invested her inheritance in a joke shop that she runs with her friend Stevie while trying to deal with her outrageously embarrassing mother. Though surrounded by chocolate willies, Miranda is determined to suss out what it takes to be a girly girl and to not look a complete idiot every time she meets the gorgeous Gary. Starring Miranda Hart, Sarah Hadland, Patricia Hodge and Tom Ellis. This collection also includes the previously unavailable pilot episode where Alison Steadman played Miranda's mother Penny, and Morwenna Banks was Stevie. Miranda Hart’s Joke Shop – first broadcast on BBC Radio 2 – is written by Miranda Hart (Hyperdrive, Absolutely Fabulous, Lead Balloon), with James Carey (My Family, Think the Unthinkable) and Simon Dean (Not Going Out). It was the inspiration behind the hit TV show."

James Cary, Miranda Hart, Simon Day (Author), Alison Steadman, Full Cast, Miranda Hart, Morwenna Banks, Patricia Hodge, Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis (Narrator)

Audiobook

Concrete Cow: The Complete Series 1 and 2

"All twelve episodes of the BBC Radio 4 sketch show starring Robert Webb and friends Welcome to Concrete Cow, the sketch show where anything is possible. Written by James Cary, who won a Silver Sony Award for Think the Unthinkable, this silly, surreal and ingenious comedy stars one half of ‘Mitchell and Webb’, Robert Webb. Also featuring are Oscar-winning actress and comedian Olivia Colman, as well as Sally Hawkins, Chris Pavlo, Beth Chalmers and more. Highlights include Narnia being vandalised by two kids from Peckham, temping for NASA, Batman’s schedule, the theft of Hitler’s jewels, and the consequences of a murder mystery party that goes a little too far. Plus, King Midas is not sure whether life is as good as gold, Sherlock Holmes plays Cluedo, Alan Turing needs IT support and a war poet is told that the troops prefer limericks. We also learn the real reason Columbus sailed round the world, discover the truth behind laser eye surgery, and get a taste of Radio 4’s new quiz show, I Think You’ll Find, consisting of ‘half an hour of excessive pedantry and nit-picking (first round: split infinitives)’."

James Cary (Author), Chris Pavlo, Full Cast, Olivia Colman, Robert Webb, Sally Hawkins, Steven Kynman (Narrator)

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The Sacred Art of Joking

"'Having worked for many years at the coalface of comedy, sorting the dross from the combustible, James Cary is uniquely qualified to write this book.' Milton Jones, comedian and panellist on BBC2's Mock the Week Every few weeks a politician, pundit or soap star causes a media storm by making a gaffe or tweeting a joke that some people do not find funny. Comedy is very hard to get right and yet we think it's important to have a sense of humour and not take yourself too seriously. On the other hand, a sense of humour failure can lead to losing your friends, your twitter account, your job, your career and, in some cases, your life. James Cary knows about this. He is a sitcom writer who's written jokes about bomb disposal in Afghanistan (Bluestone 42), defended comments about Islam by Ben Elton on Newsnight, been on a panel with radical Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary, sits on the General Synod of the Church of England and somehow managed to co-write episodes of Miranda. An odd mix, but one that makes him very readable. This entertaining, breezy book, explains how comedy works (with jokes and quotes) and gives much-needed insights into the controversy surrounding humour."

James Cary (Author), James Cary (Narrator)

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Hut 33: The Complete Series 1-3: The hit BBC Radio 4 comedy

"Set during World War Two, Hut 33 follows the adventures of a team of codebreakers at Bletchley Park as they work tirelessly to break German codes, matching wits with the fabled Enigma Machine. Unfortunately, they hate each other. Archie is a stroppy Geordie socialist revolutionary, while Professor Charles Gardner is a toffee-nosed snob. In theory, the immensely stupid 3rd Lt. Joshua Featherstonhaugh-Marshall is in charge of the hut, but he is still struggling with even the most basic concepts such as his name. They are joined by child prodigy Gordon, and the silent Winstanley. There’s also Mrs Best, the lascivious landlady, and the hut’s Polish secretary Minka, the only competent member of the team – although her answers to everything usually involve violence. Starring Tom Goodman-Hill as Archie, Robert Bathurst as Professor Charles Gardner, Alex MacQueen as 3rd Lt. Joshua Featherstonhaugh-Marshall, Fergus Craig as Gordon, Lill Roughley as Mrs Best, and Olivia Colman as Minka. Produced by Adam Bromley"

James Cary (Author), Alex Macqueen, Fergus Craig, Lill Roughley, Olivia Colman, Robert Bathurst, Tom Goodman-Hill (Narrator)

Audiobook