General Comedy Audiobooks | Comedy

Jest a Minute: The Complete Series 1 and 2 Plus Specials: A BBC Radio Comedy Panel Game

Stand-up star Rhod Gilbert hosts the panel show about the serious business of comedy The hilarious comic lovechild of A Question of Sport and QI, Jest a Minute is a light-hearted, lively show that quizzes leading comedians on their knowledge of comedy. Host Rhod Gilbert accepts no backchat and gives short shrift to cheek as he recklessly awards points based on how quick, agile and witty he considers the panellists to be. In a series of fast-paced, chaotic rounds, they are tasked with answering quickfire questions on comedy history, sitcom titles, catchphrases and classic comedy films. There’s also a chance for some audience participation, as the teams pick a volunteer from the audience in a bid to find out who can tell the funniest joke, and a final buzzer round, in which Rhod reads out the start of a well-known gag (such as ‘What’s brown and sticky?’) and the contestants buzz in with their finest, funniest and most original punchlines. Among the A-list talent taking part in these two series are Justin Moorhouse, Chris Corcoran, Lloyd Langford, Jarred Christmas, Jeremy Hardy, Tom Allen, Alun Cochrane, Sarah Millican, Lucy Porter, Milton Jones and Jon Richardson. Also included are three special episodes, recorded at the Machynlleth Comedy Festival and Green Man Festival in 2015 and 2016, featuring Elis James, Cariad Lloyd, Ed Gamble, Greg Davies, Holly Walsh, Rob Deering, Chris Corcoran, Paul Foot and Kiri Pritchard-McLean. Production credits Presented by Rhod Gilbert Produced by Paul Forde and Gareth Gwynn Series 1 featuring: Justin Moorhouse, Chris Corcoran, Jarred Christmas, Jeremy Hardy, Rob Deering, Tom Allen, Roger Monkhouse, Kirsten O'Brien, Alun Cochrane, Tom Wrigglesworth, Sarah Millican, Jeff Green, Greg Davies, Lucy Porter Series 2 featuring: Chris Corcoran, Lloyd Langford, Rob Deering, Tom Craine. Markus Birdman, Steve Williams, Milton Jones, Lucy Porter, Elis James, Jon Richardson, Greg Davies, Eggsy, Paul Tonkinson, Tom Wrigglesworth Jest a Minute in Machynlleth 2015 featuring: Elis James, Cariad Lloyd and Ed Gamble Jest A Minute at Green Man Festival featuring: Greg Davies, Holly Walsh, Rob Deering and Chris Corcoran Jest A Minute in Machynlleth 2016 featuring: Paul Foot, Rob Deering, Ed Gamble and Kiri Pritchard-McLean First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 25 August-29 September 2006 (Series 1), 10 December 2006-13 January 2007 (Series 2), 2 May 2015 (Jest a Minute at the Machynlleth Comedy Festival 2015), 22 August 2015 (Jest A Minute at Green Man Festival), 30 April 2016 (Jest a Minute at the Machynlleth Comedy Festival 2016) © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Rhod Gilbert (Author), Alun Cochrane, Ed Gamble, Greg Davies, Jeremy Hardy, Jon Richardson, Lloyd Langford, Lucy Porter, Milton Jones, Rhod Gilbert, Sarah Millican, Tom Allen, Various (Narrator)

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Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs

From beloved CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Mo Rocca, author of New York Times bestseller Mobituaries, comes an inspiring collection of stories that celebrates the triumphs of people who made their biggest marks late in life. Eighty has been the new sixty for about twenty years now. In fact, there have always been late-in-life achievers, those who declined to go into decline just because they were eligible for social security. Journalist, humorist, and history buff Mo Rocca and coauthor Jonathan Greenberg introduce us to the people past and present who peaked when they could have been puttering—breaking out as writers, selling out concert halls, attempting to set land-speed records—and in the case of one ninety-year tortoise, becoming a first-time father. (Take that, Al Pacino!) In the vein of Mobituaries, Roctogenarians is a collection of entertaining and unexpected profiles of these unretired titans—some long gone (a cancer-stricken Henri Matisse, who began work on his celebrated cut-outs when he could no longer paint), some very much still living (Rita Moreno, the EGOT who's still got it). The amazing cast of characters also includes Mary Church Terrell, who at eighty-six helped lead sit-ins at segregated Washington, DC, lunch counters in the 1950s, and Carol Channing, who married the love of her life at eighty-two. Then there's Peter Mark Roget, who began working on his thesaurus in his twenties and completed it at seventy-three (because sometimes finding the right word takes time.) With passion and wonder Rocca and Greenberg recount the stories of yesterday's and today's strongest finishers. Because with all due respect to the Golden Girls, some people will never be content sitting out on the lanai. (PS Actress Estelle Getty was sixty-two when she got her big break. And yes, she's in the book.)

Jonathan Greenberg, Mo Rocca (Author), Mo Rocca, TBD (Narrator)

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MILF: Motherhood, Identity, Love and F*ckery

Brought to you by Penguin. Can women have it all? What does it mean to be a woman and a mother in the modern age? In this passionate, funny and fierce polemic, Paloma Faith delves deep into the issues that face women today, from puberty and sexual awakenings, to battling through the expectations of patriarchy and the Supermum myth. Infused with Paloma's characteristic humour and raw honesty about the challenges of IVF and the early years of motherhood, this book is a beautiful celebration of women's work and the invisible load women carry. Moving from questions around identity and how motherhood impacts on that, to what it even means to be a 'good mother', how we need to embrace messiness, imperfection and the bitter sweet pleasures of being 'selfish' and putting ourselves first. Paloma invites us into her own coming of age and relationship with her mum, to explore how our bonds with our children evolve into adulthood. We see a glimpse of the complexities and joys of Paloma's experience of juggling romantic love, heartbreak and dating with the demands of motherhood. ©2024 Paloma Faith (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Paloma Faith (Author), Paloma Faith, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Life of Dai

A profound and inspirational account of dealing with adversity and finding daily meaning and happiness in our lives. 'Part memoir and part masterclass in finding hope and joy in the face of unthinkable challenges. This isn't a book about cancer, it's a book about living.' - Jaquie Brown Dai Henwood wanted to be a comedian even before he knew what a comedian was. He always knew there was something special in being able to make people laugh - even when the world goes dark. In January 2023 Dai shared publicly that three years earlier he had been diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. Perhaps the ultimate teacher for what really matters, his incurable cancer has shown him a new way of living that embraces small moments of perfection and cherishes things we often overlook. As well as showing us how laughter can be a wonderful medicine - and there are many laughs in his book - he teaches us that often the gifts we've been searching for are right in front of us, if only we could see them.

Dai Henwood, Jaquie Brown (Author), Dai Henwood, Jaquie Brown, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

Murray Ball: A Cartoonist's Life

The long-awaited biography of cartoonist Murray Ball, creator of Footrot Flats In Murray Ball: A Cartoonist's Life, Murray's son Mason Ball shares all the hits and misses and long years of hard graft that went into what would become the wildly successful creative enterprise: Footrot Flats. From his unique viewpoint and with candid honesty, Mason reveals the real-life backstory to Murray's most iconic characters and themes, telling the story of the man - and father - who could see the quirks of human nature and capture them with the stroke of a pen. Richly illustrated with family photos and cartoons by the bloke who brought us that most lovable character, the Dog. Let me show you how my dad became a leading cartoonist of his generation, how his endearing characters evolved and where the insightful and humorous ideas sprang from. Let's see the man behind the drawing desk and delve into the workings of his mind. - Mason Ball

Mason Ball (Author), Martin Crump, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

15 Minute Musical: A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Series: Twenty Musical Sketches

Twenty brief, barbed and bittersweet musical comedies, written by and starring Richie Webb – including eight Christmas Specials ‘Let’s have a standing ovation for the 15 Minute Musical' The Guardian Oozing with satire and sass, these fun-size yet deliciously satisfying musical comedies do for your ears what chocolate does for your taste buds. Based on the lives and careers of well-known public figures, each one takes a politician or VIP who has hit the headlines, and gives them a West End make-over. Their fabricated stories are told in an original, never-heard-before, musical that will have your toes tapping to the rhythm and shoulders shaking to the laughs. All the conventions of a musical are followed (huge production numbers, tender ballads and emotional reprises) – but artistic licence is well and truly taken as celebrities such as David Cameron, Simon Cowell and Morrissey are hilariously lampooned in song. Hear the greatest stories never told (or sung) as Julian Assange is wiki-leaked; Nigel Farage goes to Europe with a Britpop soundtrack; and Barack Obama fights for the American presidency via power ballads and rock anthems. Plus, we go ‘Upstairs Downton’ with the Middletons; and pay homage to Russia’s greatest love machine in an outrageously camp, disco-tastic look at Vladimir Putin... Also featured are all eight Christmas specials from 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, including Jeremy Corbyn Superstar!, Lady and the Trump, Cabarexit, Eurovision Gone Wrong Contest and a Rodgers and Hammerstein-inspired celebration of all things Meghan Markle: The Sixth in Line to be King and I. Winner of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Radio Comedy Award, this hugely entertaining series is written by Dave Cohen, David Quantick and Richie Webb, and stars Richie Webb, Dave Lamb, Alex Tregear, Jess Robinson and Pippa Evans. Production credits Starring Richie Webb, Dave Lamb, Alex Tregear, Jess Robinson and Pippa Evans Written by Richie Webb, Dave Cohen and David Quantick Produced by Katie Tyrrell and Richard Morris Production co-ordinator: Nick Coupe Music composed, performed and arranged by Richie Webb Music production: Matt Katz A BBC Studios Production A Right Royal Cockney Christmas First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 December 2012 Brian Elliott First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2012 The Ozfather First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 December 2012 The Reducers First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2012 Licence to Kil...marnock First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2012 Barack of Ages First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 January 2013 It’s a One-Hit Wonderful Life First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 24 December 2013 Julian and the Assanging Technicolour Download First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 December 2013 The Last Days of Farage First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2013 Heaven Knows I'm Middle-Aged Now First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 27 December 2013 Half a Sixth Form First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 2013 Ra Ra It's Putin First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2013 Seven Bribes First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 December 2015 Jeremy Corbyn Superstar! First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2015 Lady and the Trump First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 December 2016 Cabarexit First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 December 2016 The Legend of Holy Superior Mother Theresa May and the Magic Money Tree First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 December 2017 Dud Brothers First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 December 2017 Eurovision Gone Wrong Contest First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 31 December 2018 The Sixth in Line to be King and I First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 1 January 2019 © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Dave Cohen, David Quantick, Richie Webb (Author), Alex Lowe, Dave Lamb, Jess Robinson, Melanie Hudson, Pippa Evans, Richie Webb (Narrator)

Audiobook

I Hope This Finds You Well

Would you want to know what your colleagues say behind your back? 'Darkly funny with a brilliant premise' Emma Gannon For readers who loved The Office US and Really Good, Actually comes the awkward heroine you’re about to fall in love with Meet Jolene: she’s socially anxious, isolated, and hates her boring office job. To cope with the daily drudgery, she details petty office grievances via hidden messages in emails to her colleagues. But when one of the messages is exposed, and HR restrictions on her computer result in an IT mix-up that grant her access to her co-workers’ inboxes and DMs, she decides to turn the tables. As tensions in the office rise, Jolene starts to learn more about her colleagues than she could ever have imagined. In the end, she must decide if she can keep living her life between the lines of an email, or if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle and finally experience the world she’s hidden herself away from.

Natalie Sue (Author), To Be Announced (Narrator)

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Somebody Told Me: One Man’s Unexpected Journey Down the Rabbit Hole of Lies, Trolls and Conspiracies

Brought to you by Penguin. Have you been keeping your eye on your grandma lately? Have you been calling her enough? You sure she’s not spending too much time on YouTube? Is she talking fondly of dictators? Has she suddenly started quietly muttering in the Aldi queue about the “Jewish Space Lasers” she’s heard are setting wildfires around the world to make sure everyone believes in climate change? When was the moment the world began to believe anything? Danny Wallace, million-copy bestselling author of Yes Man and Join Me, has fallen down the modern rabbit hole of lies, conspiracies and disinformation. Along the way, he encounters families torn apart by accusations and fake news, journalists putting themselves on the frontline of the disinformation war, reformed conspiracy theorists, influencers who see profit in stoking paranoia, and the shadowy nameless, faceless trolls on the other side of our screens. He discovers how disinformation and well-told lies can ruin a year or a whole life, how they can affect our family, our street, our community. How they can spread across a country, a continent, even the world. How they take hold of our imaginations and make us feel both helpless and powerful. And Danny asks: can you do anything to stop it – even with the truth on your side? ©2024 Danny Wallace (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Danny Wallace (Author), Danny Wallace, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Write Stuff: 40 Episodes from the Panel Game of Literary Correctness

Highlights from the light-hearted literary quiz chaired by James Walton The Write Stuff is the book-based panel show that takes a witty and whimsical look at well-known authors and their work. Host James Walton challenges the erudite contestants with tricky literary teasers, which they endeavour to answer using a combination of knowledge and guesswork. Each episode is themed around an ‘Author of the Week’, who is the subject of the introductory rounds in which the panellists read out favourite quotations from their writing and field questions about their life. Among the intervening rounds are ‘Connections’, ‘Odd One Out’, a music round, an archive round and a fast-paced, fingers-on-buzzers round of general literary knowledge. And for the rib-tickling finale, the contestants are tasked with penning parodies in the style of the chosen author, resulting in comic gems such as Jerome K Jerome’s ‘Three Men on a Club 18-30 Holiday’, a hardboiled crime novel in the style of Virginia Woolf, and a Twitter thread by Jane Eyre. Collected here are 40 of the finest episodes from the show’s 17 series, featuring iconic writers from Jane Austen and Charles Dickens to James Joyce, Anton Chekhov, William Wordsworth and John Milton. Pitting their wits against each other are the fiercely competitive team captains Sebastian Faulks and John Walsh, aided by celebrity guests including Stephen Fry, Miles Kington, Philippa Gregory, Sue Limb, Simon Brett, Lynne Truss, John O’Farrell, Natalie Haynes and Mark Billingham. Also included is a Christmas special, filled with festive quizzing and seasonally themed pastiches. Clever, funny and decidedly unstuffy, this knockabout show is a must for bookworms, bibliophiles and anyone who enjoys mixing some laughter with their literature. Production credits Compiled, written and presented by James Walton Produced by John Rolph, Katie Marsden, Dawn Ellis, Alexandra Smith and Sam Michell Readers: Rachel Atkins, Beth Chalmers and Becky Hindley First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on the following dates: Jane Austen 31 July 1998 DH Lawrence 28 August 1998 Charles Dickens 4 September 1998 Arthur Conan Doyle 14 July 1999 The Brontë Sisters 21 July 1999 James Joyce 28 July 1999 Oscar Wilde 11 August 1999 William Wordsworth 11 April 2001 Samuel Taylor Coleridge 10 April 2002 Virginia Woolf 17 April 2002 George Orwell 2 April 2003 Dylan Thomas 12 May 2004 Rudyard Kipling 26 May 2004 Alexander Pope 9 June 2004 Samuel Pepys 16 June 2004 The Write Stuff at Christmas 29 December 2004 Lord Byron 25 May 2005 John Milton 22 June 2005 Charles Dickens 29 June 2005 Henry James 19 June 2006 Thomas Hardy 17 July 2006 F Scott Fitzgerald 9 April 2007 John Keats 16 April 2007 Jonathan Swift 7 April 2008 Hans Christian Andersen 14 April 2008 George Eliot 28 April 2004 DH Lawrence 3 November 2008 Marcel Proust 19 October 2010 Daniel Defoe 27 January 2012 Gustav Flaubert 3 February 2012 HG Wells 24 February 2012 The Brontës 12 May 2013 Mark Twain 19 May 2013 Greek Tragedy 26 May 2013 William Blake 9 June 2013 Gerald Manley Hopkins 19 October 2014 Jerome K Jerome 26 October 2014 Henry Fielding 2 November 2014 Virginia Woolf 9 November 2014 © 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

James Walton (Author), James Walton, John O’farrell, Lynne Truss, Mark Billingham, Natalie Haynes, Nigel Williams, Sebastian Faulks, Simon Brett, Stephen Fry, Sue Limb, Various (Narrator)

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Ian Hislop’s Oldest Jokes: A BBC Radio 4 Series

Ian Hislop takes a hilarious look at some of Britain's oldest jokes The British are rather proud of their sense of humour - but where has that pride come from and what makes it unique? With the help of contemporary comedians, scholars and an appetite for enduring humour, Ian Hislop tracks down the earliest examples of enduring British comedy tropes and jokes, and guides us through some of the vital elements that make up that most curious thing: the British sense of humour. Join Ian as he begins his quest in the dark ages, admittedly not known as a well-spring of comic opportunity. Nevertheless, in the pages of the Venerable Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England, there is wordplay potent enough to have a part in the naming of a nation. How his fellow monks must have laughed. Travelling across the UK, Ian admires the Bishop's seat and discovers the filth hidden behind the Double entendre of the Exeter Book of Riddles. He looks for the earliest examples of visual humour under the seats of New College Oxford Chapel, and wooden carvings that suggest those who made them were never happier than when making people laugh. He discovers the set of a 15th century entertainer who performed for audiences in Nottinghamshire at the time of the Wars of the Roses, and the famous medieval Bestiary which describes the Bonnacon, a mythical beast that appears to have no biblical message beyond its capacity to make the reader laugh. Ian delves into Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century humble-brag parody, the Tale of Sir Topaz, before arriving in the 17th century, when printing and changes in censorship laws ushered in a new and energetic form of comedy. Finally, Ian explores satirical cartoons and a collection of comic songs with hilarious consequences. This is a must listen for anyone who loves a good belly laugh. Presenter and writer Ian Hislop is perhaps best known for his appearances on the satirical news quiz Have I Got News for You, and he has been the editor of Private Eye since 1986. He’s presented many shows on television and radio and is the author of several books. This series also features contributions from Nina Conti, Paul Whitehouse, comedy song writing duo Jo and Joan and parodist Craig Brown. Written and presented by Ian Hislop Produced by Tom Alban First broadcast 22 January-2 February 2024 ©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Ian Hislop (Author), Ian Hislop (Narrator)

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How to Train Your Human: A Cat’s Guide

A witty and winsome new way of looking at the complex relationship between cats and people: through the eyes of one erudite and attentive Italian gatto. We live on a planet infested with humans. They are a pernicious species, yet undeniably clever and capable—even if the reasons behind their actions are often incomprehensible to us felines. But while it is true that there have never been so many primates on Earth, in reality, they are quite simple to teach using well-practiced domestication techniques, such as loud vocalizations and strategic nighttime alarms. And if you have the good fortune to be able to tame your specimen when it is in its youth, you can end up with the best, most faithful companion you could possibly wish for. Andrea Ferolla’s elegant illustrations make this book a feast of fancies for the eyes. Translated from the Italian by Katherine Gregor

Babas (Author), Hollis Mccarthy, TBD (Narrator)

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The Man Who Saved Britain

Award-winning author Simon Winder takes us through the legacy of one of Britain's most influential and enduring cultural figures, James Bond. 'An entertaining romp through the literary and cinematic heartland of James Bond country' Sunday Times 'A hilarious blend of cultural history, biography and memoir' Guardian After victory in World War II, Britain was a relieved but also a profoundly traumatized country. Simon Winder, born into this nation of uncertain identity, fell in love (as many before and since) with the man created as the antidote, a quintessentially British figure of great cultural significance: James Bond. Written with passion, wit and a great deal of personal insight and affection, this book is his wildly amusing attempt to get to grips with Bond’s legacy and the difficult decades in which it really mattered. 'Read-aloud funny' Independent on Sunday 'Superb' Wall Street Journal

Simon Winder (Author), Peter Noble, TBD (Narrator)

Audiobook

General Comedy Audiobooks in Comedy