Comedy of the Week

A 53-year-old comedian reflects on driving London buses for 15 years and why the job gets little respect. He recalls chaotic passenger stories, a dramatic rescue beneath a bus, and jealous thoughts about pilots’ applause. He shares his nervous first stand-up, fueled by brandy, and the juggling act of bus shifts with raising children and awkward parenting duties.

Luke Manning, an improviser and comedian, joins the quartet as a quick-thinking performer. Scenes shift with time-jumps at a tense reunion. A butcher shop turns melodramatic with gory monologues. Genre-swapping sparks therapist-to-opera chaos. A spider’s anxious inner monologue and a three-headed director interview add surreal, fast-paced laughs.

Comedian Aurie Styla returns to rampage through the history of technology, through his own experience as a self-confessed tech nerd growing up in the 90s, and various things you thought you’d forgotten.With his interactive, wildly funny style, tonight the focus is on the role tech has played in our fitness lives: for better or worseThis episode is from the Stand-Up Specials brand on BBC Sounds.An Impatient production for BBC Radio 4.

An audience show in which Colin explores how his bizarre family made him the man he is today. Now, as a 45 year-old dad, he wonders if it’s too late to do anything about it. Based on his hugely successful 2024 Edinburgh show, Colin weaves anecdotes and musings with all too real stories about his early life, featuring a recurring cast of characters: his perennially pessimistic mum, his not-quite-in-reality brothers and his long-suffering Dad who screams ‘why can’t we just be a normal family?’ Colin asks “is it a surprise my neurodiversity was missed?' But growing up in Nottingham we just had a simple phrase that covered everything - ‘he’s not right’. Colin paints a picture of a childhood full of secrets and lies, dominated by Mum’s terror of ending up in the local ‘madhouse’ whilst espousing paranoid conspiracies and pulling out the Ouija board on Christmas Day. Whilst inherently funny, the craziness is recounted with love and sympathy. A brilliant storyteller, Colin intercuts tales of that childhood life with stories about his own contemporary family and how one has been shaped by the other. What does he want to pass on and what does he absolutely not want to? How does he be the best dad he can when his basic understanding of the world is so scrambled? Each episode begins with Colin telling us how he’s, possibly inappropriately, reacted to something mundane that has just happened or been said to him. He’ll unpick the story across the episode tracing his reaction back to his upbringing with other themes, stories and observations along the way. Colin’s stand-up is intercut with childhood and contemporary scenes. Colin plays all his family members, neighbours, distant relatives, postmen, etc.

Join comedian Russell Kane as he and his guests spill the beans on spiders. Consistently ranked amongst the most creepy and crawly, we ask are spiders abusive arachnids or kooky cuties?Helping Russell decide whether spiders are evil or genius are top comedian Josh Jones and leading entomologist & England Manager for Buglife, Dr. Karim Vahed.To hear more from this series, search "Evil Genius" on BBC Sounds.Additional material by: Eve Delaney, Ruth Huskisson & Christina Riggs Researcher: Catherine Beazley Sound Recordist: Gareth Wood Digital Editor: Jerry Peal Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith Producer: Simon NichollsEvil Animals with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds.

A Match Made Inshallah is a fearless, funny show where the 44-year-old, twice-divorced stand-up comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri is looking for love and ready to date - and she wants us all to be her wingman.Mixing stand-up, commentary, and the actual date itself, we will hear Fatiha’s deepest thoughts, hopes, dreams, and judgements as we join her every step of the way through the dating minefield.Written and Performed by Fatiha El-Ghorri Producer: Laura Grimshaw Executive Producers: Jon Holmes and Carrie RoseAn unusual production for BBC Radio 4

In this Stand-up Special Finlay Christie makes his Radio 4 debut in front of a live audience at The Brunswick in Brighton.He provides insight into how he and his generation have grown into the adults they’re now expected to be. Using new and existing material from his critically acclaimed Edinburgh shows he’ll cover topics like; the expectations of different generations; “pensioners complaining they can’t heat their house. That sounds like a boast – You’ve got a house?!’ ...”- the differences between the generations; “People say young people are more sensitive, but every generation is sensitive, we’re just sensitive about different stuff. We’re sensitive about pronouns, old people are sensitive about Princess Diana.”- how his generation feel about the world; "Gen Z are very nihilistic. World’s gonna end in our lifetimes and we don’t care. One girl in Sweden cared and that made the news.”“TikTok has made me see people who watch films as intellectuals. Ooh, you have a penchant for cinéma?? Ohohoho.” And how it now feels to be a man; “ the difference between Man and Boy - "Landlord bad…. rent boy..nice….” " “It’s a boy” - “congratulations”. “It’s a man” - “allegations.”At 19, Finlay became one of the youngest ever winners of the prestigious So You Think You’re Funny competition, following in the footsteps of Peter Kay, Lee Mack and Sarah Millican. 3 years later, his debut Edinburgh show “OK Zoomer” was nominated for NextUp’s “Best Show” award and was released as a special in October 2023. His material, based around his experience as a Gen Z, led Chortle to describe him as “the voice of his generation.”Producer: Julian Mayers

Ashley Storrie, Scottish comedian and writer known for semi-autobiographical work, talks about her autism diagnosis and the inner voices she uses for comic effect. She recounts a chaotic childhood with police raids, her obsession with rewriting TV shows, the thrill of landing a pilot, and the surreal clash of career highs with her mother Janey Godley’s terminal cancer.

Angela Barnes, quick-witted comedian who thrives in daft games; Luke McQueen, vocal comic known for expressive soundwork; Amy Gledhill, sharp stand-up and panel regular. They decode bizarre TV adverts, mimic whole scenes using only mouth sounds, and try to interpret kids describing famous objects and shows. Fast-paced rounds, chaotic soundscapes, and plenty of playful banter.

Dive into a comedic recap of a year filled with political absurdities. Jokes fly as the panel dissects Starmer’s NHS plans and mocks the chaos surrounding Trump’s antics. Expect laughs over Spain’s power outages and pensioner backlash against Labour cuts. Ponder the awkwardness of a hypothetical Starmer-Trump meet-up and enjoy quips about King Charles meeting Pope Leo XIV. A satirical rollercoaster wraps with reflections on 2025 and hints at what 2026 holds in store.