We interrupt this stream of Bear Facts to let you know that, by coincidence, I am doing something you can listen to, or even watch, over each of the next four days.
22nd December. Two today. In the morning, m'Souvenir Programme colleague Carrie Quinlan and I will be doing a short and Christmassy sketch during the Today programme. This, and all the things listed here, will be available on iPlayer once they've been aired. I'm not going to do links, because you're all terribly clever people, and can find them for yourself.
In the evening, I make my second appearance in this series of one of my favourite shows, I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. (I stepped in at short notice for an indisposed Barry Cryer, by the way, which is why I'm not credited - but don't worry, he's absolutely fine.)
23rd December. There's this sitcom I write called 'Cabin Pressure', about pilots. Anyway, the first part of the two part show finale will go out at 6.30 on Radio 4. Incidentally, there are spoilers absolutely everywhere. The audience who saw the recording in February have diligently and heroically kept quiet for ten months. The papers previewing the show… not so much. If you haven't been spoilt yet, and don't want to be, I advise you not to read or listen to anything you see promoting the show. Except this. This is fine.
Christmas Eve. The second part airs. For what it's worth, I don't think I've seen any spoilers relating to events in this half. For instance, the scene the BBC has put out is from part one, and if you've seen the cast list, all of those characters have made their appearance by the end of part one. So, even if you've seen spoilers, you still have some surprises in store.
Christmas Day. m'Souvenir Programme Colleague Margaret Cabourn-Smith and I make a (brief) final appearance as Miranda's annoying friends Chris and Alison in 'Miranda' on BBC1.
Boxing Day. Blessed relief for the nation - the plague of relentless festive Finnemore appearances is over.
Sunday, 21 December 2014
Me on your radio and (very slightly) TV over Christmas
Posted by John Finnemore at 11:28 pm
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18 comments:
Looking forward to everything but Boxing Day.
Like Christmas pudding and family fallings-out, one can never have too much festive Finnemore.
This isn't my actual comment because I had to reload the page to get the captcha to load, and my comment disappeared. But it was quite a good one.
"You'll still have some surprises in store" oh Finnemore you do know how to strike fear into our hearts...
What a treat, glad to hear you will be back on ISAHAC again, you and Susan Calman are my favourite guest panelists, they should always have one of you in the fourth seat! I am extremely relieved to hear that national treasure Barry Cryer is well, I was worried! I wake up every morning to the strains of the Today Programme so will definitely listen out for the bonus souvenir sketch, oh, and I might try and listen to the other airline thing on Tuesday and Wednesday if I don't forget! You really are spoiling us!
There's actually an embarrassment of radio comedy riches on Radio 4 this week including brand new festive episodes of 'In and Out of the Kitchen', 'Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show', 'Ed Reardon's Week', 'Start Stop' and David Sedaris reading his amazing account of working as an elf at Macy's 'The Santaland Diaries', just in case CP has whetted your appetite for more top quality radio fare!
Despite my best efforts (I refused to even look at cast photos from the recording of Zurich lest they give away who the guest stars were), I have been spoiled ten times over this last fortnight, by the Radio Times, by thoughtless idiots on Twitter and Tumblr, and, most annoyingly, by the sodding BBC press office. So I'm very glad to hear that there are still some surprises in store, especially as I'm spending Christmas with a friend that I met at your TT gig in May, so we'll both be able to share A Very Finnemore Christmas with someone else who understands what the end of CP means.
Thanks for a brilliant year, John. Have a fantastic Christmas, enjoy consuming your own weight in mince pies and sherry, and try to excise "Can Ann Can-Can" from your brain, if you, er, can. Can.
As your alter egos Banjo and Arthur might be heard to say, "Bally Brilliant!"
Never mind the radio and TV, I was startled to find you'd infiltrated a novel my grandfather published in 1919, and which I've just finished re-reading. The heroine, actress Sibyl Drew, is writing to her fiance about playing Juliet:
"When Romeo isn't on the stage you are Romeo; when he is you are somehow mixed up with Mr Finnemore, who is pleasant and boyish and not very adequate. He thinks me awfully good, but then he thinks himself very good too."
I suspect this was an Arthurish Finnemore, and he actually thought she was brilliant. But sadly it's all we hear about him.
I love how in the heading at the side the title was cut to "Me on your radio and (very slightly) TV over Chris..." I wasn't clear if that meant on TV instead of this mysterious Chris figure, or on TV to discuss the no doubt fascinating concept of Chris, or if that was just a way of saying you'd be playing Chris in Miranda again. By the way, when that ever happens I have to shout: "LOOK! IT'S JOHN FINNEMORE! COME ON, HE WRITES CABIN PRESSURE AND HE'S ON THE RADIO AND THINGS!" ...naturally, my family are still clueless.
Can't wait for a Finnemorish christmas! Thanks for the awesome extra blog post.
Also, I was watching 'Parade's End' on 'Yesterday' last night - starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Roger Allam. There was one scene involving the two of them and some other characters - one of which was called Gertie!
Oh, what a wonderful Christmas present, or presents! I will be in hog's heaven for 4 days, or more precisely, goat's heaven.
Thank you, John, for the happiness you spread with your writing and acting. May you have a blessed and joyous Christmas and a happy and prolific New Year.
Love from all of us on the farm!
I quite like "Festive Finnemore." Perhaps your should consider changing your name from John to Festive. It would certainly be memorable.
Meanwhile, my Finnemore and Cabin Pressure evangelizing has hit the road with me acting as a Time Zone Calculator, and general tech support, as my partner spreads the Good Word to members of his embarrassingly large family on his Holiday cross-country journey. Get dressed, you merry gentlemen! Let nothing your dismay!
Messages other writers -
To Rach - I agree re radio, especially David Sedaris - except tell me why oh why Count Arthur Strong?
To Harriet - maybe once you've finished your grandfather's book you might like to try one a friend found in a second-hand sale and thought I would like. Partly because I'm a cricket fan, partly for another reason - I think you'll work out why.
The book was published in 1949. It is 'Teddy Lester, captain of cricket' by John Finnemore.
A cycle path?
I had to stop playback there until I managed tostop giggling. Thank you for that!
Anonymous, when I first heard 'Count Arthur Strong' I didn't think I would like it but, the more I kept hearing bits of it the more I realised that I actually find it incredibly funny! I am such a big fan now that I have been to see the Count live a few times including watching episodes of the radio show being recorded. However, I must add a caveat that my Count Arthur love only extends to the radio series (this is true for pretty much any series that moved from radio to tv), the tv version is rubbish. Puns are a big comedy guilty pleasure for me, the more groan-inducing the better (hence my love of Milton Jones) so I think I just find Arthur's constant rambling and linguistic confusion very amusing, though I am very aware it is probably the most divisive R4 comedy.
Blessed relief? Disaster and misery you mean at the end there
Can I take a moment to say how amazing the Fandom is for keeping quiet. I didn't seek out spoilers, but nor did I stop following the various CP fansites. I knew precisely nothing about Zurich beyond it being the last one, and in two parts.
There is still some good in the world.
Commenting on an older post seems suspiciously spammy, yes, but this post seemed the appropriate place to share this. My daughter texted me the following:
"NO JOKE: EB was in the hall just now saying over and over 'Here I am don't tread on me. Here I am don't tread on me.'
Do NOT know where that came from!"
EB is my granddaughter. She just turned 4 a week ago and her taste in entertainment choices is already BRILLIANT!
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