Radio 4 drama, when did it get so rubbish?

I used to really enjoy the dramas on Radio 4, back in the 90’s and 00’s.

I guess I wasn’t really the target audience back then but it was enjoyable.

Recently I can’t find anything recent that’s any good.

They are either unfunny comedy, dull tales and weird stuff I don’t seem to “get”.

Now in my 50s surely I’m actually more like that target audience?

There seems to be a few on Radio 4 Xtra that seems to be working for me…either the comedy shows, or mostly crime dramas. Although it tends to be on as background noise so I doubt I properly listen to them.

Yes, we used to have Radio 4 on all the time and (a good bit older than the OP) they were mostly bearable to good.
But now they’re not. Just like you say, but you missed one point. Almost all the females speak in “that” odd voice.

What’s that then?

I still listen to a lot of the comedy but haven’t listened to drama for ages.

Maybe they’re desperate to appeal to a younger audience, rather than having something decent on.

When I’ve been unfortunate enough to have listened to what Radio 4 describe as comedy (normally after listening to the news, I think I could probably have them under the trades descriptions act.

Its beyond awful and does leave you wondering who on earth commissions this rubbish?

Seriously?

Have you not listened to John Finemore?

Sounds like Binners has been listening to Conversations From A Long Marriage.

But thankfully ISIHAC is back next week

Have you not listened to John Finemore

John Finemore is marvellous, but I think his most recent Radio 4 program was the last series of Souvenir program 3 years ago.

I have found the same as earlier posters – loved R4 comedy and dramas but over the last 5+ years there is little worth listening to.  There is quite a lot of good stuff on R4 Extra, but that’s because it’s old stuff from when R4 was much better.

Dead Ringers when on is still good.

John Finemore is marvellous, but I think his most recent Radio 4 program was the last series of Souvenir program 3 years ago.

Did an 45 min “special” earlier in the year : https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zlz4

the mulligan milliners heist episode is pure genius: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09qhf19

Radio 4 drama, when did it get so rubbish?

I find the Radio 3 drama slot to be generally better https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006tnwj/episodes/player

There is quite a lot of good stuff on R4 Extra, but that’s because it’s old stuff from when R4 was much better.

Thats what makes it all the worse. The classic shoes are just so good, which stands in stark contrast to the utter bilge they’re been churning out recently.

It may be me being a chippy northerner but I do get the impression with the ‘comedy’ that the commissioning revolves around is which one of their mates offspring have just graduated from Footlights and is looking for work, but nobody else is interested as its utter rubbish.

If you’re looking for stuff to listen to on BBC Sounds, personally I find Five Live the default. Some of their documentaries are absolutely fantasticly detailed and indepth. Two good places to start

End of Days about David Koresh and Waco

Things Fell apart – Strange tales from the culture wars by Jon Ronson

@slackboy – Thanks for that, didn’t even realise R3 drama was a thing.

I listened to this while reading of A Christmas Carol cooking Christmas Dinner last year, it’s very good.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p07l9rkl

All of Jon Ronson’s stuff is great. It’s Radio 4.

Agreed that comedy on R4 has got dite, but disagree with thr 5 year timescale

It’s a fair bit more than that. I remember discussing it with my dad, and he croaked 9 years ago

Yeah can’t say I find the comedy any good but personally I enjoy a lot of the fictional and non fictional stuff still. The dramas can be hit and miss, some good sci fi stuff now and again and things like Jon Ronson mentioned above which I thought was radio 4. Radio 3 dramas can be really good and are 90 minutes long usually.

All of Jon Ronson’s stuff is great. It’s Radio 4.

Things fell apart is great – but it’s not drama or comedy. R4 still do some good documentaries, but the occasional golden nugget just highlights the dross that surrounds it.

disagree with thr 5 year timescale  It’s a fair bit more than that.

I wouldn’t argue with that.

What was the comedy with Morrisey?

His musical career?

In any case,

I don’t think their comedy is a new phenomenon. R4 has its gems, ISIHAC, The Now Show and so forth. But I’m struggling to think of one of their audio sitcom forays that wasn’t bilge aside from the superb Cabin Pressure (Finemore again).

radio 4 drama has always been shit, just every now and again it’s moderately less shit, and this lulls you into listening to it again. Thankfully now there are podcasts and audiobooks, so I don’t have to bother with R4 anymore.

Secret World

Used to love this.

100% agree about R4 drama going down the pan. The Friday afternoon play used to be a must listen for me in my late 20s/early 30s, I can’t bear it now I’m in my 40s. And the Saturday / Sunday afternoon longer plays are just uniformly terrible.

The last set they did I can remember being profoundly entertaining were the Inspector Chen ones, and they’re not even currently available on iPlayer.

@clk – That was brilliant. Really clever and funny.

I do get the impression with the ‘comedy’ that the commissioning revolves around is which one of their mates offspring have just graduated from Footlights and is looking for work, but nobody else is interested as its utter rubbish.

It’s always been like this, apart from Dead Ringers and the News Quiz. I include ISIHGAC in that, also highly overrated.

Hut no 9

Claire in the community

Ed reirden

In and out of the kitchen.

All great but old now. nothing tops cabin pressure.

there has to to be such a huge catalog of drama and science programs to air available that could be on 4extra but it’s weekly repeated. I dont think they have the rights for a lot of it. I remember sneaking a radio to bed when I was younger and finding radio 4 storys that where great.

Crossing the streams, John Finemore actually did a sketch on this very subject, ripping the p!ss out of formulaic R4 drama – probably still up somewhere.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b039ctgm?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

21:44 in.

Not drama, but I do like the 15min short stories they have on at 3.45pm some days. Generally very good, and often excellent.

It’s no longer required that comedy be funny, it has to be “about” something.

I’m enjoying “London particular” ATM but that might be a bit weird for you.

I do love all the 60s-80s spy, cop and mystery serials on extra though

The same calibre as Radio 4 comedy then

Not drama but BBC Friday Night Comedy (dead ringers / the news quiz) is brilliant…. They release it as a podcast… season has finished recently though so won’t be on for a while. I’m 30 though os maybe I’m their new ‘target audience’

I only catch it occasionally by chance, but R4 drama always seems thuddingly dull, obvious and formulaic – usually delivered in a stilted and artificial style that makes it painful to listen to. Especially any supposedly working class elements depicted.

Ooh a maverick detective with a troubled past you say? And a woman’s been murdered? How original.

Not drama but BBC Friday Night Comedy (dead ringers / the news quiz) is brilliant…

The BBC have been absolutely hammering the trailers for something called ‘The Naked Week’ which is the new Radio 4 Friday Night ‘Comedy’ it featured some Rupert Double-Barrelled braying something he claims to be ‘satire’, though he may want to look up the dictionary definition of that.

If those are supposed to be the funniest bits that they’re using for the trailer – which you’d assume they are –  then it promises to be absolutely toe-curlingly awful!

And now they are ranting at cyclists in The Archers. Characters getting het up about an ebike going too fast but when it turns out to be a petrol scooter it’s fine apparently.

I introduced my youngest son to The Archers recently and he couldn’t believe it was actually really like that. And by ‘that’, I mean John Finnemore’s send up of it on Souvenir Programme.