Comedy of the Week – Details, episodes & analysis

"Americans have a long history of taking British things and ballsing them up. They took football and added helmets and cheerleaders; they took ice lollies and called them popsicles; and they took James Corden and then sent him back here."

Among Ashley’s more unusual hyperfixations is a life-long love of professional wrestling. This special interest was first developed on Saturday afternoons at his grandparents’ house watching Big Daddy, Giant Haystacks and Kendo Nagasaki. It continued through the 1980s when Britain was invaded by Hulk Hogan and his colleagues from the then WWF (before they lost a court case to the World Wildlife Fund), and Ashley was fortunate enough to be in attendance at the legendary Summerslam show at Wembley Stadium in 1992, which so many British wrestlers have cited as the day that cemented their love of the grunt and grapple business. This undeniably extraordinary spectacle is sometimes called ‘sports entertainment’ - for many people it is neither!

When Ashley Blaker was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, one of the most significant aspects of his diagnosis is his propensity for hyperfixation in special interests, which he now realises has entirely shaped his past and which he uses to mine comedy for this new series.

It’s no exaggeration to say Ashley’s life has been driven by obsessions. He has variously been a schoolboy with a love of Star Wars and Doctor Who, a wannabe comedian who performed on the London comedy circuit at 16, a trivia nerd who appeared on University Challenge, a history PhD candidate at Cambridge, a BBC producer of hit comedy shows including Little Britain, a fanatical football fan who saw Liverpool play across England and Europe, a strictly Orthodox Jew who went to synagogue three times a day for over ten years, a father of six, and latterly, a heavily tattooed renegade in hiding from his former community.

In this series, Ashley takes a comedic look at each of his obsessions in turn, merging personal memoir with a delve into subjects which have yet to be covered in stand-up comedy shows. The result is a series which, while based on the broader topic of neurodiversity, covers it with the lightest of touches and is focused more on Ashley’s individual hyperfixations, lifting the lid on many of the different worlds he’s inhabited.

To hear more episodes from this series, search "Ashley Blaker's Hyperfixations" on BBC Sounds.

Written and performed by Ashley Blaker co-starring Rosie Holt and Kieran Hodgson

Script Editor: Steve Hall Recording engineers: Jerry Peal and Jon Calver Producer: Steve Doherty A Giddy Goat production for BBC Radio 4

Industry heartthrob and nation's sweetheart Kat is on her way to an exciting product launch in a long car, with long suffering sidekick Alex Macqueen.

On the way, she shares the secrets of her success, and how series one of Screen Time made her the most famous woman to ever grace the UK. Now that she's the biggest influencer ever, Kat teaches you how you can stop being a big normo and maximise your online brand. Hear her improve her appearance with a novel technique at the gym, convene a writers room to work out how to appear most relatable, and purify her brand by cutting off an old friend who's just got the worst news a person can receive. He's been cancelled.

And she barely thinks about Abbie at all!

To listen to more from this series, search "Kat Sadler's Screen Time" on BBC Sounds.

Cast

Kat Sadler - Kat Alex MacQueen - Alex Abbie Weinstock - Abbie Al Roberts - Toby Lizzie Davidson - Various Jason Forbes - Various

Written by Kat Sadler and Cameron Loxdale

Production Coordinator - Caroline Barlow Executive Producer - Pete Strauss Sound Design - Rich Evans Recorded by Neil Goody at Premises Studios

Produced by Gwyn Rhys Davies. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Today Lindsey is dragged to a rock climbing centre by her athletic friend Jenny which results in a life changing discovery about her over-zealous anatomy. She helps her mum rescue a missing rat and, with the help of Elton John, hosts an intimate funeral.

Welcome to the life of the most beautiful princess in all of Birmingham and its surrounding areas. This week Lindsey Santoro has started a diary. But she’s not 13 years old daydreaming about her latest crush and sleepover plans. She’s a 37-year-old no-nonsense Brummy whose days are more likely to involve thrush cream and a bargy with a bus driver. You are cordially invited to step into her world and learn lessons from her lively life.

Producer: Sasha Bobak Production Coordinator: Katie Baum Script Editor: Ruth Husko Executive Producer: Pete Strauss

A BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4.

Jeremy Moleskine is the biggest writer in bawdy greetings cards. So when his car veers off the road, his number one fan is on hand to nurse him back to health. But when R&R turns into B&B (belittling and bludgeoning), Jeremy’s agent must track him down with the help of incarcerated lunatic, Clinton Scards.

Brace yourself for a psychological thriller as Crybabies bring the big screen to your normal sized radio.

To hear more episodes from this series search "Crybabies Present" on BBC Sounds.

Written and performed by Michael Clarke, James Gault & Ed Jones.

Featuring Chiara Goldsmith

Production Co-ordinator - Laura Shaw

Sound Design by David Thomas and Victoria Freund

Producer - Benjamin Sutton

Executive Producer - Joe Nunnery

A Boffola Pictures production for BBC Radio 4

This first episode takes a cheeky look at the costs of end of life care and you might be surprised to find out just how pricey it is to pop your clogs!

When it seems like everything is getting more expensive; comedian, former banker and serial funeral-organiser Stuart Mitchell breaks down the true Cost of Dying. Using his own experience Stuart aims to find out if can we even afford to kick the bucket? You’ll learn so much about the hidden costs of dying, you may well decide not to bother doing it!

To find more episodes from this series, search "Stand-Up Specials" on BBC Sounds.

Written and Performed by Stuart Mitchell Producer: Lauren Mackay Sound: Andy Hay and Chris Currie

Oliver Callan hosts a panel show in which comedians from both sides of the Irish border and Britain imagine what a united Ireland would look like if it ever happened.

This week, Oliver Callan is joined by Neil Delamere, Alison Spittle, John Meagher and Ashley Storrie to debate a new national flag, who the head of state might be and the official, national breakfast.

To listen to Part 2: Belfast, search Oliver Callan Bins The Border on BBC Sounds.

Producer: Marc McElroy A BBC Northern Ireland Production for Radio 4.

Comedy fans can catch the nominees for The Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2025 in this showcase for BBC Radio 4.

Guaranteed to be packed with laughs, this special will be hosted by last year’s Best Comedy Show winner, Amy Gledhill.

The prestigious awards is celebrating its 45th year and is recognising a Best Newcomer and a Best Show. In this gala, hosted by 2024 Best Show winner Amy Gledhill, we'll hear from all the nominees to give listeners around the UK the chance to hear the cream of this year’s Edinburgh crop. The gala was recorded at the Gilded Balloon, one of the Edinburgh Fringe’s iconic comedy venues.

Nominated for Best Show are: Ian Smith, Katie Norris, Ed Night, Sam Jay, John Tothill, Sam Nicoresti, Creepy Boys and Dan Tiernan

Nominated for Best Newcomer are: Molly McGuinness, Toussaint Douglass, Ada & Bron, Elouise Eftos, Ayoade Bamgboye, Kate Owens and Roger O'Sullivan.

Host: Amy Gledhill Producer: Georgia Keating Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow Edited by Giles Aspen Recorded by Sean Kerwin

Recorded at The Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh. A BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.

Returning in its original one-to-one incarnation, Paul Merton interviews a variety of guests from the world of comedy and entertainment to find out what they would send to Room 101. This week Paul welcomes Richard Ayoade.

We return to Icklewick one year after the explosive events of Mischief Night. With Amy’s whereabouts still unknown and the rest of the team scattered, Chris has been struggling to keep Icklewick FM on the air from his home studio.

Things are deffo looking bleak until he receives a mysterious call from Mainland Europe...

Icklewick FM is created and written by Chris Cantrill and Amy Gledhill, with additional material from the cast.

To listen to more episodes from this series, search "Ickelwick FM" on BBC Sounds.

Starring: Amy Gledhill Chris Cantrill Mark Silcox Colin Hoult Janice Connolly Phil Ellis Tom Lawrinson Tom Burgess Nicola Redman Tai Campbell Em Humble James Carbutt

Series Artwork by Sam O'Leary

Music, sound design and additional material by Jack Lewis Evans. Line Produced by Laura Shaw Produced by Benjamin Sutton. A Daddy’s Superyacht production for BBC Radio 4

2025's instalment of John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme is forty-five minutes of the funniest things John thought of in the last year, performed by John and his regular cast of Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin and Carrie Quinlan, with composer Susannah Pearse at the piano and Sally Stares on the cello.

Please note that listening to these sketches about seahorses, time travel and sirens may cause side effects, unless you're listening to the placebo version of the show.

Written and performed by … John Finnemore Ensemble … Margaret Cabourn-Smith Ensemble … Simon Kane Ensemble … Lawry Lewin Ensemble … Carrie Quinlan

Original music … Susannah Pearse Piano … Susannah Pearse Cello … Sally Stares

Recording … Jerry Peal & Jon Calver Editing … Rich Evans

Production Manager … Katie Baum Executive Producer … Richard Morris

Producer … Ed Morrish

John Finnemore’s Souvenir Programme is a BBC Studios Production for Radio 4.