Explore every episode of the podcast Comfort Blanket

Rewatching and reconsidering the greatest SF films according to the list published in 2000AD comic in 1980.

This time: The Thing. Howard Hawks sends his usual capable men to deal with an intelligent carrot from outer space. It's for a Thing.

Thanks to the support of our listeners on Patreon and Substack who made this series possible. More short series coming soon!

patreon.com/comfortblankpod

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Rewatching and reconsidering the greatest SF films according to the list published in 2000AD comic in 1980.

This time: Things To Come, in which H G Wells and Alexander Korda predict the coming of The Helicopter Men.

Thanks to the support of our listeners on Patreon and Substack who made this series possible. More short series coming soon!

patreon.com/comfortblankpod

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Rewatching and reconsidering the greatest SF films according to the list published in 2000AD comic in 1980.

We start with Metropolis, Fritz Lang's tale of robots, big clocks, and eyeliner.

Thanks to the support of our listeners on Patreon and Substack who made this series possible. More short series coming soon!

patreon.com/comfortblankpod

joelmorris.substack.com

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Writer, comedian and YouTube star Jay Foreman (Map Men) returns to talk about another vivid and unique cartoon world: Cosgrove Hall’s wild and crazy Dangermouse offshoot Count Duckula, and celebrates the subversive joys of children’s television on the (gasp) commercial channels… Goodness!

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Writer and comedian Madeleine Brettingham (Harry Hill's TV Burp, Have I Got News For You) talks about the cyclical comforts of wicker-basket obsessed hedgehogs-and-pumpkins glossy Country Living Magazine, and becomes the first Comfort Blanket guest to bring on something that is actually mainly *about* blankets.

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Writer and comedian Athena Kugblenu (Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, Horrible Histories) talks about the family-all-together-on-the-sofa comforts of 90s sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, the comedy of class, the thorny issue of fitting in, and recognition humour as high art.

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Author Hattie Williams (Bitter Sweet) talks about Nick Park’s lovable Oscar-smashing plasticene cheesepunk technologists, the joy of vegetable puns, silent villains and doomed romances, and the comforts of slow, careful, human craft.

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Writer Gabby Hutchinson-Crouch (Horrible Histories, Cursed Under London, Darkwood) talks about Hayao Miyazaki’s 2004 beautiful animated adaptation of Diana Wynne Jones’ Howl’s Moving Castle, and how the Studio Ghibli masterpiece subverts fairytale tropes and flips hackneyed gender roles, while remembering to include sufficient wisecracking fireplaces and hot emo wizards.

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Actor Geoffrey McGivern (Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Ghosts, Back) talks about the bittersweet Viennese comforts of Graham Greene and Carol Reed's blackly comic thriller 'The Third Man'.

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Writer John Finnemore (Cabin Pressure, Souvenir Programme) talks about the comforts of Alexander Mackendrick's classic 1955 Ealing comedy 'The Ladykillers', and explains how the film cleverly subverts the audience's expectations, while satisfying them at the same time.

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Comedian John-Luke Roberts picks the 1990 LP by They Might Be Giants (the one that contains their hit single Birdhouse In Your Soul, and 18 other wildly inventive songs) and talks about the idea of ‘too much’, of overwhelm, of an invigorating deluge of ideas, and how that connects the worlds of music and comedy.

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Writer and comedian Robin Ince (The Infinite Monkey Cage, Cosmic Shambles Network) talks about the comforts of Carol Reed’s masterpiece The Fallen Idol, the beautiful film he made between Odd Man Out and The Third Man, and touches on the links between film and our memories of loved ones.

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Writer Neil Forsyth (The Gold, Guilt, Bob Servant) talks about the comforts of Molly Dineen's 1989 fly-on-the-wall documentary 'Heart Of The Angel', a surprisingly deep study of the people working in a failing London Underground station.

The documentary is available on the BBC iPlayer here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0074tkn/40-minutes-heart-of-the-angel

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Writer Will Maclean (The Apparition Phase) talks about John Carpenter's classic 1982 sci-fi horror film The Thing, and why its tale of gruff short-tempered men failing to deal with an impossible situation in a pitiless white landscape is a comforting place to return to again and again.

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Sunday Times bestselling author Beth Morrey (Saving Missy, Lucky Day) talks about Sue Townsend's definitive comic coming-of-age novel The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4.

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Comedian and writer Sara Barron (Firecrotch & Normcore, They Like To Watch) celebrates the comforts of 30 Rock, Tina Fey's sitcom skewering of network TV, and the joy of seeing relatable character Liz Lemon surviving and thriving (even if she has lettuce in her hair).

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Comedy producer Ed Morrish (Non-Censored, Soundheap, John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme) brings his personal comfort blanket, Ben Stokes' 2019 Ashes innings at Headingley against Australia (and more broadly "all sport") to try and persuade Comfort Blanket umpire Joel that it's allowed - and makes a case for sport as the perfect improvised long-form narrative. It's all about the story...

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Actor, comedian and broadcaster Tom Price (Torchwood, Magic FM, My Mate Brought A Toaster) talks about the lifelong comfort he draws from Allo Allo, Perry & Lloyd's broad and shameless French resistance farce. Listen very carefully, we will say this only once: it's actually brilliant.

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Writer Naomi Alderman (The Power, The Future) chooses as her comfort blanket, the 1949 Ealing black comedy 'Kind Hearts And Coronets', with its mixture of revenge (served cold, of course), and vicious social satire, managing to possess, one might say, "all the exuberance of Chaucer, without, happily, any of the concomitant crudities of his period..."

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In the second part of our two part look at definitive 1990s sitcom Friends, Larry Rickard (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) talks about how comedy reflects its times, how audiences want (and don't want) things to change for their favourite comedy characters, and when it's time to say goodbye.

This is PART TWO of a two part episode. If you haven't heard PART ONE, please go back and start there...

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Writer and actor Larry Rickard (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) talks about his love for the smash hit 1990s sitcom Friends, and the craft of making warm, gag-filled, ensemble television comedy with your... er... friends.

This is Part ONE of a two part episode.

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Writer and broadcaster Danny Robins (Uncanny, 2:22 A Ghost Story) talks about the unexpected comforts of Nic Roeg's classic 1973 supernatural thriller Don't Look Now, a masterful study of how humans try and make sense of life, death and the unexplained.

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Actor and writer Jim Howick (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) talks about his love for Bruce Robinson's 1987 film 'Withnail & I', the studied debauchery of the striving, starving artist, its ache of regret for the 60s, and the strange, romantic comforts of desperation, booze and enormous herb-laced joints (lamb and otherwise).

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Actor Rufus Wright (Rogue One, Quantum of Solace, The Audience) talks about the comfort he gets from the often overlooked 1974 debut album by Canadian heavy prog rock trio Rush, and we share our thoughts on the appeal of heavy metal for teenage boys, the gawky magic of school bands, and the sweet horror of adolescent lyrics.

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Comedian and writer Bec Hill (Makeaway Takeaway, Horror Heights, A Problem Squared) talks about the comforts of Michael Schur's philosophical afterlife sitcom The Good Place, and how comedy can tackle the really, really big stuff.

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The second part of our 2-part celebration of the sound shorts of Laurel & Hardy, with journalist Andrew Male (Sight & Sound, Mojo, Sunday Times), talking about Towed In A Hole, Their First Mistake, Them Thar Hills, and its sequel, Tit For Tat.

Please do listen to part one first!

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Journalist Andrew Male (Sight & Sound, Sunday Times, Mojo) talks about the sound shorts of Laurel & Hardy, and the leap forward in comedy instigated by their unique, warm double act adapting to the new technology of sound.

Part one of two, dealing with Stan and Ollie's craft, and looking at their Oscar winning 1932 short, The Music Box.

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PART TWO of actor and writer Carrie Quinlan talking about Spider-Man, and the endlessly retellable tale of the nerd-turned-neighbourhood superhero. This part talks in more depth about the latest Spider-Man film 'Across the Spiderverse'.

If you haven't heard part one, please find it and start there!

This is PART TWO of TWO.

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Actor and writer Carrie Quinlan (Home, Agendum, John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme) talks about her love of the comic character Spider-Man, in all his (and her, and its) incarnations, and what enables the story of the teenage nerd turned neighbourhood crime fighter to be endlessly reinvented, to provide life-long comfort for alienated kids, teens and grown-ups.

This is part ONE of TWO.

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Comedy actor and podcaster Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Crushed, John Finnemore, Penny Dreadfuls) talks about the uplifting British comedy film Pride (2014) with its story of unlikely alliances and the power of unity, and the winner of an imaginary BAFTA for best White Writing At The End In A Motion Picture.

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Comedian and YouTuber Jay Foreman (Map Men, Politics Unboring-ed) talks about the comforts of Goscinny and Uderzo’s indomitable Asterix, about the sort of jokes and storytelling that can only work in comic form, and how good it is to read something from a neighbour's point of view.

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Author and journalist Daisy Buchanan (Insatiable, How To Be A Grown Up) talks about the comforts of Bridget Jones's Diary, by Helen Fielding, and how book Bridget differs from the version we now think we know, how the book acts as a manual for self-acceptance, and how it might open a door to grown-up life if you read it when you're anxious and thirteen.

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Comedian Michael Spicer (The Room Next Door, Mandy, The Mash Report) talks about the comforts of Monty Python's final, short and strange TV series (the one nobody really talks about), why sketch shows are all-hit-and-no-miss (provided you love them enough) and why enjoying the weird stuff is sometimes the most comforting part of being a fan.

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Comedian and artist Jo Neary (Ideal, Man Down) on illustrator Ronald Searle, in particular his school satires: St Trinian's and the immortal Molesworth books, with Geoffrey Willans.

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Writer and actor Abigail Burdess (Mother's Day, Mitchell & Webb) talks about the comforts of the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, and talks about the invention of the romcom, and whether Jane Austen is the most successful comedy writer ever.

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If you like Comfort Blanket, we are launching a Patreon so you can join in and show your support.

www.patreon.com/comfortblanketpod

Patreon membership gives you early ad-free access to future episodes of Comfort Blanket, as well as our exclusive companion podcast 'Home Comforts'.

Here's a sample episode to whet your Patreon appetite, with Julia picking Jennifer Saunders' classic sitcom 'Absolutely Fabulous'...

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Actor Melanie Gutteridge (Salisbury Poisonings, Undeclared War, The Bill) talks about the comforts of the 2013 video game The Last of Us - recently adapted into the hit HBO series - the power of interactive fiction, and how video games are more like theatre than TV, how they tell their stories and emotionally affect us, and the differences between acting and acting-with-balls-all-over-a-wetsuit.

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We are launching a Comfort Blanket Patreon. Please join and throw some coins in the lovely Patreon hat if you feel you want to support the podcast...

www.patreon.com/comfortblanketpod

You'll get early ad-free access to forthcoming episodes, as well as EXCLUSIVE access to our companion podcast Home Comforts...

Here's a sample episode, about what might be my favourite film of all time: Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.

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A look back at some favourite moments from the first two series.

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Author John Higgs (Love & Let Die, The KLF: Chaos Magic...) talks about the comforts of classic Doctor Who, and how a science fiction series for children seems to have almost willed itself into being as something far bigger, more powerful, and magical within our culture.

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Journalist and broadcaster Samira Ahmed (Front Row) talks about the comfort she finds in 'Soul Food', the 1989 cookbook by Three Degrees singer Sheila Ferguson.

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Comedian, games journalist and twitch streamer Ellie Gibson (Scummy Mummies, Go 8 Bit) talks about the comforts of Nintendo's gentle community-simulator video game 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons', and how it helped her, and millions of others, through the isolation of pandemic lockdown.

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Actor and writer Ben Willbond (Ghosts, Horrible Histories) chooses John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (in all its forms) and discusses how it comforts him by being a masterful attack on a very particular British form of cruelty and certainty.

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Comedian and actor Paul Putner (Lee & Herring, Little Britain) talks about his lifelong love for one of Britain's best-loved pop bands Madness, and their unbeatably witty, inventive and, well, nutty promo videos.

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Comedian and writer Mike Wozniak (Man Down, Taskmaster, Three Bean Salad) talks about the influence and warmth of Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe's anything-goes 1950s radio programme The Goon Show, and the comforts of its self-contained, lunatic world.

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Actor and writer Jonathan Dryden Taylor (Mitchell & Webb, National Theatre) talks about the 1996 film 'Beautiful Thing', and the comforting message it offered: maybe there is another sort of rom-com that isn't just boy-meets-girl, and that maybe it's all going to be all right.

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In the second part of this two part episode, neuroscientist Professor Sophie Scott talks about Michael Palin & Terry Jones' set of self-contained stirring Edwardian boys' story spoofs, and discusses the importance of shared laughter for humans.

PART TWO of a two-part episode.

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Professor Sophie Scott (director of UCL's Dept of Cognitive Neuroscience) talks about the comforts of Ripping Yarns, Michael Palin & Terry Jones' hilarious and lavish post-Python anthology series of Edwardian adventure story spoofs, and how comedy always needs to be taken extremely seriously...

PART ONE of a two-part episode.

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Actor and comedian Ingrid Oliver (Doctor Who, Watson & Oliver) talks about the comforts of the ultimate 80s kids' adventure movie The Goonies, with its magic combination of Richard Donner, Chris Columbus and Steven Spielberg, plus the infectious can-do confidence of America's finest unstoppable junior adventurers.

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In part two of our deep dive into the repeat-watch comforts of Lawrence Gordon Clark's 1970s Ghost Stories For Christmas, writer Will Maclean talks about how these sort of tales weave their uneasy magic spell. (And this time we don't skip any of them for being too scary.)

This is the second of two parts, in which we discuss The Treasure of Abbot Thomas, The Ash Tree, The Signalman and Stigma.

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