3. Looking at Linda and Where's the F in News
Samira Ahmed and guests Arabella Weir, Lissa Evans and Tiffany Stevenson discuss women’s evolution in satire. From 2019.
From the dawn of broadcast comedy, women played a vital but largely overlooked role; more in the background rather than the forefront. What impact did the sisters of satire from the 60’s and 70’s have on the comedy we know today and what was their cultural influence? In the less enlightened sixties and seventies, women were often the butt of the joke, rather than making them.
Just because they weren’t the stars of the show didn’t mean their influence wasn’t felt. June Whitfield, Eleanor Bron and Miriam Margolyes were all quietly but firmly making their name in comedies such as The Glums, The Establishment Club and The Betty Witherspoon Show. These women paved the way for comedians and actors such as Jan Ravens, Meera Syal and Linda Smith.
In the last of three programmes, Samira Ahmed is joined by actor and director Arabella Weir and former radio producer and novelist Lissa Evans to discuss some of the best sitcoms from the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ archives to assess the impact funny women have had on contemporary comedy and the extent of their satirical legacy.
Producer: Belinda Naylor
Made for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra and first heard in November 2019.
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Next
You are at the last episode
See all episodes from Sisters in Satire: The Pioneering Women of Comedy
Broadcasts
- Wed 24 Mar 2021 11:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Wed 24 Mar 2021 21:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 11 May 2024 10:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 11 May 2024 15:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Sat 11 May 2024 21:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra
- Sun 12 May 2024 05:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4 Extra