Podcast appearances and mentions of Stephen Mangan

Right, own up. Who changed Dom's Wikipedia picture to Ainsley Harriott?Welcome back to The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X Podcast. This week, we discovered that Radio X's Dan O'Connell is back to his thieving ways…We treated Chris and Dom to a new instalment of their favourite mystery guest based feature Who Are You? During which, we learnt about the saucy past of our guest, and which international band took him under their wing after he invented one of the greatest gig-enhancers of the 21st Century.David Jason came in to chat about his new book, why he thinks Only Fools and Horses was as big as it was, and how he gets into character for his roles. Del Boy even made a special appearance!Dan! Dan! Dan! Stephen Mangan dropped by to tell us all about ‘The Fart That Saved The Universe' (that's his new children's book) and what it's like to run a marathon as a ‘Big Star'.And because that evidently isn't enough for you…Dom's was once on The Gadget ShowJames invented smart homesThe Dom-claveEnjoy!The Chris Moyles Show on Radio XWeekdays 6:30am - 10am

As we hit episode three of the series, Rob and Guy tackle their most recent film to date, 2024's Swede Caroline. Starring mainstay of British film and television Jo Hartley, and supported by a talented array of comedians, thesps, and character actors. The film looks at the world of competitive giant vegetable-growing and what happens when proceedings are rocked by scandal.  We also take a look at forgotten sitcom Bliss starring Stephen Mangan, Hartley, and Heather Graham. The show was created by American comedian David Cross and followed the trials and tribulations of a man trying to balance life with two families in the same city.   Not adverse to controversial comedies, will Bliss leave us wanting more or wishing we'd not bothered in the first place? You'll have to give the episode a listen to find out!  Swede Caroline - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHhIHzOpl4k&ab_channel=BritFlicks Swede Caroline - Jo Hartley interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lmyBQ3TRh8&ab_channel=Channel4News Bliss - Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWHQHuPsdyw&ab_channel=SkyTV Arrested Development - The Best of Tobias Funke  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r52Z-GscUwU&ab_channel=PickleRick Mr Show - Larry Kleist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKE9W0O8bX8&ab_channel=F33bs Mr Show - Taint Magazine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-1EIdnDB9g&ab_channel=fansofdongeronimo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for Hammer's Hands of the Ripper, a 1971 British horror film released as the second half of a double feature with Twins of Evil. Directed by Peter Sasdy, produced by Aida Young, and written by L.W. Davidson from a story by Edward Spencer Shew. Making good use of the large Baker Street set at Pinewood Studios—left over from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes—the production was denied permission to film its final scenes at St. Paul's Cathedral, so a replica was constructed instead. If the Pritchards' home and staircase look familiar, it's because Hammer's ever-resourceful set designers reused elements from The Curse of Frankenstein years earlier (see episode 2 of our podcast for more on that classic). Director Peter Sasdy, who cited Hands of the Ripper as his favourite film, also directed the original Adrian Mole TV series (both The Secret Diary and The Growing Pains), three episodes of Hammer House of Horror, and two other Hammer features: Countess Dracula and Taste the Blood of Dracula (the latter coming to the podcast later this year, hopefully). Most monumentally, he directed the legendary BBC sci-fi thriller The Stone Tape (definitely check General Witchfinders number 5—our third most popular episode to date!). Eric Porter stars as Doctor Pritchard. Renowned for his work in film, television, and theatre, he famously played Professor Moriarty opposite Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes and Soames Forsyte in The Forsyte Saga. Angharad Rees plays Anna, the daughter of the Ripper. She appeared in Boon (take a drink), starred as Demelza in 28 episodes of Poldark, and, the year after Hands of the Ripper, featured in Under Milk Wood alongside Richard Burton, Peter O'Toole, and Elizabeth Taylor. She was made a Fellow of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, had a pub named after her in Pontypridd (sadly now a card shop), and founded a Knightsbridge jewellery company, Angharad. Pieces she designed were featured in Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Wikipedia also notes she was once in a relationship with Alan Bates, which we mention only to plug episode 35, where we talked about The Shout.Lynda "Nurse Gladys Emmanuel" Baron appears as Long Liz—a curious name choice considering Long Liz was an actual canonical Ripper victim. Here, she's depicted alive and well (at least initially), years after Saucy Jack's supposed demise. Baron appeared as a recurring character in both Coronation Street and EastEnders, and played three different characters in Doctor Who across three Doctors.Dora Bryan turns up as Mrs Golding, one of two clairvoyants in the film. You may know her from 50 episodes of Last of the Summer Wine, Boon (drink), or as Helen in A Taste of Honey (written by Jon's mum's mate Shelagh Delaney). She (Dora, not Shelagh) also appeared in both a Carry On and a St Trinian's.Lastly, Norman Bird pops up as the Police Inspector. If he looks familiar, it's because he had over 200 TV and 60 film roles. He was in Spywatch (as Mr Jenkins), Boon (drink), Woof!, Whack-O!, and Help! (with Stephen Mangan). He also did a stint in Jim Davidson's Up the Elephant and Round the Castle—only mentioned because Ross was convinced it was alongside Marina Sirtis, but IMDb says she was in just one episode?Anyway, back to Norman Bird. He appeared in The Adventure Game, Whistle Down the Wind, Steptoe and Son, Fawlty Towers, Please Sir!, and The Medusa Touch (on our long list since day one). He was Mr Braithwaite, the farmer, in Worzel Gummidge and voiced Bilbo in the 1978 Ralph Bakshi Lord of the Rings. Get bonus content on PatreonSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/general-witchfinders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stephen Mangan is an award winning actor who is also a presenter and writer. His prolific career includes comedic roles in TV hits Green Wing; Episodes and Adrian Mole. He also plays the much loved Nathan in BBC drama The Split and has appeared in many award winning theatre productions in the UK and on Broadway.Born in London to Irish immigrant parents, Stephen studied Law at Cambridge University. His passion though was for acting and after taking time out to care for his mother, he spent three years at RADA before pursuing a successful career on stage, screen and film. Stephen lives in London with his wife and three sons.DISC ONE: King of the Road - Roger Miller DISC TWO: I Recall A Gypsy Woman - Don Williams DISC THREE: Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - John Lennon DISC FOUR: Who Knows Where the Time Goes - Fairport Convention DISC FIVE: Stayin Alive - Bee Gees DISC SIX: Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major, M. 83: II. Adagio assai. Composed by Maurice Ravel and performed by Martha Argerich (piano) and Berliner Philharmoniker, conducted by Claudio Abbado DISC SEVEN: Rhapsody in Blue. Composed by George Gershwin and performed by New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta DISC EIGHT: (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher And Higher - Jackie Wilson BOOK CHOICE: Collected Works of Seamus Heaney LUXURY ITEM: A piano CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Stayin Alive - Bee Gees Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Sarah Taylor

Fresh from his appearance on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, actor Stephen Mangan finds himself in the kind of trouble where the Bible, the Complete Works of Shakespeare, and his luxury item will be no help whatsoever.From Bill Dare (Dead Ringers), Jon Holmes (The Skewer) and writers Tom Oxenham and Simon Alcock, actor Stephen Mangan washes up on the actual island from Desert Island Discs, only to discover that he is not alone.Living among the palms and rocky outcrops and thousands of copies of the Bible lying in the sand are every former guest of the show - and it's all gone a bit Lord of the Flies.Through Stephen's audio diary, we learn that all TV chef Nadiya Hussain wants to do is hunt, that Richard Madeley's gone feral, and that Sandi Toksvig has the Conch. But there's something lurking in the forest, and when Stephen suspects foul play in the power struggle to be chief, he soon finds himself making a dangerous enemy.Can he win over his fellow islanders before it's too late? What lengths will he go to to survive? And what the hell is he going to do with this useless coffee machine he chose as his luxury item?Written by Tom Oxenham and Simon Alcock Starring Stephen Mangan as himselfSound Design: Tony Churnside Executive Producer: Jon Holmes Producer: Bill DareAn unusual production for BBC Radio 4

He's back yet again! Friend of the podcast Paul Critoph returns and attempts to review the TV of 2024, whilst I accept impromptu Christmas deliveries via my front door. Listen as we discuss Paul's role playing Santa at a secret undisclosed location, the ever changing face of John Mulaney, and divorcing reality from the art of 'Baby Reindeer'. Gasp as we both realise we know Shakin' Steven's drummer, while I admit to watching an entire scheduled evening of Saturday night light-entertainment. Paul then tries to convince me to watch Jilly Cooper's 'Rivals' while I explain the bizarre concept of the Stephen Mangan led 'Fortune Hotel'. We also rile against adverts infiltrating the streaming market, why Season 3 of 'The Bear' took the absolute piss, and why neither of us can abide Strictly.All music written and performed in this podcast by Steve Otis Gunn.Please buy my book 'You Shot My Dog and I Love You' available in all good book shops, online and directly.Podcast Socials:Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tvtimespodInsta: https://www.instagram.com/tvtimespodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@tvtimespodTwitter: https://twitter.com/tvtimespodSteve's Socials:Insta: https://www.instagram.com/steveotisgunnTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/steveotisgunnFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/steveotisgunn.antisocialPaul's Socials:Insta: https://www.instagram.com/paulcritophTwitter: https://twitter.com/PaulCritophFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/paul.critophProduced by Steve Otis Gunn for Jilted Maggotwww.jiltedmaggot.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we're reflecting on the many different ways people cultivate community and the invaluable impact it has on their lives!First up, we have the brilliant Tom Kerridge who raves about the importance of pubs in establishing vital community spaces that combat loneliness. Next, we have the wonderful Stephen Mangan who admits that he simply wouldn't know who he is without his huge Irish family - 52 first cousins included. Here he shares so candidly how they've always been his biggest support system, from celebrating his greatest successes to providing unwavering support in the wake of his parents' passing. And last but not least, we have the lovely Hugh Dennis. He tells us just how pivotal his decision to attend Cambridge was in allowing him to find “his people", and how great life teachers and comedy peers alike helped him develop both a successful career and a strong sense of self!If you liked what you heard, listen to the guests' full episodes here: Tom Kerridge, Stephen Mangan and Hugh Dennis.For all the latest news, click here to follow us on Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edward Dick trained as a theatre director with Cheek by Jowl, and has directed acclaimed theatre and opera productions across the UK and abroad. Edward's first short film, An Act of Love, starring Stephen Mangan and Gina McKee, premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2010 and has played at festivals around the world. His second short That Woman was also successful on the festival circuit and led to his first project for television, A Little Cracker for Hillbilly / Sky 1. In 2016 he was invited to take part in the BBC's continuing drama training scheme, which has seen him direct multiple episodes of BBC One dramas Holby City and Doctors, receiving an RTS nomination for outstanding new talent for his work on the latter.  He is a member of BFI NETWORK x BAFTA Crew 2021 and was recently named by the BBC as one of its ‘broadcasting stars of the future.'In 2020 he took part in the Directors UK High End Drama training programme on Silent Witness, directing 2nd Unit and working across all aspects of the production on multiple blocks and on the development of the 25th anniversary series. He is presently in Australia directing an acclaimed production of Giacomo Puccini's TOSCA. The production recently played the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne and soon takes to the stage in the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House.In this acclaimed, five-star production from Opera North, director Edward Dick writes the tension large upon the stage.The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

Hello and welcome to Spooning With Mark Wogan.On this episode , Mark is joined by the Queen of weekend TV, Amanda Ross. Amanda is the CEO of Cactus TV who has made Saturday Kitchen for the past eighteen years and reveals all the secrets to the show. Plus, Amanda opens up about being integral to the Richard and Judy Book Club and how the book world has changed since. And you can hear Amanda eat some dishes cooked by Jamie Shears, Executive Chef at the Mount Street in Mayfair of foods that she thinks she loves and the foods that she thinks she hates.Spooning With Mark Wogan will be continuing to tour Pub In The Park through the Summer of 2024 which you can watch live by visiting: www.pubintheparkuk.com28-30th June- Chiswick12-14th July- Reigate6-8th September- St Albans Amanda is producing and hosting a spin off theatre version of the TV series called Between The Covers Live! on tour around the UK with Stephen Mangan, Jo Brand and Kacey Ainsworth. You can get tickets and see Amanda and the team on stage by visiting: www.betweenthecoverslive.comJune 1st - Richmond TheatreJune 2nd- Oxford PlayhouseJune 3rd- Nottingham PlayhouseJune 4th- Birmingham Town HallJune 6th- Reading Concert HallJune 7th- Brighton Theatre RoyalNew episodes every Thursday!Producer: Johnny SeifertFilming and Editing: Rory Edwards and Chris JacobsYoutube: Spooning With Mark Wogan to watch the full episode with bonus contentTikTok: @spooningwithmarkwoganInstagram: @spooningwithmarkwoganThis is a News Broadcasting Production Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of RunPod, Jenni is joined by the host of The Fortune Hotel, Stephen Mangan.Stephen is a man of many talents, he's also star of shows like ‘Green Wing', ‘Episodes' and ‘The Split'. He's an author, a radio presenter and best of all he is a runner. And a pretty nifty one at that. He might be one of the busiest men in showbiz but he stays sane with running, although we have no idea how he fits it all in. He's currently training for a duathlon but still found the time to chat to Jenni about why running is so important to him and how it benefits him. It was a joy to chat to Stephen and it will be a joy to listen as you head out on your run. Enjoy and of course, happy running.

This week, Rayan, Wilf, and Ivan return to the podcast to debate ITV1's brand new series of The Fortune Hotel. Together, they debate whether the show's casting has hit the mark and whether the show is a copycat of The Traitors; they discuss Claire and Daniel's luck and Jae and Cherish's daring move; and they laugh about Stephen Mangan's room service and Jo-Anne and Will's poisoned chalice. This is the podcast where we watch reality TV so you don't have to!Follow us for more - @itsjustagame.podcast on TikTok and Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining me this episode to discuss their travel and holiday stories is the brilliant actor, comedian, presenter and writer - Stephen Mangan. Please subscribe and review. Thanks, Alan. xx ‘Life's A Beach' everyone's favourite travel podcast is here to give you all the vitamin D you need. More celebrity passengers unpack their travel suitcases dishing the dirt on their holiday high-jinks. Buckle up, sit back and enjoy the inflight entertainment!! A 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: hello@keepitlightmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's guest is a celebrated actor who can seamlessly turn his hand to any number of different roles - be it TV dramas, comedy blockbusters or Tony-nominated runs on Broadway. It's the lovely Stephen Mangan!After almost becoming a lawyer and instead finding his way to acting after real tragedy, Stephen's gone on to enjoy a hugely successful career on stage and screen. He chats to us about his love for his huge Irish family - he has 52 first cousins! - as well as the importance of a varied CV and how sudden loss can often lead us to becoming more reflective and thoughtful versions of ourselves.For all the latest news, click here to follow us on Instagram!***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's the bite on Captain Crapbeard's face. Greetings, friends! Welcome to episode 439 of The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X Podcast. Happy days! As Dom returns from his not-so-successful trip to Dublin, we had a week full of brilliant guests and WhatsApp messages: Lorraine Kelly returns, John Bishop says hello and a megastar from across the pond cooks a chicken pie. In this episode, actor and author Stephen Mangan tells us about his trip down the toilet, and The Fast Show creator, Charlie Higson, gives us behind the scenes insight to the iconic sketch show. Also, you better brush up on your manners, as etiquette expert and viral sensation William Hanson teaches the team the do's and don't's of farting, fish n' chip eating and tea drinking. As well as all that, you can expect…Pippa calling the most iconic British band EVER ‘the thingies'A big boil on Chris' Instagram livestreamA local radio callerEnjoy! The Chris Moyles Show on Radio XWeekdays 6:30am-10am

Stephen is determined to take Shaun back to their ancestral homeland, to experience the blanket bog of this bleak and beautiful area of the West of Ireland. Shaun feels the yearning in his blood but his blood also runs cold at the local weather forecasts. Resident geographer, historian and comedian Iszi Lawrence puts on her anorak to join them.Your Place Or Mine is the travel series that isn't going anywhere. Join Shaun as his guests try to convince him that it's worth getting up off the sofa and seeing the world, giving us a personal guide to their favourite place on the planet.Producer: Beth O'DeaYour Place or Mine is a BBC Audio production for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

Shaun Keaveny returns with series 4 of the BBC Radio 4 travel show that isn't going anywhere. Guests for the new run include Stephen Mangan, Anita Rani, Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Catherine Bohart. New episodes are available weekly on BBC Sounds from Wednesday 3 April, 2024.

Today on The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose, Angela Scanlon sits in and speaks to:Stephen Mangan and tells all about the brand new series of Landscape Artist of The Year!Show Chef has of her 'Best Of' Recipes, this time she brings us Granola. And there's a round of Word Up!See more on our YouTube, just look up @VirginRadioUK! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're hoping to hide in the laundry room away from all the stress of Christmas, you won't fit - Jane and Fi are already in there. To tide you over until the new year, they bring you some of their highlights from the last year at Times Radio HQ: Monty Don, Adjoa Andoh, Stephen Mangan and Jilly Cooper!If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radioFollow us on Instagram! @janeandfiAssistant Producer: Kate LeeTimes Radio Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you know what happened 40 years ago this week? If it's a no, you'd better click that play button, as all is revealed in this brand spanking new episode of The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X Podcast! This week, we kicked off the countdown to Christmas by drawing names for our annual Secret Santa, and opening the first door of some rather, shall we say, different advent calendars. Also, he's beautiful (it's true), James Blunt joined the team, and spilled the beans on some questionable celebrity stories that feature in his new book… We're still in shock to be honest. Actor and Comedian Stephen Mangan popped by to talk about his new book about a reindeer called Dave, and Ian Broudie of the Lightning Seeds came in to chat about his book, album, two tours and a gig with Chris. We're tired just thinking about all that, Ian. If all that wasn't enough to entice you to spend the next 90 minutes of your life with us, we also had: Captain Crapbeard's new game, Would AI Lie To YouA large delivery of milkRadio BeefEnjoy!The Chris Moyles Show on Radio XWeekdays 6:30am-10am

Jamie, Alice and James choose their favourite moments from the 'Porno' archive. This time, it's a starry line-up as they gang look back at their favourite Footnotes guests featuring Dame Emma Thompson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dan Levy, Michael Sheen, Nicholas Hoult, Hayley Atwell, Jessie Ware, Elijah Wood, Joe Lycett, Daisy Ridley, Josh Groban, Rachel Bloom, George Ezra, Thomas Middleditch, Stephen Mangan, Ben Barnes and Samara Weaving. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jonathan Agnew talks to actor, comedian, presenter and writer Stephen Mangan in the TMS commentary box at The Oval. Mangan recalls memories of following England around the world, watching cricket while in geography lessons at school, and meeting Robert De Niro.

Nick and Angela welcome their first siblings to DISH HQ. Stephen Mangan is an actor, writer and presenter known for his roles in Green Wing with Olivia Colman, I'm Alan Partridge and The Split opposite Nicola Walker. He currently presents Portrait Artist of the Year with Joan Bakewell. Anita Mangan is an illustrator who has designed over 70 cookbooks including Kelis' My Life on a Plate, Gizzi Erskine's Seasons Greetings and Fearne Cotton's Cook Happy Cook Healthy. The brother and sister have just released their third kids' book, The Unlikely Rise of Harry Sponge. Angela cooks the most delicious Palestinian slow-roast lamb for Stephen and Anita, which leaves the crew salivating on the sidelines. Nick mixes a Stanley Tucci-inspired negroni to start, and then pours an organic red, Los Tontos Sabios. Stephen and Anita are a charming pair who share stories of their relationship over the years, Anita presents Nick and Angela with a gift she's made herself and Stephen reveals the (hilarious) impact that Alan Partridge has on his daily life. Just so you know, our podcast might contain the occasional mild swear word or adult theme. All recipes from this podcast can be found at waitrose.com/dishrecipes A transcript for this episode can be found at waitrose.com/dish We can't all have a Michelin star chef in the kitchen, but you can ask Angela for help. Send your dilemmas to dish@waitrose.co.uk and she'll try to answer in a future episode. Dish is a S:E Creative Studio production for Waitrose & Partners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last June, Sky Arts ran its first ever nationwide arts initiative for primary schools, ‘Access All Arts week'. It's back for its second year, 19-23 June and to celebrate the week, Sky Arts will be airing a special episode of ‘Portrait Artist of the Year' featuring celebrities and children. Kieran was joined by acclaimed actor, author and presenter of ‘Portrait Artist of the Year', Stephen Mangan…

Jane and Fi have swapped chairs for today's episode and it's causing chaos. They attempt some serious questions about flatulence when they're joined by actor Stephen Mangan, to talk about his new children's book 'The Unlikely Rise of Harry Sponge'.They also discuss losing parents at a young age, playing Postman Pat and whether Stephen would ever do a superhero movie.If you want to contact the show to ask a question and get involved in the conversation then please email us: janeandfi@times.radio Assistant Producer: Kate Lee Times Radio Producer: Rosie Cutler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Actor Stephen Mangan and his little sister - the illustrator Anita Mangan - had an Irish upbringing in London, with Uncle Paddy and the cousins always just around the corner. Along with their other sister, Lisa, the trio navigated separation and - later in life - the grief of losing both of their parents. They remained a close knit gang who love and support one another still. We talk about: the smell of cow pats, nicknames, inappropriate 70s song lyrics and what it meant to be the only boy in a family of girls. Stephen and Anita Mangan work together as adults, writing books for children.. So we talk about Escape the Rooms and The Fart that Changed the World and their new book, The Unlikely Rise of Harry Sponge. The episode ends with burping and ceremonial beaver hats, which is exactly as it should be. This is a one-off bank holiday special edition of Relatively. We hope you enjoy it! We hope to be back later in 2023 with a new series. In the meantime, Catherine's new podcast Where Are You Going? has launched. Is a bite-size and original storytelling podcast, in which she talks to strangers and asks them that one simple question. The trailer for the podcast is at the end of this episode. Please do subscribe, rate and review if you like the sound of it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Clive Anderson and Andrew O'Neill are joined by Bob Clearmountain, Jack Whitehall, Stephen Mangan and Anita Mangan and Shazia Mirza for an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy. With music from Caitlin Rose and Nick Waterhouse.

This week we're at the Duke of York's theatre on St Martin's Lane. We review Secret Life of Bees, at the Almeida Theatre, directed by Whitney White and with music by Spring Awakening's Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Susan Birkenhead.Over at the Bush Theatre's rehearsal space we chat with Sir Lenny Henry and Artistic Director Lynette Linton about their forthcoming show August in England.Plus why we weren't so keen of this take on Noël Coward's play Private Lives at the Donmar Warehouse, directed by Michael Longhurst. The show stars Downton Abbey's Laura Carmichael and Green Wing's Stephen Mangan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“They look at the world with a sensitivity that I don't.” The actor and writer on the “magic” of art.

The comic and intrusive chat show, in which Stephen Mangan interrogates celebrity penitents about their stories of shame, guilt and embarrassment. Each week, Stephen entices a different eminent guest into his virtual confessional box to make three confessions of sins, peccadilloes, misdeeds and idiocies - anything really that will make us laugh, shudder, blush or cringe at their expense. In this episode, Stephen's guest is reluctant national treasure Dame Sheila Hancock - actor, singer, director, novelist and writer. Together they discuss inappropriate behaviour, snobbery and flagrant rule-breaking. Other guests in this series are Jessie Cave, Neil Dudgeon, Maisie Adam, Lady Antonia Fraser and Ben Bailey Smith aka Doc Brown. Presented by Stephen Mangan Additional material by Nick Doody Produced by Frank Stirling A 7digital production for BBC Radio 4

To celebrate Doctor Who's fiftieth and fifty-ninth anniversaries, Brendan, Nathan, Richard and Todd are reunited at last for the first of two panels discussing The Day of the Doctor. We squealed, we laughed, we wept, we injured Brendan, and we spent quite a bit of time fangirling about Ingrid Oliver. Happy birthday, everyone! Notes and links First off, a special anniversary mention of El Sandifer, whose essay on The Day of the Doctor discusses its role on healing the breach between the Classic and New Series of Doctor Who. Perhaps inevitably, John Hurt reprises his role as the War Doctor for Big Finish, recording four box sets of three stories each before his death in 2017. Two Doctor Who novelisations alluded to this week: firstly, again, Steven Moffat's novelisation of The Day of the Doctor (2018), and Russell T Davies's novelistaion of Rose (also 2018), which depicts the Last Great Time War in weird and unfilmable ways. As a man dedicated to recycling, Moffat has used the resolution of The Day of the Doctor in a Children in Need special in 2007 called Time Crash. We discussed it (of course) in Episode 178, Remember Who We Were. Nathan's vague memory of a French ambassador visiting a 65-year-old Queen Elizabeth I and remarking on the poor state of her teeth is largely correct. You can read about this meeting here. This is Ingrid Oliver's first appearance on the show as Dr Petronella Osgood, and so we spend a lot of time talking about how great she is. Richard mentions her role as Penthesilea in ElvenQuest, a Radio 4 comedy series starring Stephen Mangan, as well as her roles in another Radio 4 comedy series, The Penny Dreadfuls Present…. Brendan mentions her appearance as Osgood in The Lonely Assassins, a videogame featuring the Weeping Angels, first released in 2021 and available on just about every platform imaginable. And, for our viewers who are in the UK or who know how to operate a VPN, you can see a brief excerpt from the episode of Watson & Oliver where Ingrid learns that she's been shortlisted to play the next James Bond. Follow us Nathan is on Twitter as @nathanbottomley, Brendan is @brandybongos, Richard is @RichardLStone and Todd is @toddbeilby. The Flight Through Entirety theme was arranged by Cameron Lam. You can follow the podcast on Twitter at @FTEpodcast. We're also on Facebook, and you can check out our website at flightthroughentirety.com. Please consider rating or reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, or we'll spend the next fifty years making fun of your dreadfully unconvincing London accent. And more You can find Jodie into Terror, our flashcast on the Whittaker Era of Doctor Who, at jodieintoterror.com, at @JodieIntoTerror on Twitter, on Apple Podcasts, and wherever podcasts can be found. We'll be back with a new flashcast on the second Russell T Davies era in November 2023. Our James Bond commentary podcast is called Bondfinger, and you can find that at bondfinger.com, at @bondfingercast on Twitter, on Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else as well. In our most recent episode, we watched in awe as Roger Moore and Tony Curtis solved the mystery of The Long Goodbye. We can also be heard on the Blakes 7 podcast Maximum Power, which a few weeks ago started its coverage of Series B of the show. This week's episode: Chris Boucher's Weapon, starring The Talons of Weng-Chiang's John Bennett in a largely non-racist role. And finally, there's our Star Trek commentary podcast, Untitled Star Trek Project, featuring Nathan and friend-of-the-podcast Joe Ford. We've been having a short break to give us the chance to rest on our laurels after our first year of podcasting. Today, we're recommending our coverage of Star Trek: Discovery.

RHLSTP Book Club 31 - The Fart That Changed The World - Richard is joined by actor turned author Stephen Mangan to discuss his second children's book, about how actions can have terrible and incredible consequences. They discuss how to improve Sliding Doors, using your own kids as inspiration for stories, the incredible genesis of Stephen's first book “Escape the Room”, how Stephen thinks he's as good as Shakespeare and working with your sibling. Plus whether people still shout “Dan” at him a lot.Buy the book here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fart-That-Changed-World/dp/B0B1N8CQQYSUPPORT THE SHOW!Watch our TWITCH CHANNELSee extra content at our WEBSITE Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/rhlstp. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The actor and comedian looks ahead to running the London Marathon. His preparation has been somewhat unorthodox, including dodging poisonous snakes in northern Australia, but he says he loves running for the headspace it provides. But can he beat his previous time, set back in 1999, of 3:33? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's show Ray is joined by Megan Berry one of The Irish Times 50 young people to watch in 2022, Hilary McCarthy co- founder of the Fastnet Film Festival speaks to Ray as the festival starts today and Ray is joined by Stephen Mangan and his sister Anita to talk about their new book

Lost and Found - Rush ( 2013 ) - Episode 66Rush (LionsgatePlay)Films about cars and racing have piqued the interest of global audiences for decades. The commercial success of the Fast and Furious franchise despite its glaringly obvious shortcomings reaffirms the notion that adrenaline-fuelled films about fast cars appeal to a wider demographic. However, the 2013 film, Rush, directed by Ron Howard, is an anomaly. Despite featuring stunning visuals, vibrant sound design by Hans Zimmer, excellent performances, and an engrossing screenplay, the film has faded away into obscurity in recent years.Starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl in lead roles, the film is a retelling of the real-life rivalry in the 1970s between Formula One drivers James Hunt and Nikki Lauda. The film brings to life one of the greatest rivalries in the sport's history as it chronicles their respective careers from Formula 3 to all the way to the top of the podium in Formula 1. The film also focuses on Nikki Lauda's near-fatal crash in 1976 at the Nürburgring in Germany after his car burst into flames. His return to racing just six weeks after the accident after suffering life-altering injuries to his face and lungs is the stuff of legends. The film is also a homage to some of the other great rivalries in Formula 1 such as Alain Prost versus Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher versus Mika Häkkinen, and Fernando Alonso versus Kimi Räikkönen. The charismatic and flamboyant Hunt is essayed to near perfection by Hemsworth while the excellent Brühl completely transforms himself into the pragmatic and unrelenting Lauda. German actress Alexandra Maria Lara also deserves praise for her stunning performance as Lauda's wife Marlene. Olivia Wilde, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Stephen Mangan play other supporting roles, along with a cameo by Natalie Dormer. The film is easily one of the finest of the last decade and offers some truly spine-tingling moments. Well thats the OTTplay Lost and Found for today, until the next time its your host Nikhil signing out.Aaj kya dekhoge OTTplay se poochoWritten by Ryan Gomez

Kathleen Rose Perkins is and American actress best known in the UK for playing Carol Rance in Episodes alongside Matt LeBlanc, Tamsin Greig, and Stephen Mangan. Her huge list of credits include How I met Your Mother, Nip/Tuck, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS: Los Angeles, Law & Order: LA, Ballot Monkeys, the film Gone Girl and most recently Doogie Kameāloha, M.D. and Big Shot for Disney+. Kathleen Rose Perkins is guest number 167 on My Time Capsule and chats to Michael Fenton Stevens about the five things she'd like to put in a time capsule; four she'd like to preserve and one she'd like to bury and never have to think about again .Follow Kathleen Rose Perkins on Instagram: @kathleenroseperkins .Follow My Time Capsule on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook: @MyTCpod .Follow Michael Fenton Stevens on Twitter: @fentonstevens and Instagram @mikefentonstevens .Produced and edited by John Fenton-Stevens for Cast Off Productions .Music by Pass The Peas Music .Artwork by Matthew Boxall .Social media support by Harriet Stevens .This podcast is proud to be associated with the charity Viva! Providing theatrical opportunities for hundreds of young people. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Grab a mince pie and enjoy a delightful Dickensian classic as A Christmas Carol returns to the Old Vic Theatre. Telling us all about the production, it's upcoming audio described performance, and more audio described highlights, here's Tim Calvert with A View on Access. A Christmas Carol's AD performance will take place Friday 10th December 2021, with a touch tour earlier in the day. For more information visit: A Christmas Carol | The Old Vic (oldvictheatre.com)   AVOA is written, presented and produced by Tim Calvert of Calvert Creative Concepts for RNIB Connect Radio and The Audio Description Association. For more information or to get involved email aviewonaccess@gmail.com Image shows a production shot from A Christmas Carol. Stephen Mangan as Scrooge staring in shock at the ghost of Marley (Andrew Langtree), heavy chains trailing the stage.

Channel migrant tragedy: Boris Johnson tells France to 'step up' and stop smugglers | Politics liveblog: UK-France returns agreement would end 'evil' trafficking, says minister | The day the luck ran out: How the migrant tragedy unfolded in the Channel | Defence: 'Emotional intelligence' key for Army's new Rangers units | The Nutcracker: Royal Ballet changes ‘offensive' Arabian Dance | Educating snowflakes: Why public schools are caught in the culture-war crossfire | A Christmas Carol, review: Stephen Mangan as Scrooge with daddy issues | Don't miss our brilliant Black Friday sale. It's your chance to save 85% on a Telegraph digital subscription - and claim a magazine (such as BBC Good Food or BBC Gardeners' World) for three months too. Here's how.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episodes is a hilarious, well-written, maybe a little edgy show that was originally on Showtime and is now Streaming on Netflix.Starring Matt LeBlanc - playing himself, Tamsin Greig, Stephen Mangan, Mircea Monroe, John Pankow, and Kathleen Rose Perkins (who we think stole the show!).Listen as we tell you whether to binge it or not, hint - binge it! Beware of spoilers halfway through! After married couple Sean and Beverly Lincoln win yet another BAFTA Award for their successful British sitcom, Lyman's Boys, they are persuaded to move to Hollywood and remake their series for an American audience. Unfortunately, the network starts to make changes (including the title, now Pucks!), and pressures the couple into casting Matt LeBlanc in the lead role, a part that Matt is largely unsuited for.

ROB BECKETT & JOSH WIDDICOMBE'S PARENTING HELLS03 EP20: Stephen Mangan Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) is the brilliant actor, comedian, presenter and writer - Stephen Mangan. Stephen's fantastic children's book 'Escape the Rooms' is available now. Illustrated by his sister, Anita Mangan. Please rate and review. Thanks - Rob and Josh xxxIf you want to get in touch with the show here's how:EMAIL: Hello@lockdownparenting.co.ukTWITTER: @parenting_hellINSTAGRAM: @parentinghellA 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: hello@keepitlightmedia.com

ROB BECKETT & JOSH WIDDICOMBE'S PARENTING HELLS03 EP20: Stephen Mangan Joining us this episode to discuss the highs and lows of parenting (and life) is the brilliant actor, comedian, presenter and writer - Stephen Mangan. Stephen's fantastic children's book 'Escape the Rooms' is available now. Illustrated by his sister, Anita Mangan. Please rate and review. Thanks - Rob and Josh xxxIf you want to get in touch with the show here's how:EMAIL: Hello@lockdownparenting.co.ukTWITTER: @parenting_hellINSTAGRAM: @parentinghellA 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: hello@keepitlightmedia.com

Welcome back!It's week twenty-three of The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose, and Graham and trusty accomplice Maria McErlane are sorting you out and helping you with your dilemmas in Graham's Guide.This week's guests include:Stephen Mangan, who joins to chat all about adventure and humour in healing with his new book Escape The Rooms.Jessie Ware tells tales from her 'Food-oir' (Food Memoir) Omelette: Food, Love, Chaos and Other Conversations.Author, model and writer extraordinaire Jack Guinness brings his editorial book debut The Queer Bible.The Body Coach, aka Joe Wicks, chats about his delicious but easy-peasy recipes in brand new cookbook Joe Wicks: Family Food.Graham will be back on your radio for The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose on Saturday and Sunday from 9.30am on Virgin Radio UK.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to hear all the highlights every week! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

15: Bigwig's Character and the Lost Paragraph     15.1 Burrowkeeping     I made my favourite mistake yet last week, when I referred to 'The Warren of the Snares' as 'The Warren of the Swears'    That would make for a completely different story. One where they have to leave Cowslip's Warren because Fiver has an issue with all the bad language. Which is a bit rich for a rabbit who comes out with such potty-mouthed stuff as "embleer Frith".     15.2: Bigwig's Character and the Lost Paragraph revisited.    I have come to the view that the character the TV portrayals have got most wrong is Bigwig, though Michael Graham Cox's portrayal  of  him in the 1978 film got him just about right.  In the 1999 TV series he is portrayed by Stephen Mangan largely as a self-important buffoon, with his Owsla training becoming a running joke. His portrayal improves, though, in the very distinct third series.     The recent Netflix series made him far too aggressive in my view. It is the script that demands this aggression as it changes the whole tone of how he talks to Hazel and his attitude towards him is made far less supportive.      Yes Bigwig is capable of being overbearing and aggressive. But, like all good military types, that is not what he is all about. It is a nuance that I think is possibly sadly lost on a civilian population where such qualities are increasingly seen in a negative light. But in a world where you can be killed at any time, they can be essential.     And we need to always bear in mind, of course, that Adams drew heavily on his experience in the military to create the characters in WD. This is a major reason (or excuse?) for the sexism of the novel. He was simply drawing on his relevant experience of a very male world.    So...back to the Lost Paragraph. Could Bigwig's put down of Hazel be seen as the kind of harsh-but-necessary comment a Non commissioned officer might share with a commissioned officer? Though hopefully out of the hearing of the lower ranks.     I make this distinction as Hazel has only just gained responsibility for the group, whereas Bigwig has, arguably, been trained for such a role by experience. Or so he could he forgiven for thinking.    Or is what he says just bullying and unnecessary?    In either case, I agree with John that the tension it sets up is essential to the story. Though I have very much seen the other view expressed, that Bigwig's character is better without it. This is the Bigwig who just says "Splendid!" when he sees Hazel, possibly keeping his true thoughts to himself.    This Lost Paragraph really will not go away though. For good reason.    15.3 The Lost Paragraph analysed     It appears that the lost paragraph appeared in a minority of of the editions I have information on. So this becomes an exercise in chasing its presence rather than its absence, which actually makes this a bit simpler.    My provisional conclusion is this:  The version first sent to Rex Collings  in 1972 was missing the Lost Paragraph. Then, when Penguin became interested, they were sent a version that included it in 1973. This became the version that appeared in all their editions, both Puffin, their childrens' division, and Penguin.  The Kestrel illustrated edition used the penguin version as its text, so the Lost Paragraph ended up in that edition, from 1976.  And the 1978 Martin Rosen film used the Penguin edition as their base text, which is why it appears in the film.  I would welcome any further information on this subject. In particular anything that blows my theory out of the water.  I will be posting images of my spreadsheet analysis to the Facebook page for scrutiny. Please note that green signifies the lost paragraph being present and red means it was absent.    15.4 Next episode     Next week I return to going through the book and we begin Part Two with perhaps the pivotal Chapter of the entire story.    A chapter with the title...Watership Down. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/watershipdown/message

Mike Leigh is joined by comedy royalty with the return of Phil Cornwell, Paul Whitehouse and Stephen Mangan. Much merriment was had and the panel even found time to talk about the mighty Spurs  For all your Spurs betting go to www.williamhill.com  Get 20% and free shipping off the Weed Whacker at manscaped.com and use the promo code SPURS20 Come and join us at our #SpursShowLIVE events for just £10 a month! Grab your season ticket now from season.spursshow.net For more exclusive daily Spurs Show podcasts check out Patreon.com/spursshow  Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More highlights from another fabulous week of the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show!

Katie Bernstein is currently playing Babs in The Man in the White Suit opposite Stephen Mangan & Sue Johnston at the Wyndham's Theatre.Her West End credits also include playing Annie in The Play That Goes Wrong, Peggy in Mrs Henderson Presents & Little Becky Two Shoes in Urinetown.Andrew & Katie discuss & Juliet (Shaftesbury Theatre), Frozen II & The Evening Standard Theatre Awards; there's lots of news about Hello, Dolly! & The Barricade Boys' PLUS we round-up the latest from Broadway.Emma Hatton (Elphaba in Wicked, Eva Perón in Evita) also pops in to discuss the Footballers' Wives workshop & her upcoming show at the Boulevard Theatre.Visit boulevardtheatre.co.uk for tickets.Katie discusses The Man in the White Suit, her 2019 highlight and being excited by the unknown. The Man in the White Suit runs at the Wyndham's Theatre until Saturday 7th December 2019.Hosted by Andrew Tomlins.Thanks for listening!

More highlights from another fabulous week of the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show!

The Artist's Way is a creative self-help book that has sold over 4 million copies and garnered dedicated fans around the world. As part of Front Row's Inspire season we speak to its author Julia Cameron who explains the philosophy behind her 12 week programme and answers listener's questions. Stephen Mangan stars as an online therapist in new Channel 4 comedy Hang Ups, loosely based on US series Web Therapy starring Lisa Kudrow. Mangan, co-wrote and produced the series, which also features Katherine Parkinson, David Tennant, Charles Dance and Celia Imrie. Critic Emma Bullimore reviews. As part of the 2018 BBC Proms, yesterday saw Bach's six Brandenburg Concertos - each with their own different and distinctive orchestration - performed alongside six newly commissioned companion works. Music journalist and critic Alexandra Coghlan has the Front Row verdict. To mark Jamaican Independence Day, award-winning poet Kei Miller chooses his favourite piece by poets from his home country.Presenter: Stig Abell Producer: Jack Soper.

Episode 42 of the Doctor Who: Alhambra Podcast In this episode of the Alhambra Podcast, the trio of Brett (@Mavic_Chen) and Liam (@djNezumi) and Legeon (@legeonhenderson) reunite and bring an enjoyable hour (or more) discussion and sci-fi silliness for the month of September 2016. Starting off with the news! The young adult Doctor Who spin-off series “CLASS”, featuring Peter Capaldi as the Doctor, will air its first two episodes Saturday, October 22, which is the 10 year anniversary of the release of the first Torchwood episode.  Class will air in the UK on BBC 3, ABC Australia, as well as Canada's SPACE channel, however no date and time scheduled for CLASS on BBC America, but it will occur at some point in recorded history. Douglas Adams' - Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (2016) Starring Samuel Barnett as Dirk Gently, Elijah Wood (Last series Wilfred) as Todd (his assistant).  2010 series Stephen Mangan as Dirk, and Darren Boyd as MacDuff. At least BBC America will be airing Power of the Daleks, Saturday, Nov. 12th, streaming the day after on the BBC America app. (didn't know that existed). DVD available in the UK November 21st, and no date AT ALL in America. BBC has confirmed the 2016 Doctor Who Christmas special, The Return of Doctor Mysterio. The Doctor will join forces with a journalist, played by Charity Wakefield, and a superhero to save New York from an alien threat. *Sci-Fi and Fantasy future: “The Man in the High Castle” series 2 - Amazon Prime Dec. 16th. *NYCC release of The Power Rangers --- much darker movie, origin story of the original 90's show (Rita & Goldar) *Sherlock series 4 BBC January 2017 *Orphan Black renewed for a 5th and final season. Thanks to www.doctorwhonews.net for the up to date DW news! Before we hit the Big Finish reviews, let's look at some of the news Pathfinder - Series 3 The Curse of the Crimson Throne series will be released beginning January 2017. A Paizo Inc., and BF combined effort. On to the reviews for September 2016 from Big Finish MR #216 Maker of Demons by Philip Hinchcliffe Vol 2: The Genesis Chamber, by Philip Hinchcliffe, adapted by Marc Platt Early Adventures: The Age of Endurance, by Nick WallaceCarole Ann Ford (Susan), William Russell (Ian/the Doctor), Jemma Powell (Barbara) Doom Coalition Series 3 The Absent Friends, by John Dorney The Eighth Piece, by Matt Fitton The Doomsday Chronometer, by Matt Fitton The Crucible of Souls, by John Dorney DW - Short Trips A Full Life by Joseph Lidster, starring Matthew Waterhouse We change our minds for the audio only release for the month of June, from The Daemons (3rd Doctor).  The Power of Kroll (to be recorded in September).   Please email the show at: alhambraaudio@gmail.com Tweet the show: @AlhambraPodcast or @djNezumi or @Mavic_Chen Visit our website: AlhambraPodcast.weebly.com

Stephen Mangan joins Simon and Mark live in the studio to talk about Postman Pat The Movie. Plus the Box Office Top 10 and Mark's reviews of the week's new films including Sabotage, Frank, The Wind Rises and The Canyons.

Dirk Gently (TV series) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: , Dirk Gently Titlescreen of series 1, based on Gently's painted whiteboard. Genre / Created by () Written by Howard Overman Jamie Mathieson Directed by Damon Thomas Starring Composer(s) Country of origin United Kingdom Language(s) English No. of series 1 No. of episodes 3 (+ pilot) () Production Executive producer(s) Howard Overman Saurabh Kakkar () Brian Minchin () Eleanor Moran (BBC - Pilot) Jamie Laurenson (BBC - Pilot) Producer(s) Chris Carey Editor(s) Matthew Tabern Cinematography Ole Bratt Birkeland Camera setup Running time 60 minutes Production company(s) The Welded Tandem Picture Company Distributor Broadcast Original channel (repeats) Picture format Audio format Original run 16 December 2010 – 19 March 2012 Chronology Related shows External links Dirk Gently is a comedy detective drama TV series based on characters from the Dirk Gently novels by . The series was created by and stars as detective and as his Richard MacDuff. Recurring actors include as MacDuff's girlfriend Susan Harmison, as Dirk's nemesis DI Gilks and as Dirk's receptionist Janice Pearce. Unlike most detective series Dirk Gently features broadly comic touches and even some themes such as and . Dirk Gently operates his Holistic Detective Agency based on the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things", which relies on methods to uncover connections between seemingly-unrelated cases. He claims that he follows the principles of , and although the majority of his clients suspect he may be a conman he often produces surprising results. With the help of his assistant, Richard MacDuff, Dirk investigates a number of seemingly unrelated but interconnected cases. An hour-long loosely based on plot elements from Adams' 1987 novel was broadcast on on 16 December 2010 and was watched by 1.1 million viewers. Critical reception was generally positive. A full series of three one-hour episodes was subsequently commissioned in March 2011 and was broadcast on BBC Four in March 2012. The series is the first continuing drama series produced for the digital channel. The series is produced by and The Welded Tandem Picture Company for and shot in . The pilot was written by Howard Overman and directed by Damon Thomas. The full series was written by Overman, and Jamie Mathieson and directed by . The series along with the pilot episode was released on DVD on 26 March 2012 by ITV Studios Home Entertainment. An original television soundtrack album featuring music from the series composed by was released by 1812 Recordings on 5 March 2012. Contents Production Background The novel Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency has its origins in the incomplete 1979 television serial , featuring as the . Location filming in Cambridge had been completed, but a studio technicians' dispute at the BBC meant that studio segments were not completed, and the serial was never transmitted. As a result of the serial's cancellation, Adams reused a number of ideas from this script and his other Doctor Who scripts as the basis for a new novel, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, published in 1987. Adams published another, in 1988 and at the time of his death in 2001 was working on a third installment to be titled , fragments of which were published posthumously. Each novel features new characters and scenarios, although Dirk (real name Svlad Cjelli), his "ex-secretary" Janice Pearce and Sergeant, later Inspector, Gilks recur in each. The first Gently novel had previously been adapted into a stage play, and a BBC Radio 4 series by which was first broadcast in October 2007 and featured comedian in the title role. According to James Donaghy, Douglas Adams was frustrated that his Dirk Gently novels were never adapted for the screen. Announcement During - a convention - Ed Victor, a literary agent who represents Adams's estate announced that a television adaptation of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency was in production. was announced to be playing Gently, with as MacDuff and as Susan. It is the first television adaptation of Adams' Dirk Gently series, although characters from the books had appeared in a 1992 episode of . Shooting on the pilot commenced early in October 2010 in Bristol. The director was Damon Thomas and the producer was Chris Carey. Although it was commissioned by the BBC, it was produced by with The Welded Tandem Picture Company. The pilot was first broadcast on on 16 December 2010 and was repeated a number of times during the next month. The pilot gained a commission on 31 March 2011 for a three-part series of one hour-long episodes broadcast on BBC Four in March 2012. The series is the first continuing drama series commissioned by BBC Four. Adaptation The screenplay of the pilot by is not a direct adaptation of the novel, but uses certain characters and situations from the novel to form the basis of a new drama centred around Dirk. Speaking about his interpretation, Howard Overman stated in an interview with Benji Wilson "I'm not even going to try to adapt the book: you can't adapt this story. Especially not on a BBC Four budget. We made the deliberate decision not to do a straight translation of the books. If we'd done that the fans would have felt badly let down, because you can never portray that world on the screen as well as it's been done in people's own imaginations...If you just do a straight adaptation like , people are always going to be quite brutal about it because it's never going to live up to their expectations." Dirk drives an old brown in the production. Stephen Mangan, writing a BBC blog on the programme stated "In my opinion, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Tea-Time Of The Soul are unfilmable as written...too much happens, there are too many ideas". The pilot concentrates on two relatively minor plot strands in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency: the disappearance of a cat, and the simultaneous disappearance of millionaire Gordon Way. Although time travel is involved in the solution, the novel's entire St Cedd's College / Electric Monk / Coleridge strand is omitted, although key words relating to these elements do appear on Dirk's whiteboard when it is first seen, though they are never subsequently referred to. Other elements from the book, such as the trapped sofa, are also absent and the setting is updated to 2010, with and replacing the answering machine messages in the book. There are changes to the characters too, one notable one being that Susan is Gordon's ex-girlfriend rather than his sister. Several additional elements from Adams's novels, in particular St Cedd's College, were later to appear in the full series. Interviewed about the series, Stephen Mangan noted that "All three episodes are very different in tone and you get a different Dirk with each one...He's on the run from the police in one of them and in another there's a bit of romance in the air, which for Dirk is a surprise because he's probably the most asexual character on TV... There seems to be a vogue for dark, realistic, gritty detective series, apart from perhaps . Dirk has so much humour in it. How many other detectives mix detection with quantum mechanics or drive a 30-year-old brown ?" Each episode of series one was written by different writers, who are mostly known for their contributions to science fiction and fantasy programmes; series creator Howard Overman also created and has written for , has previously written the Doctor Who stories ""/"" and wrote the film and has written scripts for . Cast , best known for his role in the television series , and subsequently , was cast in the main role as holistic detective . Mangan already knew the novel and the author's works, stating in a press release "I've been a fan of Douglas Adams ever since the Hitchhiker's radio series which I used to record as a child and listen to over and over again in my bedroom. It's such a thrill to now be playing one of his brilliant characters. Dirk is a chaotic, anarchic force of nature with a totally unique take on the world. He is described as 'lazy, untidy, dismissive and unreliable'. I've absolutely no idea why they thought I'd be right for the role." Cast alongside him were and , both of whom had previously worked with Mangan in Green Wing and respectively. Darren Boyd and Helen Baxendale returned for the full series, with the character of Richard MacDuff becoming Dirk's "partner/assistant" for each of the episodes. Other regular cast members are as Detective Inspector Gilks and as Dirk's secretary Janice Pearce. The programme pilot featured appearances from , , , . Episode one saw guest appearances by , , Ken Collard, and . Episode two featured roles for , , , Andrew Leung, and Bethan Hanks. Episode three features and . Filming at the was used as the fictional . Although the series is set in the London boroughs of and , the series was shot entirely in . Areas and buildings featured in the programme included the Guildhall, the Bottle Yard, St Thomas Street and the Greenbank area. The second series episode also featured extensive filming around the , with doubling as the fictional Cambridge College . The production's location manager, Rob Champion, noted that each location had to be chosen carefully to avoid featured giveaway clues to Bristol, in particular any building made of the local building material, limestone. He noted that "Episode 2 was the greatest challenge as it included two days material in a Robotic Laboratory. Bristol has such a thing...a joint venture between the two universities, with a very helpful professor, but its landlord was an American corporation with the most unimaginably anal restrictions on access. They basically didn't want us there and took the best part of two weeks to say so...We eventually settled upon a brand new building at the Bristol-Bath Science Park where they could not have been more helpful. All this on a BBC4 budget." Music The series's soundtrack was composed by . In creating the distinctive sound for the main titles and incidental music, Pemberton made use of a , a which is a cross between a and a piano. These instruments were produced in America between 1927 to 1972. The soundtrack also mixes in a harpsichord, synth, bass guitar and drums. A soundtrack album featuring music from the series was released by 1812 Recordings on 5 March 2012. Plot Dirk Gently (real name Svlad Cjelli) operates a Detective Agency based on the "fundamental interconnectedness of all things". To solve cases, Dirk relies on methods for example " navigation" (following people or vehicles who look like they know where they are going, in the hope that they will lead somewhere you want to be) or throwing a dart at a board of words to select the direction of his detection. By following up on apparently random occurences and whims, Dirk discovers connections between seemingly unrelated cases and often produces surprising results. He claims that he follows the principles of (although it is implied when he speaks to an expert in these fields that he doesn't really understand them); most people suspect he is just a conman and he rarely gets paid by clients and is therefore in almost permanent financial difficulty. In the pilot episode, Dirk bumps into a former university friend, Richard MacDuff, who has been made redundant from a job at an electricity board, and takes on a case for him. During the course of his investigation, Dirk hypnotises MacDuff and persuades him into investing his £20,000 redundancy money in his failing detective agency. MacDuff therefore becomes Dirk's partner in the business and "assistant" on investigations. Richard MacDuff's girlfriend, Dr Susan Harmison, was also at university with the pair and is deeply sceptical about Dirk's abilities. Also present at the Agency is Dirk's receptionist Janice Pearce, whom Dirk has not paid for years and who therefore refuses to do any work. Episodes No.TitleDirectorWriterViewing figuresOriginal air date 0 "" Damon Thomas 943 000 16 December 2010 When sets out to solve an apparently simple and harmless disappearance of a cat from an old lady's house, he unwittingly uncovers a double murder which, in turn, leads to a host of even more extraordinary events.  1 "Episode 1" Howard Overman 844 000 5 March 2012 Dirk discovers the connection between two unrelated cases - a client who believes are trying to kill him and another whose horoscopes appear to be coming true.  2 "Episode 2" Tom Shankland 561 000 12 March 2012 Dirk is called back to his old university to protect a valuable robot but within 24 hours it has been stolen and a dead body discovered, with Dirk and MacDuff the prime suspects.  3 "Episode 3" Tom Shankland Jamie Mathieson 592 000 19 March 2012 Dirk's old clients are being randomly murdered with Dirk as the only link. Rather than talk to the police, Dirk elects to leave the country but is waylaid by a series of seemingly unconnected events.  Reception Pilot Stephen Mangan plays the titular holistic detective in the series. The pilot episode gained 1.1m viewers (3.9% share) on BBC Four, which was over three times the channel's slot average. Critical reception for the pilot was largely positive. Several mentioned that it was only a loose adaptation of the novel, although the general consensus was that the essence of the original was maintained. Sam Wollaston in stated "Coming to it fresh, it's a neat story about aforementioned missing cat and time travel, with a smattering of quantum physics and the fundamental connectedness of things. With a lovely performance from Doreen Mantle as the old lady/murderer. Stephen Mangan's good in the title role, too – a teeny bit irritating perhaps, but then Mangan is a teeny bit irritating. So is Dirk Gently, though – it's perfect. Funny too. Quite funny." James Donaghy, also writing in The Guardian stated "Personally I hope Dirk Gently gets made into a full series. The programme shows promising glimpses, has a strong cast and Misfits already proves Overman can write. And a BBC4 adaptation feels like a good fit – Gently being exactly the kind of playground-of-the-imagination curio the BBC made its name indulging." published two reviews. Alice-Azania Jarvis was extremely positive, writing "...there wasn't very much you could fault about the production at all. Right down to the quirky camerawork and youthful, poppy soundtrack (who would have thought the Hoosiers could be so right in any situation?), the director, Damon Thomas, got it pretty spot-on. The result was a pleasingly festive-feeling adventure; part , part , part . And the best thing? There wasn't a Christmas tree in sight. Douglas Adams once claimed that Gently would make a better film character than his more famous hero, . Based on last night's experience, he may well have been right." John Walsh's review for was cooler about the adaptation, although he praised Mangan's performance: "Given the talent and style on display, it should have been a scream. In fact it all seemed a little moth-eaten. Though set in the modern day, it was staggeringly old-fashioned...You could overlook these faults, however, for the joy of Stephen Mangan's performance as the titular gumshoe. With his alarmed-spaniel eyes and jutting-jawed stroppiness, his geography teacher elbow-patches and Medusan hair, he radiates mess...His ineptness as a sleuth provided some fine comic moments. Paul Whitelaw in was also positive, although he noted "At times it felt forced, with a sense of trying slightly too hard when a touch more subtlety would have brought out the essential Adamsian eccentricity." Dan Owen of Obsessed with Film noted that the adaptation played with the idea of inexplicable situations: "Purists may grumble this isn't the Dirk Gently they wanted to see, but it's more accessible and practicable. And while Dirk Gently is certainly another gimmicky detective series (yawn), its details are unique and engrossing enough to shrug off the genre's clichés. In some ways it's a pastiche of whodunits, taking the genre's often tenuous explanations to an outrageous extreme." Paul Whitelaw in noted that "Although Adams's more ambitious concepts are sidelined in favour of a more prosaic - if nonetheless enjoyable - sci-fi mystery, Overman captures at least some of the wit and whimsy of his distinctive comic voice" going on to suggest "This modestly-budgeted pilot suggests potential for a series, so the deviation from Adams's originals makes sense. It also adds yet another very British oddball to the pantheon currently occupied by and . Series One Critical opinion to the full series was mildly positive. The adaptation from the Adams' novels was the focus of several reviews. Jane Simon, writing in The Mirror stated "It's just a shame creator Douglas Adams isn't around to see how Howard Overman has ­transferred Dirk to the screen. He'd definitely approve. Mark Braxton in the Radio Times likewise agreed that "Overman has plucked the comic essence of Adams from his novel...and worked it into a digestible, enjoyably eccentric format." AA Gill writing in the Sunday Times March 11, 2012 wrote 'Who'd have guessed that this would ever get recommissioned?...It has to get a nomination as the greatest waste of the most talent for the least visible purpose or reward." Others complained that the series was not an exact adaptation of the novels. Nigel Farndale in The Telegraph stated "I struggled with Dirk Gently...It had nothing to do with Stephen Mangan's considerable comedic talents, still less with Darren Boyd who plays MacDuff, the Dr Watson to Dirk's Holmes. It is more to do with my devotion to Douglas Adams, upon whose comic novel this series is based...in Douglas Adams, 90 per cent of the pleasure is in the prose, the narration, the felicities of language." Tom Sutcliffe in The Independent felt that the programme's qualities were "spread a little too thinly over a nonsensical thriller plot' and that "laughs... were far too widely spaced in a script that could have done with a lot more editing." Several critics compared the production with the big-budget BBC One detective series Sherlock, the second series of which was broadcast in January 2012. Writing in Metro, Keith Watson said "There's no doubt Sherlock has raised the detecting duo bar on TV...it's more than a match for Sherlock on the dialogue front, neatly catching the surreal humour that was the Adams trademark...but there was no disguising the fact that Dirk Gently was a five-star script being filmed on a one-star budget, making it look like a designer label knockoff when set against the production values lavished on Sherlock. Stuart Jeffries in , meanwhile, found a comparison between the tone of the series and 1960s spy/detective ; "Never since has there been anything so unremittingly silly on British television as Dirk Gently...Dainty harpsichord music tells us we're back in an era of TV misrule, in whose glory days John Steed, Mrs Peel and played fast and loose with viewers' intelligences." The first episode had 737,000 viewers and a 3% audience share but this fell to 415,000 and 2% share for the second episode.[] Series one, including the pilot episode, was released on DVD on 26 March 2012 by ITV Studios Home Entertainment. References ^ James Donaghy "", The Guardian, 16 December 2010 ^ Helena Cole, , SFX, 17 February 2012 ^ "", BBC Press Release, 31 March 2011 ^ Jason Deans, "", The Guardian, 31 March 2011 ^ "", BBC Cult, accessed 19 March 2012 ^ Chris Harvey, "", Daily Telegraph, 16 December 2010 . Retrieved 14 August 2007. News and New Projects page July 2007 of radio version Rob Hastings, "", The Independent, 6 October 2010 at the listing . 6 October 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010. ^ . Retrieved 10 October 2010. ^ Benji Wilson, , The Telegraph, 5 March 2012 Mangan, Stephen (16 December 2010). . . Retrieved 20 December 2010. ^ Tom Chivers, "", Daily Telegraph, 17 December 2010 ^ "Stephen Mangan speaks about the return to our screens of Dirk Gently", Northampton Chronicle & Echo, 8 March 2012 Helena Cole, "", SFX, 17 February 2012 ^ , British Comedy Guide , Bristol Film Office, accessed 18 March 2012 , Bristol Film Office, accessed 18 March 2012 ^ , thecallsheet.co.uk, accessed 19 March 2012 , Daniel Pemberton's Twitterfeed, accessed 22 March 2012 ^ Stuart Jeffries, "", The Guardian, 5 March 2012 , accessed 22 March 2012 ^ , BBC Four, accessed 19 March 2012 . BARB. Retrieved 4 April 2012. Sam Wollaston "", The Guardian, 16 December 2010 Alice-Azania Jarvis "", The Independent, 17 December 2010 John Walsh, "", The Independent, Sunday, 19 December 2010 Keith Watson, "", Metro, 16 December 2010 Dan Owen, "", Obsessed with Film, 17 December 2010 Paul Whitelaw, "", The Scotsman, 13 December 2010 Jane Simon, "", The Mirror 12 March 2012 Mark Braxton, Radio Times, 5 March 2012 Nigel Farndale, , Daily Telegraph, 9 March 2012 Tom Sutcliffe, " ", The Independent 6 March 2012 Keith Watson, , Metro' 6 March 2012 , Digital Spy, 7 March 2012 External links , at the at the British Comedy Guide