Frank Sinatra’s arse splinters, shooting an audience sitcom in a flat on the site of a former TV studio, Stanley Johnson’s holiday down the static at Camber Sands, the environmental impact of Peter Wyngarde’s discarded fleshlights and Hughie Green’s months-long Araldite bender.
033 - HOLIDAY WITH STAN
Matt gets away from it all on a Greek island with Stanley, Nigel and Tim. Hilarity ensues.
032 - THE SHITE OLD DAYS
Matters arising: John Bindon (slight return), Princess Margaret’s years running estate pubs, The Geneva Convention’s position on the ballistic qualities of Harry Monk, Jacob Bronowski - the Sitcom Years and the simple seasonal joy of finding the World in Action Annual in your stocking.
031 - TAKE FART
In this latest despatch, we take the temperature of Lord Reith’s knackers, explain why Tony Hart looked like there was a bad smell in the studio, look into the Stanislavsky influence on Arthur Mullard’s career, and reveal what really went on in Mary, Mungo and Midge’s tower block.
030 - THE OLD BROWN SHIRT TEST
The lads are on lockdown, discussing Lew Grade’s milk round, Meg Ryan and Emu, writing the fruity letters in Escort and the nudest Don Bradman.
029 - FESTIVAL TIME
In these troubled times, it’s nice to know the experts are on the case. In this comeback special, we cover the night of the long Hazlehursts, Mark Francois’ role in the invention of the hovercraft, Netflix’s 37-part flagship true crime documentary on Peter Fenn*, Nigel Farage’s role in the testing of the De Havilland Comet 1 and the Shah of Iran’s appearance on Around with Alliss.
* Please note that this was recorded before the recent sad death of Nicholas Parsons.
028 - CELEBRITY URINALS
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? In this podcast, the podcasters discuss podcasts.
027 - CHRISTMAS SPECIAL - TRUMP'S NUCLEAR ARSEHOLE
Musings on the festive selections in Aldi, the heat death of the universe, the futility of experts and crappy spoof accounts.
026 - RIGHT UP YOUR WAY WITH BRIAN JOHNSTON
Matters arising: The conspiracy of conspiracy blogs, the Children’s Adult Film Foundation, Crimewatch – the Movie, Yoko Ono’s obsession with wrestling, Ronald Allen’s darkest hour, the travelogues of Jack Woolgar, the truth about the BBC2 launch night, Is Alan Yentob really a fish and chip shop?, the real future of the Blue Peter garden and what day is bins?
025 - THE REVOLUTION WILL BE PAY-PER-VIEW
Matters arising: The conspiracy of conspiracy blogs, the Children’s Adult Film Foundation, Crimewatch – the Movie, Yoko Ono’s obsession with wrestling, Ronald Allen’s darkest hour, the travelogues of Jack Woolgar, the truth about the BBC2 launch night, Is Alan Yentob really a fish and chip shop?, the real future of the Blue Peter garden and what day is bins?
024 - QUANTUM OF FLORETS
Matters arising: Jon Voight’s fraught relationship with Ginsters products, a hard rain of Golden Roses of Montreux over the Bay of Biscay, John ‘Biffo’ Bindon’s short-lived career as a Beano cartoon character, the arthouse hinterland of Robin Askwith, Cubby Broccoli’s attitude to sprouting vegetables, the lost collaborations of Bill Giles and Luis Bunuel, unusual ways to commemorate Len Murray’s scrotum, and the immigration issues surrounding David Steel’s urethra.
023 - FUN WITH CALVADOS
Feeling festive? This should knock all of the goodwill out of you, with all of the backstage gossip about Wincey Willis, Bill Grundy and the Profumo affair, to say nothing of the connection between 1980s ‘yoof’ TV and fly fishing or audiobooks for the dead. Note well that both parties avoid the obvious lazy ‘acid rain’ joke during the discussion of ‘weather raves’.
022 - CARNEY AND CONNERY
Barfe and Owen show a return to form with that difficult 22nd Qualcast. I have no idea what that means, but it’s the sort of thing music journalists write. In reality, it’s roughly the same as it’s ever been. This time out, we hear about the Conservative Party summer fete in Manchester, Godfrey Bloom’s novel uses for a Davenport’s beer at home container, the comeback of TV’s Mr Saturday Night – Leon Brittan, and the dark secrets surrounding Sean Connery’s brief tax dodge interlude as the director of Crossroads. Doctor Who fans note: This podcast contains strong Jack Woolgar.
021 - RUBBING IT IN
It’s been a while. Matt has had a change of career that brings him into contact with all manner of interesting people. Other subjects under discussion include Papa Doc Duvalier’s years at Teddington Lock and the hardcore porn remake of Antiques Roadshow.
020 - TREADING GINGERLY
There are aspects of Ginger Baker’s career that he’d rather nobody remembered. We remember them, and we do so in this week’s Qualcast at hideous length. We also cover Joe Bugner’s abortive sitcom career and John Lennon’s attempts to branch out into county cricket and discover what links John Belushi with Farmhouse Kitchen’s Grace Mulligan.
019 - FARAGE ROCHER
Has it really been three months? Yes, it has. A lot has happened, so in this bumper ‘return to form’ Qualcast, we catch up on recent events, going into the lavs with Nigel Farage and Mike Read, while Bill Giles goes full Icke. You will also hear the truth about Tony Benn and how Anita Harris got her bullet hole, with discussion of Paul Hollywood and the Great British Fuck-Off, the intimate location of Huw Wheldon’s hidden Banksy and the true origins of the Michael Gove stencil set. Come one, come all. I just have.
018 - UNDER THE GRYLLS
If you want to know about Monty Don’s sexy sideline, the proposed This Week after-show on BBC3, the ultra-rare Airfix kit of Toni Arthur, Bernard Braden’s career-ending encounter with a Moray eel, the forthcoming BBC2 series Grumpy Old Nazis and the shed shame of Bear Grylls, you’ve come to the right place.
017 - YAFFLE'S TRAVELS
These are dark times in light entertainment land. Barfe and Owen face up to reality.
016 - ODE TO DENNIS WATERMAN
The latest Qualcast finds Messrs Barfe and Owen holed up in separate embassies, trying to evade extradition for crimes against Tony Selby. The thinking space gives them both time to reflect on Dennis Waterman’s shocking history of causing food poisoning in ramblers.
015 - SAVILE'S TRAVELS
To prepare you for the anti-climax of the post-Olympic world, here are our (anti-)heroes giving their thoughts on the Jimmy Savile auction, Tim Wonnacott’s wild years, lunch with Baz Brush, Twitter wits and Michael Moore’s new direction.