Well, hasn’t it been a long time? Today, we can reveal the reason for the delay. Matt has been engaged on vital work of national importance. He takes time out from his busy schedule as overlord of the Olympics to talk to Louis about the on-site catering arrangements, the limited opportunities for a Jess Conrad tribute act and the hidden talents of John Pilger. Audiophile fans of the Qualcast should be aware that this week’s edition was recorded using a GPO type 746.
013 - HAPPY EATER
Apologies for the delay in getting this one, recorded just before Easter, out there. Subjects under discussion include: Bashing Ernie Bishop, Richard Littlejohn’s mastery of professional hatred, Peter Powell’s Rivers of Blood, the day Mantovani invented punk and Elvis Presley’s Post Office savings book.
012 - SPORT RELIEF
This one was recorded over a week ago, but life intervened, delaying the edit. Anyway, here we are now, with the Easter special Qualcast to follow on Sunday. This week, our heroes discuss the dark secrets of Mark Spitz, TV after-show parties, the fraught beginnings of virtual reality and the various charitable efforts associated with Sport Relief.
011 - KICKED UPSTAIRS
Apologies for the delay. As ever, we blame Tony Selby. In your bumper new Qualcast, the gents discuss Bill Giles' ongoing reign of terror and the rich heritage of parliamentary procedure.
010 - BERTIE BASSETT AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM
After a brief hiatus, we return to celebrate Matt’s new Fleet Street appointment, touching on the hidden versatility of Colin ‘Private Sponge’ Bean, Anita Harris’ gin preferences, Ken Jones and Eric Chappell in Hollywood, and the terrible fate of good old Bertie Bassett, no longer Britain’s greatest asset.
009 - REED ALL ABOUT IT
Apologies for the late arrival of this week’s Qualcast. Mr Barfe had to spend most of the back end of last week dodging lawnmowers being thrown by various celebrities and their relatives. The subjects covered this week include: the truth about Oliver Reed and feminists, the lost pilot of Top Gear and the medical perils of working on Late Night Line-Up.
008 - YENTOB
On the Qualcast this week: Dom Littlewood’s one-man crusade against scrounging ne’er-do-wells, Alan Bleasdale and Lord Charles, how Yentob got in at the BBC, Spud-u-like’s luxury dining options, Intellectual Big Brother, the Two Doms, the failed attempt to establish Arthur Negus and Patrick Mower as a double act, the vital importance of forehead cleanliness in show business, Derek Jacobi’s abortive career as a panel game host, and the night that Lance Percival got the better of Terry Scott and the Six Million Dollar Man.
007 - HALLIWELL'S COMET
This week on the Qualcast, we go into DVD box sets, Sam Peckinpah’s Lime Grove sabbatical, the original cast of The Professionals, Leslie Halliwell’s darkest hour, the numerous Chinese attempts to kidnap Lee Marvin, the origins of Banacek and Joe Pesci’s wild years with Jonathan Cohen.
006 - A NEW BEGINNING
From this week, the BO Problem is now dead, long live Barfe and Owen’s Qualcast. A quality podcast (hence the name) with more than a few references to lawnmowers (hence, er, the name). We celebrate the change of name by discussing the terrible events that struck the BBC Television Theatre in 1958, and the statesmanlike way in which Billy Cotton handled them.
005 - GET BRITAIN MOVING
The first BO Problem podcast of the new year is with us. Owen and Barfe deal with matters as diverse as Fowler’s endowment, cold toast in hotels, the proposed rollback of health and safety regulations and Tony Selby’s interpretation of the offside rule.
004 - LEFTOVERS
Due to busy schedules over Christmas, Messrs Owen and Barfe were unable to sit down and record fresh jollity. Fortunately, previous sessions had resulted in enough excess material to make this festive offering.
003 - PANTOMANIA
For week three, we take an erudite look at the pantomime season.
002 - KNOWLESWATCH
The second BO Problem is just under an hour and a half of erudition and scurrilous nonsense about the seating arrangements on Blankety Blank, how Nick Knowles got into telly, a great night out with the newsreaders, how John Travolta really made his fortune and how God-fearing Brummie comic Don Maclean blew his chances in Hollywood.
001 - I'M MATT, HE'S LOUIS
The first ‘BO Problem’ podcast is archived here for your listening pleasure. On the agenda: Dave from Minder’s porn shame, Derek Nimmo format bingo, showbiz autobiography titles and inappropriate laughter during wedding ceremonies. It’s all here, folks.