Gary Brown – författare

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Classic radio comedy from the BBC starring Caroline Quentin and Jim Sweeney

Life for supply teacher, Phil (Jim Sweeney), is turned upside down when his wife, Sarah (Caroline Quentin) is offered a new job. Phil agrees to give up work and become a stay-at-home dad to daughter Sophie - after all, how hard can it be?

Phil quickly realises parenthood isn’t all coffee mornings and cake. He has to grapple with playgroups (when he can find them), new friends (some a little more ‘out there’ than others), a ‘helpful’ mother-in-law (she isn’t) and when Sarah goes to Paris with work, can Phil contain his jealousy? Listen and laugh as Phil and Sarah try to navigate their middle-class angst and new family dynamics with hilarious results. Just when Phil thinks he’s getting the hang of things, Sarah has big news… And events really end with a bang!

Caroline Quentin rose to fame playing Dorothy in Men Behaving Badly, went to star in Jonathan Creek, Bridgerton and Midsomer Murders, and competed in Strictly Come Dancing. She is a keen gardener and was featured in the Chelsea Flower Show. Jim Sweeney is a comedian and member of the Comedy Store Players best known for his improvisation on TV and radio with fellow comedians Josie Lawrence and Paul Merton. A film, TV and stage actress, Sara Kestelman was recently in the BBC One seriesThis is Going to Hurt.

Listen to both series of this comedy about family life in the nineties now, available as a download for the first time.

Cast and credits

Series 1

Written by Gary Brown

Produced by Ann Jobson

Sarah - Caroline Quentin

Phil - Jim Sweeney

Fay - Shirley Stelfox

Liam - Steve Steen

Gerald/Querol - Lloyd Peters

Gavin - Paul Clarkson

Sophie - Nadine Ballantyne

Tai Ch''i Instructor/Tracey’s Dad - Jim Barclay

Mrs Grainger - Jilly Meers

Kath - Rachel Atkins

Edna - Yvonne Edgell

Brenda - Toni Palmer

Carol - Melanie Hudson

Stacey - Kim Barry

Martha - Rebecca Front

Sam - Ben Brown

Ray - Gary Brown

Carol - Melanie Hudson

Doctor - Tony Hawks

Lisa Forman - Geraldine Fitzgerald

Other parts played by Jillie Meers and David Thorpe

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 October - 10 November 1993

Series 2

Written by Gary Brown

Produced by Ann Jobson

Sarah - Caroline Quentin

Phil - Jim Sweeney

Fay - Sara Kestelman

Liam - Steve Steen

Gerald - Lloyd Peters

Sophie - Nadine Ballantyne

Martha - Melanie Hudson

Aleric - John Wheatley

Henri - Philippe Smolikowski

Francoise - Deborah Berlin

Simone - Becky Hindley

Sam - Ben Brown

Midwife - Marie McAteer

Harry - Harry Landis

IzzyWizzy - Steve Dixon

Rodney - Gary Brown

Candida - Natasha Pyne

Gavin - Paul Clarkson

Mrs Lee - Becky Hindley

Saskia - Jessica Brown

Other parts played by Anna Van Heeswjk, Eva Stuart, Andrew Branch, Jilly Bond, John Bennett, Tessa Worsley and Joshua Towb.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 12 July - 16 August 1995

© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

A series of inter-linked plays exploring birth, marriage and death through the prism of a Welsh Register Office

Isn''t it strange that the registering of life''s most important moments happens in a sterile municipal office? Everyone''s got a story to tell about how they got there. Listen for the first time to this spectacular collection of six funny, quirky and moving plays that start in a Register Office and end in a birth, marriage or death.In Uncle Harry, Mark’s life is nicely well-ordered until a passing comment from Uncle Harry sends him on a quest to discover his true identity. This is a comedy about grief and the true meaning of family.Losing my Penny is a story of love, secrets and family. Leo is in love with Penny and plans to marry her but Penny''s possessive father has other ideas. Leo has secrets of his own which threatens to ruin everything.Teddy is on his stag night in the comedy Time and Tide. He wakes up naked and handcuffed to a lamp post. So far, so normal. But then he realises that something very weird has occurred which makes him question everything…A Certain Date is a surreal and darkly comic exploration of the meaning of death. Geoff Levine, aka the Slim Reaper, is a pest control technician. All day long he kills rats and other vermin but when he meets Mystic June, she tells him something that will alter the rest of his life – what''s left of it anyway.An unexpected family secret is unearthed in Nine Lives, when Beth''s elderly father Patrick claims never to have been born because he''s lived forever. As Beth tries to untangle the truth of her father''s birth, she uncovers more than she bargained for.Lastly, Elephants all the Way tells the story of Harper, who works in a zoo. He is a simple soul but his life is complicated. His wife is desperate for a baby, and his angry dad is a bare knuckle boxer. Then the ground starts to shift - literally…Engaging, funny and thought provoking, these six plays were recorded by BBC Wales. This brilliant series of modern dramas showcase some of Wales’s best acting talent. Download all six plays now for a mesmerising listen.Episode 1 - Uncle HarryWritten by Gary BrownDirected by Helen PerryMark - Dylan EdwardsUncle Harry - Ewan BaileyElaine - Denise BlackHelen - Katherine JakewaysLionel - Christian PattersonCharlotte - Rachel RedfordDad - David CannEpisode 2 - Losing my PennyWritten by Leah ChilleryDirected by Gary BrownLeo - Don GiletPenny - Verity May HenryRita - Kathryn HuntHenry - Conrad NelsonDuchess - Tupele DorguBartholomew - Fiona ClarkeEpisode 3 - Time and Tide Written by David HodgsonDirected by Gary BrownOld Man - Will TaceyTeddy - Alan MorrisseyLawrence - Will AshMegan - Hannah WoodBrankin - Sean MasonJess - Harriet Chandler JuddShaffy - Hamilton BerstockEpisode 4 - A Certain DateWritten by Alan HarrisDirected by Helen PerryGeoff - Julian Lewis JonesValmai - Sara McGaugheySandy - Katy OwenMystic June - Lisa PalfreyDoctor Ramis - Richard MitchleyPigeon - Sion PritchardKing Rat - Michael BertenshawEpisode 5 – Nine Lives Written by Anna Maria MurphyDirected by James RobinsonBeth - Eiry ThomasPatrick - Peter MarinkerBill - Christian PattersonMrs Knowles - Sharon MorganMiriam/Janet - Eirlys BellinReg/Harold - Matthew GravelleEpisode 6 – Elephants All the Way Up Written by Lavinia MurrayDirected by Gary BrownHarper - Graeme HawleyYolanda - Kate CooganDad - Seamus O''NeillCarlos - Chris JackArlo/Turtle - Lloyd PetersGrayson/Turtle -Malcolm RaeburnWoman/Turtle - Lisa Allen©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Six quirky dramas from in and around a northern market stall

“If you want owt - go down the market... They sell everything from pins to pearl earrings, from peaches to pig''s trotters, from tripe to tiramisu. See the hanging, marbled haunches of beef down Butchers'' Row. Smell the flowers, a fragrant dream. Taste the fresh silvery fish motorwayed down from the North Sea.”

Some would say the Market is the last authentic part of the city centre. This northern city has reinvented itself as a business and financial centre, bristling with designer shops and bars. A cosmopolitan, twenty-four hour city. Yet slap bang in the centre the Victorian City Market remains what it has always been; a place where you can get anything and see anything - a place teeming with life. The market is the real face of the city - mucky, multicultural and magnificent. Listen to this immersive collection of full-cast BBC radio dramas exploring the high and lows of this unique place which bursts with stories and life.

In Loco Parentis by Garry Brown, a bittersweet empty nester comedy starring Reece Dinsdale, Jim can''t sleep because his daughter''s left for uni, his business is going belly up, and his father is going gaga. Oh, and to top it all he suspects his wife is having an affair with her boss…

Phonebreaker by Steve Sunderland is the story of Matt. He’s going off the rails. School was a washout and working on his dad''s market stall is a dead-end job. But when he hears a call for help on a stolen mobile phone, it''s a call to action. An arresting morality tale starring Stephen Hoyle, Joseph Kloska and Jessica Blake.

Sean''s family own a fish stall down the market. Except Sean doesn''t want to join them. He''s become a ''Joey'' for his best friend Darren who''s a highly paid footballer. A Joey is a ''Go to Guy''. No way is he a dogsbody… The Joey by Jim Poysner is a quirky comedy starring John Catterall and Greg Wood.

In Castaway by Michael Stewart, Kevin Eldon stars as Andrew, a man proud of his beard and his liberal attitudes. When Akram Khan, a successful businessman, buys some computers off his stall, things start looking up for Andrew. That is, until he fits a wi-fi router in Mr Khan’s impressive house…

Eclipse by Sharon Oakes is a tender romantic comedy that tells the story of Carrie, who runs a flower stall. She also has a birthmark on her face. Maybe that''s the reason she has never married? But Mrs Kaminsky knows she has a secret admirer. Starring Michelle Holmes, Andrew Westfield and Melissa Jane Sinden.

Finally, An Imam and a Rabbi by Shakeel Ahmed is a wickedly funny supernatural comedy starring Muzz Khan and David Fleeshman. Imam Jawad and Rabbi Greenberg can''t stand the sight of each other. But then something strange and spooky occurs that needs cross-cultural co-operation. Can they do it?

Available as a complete collection for the first time, Market is a series of six plays with a whiff of the fantastical about them. Each story is self-contained, quirky and best described as a ‘modern morality’ play. Compelling, compulsive and utterly delightful, this wonderful collection is not to be missed by fans of comedy and drama alike.

Produced by Peter Leslie Wild and Gary Brown

Original Music by Steven D Reid

©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Newly-elected MP Bobby Khan navigating the corruption and tricky world of politics, power and community life.

Bobby Khan has a bright future ahead of him. Young, charismatic and ambitious, he’s recently got married to his long-term girlfriend Lucy, and has just won an important by-election in the Northern constituency of Floxton West.

As an Asian MP, he hopes to improve race relations in his community and bring people together – but when a white DJ is found beaten to death, and a Muslim constituent is arrested for his murder, Bobby faces pressure from the accused’s family to get involved. Then his cousin Wasim is imprisoned on terrorism charges, and Bobby’s idealism is shattered as he becomes embroiled in a series of personal and political dilemmas.

Two years later, the dust has settled, and Bobby is a rising star in Westminster, with his sights set on a ministerial position. But a family bombshell and a blackmailer turn his life upside down once more – and when he backs an animal-testing laboratory in his constituency, he finds himself facing a violent backlash...

Nitin Ganatra and Zubin Varla play Bobby in this thrilling tale of politics, power, corruption and betrayal. Among the stellar cast are Vincent Ebrahim, Bhasker Patel, Barbara Marten, Christopher Bisson, Gillian Kearney, Nicola Stephenson and Sacha Dhawan.

Production credits

Series 1 written by Avie Luthra and Gary Brown

Series 2 written by Mike Harris, Jon Sen and Avie Luthra

Produced and directed by Pauline Harris

Cast

Bobby Khan – Nitin Ganatra/Zubin Varla

Elizabeth – Barbara Marten

Imran – Vincent Ebrahim/Bhasker Patel

Wasim – Christopher Bisson

Terry – John McArdle

Ayesha – Archie Panjabl

Lucy – Gillian Kearney/Nicola Stephenson

Paul Deacon – David Fleeshman

Rashid Choudry – Amer Nazlr

Rhobina Choudry – Rani Moorthy

Craig Williams – Sam Curtis

Jerome – Aaron Cobham

Newsreader – Mark Edwardson

Martha Kearney – Herself

Harry/Hanif – Sacha Dhawan

DI Brown/Pathologist – Seamus O’Neill

Mike Winters – Michael Feast

Barry – Lee Boardman

Isabella – Fiona Clarke

David/Geraint – James Quinn

Sara – Millie Rose Kinsey

Shazia/Woman – Balvinder Sopal

Ali – Darren Kuppan

Graham – Jonathan Keeble

Karl – Graeme Hawley

Minister – Malcolm Raeburn

Helen – Christine Brennan

News reporter – Shari Vahl

School children from St Mary''s Church of England Infant and Junior School, Manchester

Fraud adviser: Shari Vahl

Political adviser: Andrew Russell

Music consultant: Philip Tagney

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 25 May-8 June 2007 (Series 1), 31 July-14 August 2009 (Series 2)

© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd