Spieling The Beans

My guest this episode is Eden Sher, the Critics' Choice Award Winning Star of 'The Middle', on creating her sell-out Edinburgh Fringe show 'I Was On A Sitcom', on learning from her sitcom royalty onscreen parents, being directed by her onscreen brother, being plucked from obscurity as a child by Jay Leno's Tonight Show, and "Brand New Cards". Recorded at the Edinburgh Fringe.

My guest is the Peabody and Emmy winning comedy titan and icon of iconoclasm Craig Ferguson. Recorded in his dressing room at the Criterion Theatre in London’s West End, we discussed him interviewing Archbishop Desmond Tutu on The Late Late Show (for which the show won the Peabody), being mentored by Johnny Carson’s producer Peter Lassally, being the comedian for Bush’s final White House Correspondents' Dinner, the current whereabouts of his robotic skeleton sidekick Geoff Peterson, and why we need stories to beat the rise of the machines.

We're back. With STB history. My guests, plural, for the Season 5 premiere episode are the Emmy-nominated Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney - AKA BriTANick - on what makes a sketch a great sketch, the difference between writing for SNL and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Kurt Vonnegut's concept of Karass, opening for Robin Williams, writing comedy with the drummer from Imagine Dragons, and so much more. Recorded in London during their sell-out Soho Theatre run, following their sell-out Edinburgh Fringe run, and ahead of their currently-selling-out second Soho Theatre run.

My guest for this S4 finale episode is the father of QI himself, John Lloyd, on stories, holism, educational reform, Navajo proverbs, Douglas Adams, mysticism, humanity, producing, directing, Jeff Goldblum, the real answer to life the universe and everything, and why being fired is actually quite a good thing.

My guest this episode is Mary O’Connell - standup comedian, television developer, previous holder of the creative residency at Baby Cow, writer for ITV2’s The Emily Atack Show and The Now Show on Radio 4, and noted clowning enthusiast. Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe back in August, we talk about finances, fighting against being pigeonholed, haunted pubs, TV commissioning trends, identity in comedy, and the joy of silly jokes.

In the first of our 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Tapes, this week's guest is the magnificent multi-hyphenate Arthur Smith - the comedian-poet-Night-Mayor-of-Balham, on seafood, socks, storytelling, seventy-five years of Fringe, & so much more.

Associate Producer: Zaffia Hussain

My guest for this Season 4 premiere episode is Helen Serafinowicz - co-creator of the International Emmy Award Nominated ‘Motherland’, one of my favourite comedies of the century so far. We talk about the difference in writing processes between 'Motherland' and her new CBBC series ‘Nova Jones’, what it’s like to be related to Darth Maul, and so much more.

My guest for this episode, the Season 3 Finale, is Professor Noam Chomsky. You know who he is.

My guest this episode is Sarah Mills - the award-winning writer-comedian-producer - on turning the boredom of chemotherapy into the joy of ‘The Chemo Chat Show', how she approached writing her first ever pilot script which went on to win the BAFTA Rocliffe award, how to go about booking experts for Philomena Cunk, and so much more.

My guest this episode is Joz Norris - Edinburgh Fringe Comedian’s Choice Award Winner and, quite simply, one of the finest comedic minds around - on how abstract comedy can help convey abstract feelings, the essential distinction between short films and sketches (and what makes a good one of either), the enigmatic excellence of Pierce Brosnan, and so much more.