Episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | Pretending And Sandwiches | 20161115 | 20170606 20170613 (BBC7) 20170614 (BBC7) 20191221 (BBC7) 20210704 (BBC7) 20210710 (BBC7) 20210711 (BBC7) 20170606 (R4) |  ALEXEI SAYLE delivers stand-up, memoir and philosophy from his Imaginary Sandwich Bar.The Godfather of Alternative Comedy delivers a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his Imaginary Sandwich Bar. Episode 1 - Pretending and Sandwiches Alexei explores his impulse to pretend and love of sandwiches. Along the way he reveals the little known origin of the prawn cocktail, debunks the myth that the Earl of Sandwich was the first person to put a bit of meat between two slices of bread and discusses the hidden depths of Taylor Swift. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE Original music and lyrics by Tim Sutton Produced by JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production. ALEXEI SAYLE explores his impulse to pretend and love of sandwiches. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2016. Episode 1 - Pretending & Sandwiches |
| 01 | 02 | Political Beliefs | 20161122 | 20170613 20170620 (BBC7) 20170621 (BBC7) 20191228 (BBC7) 20210711 (BBC7) 20170613 (R4) | ALEXEI SAYLE delivers stand-up, memoir and philosophy from his Imaginary Sandwich Bar. The Godfather of Alternative Comedy delivers a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his Imaginary Sandwich Bar. Episode 2 - Political Beliefs Alexei explores his political beliefs system, looking back at his childhood in a communist house-hold, his career as a drug-dealer and his physical attraction to BORIS JOHNSON. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE Produced by JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production. Alexei explores his political beliefs system, looking back at his childhood in a communist household, his career as a drug-dealer and his physical attraction to BORIS JOHNSON. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2016 |
| 01 | 03 | Careerism | 20161129 | 20170620 20170627 (BBC7) 20170628 (BBC7) 20200104 (BBC7) 20210718 (BBC7) 20170620 (R4) | Alexei reveals the surprising reason he disappeared from our TV screens in the 1990s. The Godfather of Alternative Comedy delivers a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his Imaginary Sandwich Bar. Episode 3 - Careerism Alexei reveals the surprising reason he disappeared from our TV screens in the 1990's, recounts a chance meeting with Ed Miliband, discusses rampant nepotism in most coveted careers and draws a striking comparisons between capitalism and all you can eat buffets. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE Additional Material from Liam Beirne Produced by JOE NUNNERY Alexei reveals the surprising reason he disappeared from our TV screens in the 1990's, recounts a chance meeting with Ed Miliband, discusses rampant nepotism in most coveted careers and draws a striking comparison between capitalism and all you can eat buffets. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE. Additional Material from Liam Beirne. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2016 A BBC Studios Production. |
| 01 | 04 LAST | History And The Role Of The Entertainer | 20161206 | 20170627 20170704 (BBC7) 20170705 (BBC7) 20200111 (BBC7) 20210725 (BBC7) 20170627 (R4) | Alexei explores the role of the entertainer and explains why he will never go on Strictly. The Godfather of Alternative Comedy delivers a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his Imaginary Sandwich Bar. Episode 4 - History and the Role of the Entertainer Alexei explores the role of the entertainer. Along the way he explains why he will never go on Strictly Come Dancing, the reason Newsnight needs to be 11 hours long and questions why TV comedy panel shows help rehabilitate the careers of 'war criminals'. Starring ALEXEI SAYLE, JAKE YAPP, NICHOLAS PARSONS and PAUL MERTON Written by ALEXEI SAYLE Additional Material by Sarah Campbell Produced by JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE. Additional Material by Sarah Campbell. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in December 2016. |
| 02 | 01 | Britain's Place In The World | 20171109 | 20171116 (BBC7) 20171117 (BBC7) 20200808 (BBC7) 20220119 (BBC7) 20220120 (BBC7) 20220122 (BBC7) 20191029 (R4) | The Godfather of Alternative Comedy delivers a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his Imaginary Sandwich Bar. Episode 1 - Britain's Place in the World Alexei considers Britain's place in the world and discusses his return to stand-up comedy after a 17 year hiatus. Along the way he reveals where all of the Millets shops have gone, discloses the key to reworking old material for a modern audience and offers a compelling argument for Britain losing a war - and soon. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE Original music and lyrics by Tim Sutton Produced by JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2017. |
| 02 | 02 | The Financial Crash | 20171116 | 20171123 (BBC7) 20171124 (BBC7) 20200815 (BBC7) 20220126 (BBC7) 20220127 (BBC7) 20191105 (R4) | ALEXEI SAYLE considers the causes and fallout of the 2008 financial crash. Episode 2 - The Financial Crash Alexei considers the causes and fall-out of the 2008 financial crash, the appeal of DONALD TRUMP and laments his lack of mainstream success. Written by ALEXEI SAYLE Performed by ALEXEI SAYLE with SEAN BAKER Original music and lyrics by Tim Sutton Produced by JOE NUNNERY The Godfather of Alternative Comedy delivers a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his Imaginary Sandwich Bar. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2017. A BBC Studios Production. |
| 02 | 03 | Death And Travel | 20171123 | 20171130 (BBC7) 20171201 (BBC7) 20200822 (BBC7) 20220202 (BBC7) 20220203 (BBC7) 20191112 (R4) | ALEXEI SAYLE considers travel to places both real and imaginary. Episode 3 - Death and Travel Alexei considers travel to places both real and imaginary. Along the way he reveals why Radio 4 is a staple for Merchant seamen, how to get a cheap drink in the centre of Paris and the impulses he must fight when on holiday. Written by ALEXEI SAYLE with additional material from BEN PARTRIDGE. Performed by ALEXEI SAYLE with IAN SMITH Original music and lyrics by Tim Sutton Produced by JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production. Along the way he reveals why BBC Radio 4 is a staple for Merchant seamen, how to get a cheap drink in the centre of Paris and the impulses he must fight when on holiday. The Godfather of Alternative Comedy delivers a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his Imaginary Sandwich Bar. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in November 2017. |
| 02 | 04 LAST | La Vie Moral | 20171130 | 20171207 (BBC7) 20171208 (BBC7) 20200829 (BBC7) 20220209 (BBC7) 20220210 (BBC7) 20191119 (R4) | Alexei considers how one might live an ethical life. Alexei considers how one might live an ethical life, recounts the difficulties he faced when tracking down his lost cat and pays penance for a feud with another performer. Written by ALEXEI SAYLE Performed by ALEXEI SAYLE Original music and lyrics by Tim Sutton Produced by JOE NUNNERY |
| 03 | 01 | Corbyn And The Left | 20190912 | 20190919 (BBC7) 20190920 (BBC7) 20220302 (BBC7) 20220303 (BBC7) 20220305 (BBC7) 20200219 (R4) | ALEXEI SAYLE offers his thoughts on Jeremy Corbyn and the left and laments the decline of small business. And what can the 1997 film Starship Troopers teach all of us? A mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of an imaginary sandwich bar. Written and performed by the Godfather of Alternative Comedy, ALEXEI SAYLE. Music and Lyrics by Tim Sutton. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2019. Alexei offers his thoughts on Jeremy Corbyn and the Left, laments the decline of small business and explains what the 1997 film Starship Troopers can teach us all. Written by ALEXEI SAYLE Performed by ALEXEI SAYLE Produced by JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2019. |
| 03 | 02 | Santa Claused Faced Old... | 20190919 | 20190926 (BBC7) 20190927 (BBC7) 20220309 (BBC7) 20220310 (BBC7) 20200226 (R4) | Alexei tells the story of a long lost tin of pâté, and offers his thoughts on the gig economy. He also reveals what he believes to be the secret war being waged by the old on the young... A mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of an imaginary sandwich bar. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2019. Alexei tells the story of a long-lost tin of pâté, offers his thoughts on the gig economy and reveals what he believes to be the secret war being waged by the old on the young. Written by ALEXEI SAYLE Produced by JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2019. Alexei tells the story of a long lost tin of p?t?, offers his thoughts on the gig economy and reveals what he believes to be the secret war being waged by the old on the young. |
| 03 | 03 | Rage And Resentment | 20190926 | 20191003 (BBC7) 20191004 (BBC7) 20220316 (BBC7) 20220317 (BBC7) 20200304 (R4) | Alexei considers the roots of his rage and resentment. He explores the dangers of magical thinking and contemplates what the philosophies of Bertholt Brecht could offer Premier League football. A mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of an imaginary sandwich bar. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE. Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in September 2019. Alexei considers the roots of his rage and resentment, explores the dangers of magical thinking and contemplates what the philosophies of Bertholt Brecht could offer Premier League football. Written by ALEXEI SAYLE Produced by JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2019. |
| 03 | 04 LAST | Kings Of Comedy | 20191003 | 20191010 (BBC7) 20191011 (BBC7) 20220323 (BBC7) 20220324 (BBC7) 20200311 (R4) | Alexei outlines his problem with Morecambe and Wise, and discusses his issues with the Trade Unions. Plus he offers a fable taught by the Zen Master Wudang mountains in China. Written and performed by ALEXEI SAYLE Producer: JOE NUNNERY A BBC Studios Production, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in September 2019. |