32 episodes
| Series | Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 01 | Caroline Aherne | 19991007 | 20000801 | Caroline Aherne. |
| 01 | 02 | Tim Brooke-taylor And Graeme Garden | 19991014 | 20000808, * 20030714, * 20040109, * 20040402, * 20040403, * 20040711, * 20040712, * 20060129, * 20060130 | Conversation that spans 5 decades of comedy, from the Cambridge Footlights, I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, through to Clue. Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden reflect on their careers, Footlights, The Goodies and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. |
| 01 | 03 | Ben Elton | 19991021 | 20000815, * 20030721, * 20040718, * 20040719, * 20060205, * 20060206 | Paul Jackson chats to the one-time angry man of comedy. Ben Elton talks about his life and work. Paul Jackson chats to the one time angry man of comedy and talks about his life and work. |
| 01 | 04 | Penelope Keith | 19991028 | 20000822, * 20040123, * 20040725, * 20040726, * 20060212, * 20060213 | Former BBC Controller of Entertainment, Paul Jackson, talks to actress Penelope Keith about her life and work. |
| 01 | 05 | Adrian Edmondson | 19991104 | 20000822, * 20030728, * 20040130, * 20040131, * 20040801, * 20040802, * 20060219, * 20060220 | talks about being set ablaze by a TV and surviving idiots who still think he's Vivian from The Young Ones. Ade talks about being set ablaze by a TV and surviving idiots who still think he's Vivian from The Young Ones. |
| 01 | 06 LAST | Ronnie Corbett | 19991111 | 20000829 | |
| 02 | 01 | Jack Dee | 20000406 | 20000905, * 20030804, * 20040206, * 20040808, * 20040809, * 20060226, * 20060227 | Former Controller of BBC Entertainment Paul Jackson interviews Jack Dee about his life and work. |
| 02 | 02 | Dave Allen | 20000413 | 20000912 | |
| 02 | 03 | Richard Curtis | 20000420 | 20000919, * 20030811, * 20040213, * 20040214, * 20040815, * 20040816, * 20060305, * 20060306 | A rare appearance in front of the microphone for the writer of Blackadder and Four Weddings and a Funeral, Richard Curtis. |
| 02 | 04 | Meera Syal | 20000427 | 20000926, * 20030818, * 20040220, * 20040221, * 20040822, * 20040823, * 20060312, * 20060313 | Goodness Gracious Me! The comedy star, actress and novelist, Meera Syal, talks about her career. Goodness Gracious Me! The comedy star, actress and novelist talks about her career. The star of Goodness Gracious Me, actress and novelist talks about her career. |
| 02 | 05 | Barry Cryer | 20000504 | 20001003, * 20030825, * 20040227, * 20040228, * 20040829, * 20040830, * 20060319, * 20060320 | Recorded on 1999-03-25 Barry Cryer - the man who's written for so many comedians that the list is like a who's who of British and American comedy. |
| 02 | 06 | Dale Winton | 20000511 | 20000919 | BBC controller of entertainment Paul Jackson chats to eight comedy writers and performers about their lives and work. 6: Dale Winton |
| 02 | 07 | Phill Jupitus | 20000518 | 20000926, * 20030901, * 20040305, * 20040306, * 20040905, * 20040906, * 20060326, * 20060327 | Phill Jupitus, the big bloke from BBC TV's Never Mind the Buzzcocks, talks about his type of comedy, music and being a big bloke. |
| 02 | 08 LAST | Sandi Toksvig | 20000525 | 20000926, * 20030908, * 20040312, * 20040313, * 20040912, * 20040913, * 20060402, * 20060403 | Former BBC Controller of Entertainment Paul Jackson chats to Sandi Toksvig about her life and work. BBC controller of entertainment Paul Jackson chats to eight comedy writers and performers about their lives and work. 8: Sandi Toksvig. Paul Jackson chats to Sandi Toksvig about her life and work. |
| 03 | 01 | Steve Coogan | 20010308 | 20010809, * 20030915, * 20040319, * 20040320, * 20040919, * 20040920, * 20060409, * 20060410 | The comedian responsible for the monstrous creation that is Alan Partridge talks about his life, work and Pringle sweaters. A rare interview with Steve Coogan, creator of, among others, Alan Partridge and Paul and Pauline Calf. |
| 03 | 02 | Des O'connor | 20010315 | 20010726 | Former BBC head of light entertainment Paul Jackson chats to comedy writers and performers about their lives and work. Here he talks to Des O'Connor. |
| 03 | 03 | Ruby Wax | 20010322 | 20010802, * 20030922, * 20040326, * 20040327, * 20040926, * 20040927, * 20060416, * 20060417 | Paul Jackson talks to Ruby about her life and work, including Girls on Top and Girl Talk. Former BBC head of light entertainment Paul Jackson chats to comedy writers and performers about their lives and work. Ruby Wax tells him what it was like interviewing Imelda Marcos, and reveals the facts behind the 'banana incident' with OJ Simpson. |
| 03 | 04 | Galton And Simpson | 20010329 | 20010816, * 20030929, * 20040409, * 20040410, * 20041031, * 20041101, * 20051022, * 20051023, * 20060423, * 20060424 | Paul Jackson chats to the kings of classic sitcoms, writing duo Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Former BBC head of light entertainment Paul Jackson chats to comedy writers and performers about their lives and work. Galton and Simpson, the creators of `Steptoe and Son', tell of their experiences writing for Tony Hancock and Frankie Howerd and explain how they met as a result of tuberculosis. The creators of Steptoe and Son tell of their experiences writing for Hancock, Frankie Howerd, and how they met as a result of TB. |
| 03 | 05 | Mel And Sue | 20010405 | 20010823, * 20031006, * 20040416, * 20040417, * 20041003, * 20041004, * 20060430, * 20060501 | Paul Jackson interviews comedy double act Mel and Sue about their rise to celebrity status. Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins expound on the virtues of daytime TV, talk about writing for French and Saunders and explain that performing in the Cambridge Footlights is not necessarily the path to fame and fortune it once was. |
| 03 | 06 LAST | Nick Hancock | 20010412 | 20010823, * 20031013, * 20040423, * 20040424, * 20041010, * 20041011, * 20060507, * 20060508 | Paul Jackson chats to Nick Hancock about his rise to success on radio and TV. Paul Jackson chats to Nick Hancock about his rise to fame on radio and TV. Host of They Think It's All Over talks about his 26 failed pilot programmes and the current love of his life, his daughter. |
| 04 | 01 | The League Of Gentlemen | 20020307 | * 20031020, * 20041017, * 20041018, * 20050526, * 20050527, * 20060514, * 20060515 | The 'local people' tell Paul Jackson of their debt to The Wicker Man and Alan Bennett. From March 2002. The League of Gentlemen. The 'local people' tell Paul Jackson of their debt to The Wicker Man and Alan Bennett. From March 2002. The 'local people' reveal how Jeremy Dyson's early artwork was the inspiration for Damien Hirst. |
| 04 | 02 | Victoria Wood | 20020314 | * 20031027, * 20041024, * 20041025, * 20060521, * 20060522 | The lass from Lancashire talks about childhood, lucky showbiz breaks and laughter. |
| 04 | 03 | Paul Whitehouse | 20020321 | Former BBC head of light entertainment Paul Jackson chats to comedy writers and performers about their lives and work. 3: Paul Whitehouse. | |
| 04 | 04 | Eamonn Holmes | 20020328 | Former BBC head of light entertainment Paul Jackson chats to Eamonn Holmes, Britain's longest-serving breakfast television presenter. | |
| 04 | 05 | Armando Iannucci | 20020404 | * 20031103, * 20041107, * 20041108, * 20060528, * 20060529, * 20061126, * 20061127 | Paul Jackson chats to Armando Iannucci, the man behind shows such as On the Hour, The Day Today and Alan Partridge |
| 04 | 06 LAST | Roy Hudd | 20020411 | Former BBC head of light entertainment Paul Jackson chats to comedy writers and performers about their lives and work. This week's guest is Roy Hudd | |
| 05 | 01 | Bruce Forsyth | 20030619 | The first show in the series features showbusiness legend Bruce Forsyth. He will be talking about his long career in the limelight, from a childhood television appearance in 1938 to his continuing love of live performance. Bruce recalls that his skill at audience participation caused him a few problems in the beginning. The first time he tried it on stage, it went so well that there was only enough time for a ten minute second half. He also reveals that he taught Lionel Blair to dance, although that was, 'Nothing to be proud of', apparently. Bruce recalls the joy of working with Sammy Davis Jr, and consoles himself when considering his hero Fred Astaire, quipping, 'I never met him, but then again he never met me.'. | |
| 05 | 02 | Ricky Gervais | 20030626 | He's a winner of multiple awards for his multiple talents; he's a writer, an actor, a director, a stand-up comedian, a DJ, and a former pop star. And if that isn't enough, he was recently named the most powerful man in comedy. Tonight Paul Jackson interviews Ricky Gervais. | |
| 05 | 03 | Michael Parkinson | 20030703 | He has interviewed the greatest figures of the 20th century, from Alfred Hitchcock to Muhammed Ali. Tonight the roles are reversed. Former BBC head of light entertainment, Paul Jackson, sits in the interviewer's chair, in conversation with Michael Parkinson | |
| 05 | 04 | Rob Brydon | 20030710 | He's a chameleon and a man of many voices, winning critical acclaim for his roles in Marion And Geoff and Human Remains. Tonight Paul Jackson interviews Rob Brydon. | |
| 05 | 05 | Jenny Eclair | 20030717 | She was the first woman to win the Perrier Award, gracing stage, television, radio and the bookshelves of Britain. Paul Jackson interviews Jenny Eclair | |
| 05 | 06 LAST | Graham Norton | 20030724 | Comedian, actor and hugely popular chat-show host, Paul Jackson interviews Graham Norton. |