The complete ninth series of BBC Radio 4's award-winning sketch show 'One of our best sketch writers' Observer John Finnemore returns with his multi-award-winning sketch show, but this series is very different to the previous eight. There are still sketches and songs, and it's still written and performed by him and his usual fantastic ensemble cast - but with no live studio audience, John has taken the opportunity to try something new. Each episode in this series of Souvenir Programme consists of scenes from one person's life, played in reverse order. There's no narrative as such - it's still a sketch show - but as we follow the characters back in time, from lockdown Zoom calls to childhood birthdays and funerals, the individual sketches link up to form an overall picture, portraying the sprawling history of an entire multi-generational family. And, as if that wasn't enough, there are also some terrific tall tales, a paean of praise, and a truly unforgettable earworm... Clever, complex, hilarious and poignant, these Souvenir Programmes with a twist star Lawry Lewin as Russ, Margaret Cabourn-Smith as Deborah, Simon Kane as Jerry, Carrie Quinlan as Vanessa and John Finnemore as Newt. Cast and credits Written and performed by John Finnemore Ensemble cast: Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Simon Kane, Lawry Lewin, Carrie Quinlan Original music composed by Susannah Pearse and Sally Stares, and arranged by Susannah Pearse and Tim Sutton Recorded and edited by Rich Evans at Syncbox Post Production coordinator: Beverly Tagg Producer: Ed Morrish A BBC Studios production (c) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (p) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Eight brand new recordings of original Hancock's Half Hour scripts Hancock's Half Hour was one of the most popular radio comedies of the 1950s, and the first modern sitcom. Over 100 episodes of the show were broadcast between 1954 and 1959, but 22 went missing from the BBC archives. Lovingly recreated by Radio 4 in front of a live audience at the BBC Radio Theatre, they can now be heard for the first time since their initial transmission. Collected here are the final eight episodes from the fourth series - including a special premiere of The Counterfeiter, which was never recorded by the original team. The episodes are: The Winter Holiday, Department Store Santa, The Diamond Ring, Prime Minister Hancock, Christmas at Aldershot, The Counterfeiter, The Christmas Eve Party and The New Year Resolutions. Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson Produced by Neil Pearson, Paul Sheehan and Hayley Sterling Music composed by Wally Stott, and performed by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Levon Parikian Thanks to Tessa Le Bars First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 6 December 2018-31 December 2020 Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, and with the classic score re-recorded by the BBC Concert Orchestra, these hilarious episodes star Kevin McNally as The Lad Himself, with Kevin Eldon, Simon Greenall, Robin Sebastian, Susy Kane and Margaret Cabourn-Smith.