Comments on: Ed Reardon’s Week

By: flyingchap

flyingchap — Mon, 05 May 2008 22:50:08 +0000

I agree with most of the above commentators - more radio series of Ed please, BBC - and please don’t even think about ruining it by moving it to TV.
You did that once too often with HitchHiker.

The pictures are always hugely better on radio and all we listeners all have the whole cast well-set in our minds now. Congratulations to the writers on a brilliant creation.

By: riffle

riffle — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:10:22 +0000

I think Ed Reardon’s Week is utter genius, indeed. For me it’s the best-crafted current character comedy show on UK radio.

I must admit however, that as a standalone comic creation that lives in radio as well as other formats, I find myself extremely fond of Count Arthur Strong.

I only know these characters from what I get in the USA via torrent, bbc.co.uk, and some trans-Atlantic purchases. Since the Count does live theatrical performances, that probably makes me less familiar with his oeuvre overall than Ed Reardon, which is a radio-only character so far (excepting the spin-off book which I haven’t seen). I am so fond of the Count that I bought his Forgotten Egypt! live DVD before the exchange rate went all to hell. It’s priceless.

I’m a bit more positive about a telly Ed after having seen Christopher Douglas play a small role in Jack Dee’s Lead Balloon (I believe it was Series 2, Episode 5, where he played a chemist–known in the US as pharmacist). I recognized him by his Ed-Reardonesque voice and it was extremely easy to imagine him playing a fine TV Ed Reardon based on the small role.

Chances are that, just as with any radio conversion, a telly Ed would stink. But if handled correctly it really could work. I suppose for me the gold standard of radio to TV reworking is People Like Us, but such an alignment of the stars is a rarity.

BBC: More radio Ed Reardon, please. I’m not clamoring for a TV version, though I would certainly watch it.

By: Rupert

Rupert — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:45:36 +0000

Yeah, I can’t imagine it’ll benefit from a move to telly. Part of the joy is imagining him and his world through the writing and acting. Beautiful. Possibly my favourite radio show ever.

By: Steve Bowbrick

Steve Bowbrick — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:15:10 +0000

Ping is awesome and so, of course, is her boss Felix, played by John Fortune at his blousy best.

By: tomh

tomh — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:51:54 +0000

It’s a great series. I hope it doesn’t get wrecked on telly.

By: Dave Shelton

Dave Shelton — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:48:54 +0000

Ed Reardon Britain’s Best Comic Creation? No, no, no. That would be Ping (at least once Sally Hawkins started playing her - I think it was someone else for the first series). Comic genius.