Desert Island Discs
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| Genre | Biographical/Musical |
|---|---|
| Running time | 43 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Languages | English |
| Home station | BBC Radio 4 |
| Hosts | Roy Plomley (1942-1985) Michael Parkinson (1985-1988) Sue Lawley (1988-2006) Kirsty Young (2006-present) |
| Creators | Roy Plomley |
| Producers | Leanne Buckle |
| Air dates | since 29 January 1942 |
| Opening theme | By The Sleepy Lagoon by Eric Coates |
| Website | BBC website |
Desert Island Discs is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme. It was first broadcast on 29 January 1942 and is said by the Guinness Book of Records to be the longest-running music programme in the history of radio.[1] Guests are invited to imagine themselves cast away on a desert island, and to choose eight pieces of music, originally gramophone records, to take with them; discussion of their choices permits a review of their life. Excerpts from their choices are played or, in the case of short pieces, the whole work.[2] At the end of the programme they choose the one piece they regard most highly. They are then asked which book they would take with them; they are automatically given the Complete Works of Shakespeare and either the Bible or another appropriate religious or philosophical work.
Guests also choose one luxury, which must be inanimate and of no use in escaping the island or allowing communication from outside. The devisor and original presenter of the programme, Roy Plomley,[3] enforced the rules strictly,[4] but it is less strictly enforced today. Examples of luxuries have included champagne[5] and a piano, the latter of which is one of the most requested luxuries.[6]
After Plomley's death in 1985, the programme was presented by Michael Parkinson, and from 1988 by Sue Lawley.[3] Lawley stepped down in August 2006 after 18 years. She was replaced by Kirsty Young,[3] who interviewed illustrator Quentin Blake for her first show, broadcast on 1 October 2006.
The most requested music over the first 60 years was Ode to Joy, the last movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.[7]
The programme's theme is By The Sleepy Lagoon composed by Eric Coates in 1930.
Contents |
[edit] Castaways
- The first castaway was Vic Oliver.
- A few castaways, including Arthur Askey and Earl Hines, have been cast away twice.
[edit] Copyright
Until late September 2009, Desert Island Discs could not be heard on the BBC's iPlayer service, which allows most programmes to be heard up to a week after transmission. The programme's website[8] explained this was due to rights issues, as explained in The Sunday Times in 2006:
Because Plomley was a freelance broadcaster, Desert Island Discs became his copyright. The copyright went to his wife Diana Wong after his death in 1985. She still owns it but is now in her eighties and their daughter Almond acts on her behalf. Mother and daughter and the BBC agree to have Plomley mentioned in the credits and the BBC pay Diana an annual sum (£5,000 in 1996). The family and the BBC cannot however agree a payment to make the programme available after the broadcast, which is why it is not available on the BBC website.[9]
It was announced on 27 September 2009 that an agreement had been reached with the family that the programme would be available to stream via the iPlayer[10]. The first castaway available through the Player was Barry Manilow. Subsequently, the programme was also made available as a podcast[11], beginning with the edition broadcast on 29 November 2009 which featured Morrissey.
[edit] In popular culture
- In Tom Stoppard's play The Real Thing, the playwright protagonist, Henry, frets over his upcoming appearance on Desert Island Discs, worrying about whether he should be honest and admit his admiration for pop music (particularly pop music derided by critics) or pretend to favour more conventionally admired music.
- In an episode of the popular British sitcom Vicar of Dibley, when suggesting ideas for Dibley Radio, the very dull Frank Pickle suggested Desert Island Desks, where he would choose the 8 best desks he had ever sat at.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Sue Lawley escapes after 19 years". London: The Times. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article704927.ece. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ In the early days, the playing time of a disc was quite predictable, but as technology has progressed and recorded works got longer, they now often have to be trimmed to fit the programme's timing limit of 45 minutes.
- ^ a b c "Desert Island delights". BBC. 2002-01-29. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/1787472.stm. Retrieved 15 November 2007.
- ^ Lister, David (30 January 2002). "'Desert Island Discs' enjoys luxury of a 60th birthday". The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/desert-island-discs-enjoys-luxury-of-a-60th-birthday-752173.html. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ^ "John Stevens". Desert Island Discs. BBC Radio 4. 2006-11-17. website
- ^ Shirley Williams episode, 2006
- ^ "Beethoven tops island hit list", BBC News website, 18 March 2002
- ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/factual/desertislanddiscs.shtml
- ^ How a man in his pyjamas invented a radio classic
- ^ "BBC - Radio 4 Blog: Desert Island Discs comes to iPlayer". www.bbc.co.uk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/2009/09/desert_island_discs_iplayer.html. Retrieved 2009-09-27.
- ^ "BBC launches Radio 4's Desert Island Discs on iPlayer". guardian.co.uk. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/sep/28/desert-island-discs-bbc-iplayer. Retrieved 2009-09-28.
[edit] External links
- Desert Island Discs (BBC latest episode)
- Sue Arnold, "The Lagoon Show", The Observer, London, 17 March 2002
