Bunk Bed (radio programme)
| Genre | Discussion |
|---|---|
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Home station | BBC Radio 4 |
| Hosted by | Peter Curran & Patrick Marber |
| Original release | April 2, 2014 |
Bunk Bed is a comedy radio programme on BBC Radio 4 hosted by Peter Curran and Patrick Marber. The programme features the hosts lying in bunk beds, discussing various topics.[1] In some episodes, they are joined by a guest on the "pull-out mattress" - these have included Kathy Burke, Don Warrington, Cate Blanchett, Benjamin Zephaniah, Rhys Ifans, Jane Horrocks, Guy Garvey & Rachael Stirling.[2]
It was described as "slightly weird" by Kate Chisholm,[3] and was praised by Miranda Sawyer as being "strange, funny, silly, enchanting, beautifully put together".[4] The seventh series began its broadcast on 6 January 2021, on BBC Radio 4.[2][5] The programme was a finalist in the New York Festivals in April 2020.[6] The ninth series began on 12 January 2022, with Harry Shearer a guest in episodes 2 and 3.[7]
Podcasts[edit]
There are over 30 podcasts (created from edited versions of the episodes originally broadcast) which are freely available to stream or download. In addition other episodes from Series 8 and 9 are available to listen again.
| No. | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Welcome to Bunk Bed" | |
| • In bed with a friend, your mind can wander into brilliant and strange conversations. | ||
| 2 | "The death of friends and the comfort of Bowie" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on the death of friends and the comfort of Bowie. | ||
| 3 | "Madonna elephants and snoring" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on meeting Madonna, a tuneless elephant, and Mr. Spanky. | ||
| 4 | "Award winning actor and director Kathy Burke joins Peter and Patrick" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber are joined by award-winning actor/director Kathy Burke. | ||
| 5 | "Happiness, small birds and Spike Milligan" | |
| • Peter and Patrick talk about the secret of happiness and small birds on anti-depressants. | ||
| 6 | "Famous older men and the voice of Aldous Huxley" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber talk leaving their female partners for famous older men. | ||
| 7 | "HG Wells and his life as a prostitute" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on HG Wells and his life as a prostitute. | ||
| 8 | "The curse of short trousers" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on the curse of short trousers and the blandness of Bond. | ||
| 9 | "JG Ballard and why the demons come out at night" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber are haunted by the voice of sci-fiction great JG Ballard | ||
| 10 | "Debbie Harry and Chas n Dave" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on their times with Debbie Harry and Chas n Dave | ||
| 11 | "Award Winning actor Jane Horrocks on the spare mattress" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber are joined by the award-winning actor Jane Horrocks. | ||
| 12 | "Peter and Patrick imagine each other’s death" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber imagine each other’s deaths | ||
| 13 | "The dirty version of Crazy Golf" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber plan to create the dirty version of Crazy Golf | ||
| 14 | "Abuse in school and Ian Fleming v Raymond Chandler" | |
| • Peter and Patrick talk about being abused in school and Raymond Chandler v Ian Fleming | ||
| 15 | "The first person to have a dream" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber wonder about the first person ever to have a dream. | ||
| 16 | "Terrible names for kids" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on the terrible names for kids chosen by their friends. | ||
| No. | Title | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | "The hand that shook the hand of Hitler" | |
| • Peter and Patrick on the hand that shook the hand of Hitler and eating from a baby bib. | ||
| 18 | "How a sneaky million pounds was turned down" | |
| • Peter and Patrick on how a sneaky million pounds Hollywood job was turned down | ||
| 19 | "The teeth of Kingsley Amis" | |
| • Peter and Patrick on the teeth of Kingsley Amis and why you can’t cuddle a tortoise. | ||
| 20 | "Comic great Kathy Burke joins Peter and Patrick" | |
| • Comic great Kathy Burke sleeps over to talk youth rebellion and reading porn aloud. | ||
| 21 | "Being a father and the voice of James Baldwin" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on being a father and the voice of James Baldwin | ||
| 22 | "Giant hairballs and goats" | |
| • Peter and Patrick talk about the giant hairballs formed on London’s Underground | ||
| 23 | "Citizen Kane and Virginia Woolf" | |
| • The rude bits of Citizen Kane and the only recording of Virginia Woolf’s voice | ||
| 24 | "How to hurt yourself at the dentist" | |
| • The need for a National Repression Day when everyone would just shut up about themselves. | ||
| 25 | "With guest Don Warrington from the classic Rising Damp" | |
| • Peter and Patrick with guest Don Warrington from the legendary 1970’s sitcom Rising Damp. | ||
| 26 | "Baldness and Bambi" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber get down to the subject of wigs and how to help Bambi | ||
| 27 | "Their worst reviews ever" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber relish their worst ever reviews | ||
| 28 | "Explaining genitalia to Aliens" | |
| • Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on explaining human genitalia to a curious alien | ||
| 29 | "The voice of Bette Davis and sedan chairs are Go!" | |
| • Peter and Patrick marvel at the voice of Bette Davis destroying an interviewer | ||
| 30 | "Cate Blanchett" | |
| • Patrick Marber and Peter Curran offer the pull-out mattress to a double Oscar winner. | ||
| 31 | "Benjamin Zephaniah" | |
| • Patrick Marber and Peter Curran do Tai Chi in the dark with the poet Benjamin Zephaniah | ||
| 32 | "Rhys Ifans" | |
| • Peter Curran, Patrick Marber and Rhys talk dark childhoods and the boots of David Bowie. | ||
| 33 | "Jane Horrocks" | |
| • Jane Horrocks joins Patrick Marber and Peter Curran to reflect on fancying yourself. | ||
External links[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Sawyer, Miranda (5 July 2015). "The week in radio – Beats 1; Bunk Bed; Crisis in the Curry Kitchen". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Bunk Bed episodes". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
- ^ Chisholm, Kate (2 July 2016). "The perfect radio antidote to the gathering storm". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ Sawyer, Miranda (5 April 2014). "Radio Academy awards nominations; Podcasting: The First Ten Years; Bunk Bed – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- ^ Curran, Peter [@curranradio] (11 January 2019). "Morning. Rough night with @Pmarber. Bunk Bed returns to @BBCRadio4 this Spring....like gambolling lambs" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "Winners Gallery: Bunk Bed". New York Festivals. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ^ Curran, Peter [@curranradio] (19 January 2022). "Tonight's the night, folks! @BBCRadio4 Our first transatlantic Bunk Bed. In the dark and on the floor from New Orleans will be the magnificent @theharryshearer joining @Pmarber and myself. 11pm GMT. Join us, if you will" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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