Cabin Pressure is another great John Finnemore one.  With Benedict Cumberbatch

Cabin Pressure is hilarious!  I also enjoyed The Department a lot, too - it has John Oliver in it. 

My blog is called Modern Soundling, I talk about these specific issues a lot. 

I like War of the Worlds, too, it's just frustrating because people stop there, thinking that it's just the best.  Wally K. Daly's Screaming Trilogy is miles beyond it, so is the recent series Planet B.

War of the Worlds is fun, but people think it's the height of the medium's achievement, that's what I find frustrating.

I'd say On A Note of Triumph is probably the "Citizen Kane" of American radio…although I'd recommend The Undecided Molecule as a fun entry into Corwin's work.  For those who haven't heard it - its a comedic play in verse in which a molecule who can't decide what to become is put on trial…by a judge played by Groucho…

Sadly, this article perpetuates several unfortunate myths about radio drama, namely that it is accurately represented by the US output of the thirties and forties.  It's as if everyone thought that cinema ended with silent movies in 1929.  Or perhaps TV is a better analogy -  it's as if Todd is saying "TV is really…

The problem with PHC is that it's not actually radio drama.  It's a parody.  Keillor himself is on record as not believing in radio drama as a viable medium.

Welles' radio work, as well as his talk show and commercial work in the 1970's, were always a means to an end.  By taking any such work he could get, he was able to fund his later films out of pocket, films such as F For Fake, which is an avant garde masterpiece, and the still-unreleased The Other Side of the Wind. …

Unfortunately, this article perpetuates several frustrating myths about radio drama, namely that the medium is even remotely represented by US broadcasts in the 30s-40s.  It's as if everyone thought that cinema ended with silent movies.  Radio drama has progressed and advanced in parallel to filmmaking, and continues…

I was under the impression that it was, but I could be wrong. In any case, it was part of the first production block.

The Original Six Episodes
I don't think you've mentioned this yet, but the original pitch for the show to Lew Grade outlined only six or seven episodes. It was Grade who insisted on 17 episodes, so that he could sell it to foreign markets like the US, which was one of his signature moves (like with The Avengers).

Prime Time Hit Show
The Avengers, like Secret Agent, was shown in America on prime-time TV, during the late sixties/early seventies, and was a big hit. That was partially the reason for the extra money spent on the show to film it in colour. ITV adventure shows were made by Lord Grade with the specific desire to…

The Proclaimers
The Proclaimers are extremely popular in Europe, where their newest album went platinum a few months ago. They only appear to be a one hit wonder in the US.

Crime Story
Crime Story more than makes up for What Happens in Vegas.

I don't mind the jokes, or the characterization of the Doctor. Both Eccleston and Tennant have something to offer the part. I don't the soft scifi-ness of the new series is even the heart of the problem. It's very true that RTD has to make a product that appeals beyond just the hardcore fanbase. That product is…

RTD Antipathy
The choices that RTD made in reviving the series were brilliant and approrpriate - the show has adapted well, compromised between new and old in smart ways, and moved the series forward beyond some of it's former trappings. He is really capitalizing on Andrew Cartmel's reforms during the McCoy years,…

Beatrice Welles
The problem with Miss Welles is that she's exceeding her authority. She ONLY owns the rights to Othello - hence that crappy release she approved. The rest of Welles' works (at least the later works, for certain) were left to Welles longtime companion and collaborator, Oja Kodar. Very clearly left to…

That's why managers and agents suck. The people who functionally control the intellectual property of many artists are rarely the artists themselves.

Dylan and Theft
It seems a common trope in Dylan crit to stir up the pot with allegations of lines or melodies or personas he stole from somebody. They're probably mostly true. But in the shock value of hearing about how such a highly iconclastic artist as Dylan appropriated things from other people, the truth about…