There is life after radio

'Whatever happened to ---- ?' is a query you will often see posted on radio message boards. Answers arrive pretty quickly. Former national BBC presenters are often traced to decent time slots on local stations while big-name commercial jocks still usually tend to be working somewhere, either behind the microphone or even running a station. And then there are those involved in agencies, voice-overs, training...

When I was writing for multi-contributor BBC radio comedy shows, I knew that these would not run forever and I would sometimes look at my colleagues and wonder what they would do when the axe finally fell. Some were already just about to leave anyway as they had performing careers that were taking off or they had made the transition to writing for TV. Others were creating work by devising their own radio series and one or two even became producers. But what of those who would have no other comedy writing outlets, particularly the ones who never came to London but sent in their gags and sketches from all over the UK?

In my own case, I found myself taking on a wide range of freelance writing long before the BBC opportunities dried up. Not all of it has been humorous and these strait-laced commissions have hardly been in the same league as the broadsheet technology journalism that some of my fellow gagsters moved into but any writing work beats sitting in a call centre for little more than the minimum wage.

So, over the years, and with varying degrees of enthusiasm, I have written: part of a script for a video dating agency plus others for horticultural films for my local council; a press release for a day nursery; advertorial for a greasy spoon cafe and 'business thoughts-for-the-day' recorded messages (probably never used). But there has been comedy as well, ranging from my radio prep service through speeches of all kinds to material for ventriloquists and magicians (not for radio, obviously), pantos, greetings cards, stand-ups, impressionists, singers, a teenage strongwoman and a mind-reading goose (believe me, writing these columns is a doddle by comparison!)

But what happens to comedy performers who are no longer heard on the radio? As an example, I'd like to cite not some political stand-up or improv team but...the Grumbleweeds!

Formed in 1962, they moved from serious pop through children's TV to comedy sketches and impressions and then had their own award-winning Radio 2 series from the late 70s to the early 90s, produced by the BBC's small radio comedy department in Manchester. Even their long-running ITV series was called The Grumbleweeds Radio Show. So what are they doing now? Well, they've slimmed down from a five-piece to the original founding duo consisting of the naturally funny Graham Walker and the remarkably youthful and multi-talented Robin Colvill. They sent me a couple of DVDs a while back, including one of their highly successful cabaret act. OK, so I'd heard most of the jokes elsewhere but they were perfectly linked and executed. In their case, I can even relax my usual rule of not approving of impressionists impersonating other comedians' characters because they just do it so well. And Robin's impression of Cher is worryingly convincing! With a busy diary of concerts, cruises, summer season gigs and pantomimes, I hope they won't feel the need to go on some ghastly reality show to remind the public of their existence just yet.

But I bet they could do a really good sketch about one.

(Republished from the Radio Magazine Issue 877, 4 February 2009)