That's you, that is...

In the last twenty-five years, British radio comedy has gone from strength to strength. Its range includes sketch shows, panel games, sit-coms and plays. Huge stars have been created: Robert Newman and David Baddiel - one half of the team that created The Mary Whitehouse Experience (left)- went on to become the first comics to perform at a sold-out Wembley Arena.

Other radio shows have become television hits, albeit with slightly different titles: Dead Ringers, Little Britain, The Boosh, Count Arthur Strong, Goodness Gracious Me, That Mitchell And Webb Sound, People Like Us, On The Town With The League Of Gentleman and Room 101. On The Hour paved the way for The Day Today, Alan Partridge’s Knowing Me, Knowing You and Lee and Herring’s Fist of Fun.

The demands of today’s audiences, spoilt for choice across media and devices, are greater than ever. Winning formats are no longer enough. The search for novelty includes the casting of scientists, doctors, athletes, chefs and many other celebrities from different fields to perform alongside comics and attract new audiences. One example is The Infinite Monkey Cage, which places comedian Robin Ince and physicist Brian Cox (right) together in a show that discusses topics such as apocalypse, religion, extra-terrestrial life and cosmology – in a comedy context.

The BBC has been the main producer of British radio comedy for nearly a century, with neglible input from commercial stations. Perhaps now that radio's more recent developments - podcasts, SoundCloud, internet radio, audio-on-demand - are leading to new audience reach, new investors will appear. But the principles of comedy remain unchanged: a great set-up and punchline will hit the mark, regardless of the technology used to deliver them.

Sources and Suggested Reading

• Gifford D. The Golden Age of Radio (1985)
• Nobbs G. The Wireless Stars (1972)
• Furst S. & Foster A. Radio Comedy 1938-68 (1996)
• Johnson B. Round Mr Horne: The Life of Kenneth Horne (2013)
• Fisher J. Funny Way To Be A Hero (2013)