Read this: Dead Ringers, and listeners respond to BBC news cuts

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts from resigning archbishops to presidential hopeful dead ringers has had no shortage of material this series one of its stars Jan ravens and the creative director of audio comedy join me to discuss the boundaries of Saturday and you've been responding to BBC News overreacting of hard talk and Radio 4 morning briefing also as the deadline approaches for nominations for feedbacks interview of the year will hear or final listeners choice for 2024 now.

I dead ringers this just completed its first series under the new Labour government which along with elections for another Tory leader means a whole Newcastle characters for the team to master as well of course as one of its most famous voices returning to power.

You've reached the voicemail of God this is Peyton Isla from the love, Wyevale what an absolutely brilliant dead ringers on the 9th of November presumably a lot cobbled together after the election for America no longer will the country be subjected to fake news by the mainstream instead.

You'll have to get a fake news from me time for you and to power down Douglas Johnston live in Norwich Norfolk please join me now.

What's a pleasure? This is for you while November provided rich pickings for the team and Wild

does high delighted they wear with dead ringers Friday night return some had strong objections to the content or joining me night is one of the stars of dead ringers Jan ravens and Richard Morris the creative director of comedy and entertainment at BBC Studios audio, which makes the program and he's also one of the shows executive producers hello Richard I'd like to start by playing YouTube clips, which I think typify are feedback inbox response to this series of dead ringers First Years Diane Myers just to say how appalling the First Steps regarding the Archbishop of Canterbury is supposed to say I turned off I was for the most part a fan of the show not anymore striving profanity to God is both disrespectful and totally unacceptable Radio 4 should apologise unreservedly I'm Liverpool from Gravesend

We need cutting satire social commentary in this modern age more than ever.

Thank you for taking the Church of England's totalling comprehension my child sexual abuse is a parent and deeply damaging my opinion the church needs to stop crying and start listening and doing and dead ringers got it perfectly the church funny in its absurdity and I don't really understand why the church itself.

Just can't get it Richard maybe this is the colour of essence of satire people often talk about the line the comedians must come up against but not cross but as there's two clips show that line is often talked about it's just in a completely different place for different people to high is a team.

Do you work out how far you can go it is interesting isn't that goes to comment say you've almost got all of comedy in microcosm and so subjective it is that

Brilliant joker is the next person absolutely idea of a Horror Show I think that responding particularly to the listener feedback about the Church of England sketch comes to lampooning religion talking about faith in general our approach has always been to try and make the powerful institutions and the Powerful people rather than simply being seen to mock individuals fur for having Faith which I don't think we we do you seeing that sketch.

That is very clearly the target is Justin Welby and his decision or 10 years ago not to pursue allegations made within the church and indeed other senior figures in the Church of England and so when deciding whether we should tackle this subject as long as we feel so far is a decision made by a powerful person that we can satirising interrogate then we will proceed and I think as proved by at least your second listeners comment for some people it's

Is very funny and I think this gets really did work.

He was calling Newland a longtime fan of dead ringers.

I was very disappointed that the episode broadcast on 22nd of November chose to ridicule and domain people with dementia to buy treasure Biden as muddled or forgetful is one thing but then make a joke about a person with dementia walking around naked location for the toilet was in my opinion and acceptable.

I do not think jokes would be made about someone in unbearable pain as result of terminal cancer.

So why was it considered ok to make jokes about someone in unbearable distress as a result of their terminal cognitive decline Richard make it clear that president Biden has not been diagnosed with dementia, but how do you respond to Collins points about what you can and can't poke fun at?

Sympathy as you'd expect to anyone suffering any individual suffering like that or indeed the real challenges faced by buy them and their carers but I suppose my plants in terms of why we feel it's acceptable for a comedy program is not dissimilar to the argument about Justin Welby that in this case.

I think the target of the Chateau is clearly Joe Biden himself and his decision to continue running for president when it was widely accepted perhaps that he wasn't mentally fit and in this particular case we are satirising a quite clearly comically and third set up where he's offering to fight the YouTuber Jake Paul and then at the last minute put somebody else in to fight for him.

So the top of the satire in the Joker trying to make is that again by the left it too late and send somebody else out to fight for him, and I don't think that looking at that sketch on reflection however difficult.

Some of the subject matter might be for some people living through very difficult time.

I think that it's broadly accepted that the target here is again somebody in the position of power and the institution of American presidency.

I'd say that it is unfortunate that sometimes some people will be living three circumstances that make some jokes touch a bit more of a nerve than others and I certainly have that sympathy and emotional intelligence when making decisions about what to include in the program and yeah, it would to my mind be a shame if we over police those scenarios and stop short of making very important satirical tough bunches because we might risk offending some people.

Can you think working on Dead ringers for a long time if there was ever a script line or need a sketch that you felt uncomfortable with that you felt that it was going too far or perhaps lampooning slightly the wrong target.

Would you feel that you were able to get involved and say that I just this doesn't work for.

I think Richard might be smiling ironically at this one because yeah, I'm quite vocal about what I think of you.

Shot me about what I think of the script and if I think thing is is is hitting the wrong target or not sitting the right target sharply enough or or just doesn't funny enough.

I generally don't shut up about it.

You know I think we do you know as the performers.

We all have our own sensibilities as well and what I mean what you're saying that my mum had dementia and I'm very sensitive to those you know those issues, but but as Richard says you know you're satirising a man who said overreached to you know who held onto his power for too long.

You know a long way in the last nearly 5 years.

Yeah.

I've never been backward in Coming forward.

You been working on the program and we had listeners commenting about how much.

More they believe the show can get away with that it could in the past and then we got Peter's I have always look forward to Friday Night Comedy on Radio 4 to brighten up what can be stressful and depressing week some of the comedies filling this lot have been pretty poor but I'm thoroughly enjoying the new series of dead ringers.

I'm a little surprise that the scriptwriters getting away with what they getting away with but no grumbles.

I wonder with your experience.

Are you able to push it a bit further today? Are you able to be rude about the establishment or go places that you couldn't have gone 10 years ago.

I think what happened with the show over the years is that it has got more satirical.

I think the writing has just got better and better over the years and I think when the show started.

We were kind of lampooning Italian radio programmes and characters as well as doing the Saturday but I think over the years and particularly since.

Bring us came back to radio after being on the telly.

I think I think the writing has just got sharper.

I mean it's like any comedian.

I think if you went back over.

I can I think you would be shocked at maybe what we were doing in the early 2000s as any comedian.

Would I mean in terms of certainly a sexism so I think there would be things that I wouldn't say any longer of course.

I'm not probably that he goes for almost all comedy and sensibilities change and you know as there is kemi badenoch.

Could see you know how much more weeks and of course but I have always thought that was a good thing because woke generally means being considerate to other people and I'm all for that.

I don't think it's so much that we get away with more but I think we've got more satirical more biting and I also think that sensibilities have changed the gym this particular series started on the

November timing in the buildup to the US election camera, how well we might never hear from her again on Dead ringers ask you ask you how much time have you spent working on your camera quite a long time working on it because she's in that campaign because you started it off kind of smiling and dancing and laughing and then you know she kind of she wound up kind of you know what Talking very seriously about what it seems like not very much.

You know you couldn't had a quite grasp what the policies were Woodside of I want a shit you know if you like sayings on a tea towel.

You know you know and take some more muscles to frown and it does to smile you know so yeah, so I was watching.

Transition from her trying to set of you know transform from the joyful warrior to this kind of woman this year so serious politician, but yeah you get you get used to lose characters.

You know you'll have to get used to letting them.

Go and your the same thing happened with Theresa May Theresa May won't you know I had to kind of love her and let her go all that yes, I'm thinking about Liz truss running well.

I know I mean the thing about this trusses that she won't you know she won't stay down she keeps coming back of the everyone's going to be so pleased to see the trustor and you know whether it was like you know Rachel Reeves budget comes out and there's Trust has got something to say about it.

The American election happen, yes, I'm supporting Donald Trump and his unit there's nothing she won't have an opinion about and you know if you call at the book that you've written 10 years to save the west think it's quite clear that you know you think you have something to say that people want to listen to what is working very well for you anyway.

There are plenty of women as let's say main characters in terms of presentism politicians in the time.

You've been doing 100 things changed.

When are you doing more leaders now unless l y yes very early on that there were they were not so many female politicians and those that there were were not so readily recognisable.

You know so you know right from the beginning.

I thought I mean I realised at the beginning of female politician characters and so I started to make characters of the women who were reading the news as well as the women that were making the news and and can't and still you like now we got Victoria

Do you know just take any crap from anybody you know don't bring your crap to me because I won't have it.

You know she's just very kind of she and you know before that was Christy Warwick you know who was one of my favourite characters and Emma Barnett this is a program and that's very much woven into the Fabric of dead.

Ringers is all you know all the people that are presenting the news as as well as the people making the news Richard just thinking when you came back this series 1st of November as I was mentioning to Jan it's been an incredible news, cycle.

Is there always loads of music has this been a particularly rich time for dead ringers a well? Do you know we got particularly lucky this time I think because I'm sure Sam will agree looking back over the years there have been weeks where you're just looking at the news thinking please let something happened.

Please let them first sketch that everyone at home goes.

Oh that must be the story the series with both of those changes in leadership both in the UK and in the US it's been it's been hairier.

That we've been there turning the Script round much quicker than we would normally but it's just things sometimes like you must be changing a right up to the last minute.

There's so many topical references that and literally somewhere while I was recording absolutely yeah, and I think it's real credit to build are the producer and his team of writers how to dry and they can probably tell me the number of all night is that they pulled over the years ever since their early elections but in my time working here from the brexit referendum onwards to where it was right up to the wire and as you say they are passing last minute weeks and amendments to the to the cast on stage.

I think it was due to the kind of timing of this series as well as normally on in the summer and at Christmas and you know the scheduling of this series.

I think was crucial to it because it's just generally is a time when more things are happening politically and so it was really great.

To be able to benefit from that Richard although levels criticisms at you that I have handed to us and our inbox.

There is a lot of of love for dead ringers from feedback listeners.

That is a real favourite why the enduring popularity.

Yeah.

I think I'm quite a basic human level as you allowed to there and something quite wonderful isn't there are listening at home and going out my goodness Jan Raven sounds just like his trust and you actually appreciating the skill of a Performer and really really just celebrating that they've got the impersonation.

Just right and I think on a purely like level of creating joy in a list as it's one of the the best shows that we do for that that it really just get this lovely almost involuntary response of laughter from a listener this spotlight on these rare opportunities for people to satirize the

Auntie to have a laugh is increased and for that reason at 6:30.

It's become one of your opportunities that listeners have got to really enjoy good comedy done well and so there's probably like an extra focus on it.

They are very lucky as well to have retained like Tom Jameson and Nev Fountain and Lawrence however Herbert three-seater.

Got those three main beam with the show really from the beginning and they they just have an Instinct for it.

You know they know it inside out and they've grown with the characters and we together you know be created them Jan ravens.

Thank you so much for making us laugh for so many years and Richard Morris one of the executive producers of dead ringers.

Thank you and the series of dead ringers just finished but you can still all the episodes on BBC signs two weeks ago.

I interviewed the director of programmes for BBC news on feedback.

I put many of your concerns to John McCann

About the cuts to the radio news service which were announced in October that include the acting of hard talk which is funded by TV news, but can be heard on Radio 4 as part of the night feed from the world service radio 4 news briefing at 5:30 in the morning is also going the Asian News Network is losing its dedicated new service and Radio 5 Live will lose their overnight news bulletins to be replaced by ones from the world service we received so many comments about John mcandrews interview.

We thought we'd share some of my feedback.

This is Deborah Hackett from doing in Perthshire thank you for informing me that the BBC are planning to cut the 5:30 a.m.

News weather and business use which comes to the shipping forecast.

I think there's an extremely bad idea.

I like the conciseness of the News Bulletin with no opinions and the business news is interesting I

Not bothered by what happened in previous years but I would miss the up-to-date news what we doing here is trying to make really the best decisions in the climate in which for operating with agencies increasingly towards digital and make make what we think of the best decisions to deliver value for all you know that's really important to all of us, but it's done to David cold calling from a recent edition of food beginning with COX-2 BBC News resources has had a senior manager explaining the cops.

Not just between hard talk on the BBC World Service with mention comparison with the Today programme which does interviews 2 on audio.

Have you put compete Compares with hard took the Today programme p.m.

Interview interview?

BBC sounds so we can go to podcasts on she mentioned will do this format reads the overseas audience live radio.

I am a name is Richard from Derby I listen to the reason for being killed off of Interest it was stated.

They were very little charities.

What wasn't state.

It was homelessness was fine this long interviews obviously sound I said try too hard talk and they can have been available is no longer be the case.

I'm around I know that people are terribly attached to some of these programs that you mention and I'm I'm sorry to have to take those decisions, but you know we don't take them likely and we do believe there any interest of an audience Santander keep saying within the financial climate work Robertson listening to John McAndrew on Sundays feedback with this.

Is responses bird sunblaster with much repetition about the Financial climate? He has to operate in but little sense of appreciation for in-depth programmes like I talk which is to be axed the claim that listeners views are taken seriously with unconvincing and it seems that coming down will continue hello.

This is Ian from Cornwall in the south west of England to say that I am frustrated with his responses to say the list is an understatement it making bespoke programming is expensive and we have to be coming Sunday where audiences are going to be understanding and frightening time of direction for the BBC management in general and gaskets of judgement and handing their responsibility to exclusively data-driven and financial modelling mechanisms to tell me what programs they can offer in the future.

Hi, I'm in Barclay from North Lincolnshire what a splendid though sad feedback program.

I heard earlier today Andrea was tremendous in placing John McAndrew on the spot as he is a counter some very strange decisions that he suggests so what listeners want to listen to feedback and get a good sense of what audiences and what they want.

We can't always make decisions that will keep everyone happy.

I'm afraid as a Lister for decades.

I have never been asked for my views and I really put Pen To Paper to express my thoughts however.

I'm doing that now.

I was incense to hear about the changes that have been proposed and I wish to add my voice to others a great feedback programme sad about the car well.

Thank you for your comment interview with John McAndrew director of programmes for BBC news on those cuts to Radio news services and if you've got any views on anything that you've had recently across BBC

Please do get in touch a very easy way to reach us is to send a WhatsApp voice note on 03344 54950 message you can also send us an email to feedback a bbc.co.uk and it's at BBC R4 feedback on social media in a few days time will be closing nominations for the feedback interview of the Year That deadline is December 1st so if you're listening to this on Sunday we've just got until midnight to get in your suggest we looking for your standard interview from 2024 anywhere on radio or BBC signs, so do tell us even if it's just in a few lines.

Why you think it does that title Callum McGill from Shropshire who currently lives in New Zealand did just add a few days ago.

He nominated the episode of Desert Island Discs earlier this year which featured businesswoman shireen curry hack head of the co-operative Group and she's its first woman CEO and the first time and ethnic minority in its 180 year history collections on the long Road To Success with Lauren Laverne as well as a few unexpected musical choices.

I have spent a lot of my years in Inverkip transforming working on big changes and the best way that I found to make that happen is by working with people to create a common Vision and you can achieve so much more when you are work together.

Just like receiving a phantom punch but in a good way Sharon's purse.

And professional struggles and hard graft got her to the summit of your profession.

I started doing was working in my father's petrol station.

I work 6 till noon at someone else's petrol station.

I was studying accounting so I work for free and accounting firm to try to get some experience and then I worked in a pub at 6 until midnight.

I was also intrigued with screens views on faith and religion due to erupt bringing in a Christian and Muslim family as well, so I don't really subscribe to religion, but you have a strong faith yourself.

I have a very strong face but I'd rather not sign up to any religion.

Do you use the graphs which arrange response to a drunk racist in misogynistic businessman?

I said well, it's better to be lazy and shifty Arab than a racist drunk and we left it at that so kudos to Lauren Laverne's interviewing techniques beginning gauging approach and allowing shireen to take us to the sunny and dark Sky areas of her life without interrupting very sad to say that I've got to leave your girls now and contemplate how life might be on the desert island.

How do you think you'll get on but I like being around people.

I'm not sure I get along very well.

It's going to be a challenge overall.

I highly rewarding listen script.

Thanks shireen.

Facilitating public Enemies shotgun.

So please do send you on the nations in the for the most outstanding revealing emotional.

Inspiring interviews, she'd had in the last year and once we've got all the nominations we at feedback will draw a long list and then it's over to the judging panel, which will be made up entirely of to decide on the winner will the final eight that two runners-up and the overall winner on a special Boxing Day program and if you'd like to be considered for that judging panel minds and find the years are all we need so please do get in touch with us and that's all for this week from me and the team.

Thank you for listening and for giving us your feedback goodbye.

Hello.

This is Marian Keyes Radio 4 on BBC sounds called asking each week.

We take realistic questions about life love cats dogs for the lack of anything really want to play a worldly wisdom in a way which we hope will help.

So hopefully entertain.