comedy – Page 7

CBC Comedy Podcast skewers with Harry Potter alternate endings

SFFaudio Online Audio

Mike O’Brien, of the CBC Radio Comedy Factory podcast has a funny series of six audio skitlettes right at the beginning of the latest show. All of them are inspired by the ending of the final Harry Potter novel – they’ve got some alternate endings for us (and don’t worry there are no spoilers for the real deal):

-the “funny misunderstanding” ending
-the Scooby Doo ending
-the Conrad Black ending
-the M. Night Shyamalan ending
-the Star Wars ending

Download the |MP3| direct, or subscribe to the podcast and stay funny weekly:

http://www.cbc.ca/podcasting/includes/cf.xml

Apocalypse Al must be freed!

posted by Jesse Willis

Brilliant monologue by world’s driest humorist Jack Mangan

SFFaudio Online Audio

The below the radar variety show podcast Jack Mangan’s Deadpan has the most devoted audience in the known universe. Where else can you find a podcast with regular 1000+ comments per post? I think 99.9% of that credit should go to the man himself. Honestly, I tend to fast forward through a lot of the show’s regular segments, skipping over bits like “the contents of one’s fridge” and such – but there’s something about the timing, wit and genuine good nature of the guy with the deadpan delivery that keeps me coming back again and again and again. Jack’s latest show (#66) |MP3| is a short 26 minute “diary podcast” (AKA monologue) talking about Star Wars and community, and the impact those first three movies had on a certain generation’s psychological ethos. Jack once again proves that humor is a dish best served dry:

“Like for example if you’re in a rough place and somebody starts fucking with you – just kill them – hack off their arm with your lightsaber – shoot them first – whatever you got to do.”

Subscribe, DEADPAN is the way, with this feed:

http://www.jackmangan.com/podcast.xml

posted by Jesse Willis

CBC has Steve The First and Steve The Second airing daily!

SFFaudio News

Lots of CBC stories and news today, and though much of it is frustrating lots of it good too. First up the best news of all:

CBC Radio One has ordered an entire 2nd season of Canadia 2056! This announcement comes straight from Matt Watts himself. That’s right everybody, we’re gonna get 15 more episodes of pure Science Fiction Comedy Radio Drama gold! But that’s a long way away yet. First up is news that may effect your schedule for tomorrow morning ….

Steve The First

Steve The Second

CBC Radio One will be re-broadcasting Steve The First and Steve The Second radio dramas, these were the two shows penned by Canadia 2056 scribe Matt Watts. The fun begins tomorrow, Monday, July 23rd and ends August 1st. The shows will air for 30 minutes on weekdays, at 11:30 a.m. in all time zones (except Newfoundland where it will begin at Noon).

Here’s the official description:

From the ashes of a post-apocalyptic world rose a slacker named Steve The First He balanced the world and brought civility back to civilization. He blew up in the process. Twenty-Five years later, dark times have returned; a military organization named the Dark Alliance is hell-bent on Provincial domination. They are one city shy of their goal, Orontonto. The city is holding up, but it is time to bring out their secret weapon. The son of Steve: Steve The Second.

There’s also Wikipedia entries on both shows: Steve I and Steve II.

Listeners worldwide can listen to the re-broadcast via the streaming radio service of CBC Radio One – you can find that RIGHT HERE.

Lastly, in accordance with the precedent set by Roman statesman Cato The Elder and his policy of ending every speech in the senate with “ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.” [“…and of course Carthage must be destroyed.”] In that I’m making it my policy to end every CBC related post with:

“…and of course Apocalypse Al must be freed.”

So…. great guns everybody, lots of good listening begins tomorrow, and of course Apocalypse Al must be freed.

posted by Jesse Willis

BBC Radio announces Dirk Gently radio drama cast

SFFaudio News

Back in March we told you about the three new Douglas Adams radio series that will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4, beginning with Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency in October 2007. We now have more info, English comedian Harry Enfield will be starring as the series lead, Dirk Gently, in the upcoming trilogy of radio dramas adapting the Adam’s series of Fantasy / Comedy / Mystery novels. The complete cast list and more details can be found HERE.

posted by Jesse Willis

Review of Super Pal and Jewels of the 11th Generation

SFFaudio Review

Great Northern Audio - Super Pal The Saving of the World: Super Pal (Includes Jewels of the 11th Generation)
By Great Northern Audio Theatre; Performed by a FULL CAST
1 CD – Approx. 70 minutes [LIVE AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Great Northern Audio
Published: 2005/2006
Themes: / Fantasy / Comedy / Superheroes / Meteors / Jewels / Space Travel / Children / Squeak Toys / Computers

A comet is heading towards Big City, but is it a job for Super Pal?

Great Northern Audio brings you the tale of the blue-glowing superhero, as told from those closest to him. The nurse who helped birth him, the girlfriend who likes the cape (nudge-nudge), his best friend growing up, even the crooks he brought down.

Meanwhile, the comet comes closer, and Super Pal is nowhere to be found. The mayor begins to look at other superheroes, but no help is available. One kinked their back while lugging an oil rig across the desert, and another is expecting a baby and is on light duty. You know, bank robbers.

What to do? Well, Super Pal does have a weakness for cats in trees….

The CD also includes The Jewels of the 11th Generation, a story of two zany treasure-hunters looking for the ultimate treasure. They certainly find more than that! Children, pirates- and… squeak toys? But where are the jewels? This is also a lot of fun and well-written. Mix that with excellent acting, including the talents of David Ossman of Firesign Theatre, and you know exactly why I enjoyed it so much.

These performances were a lot of fun. I loved the documentary-style interviews in telling the tale of Super Pal, and the jokes in Jewels made me laugh out loud a couple of times! Very witty, and hearing the audience respond now and then in the background really made it all the more enjoyable. For a live performance, it has a better sound than a lot of in-studio performances. A very enjoyable hour!

Both SuperPal and Jewels of the 11th Generation were part of live Great Northern Audio performances in 2005 and 2006. Definitely worth going over to Great Northern’s website and getting a copy today!

posted by Dani Cutler

Final episode of Canadia: 2056 airs today on CBC Radio One

SFFaudio OnlineAudio

The concluding episode of Canadia: 2056 airs today on all CBC Radio One stations across Canada. Tune in and listen @ 11:30am or listen using the Streaming Radio Map. And, just one day prior to the conclusion Canadia: 2056 earned an “honorable mention” for the 2007 Mark Time Awards.

Here’s the official CBC Radio hotsheet description for the final show:

“An illegal upload adversely affects the computer. The Canadia finally reaches the planet Ipampilash, but Faverau and Pickens can’t agree on what to do. Anderson and Lewis take matters into their own hands when the captain is unable to answer the call of duty. Faverau comes across a Canadian on board the USS Pickens and brings them back to the Canadia. Canadia 2056, this morning at 11:30 (noon NT) on CBC Radio One.”

What will the ultimate fate of Canadia: 2056 be? We’ve got no idea. But Matt Watts has posted a bit of info to his site. Matt sez:

“Overall, I’m pretty happy with the quality of the writing. I think I managed to write a couple of great episodes (along with a couple of clunkers.) The two episodes that were co-written turned out great, and I’m glad I had Dave Tomlinson and Bryan Lee O’Malley to write them. I couldn’t have done it at all without Joe Mahoney as my story editor – Thanks, Joe. The cast and crew were fantastic to work with. The whole thing was a great ride, and I hope we get picked up for more. I left the story open ended and there’s nothing I’d like more than to do a second season.”

And he’s posted a pic of the 2056 cast and crew:

Canadia 2056 Cast and Crew

The series seems to have really struck a chord with listeners. One listener compared it with the original broadcast of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, and I think that’s a fair comparison, Matt Watts is not unlike a Canadian Douglas Adams.

I’ve personally received several emails requesting places where previous episodes can be downloaded. Unfortunately I’m not personally able to help you with these requests. But nothing is stopping you from trading files yourselves.

Other than that, for those who missed episodes, or would like to hear the show again all I can say is that the show may be re-run in years to come, or like the two previous CBC SF series by Matt Watts, they may be released on CD. We’ll let you know when and where you can get Canadia: 2056.

posted by Jesse Willis