Made it
It's just like the old days. By which I mean the old days of me taking endless grabs off the 6 Music studio webcam as if I've only just discovered how to do it, and running them ad nauseum on my blog. Though I broke my own two-year duck by filling in for George Lamb two Fridays ago on Goth Day and presenting Genial Jon Richardson's regular show last Sunday, today was the official comeback of Collings & Herrin to 6 Music (the link is to the iPlayer, where we'll be available for seven days): myself and Richard Herring the professional comedian, co-hosting. (In the official billings it described us as "broadcaster Andrew Collins and comedian Richard Herring" and promised a "one-off show", which bodes well for our future career.) We had tons of fun for three hours, protected from Sachsgate-style scandal and censure by the professionalism of my hands on the desk, ever alert to the possibility that Radio Richard might slip into Podcast Richard mode and cross one of the many new lines drawn around acceptable BBC etiquette by the Daily Mail and other interested parties. We were allowed to play Confrontation Song from the first Not The Nine O'Clock News album, which had been passed by "compliance" (which I imagine is a man who looks like Kenneth Branagh in The Boat That Rocked with greased down hair and a toothbrush moustache, stamping pieces of paper with a rubber stamp), and from it gleaned that it was acceptable to use the words "diarrhoea", "bleeders" and "toss". We spent much of the show reading out euphemisms from listeners, which was a nice way of avoiding explicit words, although every phrase and songtitle sounded like a euphemism once we'd broached the subject, including "Barry Norman's pickled onions," which Richard mischievously ran with.
Producer Adam was always there to help us avoid choppy waters. (He's the one on the left in the pic above.) We didn't want to get him into trouble. There was a potentially sticky moment when a listener asked if it was OK to fantasise about a schoolgirl dressed as a 40-year-old woman, at which I interjected "an 18-year-old schoolgirl," like the professional that I am. It was just like the old days, when Richard was a guest on my 6 Music show, and he would tease me by treading close to controversy, knowing that I would leap in and either stop him or play a record. At one point in today's show, I said, "I'm going to have to stop you there ..." and @unloveablesteve on Twitter accused me - lightheartedly - of playing the boss man. I suppose whoever has the controls (or "con" as they say on submarines) has the power, but it was not my show, it was our show. The geography of the studio says otherwise, I admit.
In this picture, "Northampton Jon", Richard and Adam are sampling my homemade chocolate biscotti, live on air, and experiencing all the moisture being absorbed from their bodies, before enjoying the surprisingly nice aftertaste.
And in this one, Richard is still gagging.
Thanks to Adam and Jon for helping to oil these three (in fact, six) hours of radio - and Genial Jon for being away for two weeks - and to Michael Ball for letting Richard and I squeeze into the tiny lift with him and to breathe his showbiz air on the way out of the building. Now there's a professional broadcaster.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 1:27 PM
23 Comments
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23 Comments:
Really enjoyed the show.
It would be wonderful to see you both back regularly on 6music.
But you know that already.
Bring the live show to Dublin eh ?
It was an excellent show and an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday morning. Any chance of the powers that be giving you a longer run at some point?
Agreed, great stuff :-D
And great to see the near-gagging photos as I feel it completes the experience for me of listening to you all choking on sawdust flavoured biscotti.
I was sad when the programme was coming to a close to think this was the first and last programme I will hear you both do - who at the Beeb do we send the polite requests to, to get you your pigeon holes (cough) back again?
Excellent show, you two. It was nice to hear non-podcast Richard back, too.
My mum didn't seem to like it though, I'm afraid. (Lots of sighing coming from that corner of the room).
loved hearing you on the radio again, what with you two being on and them playing an old live Fields of the Nephilim gig on Friday night, I'm feeling quite fond of 6Music after being estranged for some time. Hope you're invited back again soon.
Having spent the last 2 week listening to all 66/67 podcasts, I was looking forward to hearing Colling and Herrin on 6music. I was not expecting the same anarchic humour as the podcast, just some witty banter.
but my wife wanted me to cut the grass so I only herd the first 10 minutes, was it any good?
Will 6music put out the podcast of the best bits?
John with shorter grass
No podcast, but it's on the iPlayer, John.
I know its on the iplayer but is it worth listening to?
John with slightly longer grass
I want to join in the chorus of praise. It was tremendous hearing you on the radio today, although who was the mild mannered radio Richard? He didn't mention bumming once, quite disconcerting really.
It was also a shame that you didn't use your terrific, and completely accurate American accent as heard on Front Row on Friday evening...
Simon in Sunny Sevenoaks
Christ, I didn't realise you wanted me to sell it to you, John! No, it's definitely not worth listening to.
And now Simon is having a sarcastic dig at my American accent. You passive-aggressive comedy fans, honestly!
Great show today - I was so impressed that even Richard was on his best behaviour (SuBo revealing ladygarden excepted!). Please add my weight to the masses undoubtedly currently marching upon Broadcasting House demanding a return of you both to R6. An excellent couple of hours.
[PS: Download a util called IPDL (http://po-ru.com/projects/iplayer-downloader/) and you can download any iPlayer programme (audio/video) and store on your machine or iPhone as a podcast/mp3 for longer-term listening pleasure. Easy peasy.]
Very excellent and good. Loved the sense of peril throughout while waiting for the moment where you (or let's face it, a tiny flash of Podcast Herrin) would veer into NSFW territory. But of course there was no danger of that, you professional teases. Er... teasing professionals. *radio* professionals.
Enjoyed the show, especially th BBC ident "... on digital..." which I mis-heard as the rather bizarre enquiry "...bondage at all?..."
Thanks for a highly enjoyable Sunday Morning. :)
Missed all the shows live but enjoyed listening again and today's was really charming I thought. Highlight for me was Richard's idea of staying on at school forever, fitted perfectly somehow.
compliance is fucking ridiculous
well done for getting through it though..thank God your hand was on the tiller and not that other amusingly offensive lunatic.
Good show, I've just listened on iplayer. I hope that you both get to regularly fill in for DJs on holiday, although I wouldn't want you to get a full time slot as that may threaten the almighty podcast.
I never actually listened to your show when you were on originally, I simply did't know about it. But, after hearing a clip someone posted on a forum of you reading from John Gaunt's autobiography, I have downloaded every podcast and followed you back to 6Music. The BBC gained a listener and I can't be the only one, are you or are you not kicking the shit out of 'Genial Jon' on the podcast chart?
Did Richard really not enjoy doing the show..?? If offered a regular slot, do you think Richard would would accept..??
He loved it.
That's good to hear. It was nice to hear some tracks from the greatly missed John Peel sessions too.
I spent Sunday morning applying a bit of gloss to the old skirting boards. Wahey!
Anyway, had the radio on all morning and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Thank you both.
I haven't laughed so much in ages. But then I am a miserable wanker.
I haven't listened to 6 music since you left it, actually. I thought Sunday's show was great, so warm and funny and it felt like you were meant to be there*. Better than the goth one, but then I'm afraid I don't like goth music.
*by which I mean you weren't just filling in, you made the show your own.
Andrew, listen to last night's Radio 4 News Quiz podcast. Sounds like Francis Wheen was listening to your show, seeing as he pinched a few of your name-abbreviation examples...
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