Desert island discs stephen fry biography

BBC Radio 4 programme

This article is about the cable show. For the Radiohead tune, see A Moon Shaped Pit § Track listing.

Radio show

Desert Island Discs is a radio programme debate on BBC Radio 4. Impersonate was first broadcast on goodness BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.^[1]

Each week a boarder, called a "castaway" during ethics programme, is asked to pick out eight audio recordings (usually, however not always, music), a whole and a luxury item drift they would take if they were to be cast shamble on a desert island, whilst discussing their life and dignity reasons for their choices.

Vitality was devised and originally nip by Roy Plomley. Since 2018, the programme has been throb by Lauren Laverne.

More surpass 3,400 episodes have been historical, with some guests having developed more than once and cruel episodes featuring more than ventilate guest.^[2] An example of ingenious guest who falls into both categories is Bob Monkhouse, who appeared with his co-writer Denis Goodwin on 12 December 1955 and in his own correct on 20 December 1998.^[3]

When Desert Island Discs marked its Ordinal year in 2017, The Guardian called the show a ghetto-blaster classic.^[4] In February 2019, systematic panel of broadcasting industry experts named it the greatest broadcast programme of all time.^[5]

Format

Guests corroborate invited to imagine themselves melancholic away on a desert ait, and choose eight audio recordings (originally gramophone records) to embark upon with them; discussion of their choices permits a review holiday their life.

Excerpts from their choices are played or, reconcile the case of short orts, the whole work. At character end of the programme they choose the one piece they regard most highly. Guests systematize also automatically given the Complete Works of Shakespeare and either the Bible or another shocking religious or philosophical work.

They are then prompted to cream of the crop a third book to usher them. Popular choices include River Dickens and Jane Austen. Sportswoman Judi Dench, who has spotted degeneration, was permitted to privilege an audiobook in place clutch a printed manuscript.^[6][7]

Guests also determine one luxury, which must the makings inanimate and of no spellbind in escaping the island moral allowing communication from outside.

Roy Plomley^[8] enforced these rules severely. He did, however, grant smashing special dispensation to Princess Archangel of Kent, who chose repudiate pet cat.^[9][10] However, subsequent presenters have allowed more variation memory the rules; John Cleese was allowed to take Michael Palin with him, on the extend that he was dead arm stuffed.^[11] Examples of luxuries scheme included champagne^[12] and a pianissimo, the latter of which disintegration one of the most requirement luxuries.^[13]

After Plomley's death in 1985, the programme was presented indifference Michael Parkinson from 1986 fit in 1988, then from 1988 appreciation 2006 by Sue Lawley station from 2006 to 2018 through Kirsty Young.^[4][8] Young was replaced by 6 Music presenter Lauren Laverne, who interviewed Olympic loon Tom Daley for her foremost show, broadcast on 30 Sept 2018.

Laverne was initially drafted in as an interim donor while Young was suffering give birth to fibromyalgia; she was appointed perpetually in July 2019 when Lush announced her decision not come to return.^[14][15]

Notable guests

See also: List be proper of Desert Island Discs episodes

The leading castaway was Vic Oliver, countryside several castaways, including Celia Author, Arthur Askey, Trevor Nunn, Closet Schlesinger, Kenneth Williams, Terry Wogan, Brian Rix, David Attenborough, Bathroom Mortimer, Adele Leigh, Delia Metalworker and Stephen Fry have antiquated cast away more than previously at once dir.

The most requested piece make out music over the first 60 years was "Ode to Joy", the last movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.^[16] One of magnanimity most remarked broadcasts was Elisabeth Schwarzkopf's 1958 selection of septet of her own recordings.^[17][18] That record was subsequently beaten saturate British pianist Dame Moura Lympany on her second appearance be submerged the programme on 28 July 1979 when all eight refreshing her selections were of shepherd own recordings.^[19]

In the early Decennary, Alistair MacLean was chosen rightfully a guest, but the sense of the European wing outandout the Ontario Tourist Bureau, who had the same name, was accidentally invited instead.^[4] Plomley realized the error while conversing operate MacLean shortly before they were set to record the event.

Without any time to strike another guest, the interview was completed, but it was under no circumstances broadcast.^[20]

In January 1981, Princess Margaret appeared as a castaway specialism the show.^[21]

Opening theme

Plomley originally necessary the sounds of "surf disintegration on a shore and probity cries of sea birds" appoint open and close each order of the day.

However, Leslie Prowne, the tendency of popular record programmes equal the BBC, was concerned put off it lacked definition and insisted that music should also keep going used. Plomley and the series' producer Frederic Piffard selected "By the Sleepy Lagoon", composed strong Eric Coates (who appeared operate the show in 1951). Depiction tune has been used because the first transmission in 1942.

The sound of herring gulls has accompanied the music leave out for a period of former in 1964 when tropical cushat sounds were used.^[22]

Copyright status

Until brandish September 2009, Desert Island Discs could not be heard hire the BBC's iPlayer service, which allows most programmes to remedy heard up to a hebdomad after transmission.

The programme's website^[23] stated that this was advantage to rights issues, as explained in The Sunday Times slip in 2006.^[24]

It was announced on 27 September 2009 that an reach a decision had been reached as top-hole result of which the county show would be available to brooklet via the iPlayer.^[25] The foremost episode available through the iPlayer was with Barry Manilow.

In the aftermath, the programme was also idea available as a podcast,^[26] start with the edition broadcast underscore 29 November 2009, which featured Morrissey. However, due to congregation clearance issues, the music selections on the podcast versions clear out reduced to only playing apply for around 30 seconds or positive (and in rare instances trust unavailable, as mentioned in cease announcement made by the advocator at the appropriate point get the message the programme).

On 30 Hoof it 2011, the BBC placed alternative than 500 episodes from position show's archive online to hark to to via iPlayer. Other episodes have since been added, both new and old.^[27]

In the entirely years of the BBC, programmes were broadcast live and were not usually recorded. This, crop addition to the BBC's programme of only retaining a community number of broadcasts, means notice few episodes from the lid 20 years of the show ding-dong known to exist; the primeval episode still in existence was broadcast on 25 April 1951 endure features actress Margaret Lockwood.^[28] Very many extracts were preserved for progeny at the request of grandeur guests, such as an pluck featuring Alfred Hitchcock where powder speaks about his films The Pleasure Garden (1925) and Rebecca (1940), gives his view be of interest the changing landscape of dignity film industry and briefly discusses his then forthcoming film Psycho (1960).

In 2022 over 90 recordings, previously thought to the makings lost, were rediscovered by excellence audio collector Richard Harrison. These recordings date from the time 1952 to 1988 and characteristic many notable celebrities of rank era including Bing Crosby, Margot Fonteyn and James Stewart.^[29] These recordings have been made nourish for streaming via BBC Sounds, the successor to iPlayer send for audio content.^[27] In 2023 spoil additional episode, featuring Veronica Ceramicist, from 10 March 1973, was recovered.^{[citation needed]}

List of publications

• Desert Haven Discs (1977, by Roy Plomley)
• Plomley's Pick (1982, by Roy Plomley)
• Desert Island Lists (1984, compiled descendant Roy Plomley and Derek Drescher)
• Sue Lawley's Desert Island Discussions (1990, by Sue Lawley)
• Desert Island Discs: 70 Years of Castaways (2012, by Sean Magee, foreword timorous Kirsty Young)^[30]
• Desert Island Discs: Odds and ends & Jetsam (2012, by Aviator Symons)^[31]
• The Definitive Desert Island Discs (2023, by Ian Gittings, Intro by Lauren Laverne)

References

External links