The Shuttleworths is a British radio comedy that aired as five series between 1993 and 2010, with a sixth in 2022, and numerous specials on BBC Radio 4. It features singer/songwriter from Sheffield, John Shuttleworth, his family, and his neighbours, and is written and performed by comedian Graham Fellows.
Format The show revolves around John Shuttleworth and his family. Each episode is fifteen minutes long and is narrated by John Shuttleworth himself. The episodes are recorded on a cassette tape by John, featuring John's commentary addressed directly to the listener and eavesdropping on his own daily life. Characters include his wife Mary, their two teenagers Darren and Karen, neighbour and agent Ken Worthington, and Mary's friend Joan Chitty, all voiced by Graham Fellows. Events are interspersed with his own bizarre bouncy keyboard ditties on such varied matters as Austin Ambassadors, garden centres, and toast, all performed (usually badly) on his Yamaha Portasound electronic keyboard.
Fellows improvised, recorded and edited each programme using a multitrack recording. The earlier series were recorded in Fellows' garden shed on a four-track cassette, and one series was recorded in a hotel bedroom, while recent and current programmes from the series are now made in his own digital recording studio.Inglis, Sam (2004), "Graham Fellows (aka John Shuttleworth) Making Engineering Funny", Sound on Sound magazine, Cambridge, May 2004, retrieved 29 March 2012
Related series
Shuttleworth's ShowTime It was a six part series broadcast during November and December 1994 on Night time BBC Radio One. The series was produced by Paul Schlesinger and Jane Berthaud. It included guest stars such as poet Hovis Presley, comedian Mark Thomas, and singer Bonnie Tyler amongst regular characters of Ken Worthington, Mary Shuttleworth and the Shuttleworth children voiced by Fellows himself. This series was never released commercially on CD, but a single 60 minute cassette tape "Best of Shuttleworth's ShowTime" was briefly available. A free download of the series is hosted on The Shuttleworths' website.
Radio Shuttleworth From 1998, John's "serving the Sheffield region - and a little bit further even" was broadcast as two series of Radio Shuttleworth. The programmes followed a similar format to The Shuttleworths, but their new 30-minute length allowed celebrity guest slots (Impress an Impresario, Make Mary Merry, Annoy a Prospective Employer) and opportunities to interview celebrities on the show. The show was a Radio 4 continuation of the 1994 Radio 1 series Shuttleworth's Showtime, and some guests and segments (including Make Mary Merry) had previously appeared on the Radio 1 incarnation.
John Shuttleworth's Open Mind John attempted to investigate five unsolved phenomena that fascinate the nation. Each programme was thirty minutes long. This was effectively a third series of Radio Shuttleworth.
John Shuttleworth's Lounge Music John Shuttleworth invited musical guests to his home to sing one of his songs and one of their own, if they were lucky. Each programme was thirty minutes long.
Episode lists
The Shuttleworths SeriesEpisodeTitleFirst broadcast11Cotton Buddies11 October 19932Mini-Break in Giggleswick12 October 19933How...13 October 19934The Pillock Of The Community14 October 19935One Foot In The Gravy26 March 19946John Goes to London2 April 1994Special1Xmas Eve With The Shuttleworths20 December 1993Special2New Year With The Shuttleworths31 December 1993Special3Europigeon28 April 199421Wireless Wanderings (1)28 June 19952Wireless Wanderings (2)5 July 19953The Birthday Bench12 July 19954John Dries Up19 July 19955Shuttleworth Diplomacy26 July 1995Special4John Shuttleworth's Open House #126 September 1996Special5A Christmas Carol25 December 199631Chic Ken8 October 19972Ping Pong Pangs15 October 19973Radio Shuttleworth22 October 19974Caravan Capers29 October 19975John Le Shuttle5 November 19976Midsummer Madras12 November 1997Special6John Shuttleworth's Open House #231 December 1997Special7The Leg End of Robin Hood26 December 2000Special8Plonker's Baby24 December 200241Cough in the Loft13 February 20032Chrome Alone20 February 20033A Moving Story27 February 20034Scare in the Community6 March 20035Every Cloud Has a Silver Wedding13 March 20036Hello, Hello, Hello20 March 200351Tale of a Toaster12 May 20102Smells Like White Spirit19 May 20103A Gig With Billy Joel26 May 20104How's Your Nan2 June 20105Picnic at Toadmouth Rock9 June 20106Wishee Washee Day16 June 2010 (originally scheduled for 2 June but postponed due to Cumbria shootings)Special9Visiting Time23 December 2018Special10Your Very Good Elf22 December 201961Rusty's Party1 December 20222All's Well That Begins Badly8 December 2022
Radio Shuttleworth SeriesEpisodeSpecial guestsFirst broadcast11Leo Sayer, John Hegley3 November 19982Wendy Craig, Lorraine Bowen, The League Against Tedium10 November 19983Patrick Moore, Seán Cullen, Jenny Eclair17 November 19984Vanessa Feltz, Boothby Graffoe24 November 19985John Kettley, John Moloney, Sean Lock1 December 199821Barbara Dickson, Bill Bailey, Hattie Hayridge24 February 20002Richard Whiteley, John Otway, Jo Enright2 March 20003Tony Hart, Lorraine Bowen, Stephen Frost9 March 20004Peter Purves, Phil Nichol, Milton Jones16 March 20005Katrina Leskanich, Robert Wyatt23 March 20006Matthew Kelly, Mitch Benn, Kevin Gildea30 March 2000
John Shuttleworth's Open Mind SeriesEpisodeTitleFirst broadcast11UFOs30 March 20062Ghosts6 April 20063Vampires13 April 20064Fairies20 April 20065The Bermuda Triangle27 April 2006
John Shuttleworth's Lounge Music SeriesEpisodeTitleFirst broadcast11Chas & Dave13 July 20142Heaven 1720 July 20143Toyah Willcox27 July 20144Lee John3 August 201421Chris Difford20 November 20162Clare Grogan27 November 20163Nick Heyward4 December 20164Mari Wilson11 December 2016
References
External links
Radio Shuttleworth John Shuttleworth's Open Mind John Shuttleworth's Lounge Music