Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! is a sitcom broadcast on BBC Radio 4, written by Steve Delaney. It features Count Arthur Strong, a former variety star who has malapropisms, memory loss and other similar problems, played by Delaney. Each episode follows the Count in his daily business and causing confusion in almost every situation. First broadcast on 23 December 2005, Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! has had one pilot episode, seven series and eleven specials. In 2009 the show won the Gold Sony Radio Academy Award for comedy, the highest honour for a British radio comedy. A television adaptation, Count Arthur Strong, premiered on BBC Two in July 2013.
History
The first three series of the show were recorded live at Komedia in Brighton. The fourth series was recorded at the Dancehouse Theatre, Manchester, Komedia Bath and Komedia Brighton. A special was recorded in Edinburgh during the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It is jointly made by two production companies: Komedia Entertainment and Smooth Operations.
Characters
Count Arthur Strong
Count Arthur Strong is a former variety star living in the North of England. The Count, now in his old age, has delusions of grandeur. He has selective memory loss, never hearing what he doesn't want to and malapropism-itis, which result in his confusing anyone he happens to be talking to and even confusing himself. However, he more often than not blames the people he is talking to for causing the confusion in the first place.
A typical conversation for the Count will involve his confusing both himself and others, while becoming drastically sidetracked from the matter in hand. He is usually oblivious to the chaos he causes, often blaming his interlocutors for any confusion. On the rare occasions he realises he is at fault, he often attempts to divert the blame by lying. Inevitably becoming confused by his own lies, his last resort is usually to claim he was recording a stunt for a hidden camera show. The Count does very rarely encounter frustrating situations which are not his fault such as doing a cooking show and only being brought products that were prepared in packets however he tends to simply complain in these circumstances before making matters worse than they were to start with. He has a misguided belief in his ability to hold his drink, and has often performed on stage or live TV/radio when drunk (or occasionally, concussed, with similar effects). He will often go to great lengths to get as drunk as he can as cheaply as he can.
The list of TV shows in which Count Arthur claims to have appeared is remarkably similar to Delaney's own career. However, the one role that Count Arthur speaks about wherever possible, is what he calls the "Bridge Up The River Kwai", where he claims to have appeared alongside Alec Guinness, apparently resenting the fact that Guinness got the part instead of him, although he does point out that he took over the role for the musical version. He also seems resentful that Sean Connery beat him to the lead role in Doctor No, the title of which he often confuses with either Doctor Who or Doctor Dolittle. He has had roles, or at least sat in a car, in numerous TV series and films, such as Juliet Bravo and of course "The Man Who Had Some Shoes".
The Count believes himself to be an expert on Egyptology, leading to the show "Count Arthur Strong's Forgotten Egypt". This stems from his army days when he toured Egypt as part of the cast of what he calls Piddler on the Roof.
He claims to have many show business friends although, apart from Guinness, this seems limited to brief conversations with Anita Harris and Jimmy Clitheroe. He also appears to have a mixed relationship with Edward Woodward. While resenting Woodward's success, he also claims that his advice meant that "for the first time in years, Edward Woodward can cross his legs when he sits down". Woodward's name causes the Count many problems, calling him "Edward Woodwardward", "Edward Woodwind", "Edward Woodbine", "Wedward Goodwood", at one point saying, "In my game, you've got to be available 25-7, 380 degrees of the year – that's why Edward Woodworm's getting so much work!" etc.
Malcolm Titter In some of his stage shows, and in an episode per radio series, the Count has been joined by his protégé, Malcolm Titter (stage name Malcolm de Tinsel). Malcolm is a budding actor and playwright, and goes to the Count for acting lessons. The result is that the naive Malcolm's work is shown to be utterly abysmal.
Other characters Other than Count Arthur, there are other regular characters in the series played by Alastair Kerr, Dave Mounfield (Geoffrey the Caretaker, Gerry the Cafe Owner and Jack the Barman), Joanna Neary (series one), Sue Perkins (series two and three and the first two specials) and Mel Giedroyc (since series four). These characters include Arthur's butcher Wilf Taylor; cafe owner Gerry; Geoffrey the church hall caretaker; female friend Sally; and Malcolm Titter played by Terry Kilkelly, a student actor for whom Arthur acts as teacher. Other guest appearances have been made by Barry Cryer, a showbiz colleague of Arthur's, Kate Van Dike played the dying mother of Arthur in The Musical in series 5 and the stage show of the same name, Martin Marquez in shows 4 and 5 of series 7, and Peter Serafinowicz who appears in series 7, Episode 1: 'The Minx' voicing Terry Wogan.
Episodes Episode information from BBC website, Episodes
Series 1
TitleAirdateOverviewBook Signing23 December 2005After some confusion with the local pharmacist, regarding his enlargements of Danny La Rue and a missing cauliflower, Arthur has a visit from Television Licensing. Eventually it transpires that his cleaner's son has bought his licence on the internet. Arthur is then interviewed at Jerry's about his diaries prior to a book signing at Wilf Taylor's Quality Meats.Cookery Show30 December 2005We join Arthur philosophising on the alphabet and The Sound of Music whilst queuing at the Post Office where he is buying stamps. After turning the tables on a charity collector Arthur goes for a hair cut and then on to the studio for the recording of his cookery show. Arthur has to improvise a meal from a selection of ingredients supplied by his guest, who was once an understudy for Private Pike on Dad's Army. After the ingredients prove unsuitable Arthur decides to order a take away and moves onto some wine tasting resulting in the show descending into drunken chaos.Radio Play6 January 2006Arthur visits Wilf's, on his way to the BBC to take part in the recording of a radio play, and swats a fly on one of Wilf's pork chops. Once at the studio Arthur manages to aggravate the director and then takes a young actor under his wing. A visit to the local pub during the lunch break leads to his protégé being sick and the recording falling behind schedule. It then transpires that Arthur was never cast in the show at all, in fact it was down to him that the original producer is off with a broken leg. After injuring the replacement producer Arthur takes his protégé back to the pub before inviting him to share the soiled pork chop.James Bond13 January 2006Arthur is attempting to make toast, using the VCR he bought at a car boot sale, when he is interrupted by a mini-cab driver who has arrived 12 hours too early to take him to the Women's Institute where he is due to give a talk on his life in show business. Returning to the matter in hand Arthur calls the helpline where an assistant thinks he is the subject of a prank call when Arthur explains he "put a slice of Nimble in an hour ago and it's still not popped up". Arthur later takes the bus to the WI where he gives a talk covering topics including his audition for James Bond, returning home he manages to catch an episode of Minder on his toaster.The Audition20 January 2006Arthur awakes from a nightmare where he is starring in a Second World War drama set during the Siege of Stalingrad. A door to door salesman of household goods meets his match in Arthur who manages to wangle himself a free scouring pad. After some difficulties getting through the studio door Arthur delivers his own unique style of audition.Piccalilli27 January 2006We find Arthur in his "laboratory" where he is experimenting on a new range of piccalilli. His protégé, Malcolm, turns up to practise his audition speech for the musical Cats, but is roped into testing the piccalilli. Malcolm's nerve induced diarrhoea is exacerbated by Arthur's piccalilli. Visits to Jerry's and Wilf's to try and market the new celebrity condiment are followed by Arthur having to stand in for Malcolm at the Cats audition due to his incapacitation.
2006 Special TitleAirdateOverviewCount Arthur Strong's Christmas Special26 December 2006Arthur dreams of being Ebenezer Scrooge visited by "woefully under-prepared" ghosts before awakening and preparing for Christmas by a visit to Wilf's to preview his turkey. After rejecting those birds with an "altitude" problem he moves on to present his own take on the Nativity Story for the cubs. He then pops into the Shoulder of Mutton before entertaining the inmates at the local old people's home.
Series 2