Week Ending
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Week Ending... was a satirical radio current affairs sketch show, first broadcast on BBC Radio 4, usually on Friday evenings. It was devised by writer/producers Simon Brett and David Hatch.
The show's title was always announced as "Week Ending..." followed by the broadcast date, although the ellipsis was dropped from its billed title in Radio Times during the mid-Seventies. The show was written and recorded at short notice, and would satirise the events of the week. Each show concluded with mock news headlines announced as "And now here is next week's news".
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[edit] Training Ground
First broadcast in 1970 and last broadcast in 1998, it acted as training ground for a large number of comedy writers, performers and producers. Many young BBC production recruits were given the programme for a month or so to give them training in light entertainment work, whilst the writers' meetings famously invited participation by anybody who wished to be present (even being present wasn't necessary and sketches from unknown writers could be simply faxed to the production office in the hope they would be accepted). This "open door" policy of considering material from non-commissioned writers, which it shared with Radio 2's long-running News Huddlines, made it a point of entry for numerous writers who went on to careers in British radio and television.
[edit] Performers
Regular performers included David Jason, Bill Wallis, Nigel Rees, David Tate, Sheila Steafel, Tracey Ullman, Toby Longworth, Dave Lamb and Sally Grace. The last few series had a musical number written and performed by Richie Webb. This followed a lengthy hiatus for musical content, having been abandoned in the early Eighties.
[edit] Writers
Script contributors included Andy Hamilton, Terence Dackombe, Guy Jenkin, Ged Parsons, Andy Riley, Kevin Cecil, Richard Herring, D.A. Barham, Peter Baynham, Tony Lee, Rich Johnston Lee Barnett, Graeme Sutherland, Kim Morrissey, Barry Pilton, Ivan Shakespeare, Barry Atkins and Stewart Lee.
[edit] Producers
Amongst its producers were John Lloyd, Douglas Adams, Dave Tyler, Harry Thompson, Gareth Edwards, Armando Iannucci, Jon Magnusson, Alan Nixon, Griff Rhys Jones, Sarah Smith and Adam Tandy.
[edit] Theme Tune
From the early 1980s, the show had a theme tune which was a loop of the instrumental section of The Associates' 1982 hit "Party Fears Two". Over the years, the theme tune changed a number of times but the final edition of the programme in 1998 finished with the original theme.
