Topical comedy from the sharpest satirical minds in the business. Listen first on BBC Sounds, every Friday.
Is the news driving you up the wall? You’re not alone. Let the comedians take the strain and work out what’s been funny this week. Features BBC Radio 4’s The News Quiz, Dead Ringers, The Naked Week and Too Long; Didn’t Read.
Listen on BBC Sounds, seven days earlier than anywhere else, and subscribe to make sure that you don’t miss an episode.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
The News Quiz: Ep 2. Team Vibes vs Team Bribes
Answering the big questions of the week are Mark Steel, Celya AB, Zoe Lyons and Hugo Rifkind. Who's allegedly not been listening properly during a work meeting? How did t
Sep 18 28 min
The News Quiz: Ep1. The Burnham bounce?
Is it too soon for the "Burnham bounce"? Can you rent No 10 Downing Street for £55 a night? How are laundry rooms going to save prisons? It's all up for discussion this w
Sep 11 28 min
The People Have Spoken Ep3. British Maple Syrup
It's time for the people to speak. Taking on the headlines, Ian Smith is joined by Cody Dahler and Ayoade Bamgboye, and together with the audience, they solve the biggest
Sep 4 28 min
The People Have Spoken Ep2. Fed Up With War!
It's time for the people to speak. Taking on the headlines, Ian Smith is joined by Harriet Kemsley and Ashley Storrie to work out what is going on, and together with an E
Aug 28 28 min
The People Have Spoken Ep1. Andy Cool'em Down'em
It's time for the people to speak. Taking on the headlines, Ian Smith is joined by Maisie Adam and Alasdair-Beckett King to work out what is going on, and together with o
Aug 21 28 min
Current-ish Ep3. Exam results, early release, and the possible end of two marriages
Lucy Porter is joined by Vittorio Angelone, Jake Bhardwaj, and Susie McCabe to talk all things current-ish events. Are exam results important? What should we do about ear
Aug 14 28 min
Current-ish Ep2. Heatwaves, hosepipe bans, and a very hairy pizza
Lucy Porter talks all things current-ish with Finlay Christie, Amy Annette and Christopher Macarthur-Boyd. Today - heatwaves, hosepipe bans, and a very hairy pizza.
Host
Aug 7 28 min
Current-ish Ep1. Burnham, Bellingham, and the spirit of Margaret Thatcher
Lucy Porter is joined by John Tothill, Kyrah Gray and Amy Annette to talk all things current-ish events. Should politicians wear ties? Should children learn to read? And
Jul 31 28 min
Dead Ringers Ep6. England out, Starmer out, School's out.
The Dead Ringers team train their vocal firepower on the week’s news. This week: England are out of the World Cup, Starmer is out of office, and Katherine Jenkins has a p
Jul 24 28 min
Dead Ringers Ep5. The President’s For Overturning
The Dead Ringers team train their vocal firepower on the week’s news. This week: Trump turns tricks, Tuchel talks tactics, and Count Binface is unmasked.
Starring Jon Cu
Jul 17 28 min
Dead Ringers Ep4. Much Ado About North-ing
Like Andy Burnham’s No.10, Dead Ringers is in the North, at the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival in Sheffield. This week: Chris Mason is giddy, Zia Yusuf is everywhere, and
Jul 10 28 min
Dead Ringers: Ep3. Heat, Hydration, and Harry Kane
The Dead Ringers team train their vocal firepower on the week’s news. This week: Keir is ex-Prime Minister, Rob is ex-army, and Liz Truss is ex-cited. Oh and it’s ruddy H
Jul 3 28 min
Dead Ringers: Ep2. Makerfield Maketh Man
The Dead Ringers team are back to train their vocal firepower on the week’s news with an armoury of impressive impressions.
This week: Andy Andy Burnham Bright, Thomas Tu
Jun 26 28 min
Dead Ringers: Ep1. Keir vs Kemi
The iconic impressions show returns to lampoon the week’s biggest headlines. This week World Cup fever, Government resignations and a Downing Street haunting keep the cas
Jun 19 28 min
The News Quiz Ep8. - Peter Scandalman
For the final episode of this series, we look at some of the stories that we’re leaving unresolved in our ‘News Quiz 2026 Summer Break Cliffhanger Special’. This includes
Jun 12 28 min
The News Quiz Ep7. Heat and NEETs
Andy Zaltzman is joined by his panel of political satirists to unpack the critical essays of Tony Blair, the spending habits of Peter Murrell and the SNP, the sweltering
Jun 5 28 min
The News Quiz Ep6. Brexpressionism
Recorded at Hay Festival, Andy asks the panel the dreaded question - is Brexit back on the table? Also on the menu is Welsh independence, the National Conversation and an
May 29 28 min
The News Quiz Ep5. Starmer psychodrama
What a week it's been for the Prime Minister. In the aftermath of seismic local elections results, there's been non-stop Labour party in-fighting. Wes Streeting has resig
May 22 28 min
The News Quiz: Ep4. The people have spoken
Recorded on Friday morning, Andy and the panel dig into the election results from 7th May. Who’s done well? Who’s done not so well? And how does this have anything to do
May 15 28 min
The News Quiz: Ep3. When the King came round for tea
This week you’re all cordially invited to join us for King Charles’ state visit to Donald Trump’s White House. Please dress to impress. We’ll also be digging into the sta
May 8 28 min
Chart trend
Position in the Comedy chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#100#198JunJulAugSep
#160
all-time peak
55
days in the top 200 since Jul 2025
Chart positions
Where Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 21, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
They do a wonderful job of explaining political corruption and important but vital aspects of UK politics without you even realising because you are so busy laughing.
Bahhumbug55 · Apr 2025
Andy Zaltzman is smartly hilarious on the News Quiz. You end up laughing twice —once for his joke, then again for the high wire difficulty of his use of language in it’s execution. Came here from his awesome Bugle podcast.
brentnospg · Sep 2022
I grew up listening to the News Quiz with Barry Took and Giles Coren in the 1980s and 1990s. It was essential listening. From being a precocious teenager onwards into middle age, it has been a part of my life. The need for a satirical approach to the news, for a more critical interpretation of politician-speak and spin-doctor drivel. Sandi Toksvig was fantastic. Then there were the rotating guest hosts, some better than others of course. Look, I know I’m a privileged middle aged white bloke but... the recent incarnation of the News Quiz is just not that great. There just isn’t the charisma of the guests nor insight into the issues there used to be. But the News Quiz is comparatively light years ahead of the other programmes in the slot. The Now Show is just painfully unfunny and any other comedy shows they add between their runs just shows up how poor BBC Radio comedy is these days. Radio comedy used to be a lifeline during dark days and troubled times. Now it’s mostly an embarrassment of attention seeking shallow wannabe celebs and stand up comedians. Proper satire: we need you now more than ever! Where the heck are you?
Marco Polo Mint · Jun 2020
The Now Show is always topical, refreshing and with a unique take on the week’s events. Never fails to make me laugh...or at least smile a lot.
Domic57 · Mar 2020
This is so dull it’s almost like a satire of a rubbish comedy show. I listened to the whole thing half because I was so astonished to hear the sound of laughter throughout that I was addicted to just hearing if I could recognise the canned laughter between jokes.
Content wise, style wise, everything wise…. Poor.
Adam Here Again · Apr 2025
Loved Radio 4 comedy since I was a kid listening to the news quiz in the 90s. But recent incarnations of the podcast are clearly just showcasing diversity and inclusion (very laudable) but it turns out that it’s just not particularly funny and a little bit preachy. Sorry, I wish it worked, but it doesn’t.
HopeyChangey · Aug 2020
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About Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 on Reason.fm
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
