While it’s not business as usual down the Beeb, they are finding ways to bring new comedy into our homes without putting comedians at risk.
BBC Radio 4 has launched Now Wash Your Hands, a new show and podcast where comedians share stories about their experience under the Coronavirus lockdown. The show is hosted by Salma Shah, Jon Holmes, Jake Yapp and Natt Tapley and will feature Miranda Hart, Mel Giedroyc and Rachel Parris among others.
Each episode of Now Wash Your Hands will see the presenting team virtually ‘drop in’ on homebound guests and comedians who aren’t able to do their usual shows and simply have nothing better to do other than talk over their dodgy internet connections. The first episode will be available on BBC Sounds from Thursday and will air on Radio 4 at 11.00pm.
The ever-resourceful Susan Calman will be presenting a show for BBC Scotland from the bottom of her garden. In Socially Distant Susan invites comedians, musicians and actors to submit self-filmed clips of themselves in their respective isolated situations.
While the series may be “a bit rough and ready at times” Susan said: “We’re doing it for a couple of reasons, really. First of all, hopefully to cheer some people up, and secondly to get wonderful creatives in Scotland back into work again.
“We’re doing it remotely, complying with social distancing. It’s going to be a unique challenge, but I think we’re all up for it.”
New television show coming soon from the bottom of my garden! Hopefully cheering you up and getting people in the creative industries back to work in these challenging times. It’ll be on @BBCScotland and iPlayer across the UK. pic.twitter.com/U2WODvQ24C
— Susan Calman (@SusanCalman) March 27, 2020
Gavin Smith, BBC Scotland’s comedy commissioner, said: “We’re delighted that at a time of increasing distance and isolation, Susan’s going to bring the people of Scotland together again and show that there’s still laughs in lockdown
“It’ll be an entertainment show like no other – even if it rains.”
