Television Times with Steve Otis Gunn

In this repeat transmission, Graham Fellows talks about how he accidentally became Jilted John, accidentally became John Shuttleworth, and has spent several decades building one of the most quietly inventive careers in British comedy — largely by following things to see where they go. Graham Fellows is a British actor, comedian, and musician best known for creating Jilted John and John Shuttleworth. As Jilted John, he scored a late 70s hit that thrust him into the spotlight; as Shuttleworth, he developed one of British comedy's most beloved characters — a middle-aged suburban man with a deep love of music technology and dry wit. How John Shuttleworth came into existence following a publishing deal — and then refused to leave What appearing on Top of the Pops in the early 80s was actually like The shifting world of 1980s and 90s television — Saturday Night Zoo, The Paradise Club, and what that era made possible for comedy Why following an accidental creation wherever it leads is a more reliable creative strategy than planning Connect with Graham here: Instagram Facebook YouTube Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Terry Christian talks about how he hosted one of the most exciting and controversial shows in British television history, survived everything it threw at him, and has been telling the truth about it ever since. Terry Christian is a pioneering British television presenter, comedian, and author best known for his iconic role on The Word — the groundbreaking Channel 4 show that pushed boundaries and left a lasting mark on 90s broadcasting. What it was really like inside The Word — the chaos, the creativity, and the bits nobody planned The wild behind-the-scenes encounters with the famous and infamous, including the unforgettable Oliver Reed What it takes to stay true to yourself when the cameras are rolling, and the stakes are high What British television in the 90s looked like from the inside — and why nothing has quite replaced it Connect with Terry here: Instagram Twitter - We do not endorse X, but Terry is hilarious on there, so we'll make an exception. Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Sam Simmons shares his strong opinions about Come Dine With Me, Celebrity Big Brother, and the global standing of Australian sitcoms — and delivers all of them with the kind of sideways energy that makes everything funnier than it should be. Sam Simmons is an Australian comedian, actor, and writer known for his surreal humour and absurdist style, with a career spanning multiple continents and credits including Last One Laughing Australia and multiple Edinburgh Fringe runs. Why Come Dine With Me and Celebrity Big Brother have become such enduring fixtures in modern pop culture — and what that says about us The state of Australian sitcoms and why they've yet to fully break through on the global stage The creative impulses behind his comedy — and how he leans into chaos, imagination, and unpredictability What the best absurdist comedy refuses to explain — and what happens to audiences when it doesn't Connect with Sam here: Instagram Facebook Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Nick Helm explains how he's made getting things spectacularly wrong into one of his most consistent creative strategies — and it's won him an Edinburgh Comedy Award, a British Comedy Award, and a Chortle Award along the way. Nick Helm is a British comedian, actor, and writer known for his bold, high-energy performances and dark humour, with a distinctive style that blends absurdity with emotional depth across stand-up, television, and film. Why the risks worth taking on stage are the ones that terrify you the most What really goes on behind the scenes of creating television and film How failure has been one of the most important and underacknowledged forces in his career Why embracing the possibility of getting it spectacularly wrong is a more reliable creative strategy than playing it safe Connect with Nick here: Instagram Facebook Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Jarred Christmas explains how he has been navigating the comedy industry long enough to know that the only constant is that everything keeps changing — and has built a career on being good enough to keep up with it. Jarred Christmas is a comedian, actor, and writer originally from New Zealand, known for his sharp humour and charismatic personality across stand-up comedy and television. Why evolving as a performer is less of a choice and more of a survival strategy How balancing family life with creative work changes the kinds of projects you take on Why comedy can be used to engage with serious social issues — and when that works and when it doesn't What resilience in a creative career looks like when the industry keeps shifting under you Connect with Jarred here: Instagram Website Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Paul Foot explains why he has strong feelings about Heinz baked beans, finds genuine comfort in the image of Judy Murray orbiting the Earth, and once had Keith Chegwin turn up in a conversation in a way that's difficult to fully explain. A completely normal episode. Paul Foot is a British comedian and writer renowned for his offbeat and surreal comedic style, with a career spanning stand-up, television, and radio, and a loyal fanbase drawn to his entirely unique comic voice. The figures and ideas that spark his imagination — and the strange places they end up taking the material Why the image of Judy Murray orbiting the Earth is, in context, genuinely comforting A surprisingly passionate critique of Heinz baked beans — and the conviction with which it's delivered Why comedy that doesn't try to be relatable can be more connecting than comedy that does Connect with Paul here: Instagram Facebook YouTube Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Derren Brown explains how he's spent his career making the impossible seem plausible, and the plausible seem impossible — and has strong feelings about a particular spatula, which is somehow equally interesting. Derren Brown is a master illusionist, mentalist, and bestselling author renowned for performances that blur the line between magic, psychology, and human perception, and for a career spent pushing the boundaries of what audiences think they know about their own minds. What a career built on the gap between what people believe and what's actually happening has taught him The craft of magic — and why suggestion and storytelling often matter more than technique A youthful shoplifting confession at Harrods — and how he frames it now Why the unreliability of memory is one of the most fascinating and unsettling things about being human Connect with Derren here: Instagram Facebook YouTube Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this repeat transmission, Dom Joly talks about how he invented a format, watched it become a global phenomenon, spent years explaining why the American version wasn't quite the same thing, and has since investigated the conspiracy theory that Finland might not exist. Dom Joly is a British comedian, broadcaster, and author best known for Trigger Happy TV, and for a career that has expanded into travel writing and conspiracy theory investigation. The creative risks behind Trigger Happy TV — and how something that simple became so influential What happened when the format travelled internationally, and why translation is always more complicated than it looks The misunderstood moments in his career — including This is Dom Joly and why he still wants to talk about it His time on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls — what he expected and what happened Why conspiracy theories are more interesting as a subject than their believers Connect with Dom here: Instagram Facebook Official Website Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matt Reed believes Newcastle has one of the best comedy audiences in the country. He's also still recovering from Allo Allo and Watership Down, in roughly equal measure. Matt Reed is a comedian and co-host of the comedy podcasts This Tastes Funny and Mother's Ruin. Why the North East is the most joyously funny region on the planet — and why Bill Bryson got off the train at Durham just to prove it Why Watership Down traumatised an entire generation more effectively than anything modern horror has managed since The fascination of seeing Jaws as a child, then seeing The Shark Is Broken on stage as an adult — and the brilliant on-set stories about Bruce the mechanical shark Why Top of the Pops needs to come back — with fewer dodgy presenters, more live performances, and everyone miming badly just for fun Connect with Matt here: Instagram Facebook TikTok Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jake Donaldson was once a teenage street magician, and this year he's weaving parts of his old magic act into his Edinburgh Fringe show Jake Donaldson is a comedian and writer known for his groundbreaking comedy shows, including Spectacle, which explores his visual impairment. How performing card tricks for on the streets of Newcastle as a teenager led him toward comedy — and why magic and stand-up are closer cousins than people think Growing up with Victoria Wood as a comedy hero, and what it taught him about gender and power Why he resisted the word 'disabled' for years — and how that became Spectacle, a show all about his eyesight The CBT motorbike test that he somehow passed despite crashing the bike mid-test Connect with Jake here: Instagram TikTok Get tickets to Jake's EdFringe show here Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andrew P. Stephen and Steve Otis Gunn have been friends since 2001, toured India together with The Woman in Black, and recently Andrew toured China performing Shakespeare. Andrew P. Stephen is a British actor whose career spans decades of theatre touring and recent screen work, including Apple TV+'s Silo and the horror thriller Dark Game. The day trip to the Taj Mahal that broke down on the way back — a minibus, an open sewer, a man with a big spanner, and a director who nearly fainted after the ordeal. Smoking cigars in a high-rise Singapore hotel and playing billiards in Raffles. Woman in Black in India: stagehands eating samosas in the wings, the ghost unable to get through the auditorium, and the company manager holding the door shut. Andrew in China touring Shakespeare — including an unrehearsed performance in front of 5,000 people. Connect with Andrew here: Instagram Facebook Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Megan Lockhurst is back on the podcast with plenty to catch up on. Fresh from her parents' 50th wedding anniversary in Mexico, she's been busy with auditions, filming, and a growing list of projects. Megan Lockhurst is a Canadian actress based in the UK, who recently starred in Murder at the Highland Manor , appeared in Havoc , and continues to build an impressive career on both sides of the Atlantic. The commercial audition she went to at 16 — a long trip to Toronto, hours of waiting around, and a memorable introduction to the realities of casting Murder at the Highland Manor — what it's like to lead a TV movie, and read reviews of your own performance Why social media feels completely unnatural to her, regardless of the necessity to engage Why elevators can be the scariest places of all Connect with Megan here: Instagram TikTok Website IMDb Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A 50-degree heatwave, a rusty shower in a converted Indian palace, a chilli that nearly took Tony's face off, and a moped chase through Vientiane — this is the unaired adventure stories collection, and it's about as un-PC as the podcast gets. Television Times Presents: Adventure Stories Vol. 1, a full-length episode pulled together from unused travel story segments recorded during the show's brief run as All My Clothes Need Burning. Steve is joined by his friend Tony P for stories that didn't quite fit the regular format — and some that probably shouldn't fit any format. Delhi, 1999: rickshaw scams, a hedgerow hideout, and a tale that's hard to look good in The converted Indian palace with two showers in one room, one producing nothing and the other producing pure rust — and the brine-pickled chilli that nearly demanded a second toilet A local "currency collector" on the road to a shipyard inspection A moped chase through Vientiane after two masked men on a scooter sliced off Steve's wife's bag, followed by an encounter with a police officer who tried to fine them for reporting the crime Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Following the news of Keir Starmer's resignation, I wanted to jump on the mic and share a few thoughts on why these moments feel like television events in their own right, especially after seeing that bloody lectern again! I also look back at my brief involvement in Labour politics during the 2010 leadership contest and recount my own encounter with Andy Burnham. Having met various political figures over the years, I explain why I think Burnham could make a compelling future Prime Minister. This isn't a political podcast, and it certainly isn't a conventional bonus episode, but when the nation's eyes are glued to the screen and history is unfolding live on television, it feels very much in the spirit of Television Times . Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cal was doing impressions in the playground before he knew it could be a job, appeared on Britain's Got Talent (twice), and is currently touring a show featuring 100 impressions in 60 minutes — and if you catch him at the Edinburgh Fringe, you'll get 101! Cal is a comedian, impressionist, and pantomime regular from the North East, known for his appearances on Britain's Got Talent and a magnificent touring show that is exactly what it says on the tin. How Robin Williams in Mrs Doubtfire made him realise that doing voices could be a job Why learning an impression is easier now than ever — and conversely, why finding someone worth impersonating is harder than it's ever been Why Jeremy Vine is more fun to impersonate than Piers Morgan, and why mimicking Donald Trump is the exception to every rule Why, if you were famous in the 70s, you're famous forever — and why those names still get a bigger reaction than anyone who went viral last week Connect with Cal here: Instagram YouTube TikTok Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meka Mo grew up in Queens, worked on Wall Street, watched the Miracle on the Hudson happen from her office window, lost a South London church basement crowd the moment she swore in front of some Jamaican grandmas, and has never once been pickpocketed anywhere in the world. She's been navigating cultural minefields ever since — and making it look easy. Meka Mo is a New York City-based comedian, host of the emotional wellness comedy podcast We're Done Here, and a regular on the international comedy circuit. Her new show, New York City Dreams, will be playing at this year's Edinburgh Fringe. Why performing internationally means constantly working out which jokes travel and which ones don't Why she's never been pickpocketed anywhere in the world — and the flatmates who kept getting robbed in London The Columbus Day joke that went badly in Las Vegas Watching the Miracle on the Hudson happen in real time from her office window on Wall Street. Connect with Meka here: Instagram YouTube Website Get tickets for Meka's Edinburgh Fringe show here: NewYorkCityDreams Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steve returns to the microphone to explain why his brief podcast rebrand has already been abandoned, why Television Times is back, and what he learned from watching listener numbers dwindle. In this short bonus episode, he talks honestly about burnout, second-guessing three years of work, and the surprisingly emotional experience of trying to rename something that people already know and trust. Why the rebrand to All My Clothes Need Burning lasted only a handful of episodes before being reversed The listener reaction that convinced Steve he'd made a mistake — and the awkward task of re-editing episodes and contacting guests What three years and 120+ episodes have taught him about podcasting, branding, and knowing when to stop fighting your audience Plus, an adventure story from Thailand in 1999 featuring malaria tablets, questionable holiday hair braiding, and a brief encounter with the Thai police that could have gone very differently. Normal service resumes shortly. Television Times is back, and Steve will now try to refrain from starting any more unnecessary rebrands. Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dewey Gaedcke was in Hawaii as a last-minute concierge favour when a friend told him about a volcano worth seeing at night. Five days later, he was rescued by a teenager in a tourist helicopter. The park service had already told his family he was probably dead. Dewey Gaedcke is known for surviving one of the most extraordinary ordeals in recent memory — five days lost on a remote lava field in Hawaii without water, proper footwear, or any idea where he was. The small decisions that compounded into a survival situation — an hour-and-a-half hike, a pair of jogging shoes, and no water What it actually feels like to be lost with no landmarks, no path, and no signal How he kept himself alive in conditions that should have killed him The footage he recorded for his daughters in case he didn't make it How a teenager in a tourist helicopter found him after the park service had already told his family to prepare for the worst Connect with Dewey here: Facebook Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Scott has been doing stand-up since 1999, accidentally said "Brexit" at a Yorkshire corporate full of insurance folk, co-wrote a Japanese animated drama, and once did a gig in Budapest that he's fairly certain was arranged for the Russian mafia. He also wants to go back in time and hang out with Bowie in Berlin, but then again, who doesn't? John Scott is a comedian, scriptwriter, and host of The Scottish Sweary News, known for his sharp, laid-back delivery and a career that has taken some genuinely unexpected turns. The Budapest gig — flown in, flown out the same night, performing to a room full of salespeople who were, he strongly suspects, selling to some very dodgy people indeed Walking on stage at a corporate event and saying the one word he'd told himself not to say How a pandemic freelancing site led to co-writing a Japanese animated drama — and what it taught him about storytelling How The Scottish Sweary News started as an accident — and suddenly gained thousands of followers Why he's stepped back from the Edinburgh Fringe — and why he thinks it stopped being a viable career step a long time ago Connect with John here: Instagram TikTok YouTube Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seymour Mace spent time as a clown in Japan, did a Fine Art degree during COVID, built a potter's wheel in his back garden, got a first, and somewhere in the middle of all that did some stand-up. He's fine. Seymour Mace is a British comedian and actor known for his surreal, offbeat humour and cult status on the UK comedy circuit, best recognised for his role in the BBC series Ideal. How he ended up working as a street clown in Japan in the '90s — and how he nearly stayed on as Big Bird at Tokyo Disneyland What doing a Fine Art degree during lockdown taught him about creativity — and why the education system quietly beats it out of most people Comedy courses and clown schools — why Seymour thinks the best training is just being around funny people and working out why they're funny The freedom of not chasing fame, and why, with no mortgage or anyone to answer to, he's essentially living like a rich person without having to be a c**t Connect with Seymour here: Instagram Facebook Find us on social media — links on the About page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.