A Podcast: The Bugle
by jb
Don’t panic! Everything’s going to be fine!
Specifically: the preeminent Audio Newspaper for a Visual World has returned. That is, a new, full episode of the satirical comedy podcast “The Bugle” has been released, appropriately titled “Mayhem Update”. The podcast, helmed by comedians Andy Zaltzman and John Oliver, and no doubt already familiar to all the world’s 7 billion inhabitants, rendering this explanation redundant, usually dissects the week’s news with what Andy would probably describe as the scalpel “of eternal vengeance”. However, in recent weeks, the team has chosen to shirk their responsibilities and spend their Fridays on projects known variously as “real jobs” or “reporting from the cricket world cup for ESPN”. I know. A shameful dereliction of duty. But all is forgiven now since, as mentioned, IT’S BACK! And available for free download in all good podcast stores (iTunes link, and it has an explicit tag, so be prepared for some language and whatnot). For anyone interested in old episodes, unfortunately, the Times Online website (of the Times newspaper, which produces the show) is now behind a pay wall, and iTunes only goes as far back as episode 90 (of 148 at time of writing). However, a google search for “the bugle archive”, without quotes, will be sufficient to gain access to the complete “oeuvre”.
In terms of where this podcasts falls in the landscape of downloadable audio comedy, anyone familiar with the Daily Show should think of it as something of an audio (and distinctly not-American) version of that. In some ways it is a little like The Now Show, on the Friday Night Comedy podcast from BBC Radio 4, except funnier and with more puns and references to an alleged obsession with waffles on the part of the Belgian nation. Although, in style, it is (strangely) reminiscent of Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo’s Movie Review Podcast on BBC Radio Five Live, given the anarchic atmosphere and occasional hilarious interruption of the producer, Chris (who used to be called Tom, until he had to change his name and voice because the CIA were getting close to uncovering his true identity).
As someone who has become increasingly bored, and then frustrated, with BBC Radio 4′s recent attempts at comedy (with a number of shining exceptions, which I cannot be bothered to list here because I am lazy), this is a moderately rebellious, welcome change.
Additionally: you can follow the official Bugle twitter feed (operated by Andy Zaltzman) at: @hellobuglers on twitter. As an act of defiance against all those who tweet about boring things which are indeed happening, Andy likes to tweet about particularly outrageous things which are not happening, such as:
Italy and Libya reportedly "very close" to agreeing terms of a Berlusconi-for-Gaddafi swap deal. Spokesman: "It would benefit both nations."—
The Bugle (@hellobuglers) April 10, 2011
Oh, and one more fragment+colon prefixed non sequitur: I like to waste my life listening to podcasts, so short reviews on those ones that I like (or particularly dislike) may form fodder for future posts. You have been warned
