| The Atkinson People | |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Home Station: | Radio 3 |
The Atkinson People is a 1979 BBC radio comedy series. The series, which was first broadcast sporadically in 1979 by the BBC's arts radio station Radio 3, features a satirical profile of a fictional famous person each week.[1]
It is notable as being the first radio or television programme to star comedian and actor Rowan Atkinson. The programme was co-written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis and produced by future Not the Nine O'Clock News co-star Griff Rhys Jones, then a BBC Radio Comedy producer.[2] In most cases, Atkinson played the lead characters, with other voices provided by Hugh Thomas and Peter Wilson.[3] Following the precedent set by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, the series was also an early adopter of stereophonic sound; it was recorded in 1978, and broadcast in 1979. The series has been repeated on BBC Radio 7[4] and its successor BBC Radio 4 Extra, and was picked by Armando Iannucci during his stint as "comedy controller".[5]
| width=5% | Title | width=15% | Transmission date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Corin Basin | 24 April 1979 | ||
| Actor, raconteur and acknowledged dullard Sir Corin Basin takes us on an aural tour of his productions. | ||||
| 2 | Sir Benjamin Fletcher | 28 April 1979 | ||
| Master orator Sir Benjamin Fletcher discusses his life and opinions. | ||||
| 3 | George Dupont | 30 April 1979 | ||
| French thinker and philosopher George Dupont is an elusive figure, and remains so after this documentary. | ||||
| 4 | Barry Good | 2 November 1979 | ||
| Pop artiste Barry Good. | ||||