Radio Week
The picks of the best of this week’s radio
ENTERTAINMENT Desert Island Discs Revisited SUNDAY, 3PM, RADIO 4 EXTRA ★★★★
Paul O’Grady, Sue Lawley’s castaway back in 2003, appears in the first of a rerun of shows featuring people who have died this year. He recalls a rowdy family life as a child, having a heart attack aged 47, and the joys of living on a farm with cows, pigs and dogs.
Lyric Feature: Maria, La Callas SUNDAY, 6PM, RTé LYRIC FM ★★★★
Her life had it all — celebrity, glamour, wealth, scandal and tragedy — but above all Maria Callas, pictured, had an instantly recognisable voice. On the 100th anniversary of her birth, Liz Nolan explores the life and legacy of the iconic Greek soprano, widely regarded as the most significant, inspiring and provocative opera star of the modern age. This show follows the trajectory of the singer’s career, with contributions from acclaimed artists and vocal experts of today, as we discover what made Callas great and how her legacy continues to enrich opera today.
An Cúinne Dána SUNDAY, 6.30PM, RTé RnaG ★★★★
Dancer and choreographer Sibéal Davitt brings her acclaimed production Minseach on tour, a show that explores the absurdity of entertainment, the commodification of tradition and the universality of language.
2FM Breakfast MONDAY-FRIDAY, 6AM, RTé 2FM ★★★★
Listeners will be guaranteed lots of laughs, and plenty of giveaways as Doireann Garrihy, Donncha O’Callaghan and Carl Mullan get each day off to a bright and sunny start.
FACTUAL Great Lives TUESDAY, 4.30PM, BBC RADIO 4 ★★★★
Walter Murch is best remembered for his work as an editor and sound designer on the classic Francis Ford Coppola films Apocalypse Now and The Godfather. It was while he was working with Sam Mendes on his Gulf War film Jarhead, though, that he became intrigued by Mohammad Mosaddegh, whose life he celebrates in this first part of a new series. Mosaddegh was the Iranian Prime Minister who angered the British by seizing control of the Anglo-Iranian oil company in 1951, only to be ousted shortly afterwards in a 1953 coup that was organised by the CIA with help from the British.
MUSIC Iggy Pop SUNDAY, 4PM, BBC 6 MUSIC ★★★★
Gravelly-voiced actor and singer-songwriter Tom Waits joins Iggy as co-host, 20 years after the pair appeared together in Jim Jarmusch’s film Coffee And Cigarettes. They share stories and play their favourite music, including tracks by Johnny Paycheck, Frank Ocean and Pauline Oliveros along with some 60s TV theme tunes.
The Alternative TUESDAY, 11PM, RTé 2FM ★★★
In this week’s visit to the Session Archives, presenter Dan Hegarty brings us track from sessions by Fight Like Apes (2007), Still Blue (2023), and Microdisney from a Fanning Session that dates back to 1981.
Ambient Orbit FRIDAY, 6AM, RTé LYRIC FM ★★★★
Get your Friday off to a soothing start with this carefully crafted mix of ambient sounds and field recordings that allows the listener to reset and escape the noise of everyday life.
Cuideachta Ceoil FRIDAY, 10.15AM, RTé RnaG ★★★★
Eibhlín de Bhailís will kick of the Christmas season on the programme Cuideachta Ceoil today with a nice selection of Christmas music, song and poetry. The public can send in their requests and suggestions during the show.