Radio Week
The picks of the best of this week’s radio
ENTERTAINMENT
Desert Island Discs
SUNDAY, 11.15AM, BBC RADIO 4 ★★★★ Sue Barker (pictured) was an angeliclooking schoolgirl, but she had a bit of a naughty streak, so a PE teacher encouraged Sue to channel her energy into tennis. She was spotted by the tennis coach Arthur Roberts and, by the age of 16, was 21st in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings. Sue joins Lauren Laverne to pick the records, book and luxury she will be taking to the mythical desert island, and relives that tearful moment when, this summer, she stepped down from the Wimbledon commentary box.
One Dish
WEDNESDAY, 9.30AM, BBC RADIO 4 ★★★★
Thomas Straker is the ‘king of butter’ — the chef and restaurateur loves the stuff, whether it’s garlic butter, burnt butter, Marmite butter or slap-it-thick-on-hotfresh-bread butter. He’s forever posting mouthwatering videos about it online; don’t look if you’re on a diet. Thomas joins Andi Oliver to cook her his favourite meal. Pici cacio e pepe is a simple dish with few ingredients and, it’s full of butter.
FACTUAL
The Frost Tapes
MONDAY, 11.30AM, BBC RADIO 4 ★★★★ When he wasn’t having a pre-match rant, goading an opponent or delivering one of his boastful poems, Muhammad Ali was actually quite modest. As he explained to David Frost during an interview, the loudmouth stuff was just gamesmanship. Frost interviewed Ali ten times and, over the years, the two became friends. Maybe that’s why, in these archive recordings, the champion boxer drops his guard as he talks to Frost about boxing, racism and political activism.
Marty Whelan Live From The Ploughing
WEDNESDAY, 10AM, LYRIC FM ★★★★ Returning after a two-year absence, the festival this year also hosts the 67th World
Ploughing Contest and Marty will be joined by some of the visitors and guests to Ratheniska, Co Laois, including Neven Maguire and Connor McKeon with his big band.
DRAMA
One Five Seven Years
FRIDAY, 2.15PM, BBC RADIO 4 ★★★★
A strange new condition called Extended Life Syndrome emerges in the world population. The condition halts the ageing process to such an extent that a very small percentage of adults will have much longer lives. In this unsettling drama, Anya (Rose Wardlaw), who works in a diagnostics laboratory that tests for this condition, begins to realise that the syndrome that seems like a blessing could actually be a terrible curse.
MUSIC
An Bothar go Nashville
MONDAY, 9PM, RNAG ★★★★
Jó Ní Chéide’s country music show gets an hour-long extension as part of the new season on RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta which kicks off today. Tonight, the music selection on the show will include Derek Ryan, Johnny Brady, Cliona Hagan, Noel Boland, Rhonda Vincent, Vince Gill, Matt Leavy, Miranda Lambert, Johnny Paycheck and more.
Block Rockin’ Beats
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, 7PM, TODAY FM ★★★★
Dec Pierce spins the best of classic dance tracks for Ireland’s kitchen discos.