Thursday 5 February 2009

NPR's This American Life



I’m a huge fan of “This American Life” on National Public Radio in the USA. I listen to its weekly podcast. It really is the finest radio programme I’ve every heard. It’s brilliant story telling, well produced audio that engages its audience. It must take ages to produce some of the content.

This last weekend I was spellbound listening to an episode called “My Big Break” here are the shows notes:

“Sometimes, getting your big break isn't all it's cracked up to be. A comedy duo lands the gig that can make them famous. A third-grader gets his big chance to please his mother and push his drunken father out of the picture. And other stories. “

The story that grabbed my ears was from “Act One. Take My Break, Please.”

Again here is the show notes from This American Life’s website

“Charlie Brill and Mitzi McCall were a comedy duo back in the mid-1960s, playing clubs around Los Angeles, when their agent called to tell them he'd landed them the gig of a lifetime: They were going to be on The Ed Sullivan Show. The only problem was that their performance was a total fiasco, for a bunch of reasons, including one they never saw coming. David Segal of The New York Times reports. (18 minutes)”

I’m going to repeat myself but it is just one of the best examples of story telling I’ve every heard, mixed with great archive audio and two brilliant subjects who know how to perform and deliver the show biz. Brilliant job, well done by whoever produced it.

I’d love to spend a month with the team at “This American Life” ….

Please give it a try you’ll find it at thisamericanlife.org

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