Main content

Armando Iannucci

Sue Lawley's castaway is satirist Armando Iannucci.

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the satirist Armando Iannucci. He has lampooned news journalism with his creations On the Hour and The Day Today and plumbed the shallows of the chat show circuit through the vain and insecure Alan Partridge. His most recent work has been more biting: his Westminster satire The Thick of It dissects the relationship between politicians, their spin-doctors and the media they want to control. Decisions are made on the hoof, in haste and in response to media pressure - there's not a politician, civil servant or journalist who isn't compromised in the process.

A highly academic child at a Jesuit school, in his teens he harboured ambitions to become a Catholic priest. His parents thought he might become a doctor or lawyer, but after getting a first-class degree from Oxford, and spending three years writing a thesis about religious language with reference to Milton, he concentrated on comedy instead. He joined the 91热爆 and ended up producing the radio comedy programmes he had listened to as a child.

He is currently involved in developing new comedy for the 91热爆 and is this year's Visiting Professor of Broadcast Media at Oxford University.

This programme includes language which may offend some listeners.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Opening of Mahler's 9th Symphony by Gustav Mahler
Book: Complete Short Stories by H G Wells
Luxury: Virtual sherry trifle

Available now

45 minutes

Last on

Fri 9 Jun 2006 09:00
91热爆 Radio 4

More episodes

Previous

Rt Hon David Cameron MP

Next

George Davies

See all episodes from Desert Island Discs

Clip

Music Played

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Partita No. 3 - 3rd movement

    Soloist: Nathan Milstein

    • Bach: Sonatas and Partitas.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Gioachino Rossini

    The Thieving Magpie Overture

    Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra Conductor: David Parry

    • Rossini: Thieving Magpie.
    • Chandos.

  • Castaway's Favourite

    • Gustav Mahler

      Symphony No. 9 in D major - 1st movement

      Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra Conductor: Klaus Tennstedt

      • Mahler's Symphony No 9.
      • EMI Classics.

  • Herbert Howells

    Nunc Dimittis

    Soloist: Richard Moorhouse Choir: Collegiate Singers Conductor: Andrew Millinger

    • The Complete Morning and Evening Canticles: H Howell's vol 1.
    • Priory.

  • Woody Allen

    The Moose

    • The Bitter End Years.
    • Roxbury.

  • Kate Bush

    Cloudbusting

    • Hounds of Love.
    • EMI.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony No. 5 in E flat major - 3rd movement

    Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Petri Sakari

    • Sibelius: Symphonies 4 & 5.
    • Naxos.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Chorale Prelude: Valet will ich dir geben

    Soloist: Katherine Fuge Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists Conductor: John Eliot Gardiner

    • Bach Cantatas:Gardiner.
    • SDG.

  • Book Choice

    • Complete Short Stories - H G Wells

  • Luxury Choice

    • Virtual sherry trifle

Credits

Presenter Sue Lawley
Interviewed Guest Armando Iannucci

Broadcasts

  • Sun 4 Jun 2006 11:15
    91热爆 Radio 4
  • Fri 9 Jun 2006 09:00
    91热爆 Radio 4

Featured in...

The Desert Island Discs podcast

The Desert Island Discs podcast

Subscribe or download individual episodes.

Listen to over 2,000 programmes

Click above to browse castaways, from 1942 to today.

Articles

Read the surprising things we've learned about some stand-out castaways.

Podcast