Steve Wright in the Afternoon
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| Other names | The Big Show |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy, Talk |
| Running time | 3 hours |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station |
BBC Radio 1 (1981-1993) BBC Radio 2 (1999 onwards) |
| Host(s) | Steve Wright |
| Starring |
Tim Smith Janey Lee Grace |
| Recording studio | Western House, London |
| Air dates | since 1981 (except 1994-1999) |
| Audio format | 88–91 FM, DAB digital radio, TV and online |
| Website | Official BBC Website |
| Podcast | Steve Wright in the Afternoon - The Big Podcast |
Steve Wright in the Afternoon is the name of the current afternoon show on BBC Radio 2, hosted by Steve Wright. The show is one of the most popular on the station, and is often referred to as The Big Show. The show is broadcast from 14:00 until 17:00 Monday to Friday.
History
The show originally started on Radio 1 in the 1980s where it ran successfully for a number of years until ending in 1993. Steve Wright then worked on other shows for the network before leaving the BBC for several years. In this period he worked at Talk Radio, and at GWR presenting a networked weekend show. He finally moved back to the BBC at Radio 2 in 1996. He started as a weekend presenter hosting a Saturday morning show (later taken over by Jonathan Ross) and Sunday morning's Steve Wright's Sunday Love Songs. Steve Wright in the Afternoon was revived in 1999 following a shake-up at Radio 2 and Wright now presents the show every Monday to Friday from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. It has built up a huge following and was given its own podcast in 2006 as part of a trial period. This is still available every week with highlights from the show.
Team members
The Show follows the zoo format, with Steve Wright as the host, and co-presenters Tim Smith and Janey Lee Grace, as well as input from news and travel presenters on the day. There is also a character called 'The Old Woman'; no-one knows her identity, but there are many rumours circulating on the internet as to her true identity. Other spoof characters include 'Barry from Watford' (the octogenarian lifestyle coach - played by the actor Alex Lowe) and 'Elvis', who appears in the feature Ask Elvis.
Format
The show begins at 14:00 with the show's main theme. Unlike most shows, it is well established as being a "brand", with its own unique style of presentation, although Steve regularly uses the standard BBC Radio 2 jingles along with jingles unique to the show, written and performed by AJ Music Productions.[1] Guests regularly appear on the show, often to plug a new TV show or movie.
When other presenters stand in for Steve Wright in the Afternoon, the stand-in host does "their own thing", rather than replicating the normal show. The show's theme and jingles are not played, and otherwise regular features (such as the factoids) are not used. In the past, stand in presenters have included Mark Radcliffe, Aled Jones, Craig Charles, Liza Tarbuck, Dale Winton, Richard Allinson, Sara Cox and Tony Blackburn. More recently, the regular stand-in hosts have been Patrick Kielty, Jo Whiley, Chris Tarrant or Jonathan Ross.
Features
Some regular features include;
- Factoids, short items of trivia. This segment was made into a 2006 book, Steve Wright's Book of Factoids
- "Do You Remember?": Once or twice a week, the team (normally two or three of Steve, Tim Smith, Bobbie Pryor or Janey Lee Grace) remember how things were when they were growing up. Subjects discussed have included TV programmes, cars, household appliances, food, and shopping amongst other things. Listeners often send in suggestions to contribute too.
- Barry from Watford: Approximately once a month, "elderly lifestyle guru" Barry from Watford (actually actor/comedian Alex Lowe) visits Steve and delivers his take on popular culture.
- Hands up: Steve asks 2 or 3 questions between his first and second song with a round of applause in the studio such as "Hands up if you are liking the warm weather?".
- Guest interviews, usually 2 or 3 per show.
- Big Shout Outs: Listeners send Steve messages via text or email. If the message is sensible and entertaining it may be read out. The likelihood of your message being read on air is greatly increased, if a phrase such as "Absolutely loving the Big Show" is included in the message. This feature is particularly enjoyed by bored workmen, spoof messages are often sent on behalf of their colleagues.
In mid-2014 Steve introduced a new Friday feature, "Serious Jockin'", where he plays tracks back to back with listeners' texts and emails. The music ranges from 1950s to present-day and has an iTunes playlist. This is along with entertainment news, music and chat, and news on the hour
External links
References
- ↑ "AJ Music Productions". AJ Music Productions. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
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