Did I Kill The British Sitcom?

The Modern Mann

Matt Hill

Relationships, Personal Journals, Society & Culture

4.8 • 753 Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2025

⏱️ 91 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Jimmy Donny Cosgrove co-wrote one of the decade’s biggest comedy flops: BBC 1 sitcom ‘Warren’, starring Martin Clunes. Lambasted on social media and derided by critics, the Daily Telegraph claimed it was ‘the final nail in the coffin for British sitcom’. Jimmy’s agent dumped him. He received death threats. And he hasn’t had a show on TV since. In this frank and funny conversation with Olly, Jimmy recounts how he blagged his way on to a comedy course at University; how his heart sank when his show was scheduled in a double-bill with the long-anticipated return of Alan Partridge; and explains why his experiences of the TV sausage-factory, with its endless rewrites and creative compromises, left him bruised and disillusioned… Nowadays, Jimmy hosts a live game show experience. Find out more at showtimelondon.co.uk. _____________ Meanwhile, in the Zeitgeist, Ollie Peart, freshly delighted to furnish the world with a Captain Spronk playlist, learns the latest trends in First Aid. What’s the current advice for performing CPR? How do you apply for a free defibrillator? And how many heart attacks per year happen outside a hospital environment? Equipped with a ‘mini-Ann’ and the Revivr app from the British Heart Foundation, Ollie has the answers… _____________ Elsewhere, down the Foxhole, Alix Fox assists a listener who wants to know how to help his other half as she prepares for the menopause. Explaining how the menopause’s three stages (perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause) comprise a profound physical and emotional transition, Alix reveals the hormonal shifts that can cause brain fog, anxiety, mood swings, sleep disruption, and changes in libido. Along the way, Alix speaks to clinical sexologist Dr Angela Wright, and recommends the books Burning Up, Frozen Out by Joe Warner and Rob Kemp; The Little Book of HRT by Dr Ellie Cannon and Menowars by Fiona Clark. _____________ Finally, our record of the month is ‘Dead and Gone’, the new single from Leigh-Anne’s debut album, Because My Ego Told Me To. _____________ Olly, Alix, Ollie and special musical guests will return with our annual, chaotic Christmas special on 10th December. In the meantime, you can help support the show into 2026 by donating beer money and/or leaving us a review. Thanks! Presenter: Olly Mann. Contributors: Jimmy Donny Cosgrove, Alix Fox, Ollie Peart, Leigh-Anne. Producer: Matt Hill. Theme Music: ‘Skies Over Cairo’ by Django Django. Artwork: Podcast Discovery. Copyright: Olly Mann / Rethink Audio 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So retrospectors, what historical events are we ticking off on this week's run of today in history?
0:05.0	On Monday, the anniversary of the day, the crystals had a hit without singing a note.
0:08.9	On Tuesday, when the world got into Tutankham's tomb and saw his underwear.
0:13.3	On Wednesday, the medieval battle that gave rise to the word kamikaze.
0:17.4	On Thursday, how 24 popularized real-time TV drama and torture. And on Friday, what was that?
0:23.8	The first recorded meteorite hits Earth in 1492. That's today in history with the retrospectors.
0:30.6	10 minutes each weekday, Rev. You get your podcasts. Howdy-Dudy Man fans? I'm Olly Man. This is the
0:36.2	Modern Man, the monthly magazine show for your ears, and here's what's coming up. And if anyone would take anything from this, it's when you watch something that don't like it, don't blame the writer completely. It's their fault, but it's a big old machine that it goes through. It goes into that washing machine. All it takes is one red sock to ruin the whole wash. How does it feel pouring years into a project only for it to become a high profile flop?
1:00.0	I meet the comedy writer whose debut sitcom attracted a public and critical backlash.
1:05.0	Plus, we are bags of chemicals essentially and teeny tiny changes in different people can have hugely different effects.
1:14.2	For some folks they will feel hella horny out of the blue.
1:17.9	How do you prepare for your partner's menopause?
1:20.7	Alex Fox gives advice and Ollie Pitt gives the gift of life.
1:25.3	That's all to come on this edition of The Modern Man.
1:32.5	But first, your letters, and thank you for all of your correspondence, celebrating our
1:37.9	10th birthday last month. Suze took my very subtle cue to please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.
1:45.8	Uh, she's written on there, love, love, love, thoughtful, sensitive, funny, well researched
1:49.6	and kind, five stars.
1:52.1	Uh, never mind the podcast review, Sues.
1:53.6	I would take that on my tombstone.
1:56.0	Thank you.
1:57.2	Um, if you've never left us a review before on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, please do. It does help.
	...

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