Michael Spicer: Before Next Door

Comedy of the Week

BBC

Comedy

4 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 9 January 2023

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Room Next Door Man, Michael Spicer, charts his real-life progress to global internet stardom. However, this rags to riches story is still lacking in riches so Michael has accepted a promotion at work and continues to plug away on Twitter. We re-join the story in December 2019 on a family swimming trip that is as damp and disappointing as Michael’s comedy career to date, but the impending general election coverage provides an opportunity for media attention. Meanwhile, an office workshop led by Conservative-supporting, communications guru Benjamin Cruz (Sanjeev Bhaskar) provides extra stress. Cruz thinks Michael's comedy should be more politically balanced, something the BBC echoes by interrupting the episode to ensure Michael is performing with total impartiality. To further fuel Michael's anxiety, his wife Roberta wants him to stuff the day job and go on tour - with her as his full-time manager. Can Michael seize the day while also holding onto the job that pays his mortgage? Cast: Michael Spicer with Ellie Taylor, Joanna Neary, Jamie Borthwick, Alison Ward, Greig Johnson, Jason Forbes, Peter Curran, and guest starring Sanjeev Bhaskar Writer: Michael Spicer Producer: Matt Tiller A Starstruck and Tillervision Production for BBC Radio 4

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts
0:04.8	I sense it's that point in the week where we need something funny.
0:09.0	You've got a blint in your eye, or is it a tear?
0:11.9	Luckily I have just a thing for you.
0:13.9	It's comedy of the week from BBC Radio 4.
0:16.8	I'm Ethenica Blenu, your host and guide to the very best city stuff on the radio.
0:21.9	Here's this week's show!
0:23.9	Hello, my name is Michael Spicer, welcome to my show.
0:32.4	Nice to see you again.
0:34.6	Perhaps I should bring you up to speed.
0:36.9	It's December 2019 and I'm in a swimming pool in Kent with my two children.
0:42.5	The general election is just a week away.
0:45.4	My satirical room next door sketches on Twitter have really taken off and I'm still working
0:49.5	for a kitchen worktop company because financially internet stardom is like seeing a five-pound
0:54.4	note in the street and then watching helplessly as a wet shoe treads on it and carries it away
0:58.5	forever.
0:59.5	But I can't be too despondent for I have accepted a new promotion at work.
1:06.2	Communications manager, no longer will I be writing pithy taglines about mid-tone wood-top
1:11.4	breakfast bars.
1:12.4	Instead I shall be instructing my copywriter to write pithy taglines about mid-tone
1:16.7	wood-top breakfast bars.
1:18.2	Although at the moment there's no budget for a copywriter so that copywriter is me.
	...

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