I first heard Ed Reardon's Week while working as a postman At that point it was a new show on BBC Radio 4. A quick check of the wikipedia page tells me this was in 2003, gulp.
How to describe the show? It's a sitcom delivered as a mix of events as they happen, and Ed's recollections of them as he records them. Ed is a writing hack who lives a hand-to-mouth existence with his cat, Elgar. He writes the type of coffee table books given as christmas presents and never read, ghost-writes the occasional biography, and teaches writing at the local University of the Third Age - classes for retired folks. Although he has a novel to his name his most famous writing credit, and one which continues to trickle in some money, was for an episode of Tenko.
Episode-by-episode Ed is assailed by the travails of modern life. He has a high opinion of himself and his abilities, and a witheringly low opinion of pretty much everyone and anyone who has managed to secure a life more comfortable than his own. Special scorn is poured on anyone who happens to transgress his understanding of the rules of the English language.
His agent, Felix, and Felix's assistant, Ping, are regularly harangued as Ed seeks paying writing work, but they prove more than capable in dealing with him.
Ed does have a long time friend, if that is not to stretch the word to broadly, by the name of Jaz Milvane. Jaz turned Ed's one novel into a film, and the film into a succesful career. Ed has never really forgiven Jaz for moving the setting of the book, Oldham, to California for the film.
While referring to himself as Berkhemstead's most famous bearded, literary, pipe smoker, Ed rails against a world which has refused to accept his genius and continues to surround him with idiots who need to be scolded by recourse to his favorite weapon, a tersely worded e-mail.
For those interested in looking the show is filled with lovely easter eggs. These include the character names, characters in the radio show who are played by people were in TV shows Ed 'wrote episodes for' appearances by well known UK TV and film personalities.
It may be that this is comedy peculiar to British tastes, but for those interested in delving into the life and trials of an irascible curmudgeon, but location blocked from accessing BBC archives, have a look at Audible.
Personally, I just hope he doesn't discover SilverBlogger's here on Hive.
text by stuartcturnbull, art by Rene Magritte via WikiArt
