Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! is a sitcom broadcast on BBC Radio 4, written by Steve Delaney. It features Count Arthur Strong, a former variety star who has malapropisms, memory loss and other similar problems, played by Delaney. Each episode follows the Count in his daily business and causing confusion in almost every situation. First broadcast on 23 December 2005, Count Arthur Strong's Radio Show! has had eight series and four specials. In 2009 the show won the Gold Sony Radio Academy Award for comedy, the highest honour for a British radio comedy. A television adaptation, Count Arthur Strong, premiered on BBC Two in July 2013.
The first three series of the show were recorded live at Komedia in Brighton. The fourth series was recorded at the Dancehouse Theatre, Manchester, Komedia Bath and Komedia Brighton. A special was recorded in Edinburgh during the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It is jointly made by two production companies: Komedia Entertainment and Smooth Operations.
Count Arthur Strong
Count Arthur Strong is a former variety star living in the North of England. The Count, now in his old age, has delusions of grandeur. He has selective memory loss, never hearing what he doesn't want to and malapropism-itis, which result in his confusing anyone he happens to be talking to and even confusing himself. However, he more often than not blames the people he is talking to for causing the confusion in the first place.
A typical conversation for the Count will involve his confusing both himself and others, while becoming drastically sidetracked from the matter in hand. He is usually oblivious to the chaos he causes, often blaming his interlocutors for any confusion. On the rare occasions he realises he is at fault, he often attempts to divert the blame by lying. Inevitably becoming confused by his own lies, his last resort is usually to claim he was recording a stunt for a hidden camera show. The Count does very rarely encounter frustrating situations which are not his fault such as doing a cooking show and only being brought products that were prepared in packets however he tends to simply complain in these circumstances before making matters worse than they were to start with. He has a misguided belief in his ability to hold his drink, and has often performed on stage or live TV/radio when drunk (or occasionally, concussed, with similar effects). He will often go to great lengths to get as drunk as he can as cheaply as he can.
The list of TV shows in which Count Arthur claims to have appeared is remarkably similar to Delaney's own career. However, the one role that Count Arthur speaks about wherever possible, is what he calls the "Bridge Up The River Kwai", where he claims to have appeared alongside Alec Guinness, apparently resenting the fact that Guinness got the part instead of him, although he does point out that he took over the role for the musical version. He also seems resentful that Sean Connery beat him to the lead role in Doctor No, the title of which he often confuses with either Doctor Who or Doctor Dolittle. He has had roles, or at least sat in a car, in numerous TV series and films, such as Juliet Bravo and of course "The Man Who Had Some Shoes."
The Count believes himself to be an expert on Egyptology, leading to the show "Count Arthur Strong's Forgotten Egypt". This stems from his army days when he toured Egypt as part of the cast of what he calls Piddler On The Roof.
He claims to have many show business friends although, apart from Guinness, this seems limited to brief conversations with Anita Harris and Jimmy Clitheroe. He also appears to have a mixed relationship with Edward Woodward. While resenting Woodward's success, he also claims that his advice meant that "for the first time in years, Edward Woodward can cross his legs when he sits down". Woodward's name causes the Count many problems, calling him "Edward Woodwardward", "Edward Woodwind", "Edward Woodbine", "Wedward Goodwood" etc.
Series 2
Motivational Speech - 28/02/2007 - Arthur delivers a motivational speech, advertised by placing an advert in the Post Office. He uses the technique of making his audience wear Dunce's caps and banging a dustbin lid while telling them how useless they are. Owing to a mix-up at the printers, a banner he ordered is delivered reading "Closing down, everything £1".
Just A Minute - 07/03/2007 - Arthur is engaged to appear on the radio programme Just a Minute. He enlists the help of his protégé Malcolm to make sure he is 'match fit'. Together they pick topics from the newspaper and Arthur attempts to speak for one minute without hesitation, repetition or deviation, but finds it difficult to get the hang of the game. They lunch at Jerry's, where Malcolm tries to perform his 'homework', a speech from Macbeth, while Arthur interrupts him without pause on the subject of Taggart. When Arthur arrives at the BBC he is given directions to join the audience and is eventually interviewed on a current affairs programme in place of Arthur C. Clarke, although he believes he is appearing on Just a Minute.
After-Dinner Speech - 14/03/2007 - Arthur receives a call from Barry Cryer, who asks that he step in at the last minute to give an after-dinner speech for the World Wildlife Fund. Arthur arranges to meet Barry at Gerry's cafe, but is forced to pretend to be a pest-control officer to find a table. Repairing to the Shoulder of Mutton they begin to plan Arthur's speech, but Barry ends up having too much to drink. When they come to give their speeches, Barry's goes very badly and he falls asleep after the first few sentences. Arthur's speech descends into confusion when he loses his temper and it's back to the Shoulder of Mutton.
Oxford Union - 21/03/2007 - Arthur is invited to take part in a debate on Creationism vs. Evolution at the Oxford Union. He is reminded of his commitment only hours before the debate and borrows a book on Darwin from the local library, which he takes to the Shoulder of Mutton to do some swotting. At the Oxford Union he takes full advantage of the food and drink provided before the debate begins. He speaks for forty-five minutes rather than the allotted three.
Hospital Appointment - 28/03/2007 - Being a "busy terrible personality" we find Arthur in the middle of the official opening of a shoe shop, when posing for a photograph he mistakenly says "cheese" leading to a problem with Dyspepsia. During a visit to the Shoulder of Mutton it transpires that Arthur has been referred to the local hospital after a visit to his GP after a number of drinks he goes to the hospital but has missed his consultant. After mistaking a number of members of staff and dozing off he dreams that he is a famous consultant with unorthodox methods ("Let's save this man's life and we can have a post mortem afterwards"). He later discharges himself and returns to the pub, the true source of his ailment then becomes clear.
Ancient Egypt Speech - 04/04/2007 - The showbiz legend gives a lecture to impress the Egyptology Society, but there's a challenge for people wanting to attend, as the details on the poster Arthur designed has given the details in "hieroglyphics". Arthur has also defined a strict dress code.
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