I’ve long been a listener to BBC radio4, and a firm favourite over the years has been the Brain of Britain quiz program. So it was with great sadness that I endured repugnant changes to its traditional format in the first contest of the 2007 series. I heap scorn on the BBC executives responsible for these shameful breakages.

What did they do to incur my wrath?

  • Peter Snow is asking the questions
  • no ”Jorkins” (Kevin Ashman)
  • a discordant reduction in formality (no use of titles such as Mr.)

I enjoy listening to Peter Snow in the right context, but this is not it. Nor am I saying the program can’t exist without Robert Robinson, since Russell Davies did a grand continuity job in 2004 by maintaining the key elements of polite authority, wit and erudition (which must be the key requirements for hiring a BoB quiz master).

Only by surfing beyond the dismal BBC BoB site did I discover some clues as to what is happening. The Times report that the lack of “Jorkins” and the 27 years serving producer Richard Edis is due to BBC cost cutting. I’d vote for no cuts in radio (I pay a BBC TV license fee and very rarely watch their TV shows).

 Sigh.

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