welcome to unusual
we are a multi award-winning production and creative content company.
we are unusual.
CURRENTLY ON AIR
HOW TO WIN A CAMPAIGN, BBC Radio 4, Tuesdays 9.30am and BBC Sounds
HOW TO WIN A CAMPAIGN, BBC Radio 4, Tuesdays 9.30am and BBC Sounds
HOW TO WIN A CAMPAIGN, BBC Radio 4, Tuesdays 9.30am and BBC Sounds
A five part series in which former Downing street strategist and adviser to Boris Johnson, Cleo Watson investigates the dark arts of political campaigning. Guests include Dominic Cummings and Craig Oliver,
Writer / Presenter: Cleo Watson
Producer: Eliane Glaser
PANTANI: DEATH OF A PIRATE, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds
HOW TO WIN A CAMPAIGN, BBC Radio 4, Tuesdays 9.30am and BBC Sounds
HOW TO WIN A CAMPAIGN, BBC Radio 4, Tuesdays 9.30am and BBC Sounds
When Italy’s greatest cyclist is mysteriously found dead, sensational allegations of mafia involvement see the world of cycling collide head on with the murky underworld of organised crime. For BBC Radio 5 Live's Sports Strangest Crimes brand, Hugh Dennis narrates this ten part series.
Presenter: Hugh Dennis
Writer / Producer Katie Sayer
THE SKEWER Series 10, BBC Radio 4, Wednesday 11.15pm and BBC Sounds
HOW TO WIN A CAMPAIGN, BBC Radio 4, Tuesdays 9.30am and BBC Sounds
THE SKEWER Series 10, BBC Radio 4, Wednesday 11.15pm and BBC Sounds
Fresh from winning Gold for Best Comedy for the third year running at the Radio Academy Awards, Gold for Best Comedy at the British Podcast Awards and Highly Commended runner up as Podcast of The Year, the hit 'comedy concept album' and 'satirical river of sound' returns October 2023.
Creator / Producer: Jon Holmes
RECENT THINGS WE'VE MADE
Amber Jolt: Truth Hunter
Jon Holmes: Generation Shame
Amber Jolt: Truth Hunter
From writer Bill Dare genuine investigative journalism meets podcast spoof as Truth Hunter Amber Jolt (Rosie Holt) goes after Amazon. Involved quite a lot of lawyers.
The Naked Week
Jon Holmes: Generation Shame
Amber Jolt: Truth Hunter
From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes and host Andrew Hunter Murray comes a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. New Friday night topical comedy
for BBC Radio 4.
Jon Holmes: Generation Shame
Jon Holmes: Generation Shame
Jon Holmes: Generation Shame
Between 1949-1976, 185,000 babies of unmarried mothers were put up for adoption in England & Wales, many by force. Jon Holmes investigates whether he was
one of them.
Produced by BBC Studios in association with unusual for Radio 4's File on Four strand,
OTHER STUFF we've THROWN TOGETHER
The Skewer
Absolute Radio Pirates
Absolute Radio Pirates
SERIES 10 TX October 2023
For BBC Radio 4 we make the multi -award winning satire The Skewer, featuring new and diverse talent. A "satirical river of sound", The Skewer is designed for headphone listening, attaching you to a late night drip of current events as they melt into your brain, evoking that feeling of drifting off but with the occasional uncomfortable sleep-twitch, as though you've accidentally stepped off a kerb.
"A freeform assault on the senses..deeply haunting.. an eerily beautiful discombobulating mosaic"comedy.co.uk
You are welcome to contribute. Contributor Guide is here
Absolute Radio Pirates
Absolute Radio Pirates
Absolute Radio Pirates
For one day only on Friday 12th August Absolute Radio 60s presents Absolute Radio Pirates! A day celebrating the music and personalities of the pirate radio stations of the 1960s 55 years after they were brought to an end.
To mark the anniversary, Absolute Radio Pirates combines new interviews with archive broadcasts - and loads of great music - to tell the real story of the pirates, their love of music and the move into illegality.
With Tony Blackburn, Johnnie Walker, and archive from (among others) John Peel, Kenny Everett, and Tommy Vance.
Made with the assistance of the
Carbon Lifeforms
Absolute Radio Pirates
Carbon Lifeforms
A eco-comedy hybrid magazine show as comedian Jon Long teams up with scientist Dr Tara Shine that emits entertainment and education as they aim to (carbon) capture all things climate.
Carbon Lifeforms returns in 2023
No Platformed
No Platformed
Carbon Lifeforms
Three members of staff, one dysfunctional railway station, zero passengers. Brand new comedy that drives a train through sitcom-land via a platform crowded with big name cameos, absurd goings-on, and very silly jokes.
Sitcom written by Gareth Ceredig. Starring Geoff McGivern, Tim Downie, and Alexandra Mardell.
with Olivia Williams, Tracy Ann Oberman, Hugh Dennis, Rufus Jones
Slaving Away
No Platformed
Unsafe Space
Sitcom for Audible Originals
Meet Miranda, happy-go-lucky single girl who just happens to be a dominatrix with a dungeon in her flat. Sure she's got to whip clients for money, but she's also got the hoovering to do. Stars Miranda Kane, Hugh Dennis, Richard Herring, Jon Holmes, Kevin Eldon., Anthony Head and more....
Slaving Away continues to top Audible's download chart.
Unsafe Space
No Platformed
Unsafe Space
New series for 2023 BBC Radio 4
Diversity of thought, though provoking debate and comedy in the unsafe space.
Following a successful broadcast pilot, Unsafe Space returns for a full series in 2023.
Featuring (among many others) Simon Evans, Andrew Doyle, Billy Bragg, Owen Jones, Rosie Holt, Eeshan Ackbar, Graham Linehan, Zuby, Jake Yapp, Larry & Paul, April Reign and David Lammy MP.
Rockanory
Giggle in a Gallery
Lost Voices
Shaun Keaveny narrates apocryphal rock n'roll tales of debauchery in Absolute Radio's first ever scripted comedy.
Also stars Jake Yapp, Alasdair Beckett King, Naomi McDonald, Alex Sievewright
Original music: Jake Yapp, Nick Bosworth
2002 New York Festival Award Winner for 'Best Writing' and 'Best Comedy'
2022 Radio Academy Award Nominee for Best Comedy
Made with the assistance of the
Lost Voices
Giggle in a Gallery
Lost Voices
We recently worked with the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK on a project called 'Lost Voices', creating a soundscape from the voices of celebrities, musicians, and Hollywood stars that have died from pancreatic cancer. People diagnosed with the disease usually die within 3 months, and we wanted to help 'break through the silence' by raising awareness - and money!
Giggle in a Gallery
Giggle in a Gallery
Giggle in a Gallery
We created besoke audio guides
(narrated by Hugh Dennis) for the
Turner Contemporary art gallery
in Margate, Kent.
Galleries and museums are constantly looking for ways to engage new audiences, which is where we stepped in a brand new audio guide.
“A lot of people are put off art galleries because they think of art as a very high-brow subject which can only be enjoyed in a very serious and intellectual way. It isn’t, it is there to be enjoyed by everyone, and I hope a slightly irreverent gallery guide might help change that perception.”
Hugh Dennis
(Outnumbered, Mock the Week,
The Now Show)
Half The Money Each
Between The Ears: Noise
Giggle in a Gallery
Two Part Documentary for Absolute Radio
A commercial tie-in with e-One, for the cinema release of 'Stan and Ollie', comedian Jo Brand tells the story of the double act.
Features interviews with Steve Coogan, John C Reilly, director Jon C Baird, Trevor & Simon, Steve Punt, Mel Hudson, Jon Culshaw and comedy writers Jason Hazeley and
Joel Morris.
Advertising Week Europe
Between The Ears: Noise
Between The Ears: Noise
Live event at Bafta, Piccadilly
We worked with Global to write and produce a live event at Bafta in front of 200 industry bigwigs as part of Advertising Week Europe.
Written and directed by Jon Holmes it starred Debra Stephenson, Terry Mynott and Mitch Benn, accompanied by their takes on Madonna, Dame Judi Dench, Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, David Attenborough, Henry VIII, Paul McCartney, and ,er, the Caramel Bunny,
Between The Ears: Noise
Between The Ears: Noise
Between The Ears: Noise
For BBC Radio 3, A sonic trip through our on-hold, tick-box, automated world, which turns bureaucracy into art and music.
Producers: Eliane Glaser and Jon Holmes Composer: Neil Luck Performers: Patricia Auchterlonie (soprano), Tom Jackson (saxophone), Rebecca Burden (cello) Sound Design: Tony Churnside and Jon Holmes. Readings: Hazel Holder
Jon Holmes's: Bangers Mashed
As part of Radio 2's festive line-up, The Skewer's Jon Holmes took to the turntables with a Boxing Day special celebrating the art of the musical mashup.
Turn it up to 11 and marvel at the magic of mash-ups like ABBA vs. Van Halen – ‘Super Jumper’, Adele vs. Daft Punk – ‘Something About The Fire’, and Coldplay vs. Oasis – ‘Don't Look Back At Yellow’.
With guests Ros Atkins, Zoe Ball, Sara Cox, Jeremy Vine, Ken Bruce, Scott Mills, Rylan, and more
Presenter Jon Holmes
Producer: Heather Davies
CHOICE OTHER STUFF
Cold Case Crime Cuts
Welcome To The Neighbourhood
Cold Case Crime Cuts
Cold Case Crime Cuts is a spoof true crime podcast – but where the ‘crimes’ investigated are those that have been committed in songs. (But without ever referencing the fact that they’re songs.)
"A pin-sharp parody of US true crime podcasts,"
Winner: New York Festival 2022
Winner: British Podcast Awards 2022
Winner: Radio Academy Awards 2022
Nominee: 2022 Rose D'or
Best Comedy Podcast
The The One Show Show
Welcome To The Neighbourhood
Cold Case Crime Cuts
Hit podcast that adopts the forensic approach some take to analysing high-end box set television, and applies to the ultimate disposable TV: the BBC’s flagship light magazine programme The One Show.
A deep dive into TVs shallowest show.
Jon Holmes, Marc Haynes and guests including Fi Glover, Jay Rayner, Peter Baynham, and many more
"A joy" popbitch
Welcome To The Neighbourhood
Welcome To The Neighbourhood
Welcome To The Neighbourhood
Comedian Jayde Adams and guests dive into the feisty world of community apps and messageboards, sifting through the angry neighbourhood bins to find disgruntled comedy gold.
for BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4
Jeremy Vine: Agony Uncle
Jeremy Vine: Agony Uncle
Welcome To The Neighbourhood
Hugely popular comedy for BBC Radio 2. Jeremy Vine (as played by Lewis MacLeod) plays agony uncle to any number of celebrities who phone him up for advice during his show, while the records are on.
Anne Frank's Trees
Jeremy Vine: Agony Uncle
Anne Frank's Trees
Documentary for Holocaust Day
for BBC Radio 4
Presented by Michael Rosen
Slow Radio Comedy
Jeremy Vine: Agony Uncle
Anne Frank's Trees
Experimental sound-art-meets-comedy as comedians, poets, and presenters swap the stage for the great outdoors, and perform - more slowly - with nature as their audience.
Recorded on location in binaural stereo for BBC Radio 4
Starring:
Simon Evans, Natasha Hodgson, Lemn Sissay and Poppy & Rubina from the Brown Girls Do It Too podcast.
some of the nice people we work with
