It’s a Fair Cop is this month’s review of a hilarious podcast from BBC Sound by the ex-police officer and now comedian Alfie Moore. However, from this short introduction, you already know that I love it. It’s funny, and I recommend you listen to it.
As an ex-Police Officer in Humberside for 20 years. Alfie uses his podcast it’s a fair cop to swears you ‘in’ as a Police Officer for the session. During the session, he picks on one piece of legislation. Furthermore, he explains the legislation via a case he has investigated. Additionally, he asks the audience what they would do and the ramifications of their actions. Each episode is fast-paced and full of information.
The themes covered are of a grown-up nature and cover most aspects of lawbreaking, from speeding in a car to breaking and entering. Naturally, names have been changed. The audience is asked their opinion of what they should do and the consequences. It was amusing that many of the responses seemed to reflect what each person did for a living. For example, one member of the public suggested that a drug addict stays in the Police Cell as he was ‘kicking off’ until he calmed down. His chosen career was as a paramedic. If he was in an ambulance, the paramedics would have to calm them down instead! Clearly, Alfie’s delivery is amusing, fast, and very thought-provoking.
It’s a Fair Cop – The Best Episode
Undoubtedly, my favourite episode of It’s a fair cop must be from Series 7, episode 2, entitled Custody Officer.
A drunk in the cells was ‘kicking off’ and keeping everyone awake. The custody sergeant instructed Alfie to bring the drunk to the courtroom (which was in the same building as the Police Station). Before this, a box of dressing-up clothes had been stored at the Police station. A key point to this story is that part of this haul was a moose’s head. Alfie duly did as he was told, handcuffed the drunk, and brought the drunk to court. Someone then entered the courtroom from the judge’s chambers.
Obviously, wearing a judge’s robe and the moose’s head and looking at the drunk. Immediately, the judge got a black handkerchief and laid it on his head. He pointed to the drunk and sentenced the drunk to death. They took the drunk back to the cell and heard nothing afterward. I know it’s all in the delivery!!!
This is an uplifting comedy series that looks at our current legislation. It turns it upside down and puts a comedy spin on it. There are seven series currently. Despite this, I got through them in about a week. Also, I have gone back and listened to some of the episodes twice as they were that good. Listen to this series if you find life difficult or just want a laugh.
It’s a fair cop is available on Audible, Amazon, and BBC Sounds. Highly recommend it.
This month’s book review is that of Matt Lucas, from the Little Britain fame. However, his autobiography ‘Little Me’ is much more than his little Britain characters. The book is more like a chat with a close friend and simultaneously humorous, honest and sad.
Matt Lucas – An ordinary bloke
Matt grew up in an ordinary Jewish family where nothing happened in his life. His family loved him, they supported him, and he loved them. There were visits to his grandparents, his cousin, and everyday family life. He was the school clown, worked hard to establish his career, and became a versatile entertainer. He will always be remembered for his character Vicky Pollard. His career is much more. Singer on Les Miserables, author, storyteller and an actor on Doctor Who, to name a few of his jobs. To be honest, he came across as a nice guy.
The book has taken the guise of an A-Z listing of what has happened in his life. As he states at the beginning of the book, “we will jump around a bit, and I will discuss nothing romantic or give you any details of my love life”. There is a brief paragraph on his husband, and then it’s left there. How refreshing, a celebrity that has morals and wants to keep some of his life private. The book is about his family, his feelings, some of his views and coming to terms with his sexuality. There was some gossip about famous people, and everything was written from his perspective.
He discusses losing his hair early in his life, meeting David Walliams, and working as a duo. His chapter on fame is amusing. You are left feeling that more people should recognise him, ask for his autograph, and feel sad when they don’t.
My Opinion on Matt Lucas
Photo from The Movie Database (TMDB)
I loved the book. He was honest, open, and entertaining. You don’t have to be a Matt Lucas fan to enjoy this book. If you are thinking about a life in comedy, then reading this to find out how hard it is and how much work you must go through to become famous is fascinating. He also discusses things he would rather we didn’t know about, but only in passing. There are some regrets, but not many.
The only thing I would have changed was that he criticises himself and puts himself down a lot, which is unnecessary. Give this book a go, it won’t set the world on fire, but sometimes you want a book to be good, enjoyable and put it down and think, well, I read that and know a little more about him. Available on amazon, audible and other bookshops.
This month I thought I would let you know about a new podcast entitled ‘Go Love yourself’. It’s one of the latest podcasts for women on a mission to figure out who they are and how life treats them. The idea behind this show is that everyone deserves love, regardless of size or shape – something which can be difficult when surrounded by the diet culture. This podcast talks about everything from body image issues to self-love and the lessons learnt along the journey of life. The hosts are two best friends, one of whom you might know from The Great British Bake Off, Laura Adlington and Lauren Smith.
The podcast takes on a light-hearted tone as it explores the reality of womanhood. With interviews, open discussions and events happening in the world, you will be entertained and thought provoked! The podcast style is more of a coffee, a chat, and a giggle rather than preaching at you.
What’s discussed on Go Love Yourself
One of the biggest topics they discuss is weight loss in both an open and honest way. The two ladies discuss the diets they’ve tried but ultimately rejected because they didn’t work for them – or at least not long term. They also discuss their hatred of the diet industry and how they portray a negative image of how a woman should act and behave. Their core belief is that the diet industry will keep:
You on a diet for the rest of your life
Counting calories, points, or syns forever
Punishing you for not being the size; they believe you should be
You feeling guilty for eating cake
Unaware that the diet industry is all about money and the more weight you put on, the more money you earn
They are open and honest and invite their listeners to participate in the content via texts, emails, and social media.
Go Love Yourself – required listening
This podcast should be required listening for any woman feeling self-conscious, has body confidence issues, or needs to build confidence in their appearance. The idea is to get women to look differently at themselves, love themselves, and, let’s be frank, give each other a break. Life is hard enough without adding hidden pressure that doesn’t have to be there.
One of the most entertaining quotes from the show is when someone says, “You’re not fat, you’re beautiful”, and their response “b**ch, I’m both”. The go-to question for any guest is always, “What is the best bit about you?”
These ladies are undoubtedly brave; talking about their weight in a world where being bigger than a size 10 is a social offence. There is some offensive language, but the information and content are encouraging and empowering and will make you smile.
From a personal point of view, I agree that we have to break this cycle of women-hating ourselves and our bodies because society tells us how we should look. Please don’t take my word for it; listen to their podcast yourself. Available from all good podcast providers.
This book is targeting children from the age of 8 or 9 as a self-reading book. However, it is a book that could be read as a bedtime story or read with your child. The premise is around four characters, a little girl of 12, Stella Saxby and her Aunt Alberta. Aunt Alberta is the awful auntie. The two other characters are Soot, a chimney sweep ghost, and Wagner, a great Bavarian Mountain Owl.
Book Review under 400 Words
Aunt Alberta is desperate to inherit Saxby Hall. As a bad loser at tiddlywinks, Aunt Alberta has placed a tremendous financial burden on the family. Her brother Lord Saxby is trying to save the home and makes various trips to London. On one trip, there is a car accident, and Lord and Lady Saxby die. Aunt Alberta can see the inheritance within her grasp. However, there are two obstacles in her way, the deeds to the house and her niece, Stella Saxby. We meet our heroine as she wakes up after the car crash. She is wrapped in bandages and tied to her bed. Aunt Alberta tells Stella she was in a coma for months, and she and Wagner have been caring for her.
Stella manages to escape from the bandages and is then thrown into the cellar and meets Soot, our friendly ghost. Together they outwit Aunt Alberta and uncover the mystery of her uncle, who mysteriously disappeared when he was a baby.
Take part in Awful Auntie
If you’re creative with your voice and enjoy reading to your child, this could be the perfect book for you. With only four characters, you can give each character a distinctive voice, which will bring the book alive. It is a book you could pick up and put down, but one that you will certainly want to finish.
This book has many comedy moments, which you would expect from David Walliams. The adults are buffoons, and the children are sensible and ingenious. The story’s pacing is perfect for children, and the action is moved from one mini calamity to the next. My only criticism is that David Walliams makes lists within the story. We usually have a list of maybe three or four items. However, David Walliams has eight or nine items on the list, and it gets rather tedious. It is a fun book and one that a child of eight and nine will enjoy. There is a murder within the book, however, it is not traumatic for the reader. Our hero survives her awful auntie and turns Saxby Hall into a Children’s Home.
The Birmingham Stage Company turned the story into a play, and there is talk of a film.
Availability of Awful Auntie by David Walliams
David Walliams has written other books, that you may find interesting. Here is the link to his website.
Eric Cunningham reviewed this week’s comedy show ‘Hit Job.’ Audible members who are part of Amazon can access this podcast for free.
The show narrates the story of Brynn Morris, an aspiring artist desperate to earn money for her grandmother’s lifesaving surgery. Brynn accepts a job as an administrator at Kill Co, a company with the motto “Do Bad Things for Good Reasons.” Initially, she feels appalled by the company’s objective: killing people.
Kill Co
To boost company morale, Kill Co. creates a competition to see who can kill the most people in the shortest period. The Managing Director constantly changes the rules to suit their preferences. Significantly, the rule change dictates that the person at the bottom of the leaderboard becomes a target. Moreover, strict rules govern who can kill. All kills are displayed on the company app, Tinder. Swiping left means passing while swiping the other way accepts the contract. Eventually, our heroine involved herself in the competition.
Brynn teams up with Geo, the tech nerd, whose father started the company. The subsequent episodes take us on each of their kills and the mishaps they experience.
Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
The series has undertones of Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. To fully enjoy this series, it helps to be familiar with “cult” movies. There are subtle references sprinkled throughout, like one employee of Kill Co wearing a mask and hosting dinner parties (a nod to Silence of the Lambs). Film references come thick and fast.
The series has 12 episodes, which are two episodes too long. The pace was excellent, and the comedy timings of the voice artists were superb. Millennials had diverse attitudes, including being obsessed with social media and being extremely dedicated to work.
Its wacky view of life and death is interesting. Anyone in business is a target, especially if money is a driving force. Environmental issues and morality were discussed, as well as who should be added to the ‘hit list’.
I am not sure I like the concept of glamorising killing but there are laughs out loud moments, some sophisticated dialogue that moves the story from one subject to the next. I wouldn’t recommend this to my father. However, my nephew would love it. A new cult audio production has just been created.
If you enjoyed Hit Job, you may also like these reviews
