Bunk Bed (radio programme)

Bunk Bed
GenreDiscussion
Running time15 minutes
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Home stationBBC Radio 4
Hosted byPeter Curran & Patrick Marber
Original releaseApril 2, 2014 (2014-04-02)

Bunk Bed is a comedy radio programme on BBC Radio 4 hosted by Peter Curran and Patrick Marber. The programme features the hosts lying in bunk beds, discussing various topics.[1] In some episodes, they are joined by a guest on the "pull-out mattress". Past guests include Kathy Burke, Don Warrington, Cate Blanchett, Benjamin Zephaniah, Rhys Ifans, Jane Horrocks, Guy Garvey and Rachael Stirling.[2]

It was described as 'The perfect radio antidote to the gathering storm' by Kate Chisholm,[3] and was praised by Miranda Sawyer in the Observer as being "strange, funny, silly, enchanting, beautifully put together".[4] The programme was a finalist in the New York Festivals in April 2020.[5] The ninth and tenth series featured Harry Shearer of The Simpsons and theatre director Sir Richard Eyre [6][7] talking about their childhoods. The eleventh series appeared on Radio4/BBC Sounds in March 2025.[8]

Podcasts

There are over 30 podcasts (created from edited versions of the episodes originally broadcast) which are freely available to stream or download. In addition other episodes from Series 8 and 9 are available to listen again.

No.Title
1"Welcome to Bunk Bed"
• In bed with a friend, your mind can wander into brilliant and strange conversations.
2"The death of friends and the comfort of Bowie"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on the death of friends and the comfort of Bowie.
3"Madonna elephants and snoring"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on meeting Madonna, a tuneless elephant, and Mr. Spanky.
4"Award winning actor and director Kathy Burke joins Peter and Patrick"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber are joined by award-winning actor/director Kathy Burke.
5"Happiness, small birds and Spike Milligan"
• Peter and Patrick talk about the secret of happiness and small birds on anti-depressants.
6"Famous older men and the voice of Aldous Huxley"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber talk leaving their female partners for famous older men.
7"HG Wells and his life as a prostitute"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on HG Wells and his life as a prostitute.
8"The curse of short trousers"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on the curse of short trousers and the blandness of Bond.
9"JG Ballard and why the demons come out at night"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber are haunted by the voice of sci-fiction great JG Ballard
10"Debbie Harry and Chas n Dave"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on their times with Debbie Harry and Chas n Dave
11"Award Winning actor Jane Horrocks on the spare mattress"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber are joined by the award-winning actor Jane Horrocks.
12"Peter and Patrick imagine each other’s death"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber imagine each other’s deaths
13"The dirty version of Crazy Golf"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber plan to create the dirty version of Crazy Golf
14"Abuse in school and Ian Fleming v Raymond Chandler"
• Peter and Patrick talk about being abused in school and Raymond Chandler v Ian Fleming
15"The first person to have a dream"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber wonder about the first person to have a dream.
16"Terrible names for kids"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on the terrible names for kids chosen by their friends.
No.Title
17"The hand that shook the hand of Hitler"
• Peter and Patrick on the hand that shook the hand of Hitler and eating from a baby bib.
18"How a sneaky million pounds was turned down"
• Peter and Patrick on how a sneaky million pounds Hollywood job was turned down
19"The teeth of Kingsley Amis"
• Peter and Patrick on the teeth of Kingsley Amis and why you can’t cuddle a tortoise.
20"Comic great Kathy Burke joins Peter and Patrick"
• Comic great Kathy Burke sleeps over to talk youth rebellion and reading porn aloud.
21"Being a father and the voice of James Baldwin"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on being a father and the voice of James Baldwin
22"Giant hairballs and goats"
• Peter and Patrick talk about the giant hairballs formed on London’s Underground
23"Citizen Kane and Virginia Woolf"
• The rude bits of Citizen Kane and the only recording of Virginia Woolf’s voice
24"How to hurt yourself at the dentist"
• The need for a National Repression Day when everyone would just shut up about themselves.
25"With guest Don Warrington from the classic Rising Damp"
• Peter and Patrick with guest Don Warrington from the legendary 1970’s sitcom Rising Damp.
26"Baldness and Bambi"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber get down to the subject of wigs and how to help Bambi
27"Their worst reviews ever"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber relish their worst ever reviews
28"Explaining genitalia to Aliens"
• Peter Curran and Patrick Marber on explaining human genitalia to a curious alien
29"The voice of Bette Davis and sedan chairs are Go!"
• Peter and Patrick marvel at the voice of Bette Davis destroying an interviewer
30"Cate Blanchett"
• Patrick Marber and Peter Curran offer the pull-out mattress to a double Oscar winner.
31"Benjamin Zephaniah"
• Patrick Marber and Peter Curran do Tai Chi in the dark with the poet Benjamin Zephaniah
32"Rhys Ifans"
• Peter Curran, Patrick Marber and Rhys talk dark childhoods and the boots of David Bowie.
33"Jane Horrocks"
• Jane Horrocks joins Patrick Marber and Peter Curran to reflect on fancying yourself.

References

  1. ^ Sawyer, Miranda (5 July 2015). "The week in radio – Beats 1; Bunk Bed; Crisis in the Curry Kitchen". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Bunk Bed episodes". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  3. ^ Chisholm, Kate (2 July 2016). "The perfect radio antidote to the gathering storm". The Spectator. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  4. ^ Sawyer, Miranda (5 April 2014). "Radio Academy awards nominations; Podcasting: The First Ten Years; Bunk Bed – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Winners Gallery: Bunk Bed". New York Festivals. 22 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  6. ^ Curran, Peter [@curranradio] (19 January 2022). "Tonight's the night, folks! @BBCRadio4 Our first transatlantic Bunk Bed. In the dark and on the floor from New Orleans will be the magnificent @theharryshearer joining @Pmarber and myself. 11pm GMT. Join us, if you will" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  7. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Bunk Bed, Series 10, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  8. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Bunk Bed - Available now". BBC. Retrieved 30 June 2025.


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