Crabby, crusty, and curmudgeonly he may be, but Victor Meldrew, played brilliantly by Richard Wilson, voices the exasperation of the once silent majority. Accompanied by his long-suffering wife Margaret (Annette Crosbie), Victor's howlingly funny battles against what he perceives as modern-day ills have turned him into one of the great comic creations of our time.This collection gathers three of the best TV episodes from the well-known BBC 1 Series and an additional four scripts tha...

The complete series of the BBC radio sketch show that takes a post-truth look at the history of laughter.A dark, quirky parody of Desert Island Discs, Desolation Jests is a post-apocalyptic sketch show that takes a not-altogether-accurate look at the history of comedy. Featuring faux interviews with spurious celebrities, conducted by the Roy Plomley-esque host JP Doom, it poses the question ‘Which comedy sketches would you most want at your side t...

Now available together for the first time are all six episodes from the first series of classic comedy from David Renwick (who went on to write One Foot in the Grave), Andrew Marshall (who later wrote 2point4 Children) – and Eric Pode (of Croydon). Includes: 'Peel Bananas The Burkiss Way’, in which you can learn the best techniques for peeling bananas and how to get people off lightly; 'Pass Examinations The Burkiss Way’, which teaches you how to astound your friends by a...

Bringing together ten leading researchers in the field of deliberative democracy, this important book examines the features of a Deliberative Mini-Public (DMP) and considers how DMPs link into democratic systems.It examines the core design features of DMPs and their role in the broader policy process and takes stock of the characteristics that distinguish them from other forms of citizen participation. In doing so, the book offers valuable insights into the contributions that DMPs ...

Launched in 1995, Bach Perspectives has become the premier English-language serial book series dedicated to cutting-edge Bach scholarship. The University of Illinois Press now offers the first four volumes in open access editions available for free to all interested readers.The fourth volume of Bach Perspectives analyzes J. S. Bach’s orchestral works, especially his concertos, and the interpretation and performance of his music in general. The diverse contributors...

During a 24- year playing career he was a member of the Hawick RFC team which won the last ever unofficial Championship and thereafter eight official Scottish Championships. He was capped 52 times for Scotland (a record at that time), scoring a hatful of tries (several of which appear on 'Best of ...' videos and are still shown regularly on television), penalties and drop-goals. He played for the British Lions in the first Test against South Africa in 1980 and is widely considered to have ...