Harry Shearer

Ruby Wax was on Radio 4's Chain Reaction this week (hooray! A woman!). Her turn to interview, and her guest was comic actor Harry Shearer - Derek Smalls from Spinal TapMr Burns and others from The Simpsons. Ruby is one of the best interviewers ever, in my opinion, and she didn't disappoint, hurrying Shearer on when needed - "so cut to when you're funny, we haven't got all day" - or pulling him short when he glossed over a tale. "Are you bitter?" she asked Shearer, an old friend of hers. "You still look bitter." I wish she still had her own chatshow.

There's a lovely bit of bonding going on in tonight's edition as last week's interviewee, Ruby Wax, selects actor and comedian Harry Shearer as the guest she would most like to probe. Both are from the other side of the Pond but share an astutely observed fondness for the British and, indeed, for Radio 4. Shearer is best known here for his range of Simpsons voices and as Spinal Tap bassist Derek Smalls, but in the States he's hosted a syndicated satirical radio show since 1983. Their combined wit and experience is electrifying.

Cast members link up for Hitchcon '09

Simon Jones and Mark Wing Davey are being joined by Andrew Sachs and Harry Shearer of The Simpsons fame as cast members for a one-off radio-style performance of "Hitchhiker's Live!" at Hitchcon '09.

You may think that rock and roll musicians in particular are in no need of being satirised, as they do the job pretty well themselves. Well, that doesn't mean they aren't ripe for a bit of a ribbing. Matt Lucas, himself no stranger to making the michael out of rock gods with David Walliams in Rock Profile on BBC2, hosts this chronological countdown of the best of the mickey-takers.

Step forward Neil Innes with his tales of Rutlemania; Harry Shearer, who turns the amp all the way up to 11 with Spinal Tap (surely the definite send-up/homage) and the Hee Bee Gee Bees... remember Meaningless Songs (in Very High Voices)? They had Angus Deayton among their number but got Richard Curtis to write the lyrics. Not bad.

Quite why Stella Street is here is a bit of a mystery to me - just because Phil Cornwell and John Sessions get to practise their Mick and Keef voices doesn't make it satire.

Plenty of great music, a few lightly tossed anecdotes and - voila! - an hour of high-quality entertainment.