Mark Radcliffe

"He was pushing some mysterious envelope and he made the public an accomplice," says John Cooper Clarke of Chris Sievey, the restless genius responsible for Timperley's Frank Sidebottom. This is the extraordinary and moving story of the late outsider artist inside the papier-mache head, featuring contributions from collaborators such as Jon Ronson and Mark Radcliffe. As the latter observes, Sievey's antics were somehow extremely silly and extremely clever at the same time.

Audio: John Lloyd chats with Mark Radcliffe

Mark Radcliffe is joined by QI's John Lloyd. John's up in Edinburgh, where he's at the Fringe performing a live version of his Radio 4 show The Museum of Curiosity.

Radio 4 Extra - Strong: Count Arthur speaks

We do get the chance to flex our creative muscles as well as our analytical ones. Namely, the dedicated three hour specials you may have heard on Saturdays. This particular opportunity I'd seized with both hands. The chance to work with radio legends Count Arthur Strong and Mark Radcliffe?

More adventures of the show business legend (and trout tickler) Count Arthur Strong. If you haven't met him before you'll be unaware of his way of looking at the world and tendency to forget significant things. Those who love his idiosyncracies include Radio 2's Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie and critic Miranda Sawyer. Personally, I can't abide the blundering, blustering, malapropic Mancunian Count, creation of Steve Delaney. Nor, I can exclusively reveal, can Jim Naughtie (although what the Count thinks of Jim may be another matter).

The BBC's successful Grumpy Old franchise - in which various aged or ageing TV pundits are encouraged to grouse on about a given topic - rolls on with this new programme focusing on the supposedly cheerful experience of mandatory education. Expect wry classroom anecdotage from the likes of Al Murray, Shappi Khorsandi, Ronni Ancona and Mark Radcliffe.

The BBC's successful Grumpy Old franchise - in which various aged or ageing TV pundits are encouraged to grouse on about a given topic - rolls on with this new programme focusing on the supposedly cheerful experience of mandatory education. Expect wry classroom anecdotage from the likes of Al Murray, Shappi Khorsandi, Ronni Ancona and Mark Radcliffe.

The Count's charms, alas, elude me but he has many 40-something fans, among them his producer (and fellow radio legend) Mark Radcliffe. The Count (played by Steve Delaney) is supposed to be a one-time variety star, now sole proprietor of Doncaster's Academy of Performance, raconteur, malapropist, old, muddled. He lives in a little world where door bells ring, misunderstandings proliferate, butchers are funny and lavs a right laugh. In other words, it's like the radio shows those 40-somethings used to hear at their grans'.

Jason Byrne has the honour of providing half of the official comedy on 2 at the moment - Vic Reeves's panel show Does the Team Think? makes up the other 50% - though regular presenters Mark Radcliffe, Jonathan Ross and Alan Carr can all make you splutter into your cuppa. Byrne, though, is different: his show is proper stand-up, complete with audience interaction. There are a couple of silly sketches but the bulk of his half-hour is like being in a decent comedy club with a much-more-than-decent comedian. The lines are sharp but it's the atmosphere and delivery that make the show. This week's topic was food. Byrne asked if anyone had ever eaten something they shouldn't. "A tick!" came the bizarre answer. "You mean the insect?" asked Byrne. "Or maybe you stopped talking and meant to say 'tac' after that." Ace.