Mark Tavener

Absolute Power creator dies

Mark Tavener, who created the hit Radio 4 and BBC2 satire Absolute Power, has died.

It is surprising that this radio-TV crossover about the venality of PR folk hasn't been more successful, especially as it stars Stephen Fry and John Bird. Here the eponymous masters of spin Prentiss McCabe try to make a tabloid newspaper more successful. Go on, laugh. It won't kill you.

"Are you clapped out, exhausted and shagged? Are you flabby, flaked out and flatulent? Are you just too tired, fat and sad to have a life? Then watch BBC TV. Does your brain hurt? Do you want to come home and collapse and rest your weary head? Then watch BBC television. It makes no demands on the brains at all."

The spin doctors of Prentiss McCabe are back for a final series of Absolute Power (6.30pm, Radio 4), written by Mark Tavener. Things get off to a bad start when Martin McCabe (John Bird) makes the fundamental error of telling his most important client - the Beeb - the truth about itself and its audience. Can Charles Prentiss (Stephen Fry) dig him out of the hole?

Devotees of Prentiss-McCabe, the most underhand, crooked and downright malevolent firm of political PRs outsideof reality, will be downcast to know that this is the last series for radio. So revel while the going is good (and while we anticipate the usual move to television, after Mark Tavener's creation made a successful fleeting visit a few weeks ago). Stephen Fry is in typically fruity top form as arch-manipulator Charles Prentiss, while John Bird is the slightly dithery but equally cold and calculating Martin McCabe. Tonight's episode gets the series off to a topical start, as Prentiss-McCabe, former servants of New Labour, find themselves representing the BBC.

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The BBC yesterday performed a humiliating U-turn after the Telegraph revealed that a radio satire about the Hutton inquiry had been shelved amid fears that it would "upset Downing Street".

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The BBC was forced into a climbdown last night after the writer of a satirical comedy said bosses had pulled this week's episode amid fears it "would upset No 10".

Sultans of spin and many beautiful sultanas too have been busier than ever in the past few Hutton-frenzied days. Never have they spun and woven so quickly so many different webs to aid the journalists whose columns and airtime they seek. By a rather chilling coincidence for it was scheduled 18 months ago, long before most had heard of Andrew Gilligan or Dr David Kelly the fictional masters of deceit are also back on air.