Mark Thomas (I)

The head of the heard: Radio comedies vie for Sony Award

An unknown comedian has been shortlisted for the biggest prize in radio comedy - alongside the likes of Paul Whitehouse, Mark Thomas and Mitchell and Webb - with her first ever show. Miriam Elia landed a six-part series on digital channel BBC 7 after winning the corporation's Witty And Twisted competition last year, which sought new writers for radio. Now her show A Series of Psychotic Episodes has been nominated for the prestigious Sony Award for radio comedy.

Radio Head: Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation

Rowland Rivron, Sandi Toksvig, Mark Steel, Mark Thomas, Jo Brand, Graham Fellowes, Russell Brand . . . the list of modern comedians that divides the nation is a surprisingly lengthy one. And it will be only part of the listening public that will be rearranging its life to be in front of the wireless when the latest series of the sociopolitical lecture Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation kicks off next Tuesday (Radio 4, 6.30pm).

Pick of the Day

Thanks to the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act, anyone who wants to demonstrate near the Houses of Parliament must first get permission from the police. There don't need to be a thousand of you chanting and waving placards, either: the law has been used against the pacifist Brian Haw, while the comedian Mark Thomas says a friend was once threatened with arrest for trying to eat a cake on to which the word Peace had been iced.

So many causes, so little time

Unless you have permission, it's illegal to demonstrate near the Houses of Parliament. But that wasn't going to stop Mark Thomas, who set out to make a record number of protests in one day.

Like Michael Moore, Thomas' victims are often the most approachable, yet most inappropriate of targets. If you have an issue with McDonald's, what's the mileage in hassling the kid whose only briefing on McDonald's dubious politics is to ask you whether you want to "go large with that"?

An experience I'd rather forget

The Mark Thomas Comedy Product blatantly fails the Trades Description Act, being deeply puerile, unintelligent, irrelevant, ill-considered, dishonest and fatuous. Apart from that, though, it stank.