British Comedy Guide
Family Soup. Charlie (Philip Jackson). Copyright: BBC
Family Soup

Family Soup

  • Radio comedy drama
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2010
  • 1 episode

Comedy drama focusing on a journalist's attempts to write a weekly family newspaper column - when his family have deserted him. Stars Philip Jackson, Howell Evans, Manon Edwards, Geoffrey Whitehead and Lynne Seymour

F
X
R
W
E

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
2010
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
1
Stars
Philip Jackson, Howell Evans, Manon Edwards, Geoffrey Whitehead and Lynne Seymour
Writer
Elizabeth Lewis
Director
Gordon House
Producer
Kate McAll
Company

Charlie writes a column entitled 'Family Matters', which revolves around the comings and goings of his family - his Welsh wife, Carys, their young children and their pet rat, Mr Rafferty.

However, Charlie is left in charge of Mr Rafferty and his irrepressible father-in-law, Marmaduke, when his wife announces out of the blue that she is taking the children to Italy to stay in the holiday home of her marketing manager, Orlando.

He is, as he mournfully describes himself, "a husband without a wife, a father without children and a columnist without a column". For, without his family, Charlie's inspiration deserts him and the column resolutely refuses to write itself.

Beset with fears that his wife's relationship with Orlando may be a threat to his marriage, Charlie simply cannot concentrate on writing. As the deadline for his column approaches, and his editor turns from pleading to threatening, he sees his life unravelling before him. A randy 75-year-old father-in-law and a rat with an injured tail are not the companions he would have chosen to witness this disintegration.

Additional details

Production
Studio

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Friday 8th January 2010 at 2:15pm on BBC Radio 4
Episode length
30 minutes

Share this page