Mark Watson's Live Address To The Nation

In some instances, there might be a studio audience but they are the best crowd of all: forbidden to heckle and required to laugh. All things considered, it should the easiest gig of their lives. So why do they make it feel like such hard work?

Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation on Radio 4 was a case in point. We already knew the show was live, since the title told us as much, though just in case we had forgotten, Watson kept shrieking "We're live!" and "This is a shambles!" and remained in a state of heightened panic throughout. His hysteria was slowly transmitted to his co-hosts Tim Key and Tom Basden, whom he kept urging to talk faster, thus removing the wind from their comic sails. Watson had a certain puppyish energy, but he wasn't far off the mark in his hapless assertion: "There's a risk that the show will only be funny for those who are here."

Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation

Assisted by Tom Basden and Tim Key, Mark's back on Radio 4 to look once again at some of the qualities and character traits that make a person.

Mark Watson Addresses the Nation

Last Wednesday Mark Watson returned to the airwaves with his new show for Radio 4. So naturally we cornered Mark by the lifts and asked him to write a blog about it!

Mark Watson: After-match analysis

At last I've got five minutes to reflect on last night's antics... As you'll be able to verify if you were there, I squawked and flailed in my usual manner and kept yelping THIS IS LIVE!!!!! as my brain was continually registering that thought. I was slightly less madcap than in the pilot though, and I think overall this went equally well.

This is bold. It really is live and because of that, and the time of night, it's going to be expensive (all the behind the scenes people will be on overtime). And Mark Watson wants you to join in, too, discussing the big questions crucial to people's understanding of themselves and society, looking for big answers. There's a live studio audience who'll join in, plus Watson's two sidekicks Tim Key and Tom Basden, but your tweets and emails are requested. If it ends up sounding like that spoof, Down the Line, you've been warned.

Live on Radio 4 tomorrow - Mark Watson needs your help

Mark Watson is live on Radio 4 at 2300 on Monday evening with a brand new live pilot called Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation. The theme of the pilot is 'ambition' and your role (apart from listening, of course) is to share your ambition story. What's the craziest (or noblest) thing you've ever done when driven by ambition? Tell us your story in a comment here on the blog or on Twitter with the hashtag #watsonlive and you may hear it live on-air on Monday night (oh, and did I mention that it's live?).