British Comedy Guide
Mark Williams
The Richest Man In Britain

The Richest Man In Britain

  • Radio sitcom
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 2009
  • 6 episodes (1 series)

Radio sitcom by Nick Hornby and Giles Smith starring Mark Williams as trillionnaire Dave Mabbutt, the wealthiest man in Britain. Stars Mark Williams, Russell Tovey and Lynda Bellingham.

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Key details

Genre
Sitcom
Broadcast
2009
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
6 (1 series)
Stars
Mark Williams, Russell Tovey and Lynda Bellingham
Writers
Nick Hornby and Giles Smith
Producer
Lucy Armitage
Company

Dave Mabbutt, former drummer with long-gone Seventies rock band The Infinite Shamen is rich - Bill Gates-rich, Roman Abramovich-rich, or maybe as rich as both combined.

Back when his band were the hottest prog-rock property on Earth, Dave attempted to shed his huge earnings by donating to hapless innovators and inadvertently found himself launching the likes of Virgin, Starbucks and Damien Hirst. Money pours into his account but Dave is not liberated by wealth - he is miserable. Isolated and largely clueless about the way the world works, he is enormously powerful without noticing or recognising it.

The people with most influence over him are Dom, his young eager-to-please personal assistant, and his ungrateful cantankerous mum.

The series is mostly set in Dave's house. Designed by the man who did Stansted Airport, it is large enough to warrant its own parliamentary constituency, has its own radio station, amusement park, elephant enclosure, library and even its own branch of a high-street stationer.

The Richest Man In Britain paints a world that is larger than life. Each week, Dave resolves to bring himself back into contact with reality and find a sense of purpose. Every time, he fails.

Additional details

Production
Studio

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Friday 6th November 2009 at 11:30am on BBC Radio 4
Most recent repeats
  • Friday 5th January 2024 at 4:30am on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 6
  • Thursday 4th January 2024 at 7:30pm on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 6
  • Thursday 4th January 2024 at 2:30pm on Radio 4 Extra - Episode 6

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