Dean, Robert and Hand, Richard J. (2013) “Bashed be biff by all with ears”: Blue Jam and taboo radio. In: No Known Cure: The Comedy of Chris Morris. British Film Institute/Palgrave, pp. 126-140. ISBN 9781844574797, 9781844574803
Documents |
|
![]() |
PDF
Blue Jam and Taboo Radio - Rob Dean.pdf - Whole Document Restricted to Repository staff only 1MB |
Item Type: | Book Section |
---|---|
Item Status: | Live Archive |
Abstract
The primary focus of this chapter is 'Blue Jam' (1997-99), Morris’s three-season ‘ambient’ music/comedy series for BBC Radio. Blue Jam combines music, comedy sketches and monologues with an ambient soundtrack. Within this, the programmes utilize an extraordinarily controlled pace in an exploration of social satire and taboo through abstract, even dream-like, humour. For a radio scholar such as Tim Crook, Morris’s provocative radio work warrants comparison with Orson Welles. Furthermore, it could be argued that Morris’s unique development of the concept of the soundscape in Blue Jam represents an apotheosis of both audio comedy and, paradoxically, the alienating essence of the medium (radio’s ‘disembodied voice’). This will be explored through a close analysis of specific examples from the three series.
Keywords: | Chris Morris, Radio, Comedy, Blue Jam |
---|---|
Subjects: | W Creative Arts and Design > W490 Drama not elsewhere classified P Mass Communications and Documentation > P302 Radio studies |
Divisions: | College of Arts > School of Fine & Performing Arts > School of Fine & Performing Arts (Performing Arts) |
ID Code: | 15544 |
Deposited On: | 20 Oct 2014 08:14 |
Repository Staff Only: item control page