Photo: BBC

I’ve lost count of the reasons that, no matter where you are on Planet Earth, you should tune in to Radio 4 on a regular basis. With a schedule that boasts a wide variety of spoken-word programs including news, drama, comedy, science and history, Radio 4 is set to tap into the talents of Meera Syal, who will reprise her Granny Kumar character, Sushila, from The Kumars at No. 42 for a new chat show and the newest (as of today, anyway) reason to give a listen.

“I got to play the most fun character, this very naughty Ummi who basically was a loose cannon,” Syal recalled in an interview with The United Kingdom Punjab Heritage Association’s Book Club.

“The greatest joy for me was that so much of that show was improvised. You don’t get a chance to use those skills very often, particularly on television. But we just used to fly by the seat of our pants. We’d have a lot of questions ready for the guests. But obviously you don’t know how the guests are going to answer … you just had to ride it like you were surfing and see where it went. It was so exhilarating,” added Syal.

Co-starring Sanjeev Bhaskar (The Indian Doctor, Unforgotten), Indira Joshi and Vincent Ebrahim (After You’ve Gone, The Old Guys), The Kumars At No. 42, was a semi-improvised bit of brilliance that focused on a British-Indian family living in Wembley, London, who were enabling adult son Sanjeev’s dream to become a television presenter by welcoming celebrity guests into a TV studio built in their back garden.

Photo: BBC

Another reason to listen on into the night, Radio 4 also broadcasts the greatness of the Shipping Forecast (weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the coasts of the British Isles) which reached 150 years old in August 2017. And, if you can’t get enough of Radio 4, check out its sister station, Radio 4 Extra, which complements the main channel by broadcasting repeats from the Radio 4 archive, extended versions of Radio 4 programs and supplements to series such as The Archers and Desert Island Discs.

With further details on Radio 4’s Granny Kumar chat show yet to be released, give a listen to Radio 4 and Radio 4 Extra. It’s well worth your time.