Desert Island Discs

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Desert Island Discs is a long-running BBC Radio 4 programme. It was first broadcast on January 29 1942 and is said by the Guinness Book of Records to be the longest-running music programme in the history of radio. ^[1] Guests are invited to imagine themselves as castaways on a desert island, and asked to choose the eight pieces of music they would take with them; discussion of their choices permits a review of their life. Aside from the music they select, they are also permitted to take one book, excluding the Bible or other religious work and the complete works of Shakespeare, which are deemed to be already present on the island (probably to force castaways to make more original and interesting choices). They also choose one luxury item which must be inanimate and of no survival value, though large supplies of champagne seem to be allowed.^[2] The names and selections of some of the more recent guests are listed separately.

The last six Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom have all been guests on the programme, although only John Major (choosing Lord's Cricket Ground as his luxury) appeared while in office. The first "castaway" was Vic Oliver, and other guests have included Jacob Bronowski, Noël Coward, Benny Hill, Sid James, Dame Judi Dench, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, John Malkovich, David Cameron, Bobby Robson, John Peel, Princess Margaret, George Clooney, J.K. Rowling, Brian May, George Foreman, Rod Steiger, Billy Connolly, Richard Dawkins, Gene Pitney, Engelbert Humperdinck, Stephen King, Stephen Hawking, Rowan Williams, Jo Brand and Matt Lucas. A number of guests, such as Arthur Askey, have been on Desert Island Discs more than once.

Desert Island Discs was devised by its original presenter, Roy Plomley.^[3] After Plomley's death in 1985, it was presented first by Michael Parkinson, and from 1988 by Sue Lawley.^[3] Lawley stepped down in August 2006 after 18 years as host. She was replaced by Kirsty Young,^[3] who interviewed illustrator Quentin Blake for her first show, broadcast on October 1 2006.

The programme's theme music is By The Sleepy Lagoon composed by Eric Coates in 1930.

The most-requested piece of music over the show's first 60 years was Ode to Joy, the last movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. ^[4]

Unlike most Radio 4 programmes, Desert Island Discs cannot be heard on the BBC's Listen Again service, which allows most programmes to be listened to up to a week after transmission via the website. The programme's website [2] explains that this is due to "rights issues". This does not refer to the rights to the records featured, but the rights to the format of the programme itself, as explained in The Sunday Times in 2006:

Because Plomley was a freelance, Desert Island Discs became his copyright. After his death in 1985 it went to his wife, Diana Wong. She still owns it but is now in her eighties and their daughter, Almond, acts for her.

Mother and daughter and the BBC agree on the need to have Plomley mentioned in the credits and the corporation pays Diana an annual sum (£5,000 in 1996, so probably more now). However, the family and the BBC cannot agree on a suitable payment, for the current rights holder, to make the programme available after the weekly broadcast. This is why it is not available to listen to via the BBC’s website. Anybody hoping for that is greeted with this terse message: “For rights reasons, Desert Island Discs is not available as a listen again item." [3]

[edit] See also

• Desert Island Discs: castaways' choices

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Desert Island Discs (BBC latest episode)
• Desert Island delights (BBC website on the programme's 60th birthday in 2002; includes two pictures of presenter Roy Plomley, one with guest Dame Gladys Cooper in 1967 and one with guest Paul McCartney in 1982)
• Sue Arnold, "The Lagoon Show", The Observer, London, 17 March 2002de:Desert Island Discs