| Genre | Topical/Sketch comedy |
|---|---|
| Running time | 15/30 minutes |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Home station | BBC Radio 4 |
| Produced by | Jon Holmes |
| Original release | 8 January 2020 (2020-1-8) |
The Skewer is a topical radio programme broadcast onBBC Radio 4 and as a podcast onBBC Sounds. Created and produced byJon Holmes, the 15 or 30 minute episodes are asound collage which combine topicalsoundbites with excerpts from popular culture, historical quotations and songs, often in unsettling or surreal ways.
The programme is created using AvidPro Tools[1] and is designed to be heard through headphones, making use ofbinaural techniques.[2] The series has an "open door" writing policy,[1] with ideas and soundscapes being added just a few hours before broadcast.[3]
Following apilot episode on 4 April 2019[2][4]The Skewer has run for twelve series since 8 January 2020.[5]
Miranda Sawyer inThe Observer describes the programme as "Nightmare, or dream? Funny and strange, like all good things." and compared it to the work ofChris Morris.[6]
"A surreal flow of snippets - news and views, music and memories - melded into a huge orchestral piece of compelling originality. The Skewer is satire at its cleverest, both biting and beautiful. If you could listen to a Francis Bacon painting, this is what it would sound like.” - Radio Academy Awards
