Television Times with Steve Otis Gunn

John Robertson accidentally won awards for a kids' show that was never meant for children, has been pitching television ideas to networks that find him simultaneously fascinating and baffling, and does all of this on a voice that should probably be rested more than it is. John Robertson is an Australian comedian, writer, and creator of the cult live-action video game comedy show The Dark Room. A v...

Tom Ballard started doing stand-up at 14, burned out completely by his mid-twenties after yelling excessively every night across Europe, and came back with something much more interesting to say. Tom Ballard is an award-winning Australian comedian, writer and broadcaster, known as co-host of Triple J Breakfast and host of the late-night ABC series Tonightly with Tom Ballard. He has also acted in D...

Sharlene Hector has performed for festival crowds at Glastonbury and Mount Fuji, toured internationally with Muse and Alicia Keys, starred in a Coca-Cola advert seen around the world, and then discovered during a global pandemic that what she really wanted to do was act. Sharlene Hector is a British singer, performer and actor with a career spanning over two decades. She has toured with Basement J...

A Casio MT100 keyboard, a mate called Des, the streets of Peterborough, and a pop duo called Wolfgang that the world never heard — until now. Wolfgang was an unknown pop duo formed in 1985 in Peterborough by Steve Otis Gunn and Desmond Pye. This bonus episode finds them back on the streets where it all started, working out what they actually remember and whether any of it matches up. How a humble...

Charlie Parsons turned a real East London lock-keeper's cottage into a pop culture laboratory, invented a show watched by a billion people, and spent years watching imitators make money from it. Now he's doing it all again — in theatre. Charlie Parsons is a British television producer and format innovator, co-founder of Planet 24, and the creator of The Word, The Big Breakfast, and Survivor. Today...

Andrew O'Connor was a frustrated magician who went looking for "a mind-reading David Blaine" — and found a then-unknown Derren Brown instead. That decision alone reshaped British television. Andrew O'Connor is a British actor, magician, impressionist, game show host, and award-winning producer. He co-founded Objective Productions and helped shape Peep Show, Derren Brown: Mind Control and Star Stor...

Ignacio Lopez grew up in Mallorca, spent his British holidays on rainy Welsh caravans, and has been finding the comedy in the gap between those two worlds ever since. Ignacio Lopez is a Welsh-Spanish comedian known for his clever, culturally layered humour and appearances on Live at the Apollo and Have I Got News For You. He performs in English, Spanish and Welsh, and is a familiar face on the UK...

Moe Singleton left New York, moved to Berlin, and discovered that Seinfeld had quietly prepared him for all of it. Moe Singleton is an American comedian known for his smart, deeply relatable style across continents and cultures. He is the creator and host of the Thoughts For Your Thoughts podcast, where he interviews comedians about their origin stories, early bombs, and breakthrough moments. Why...

Joe Kent-Walters trained at a clown school in Paris, created a cult character, won the Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer Award, and has been throwing himself around stages in dress shoes ever since. Joe Kent-Walters is a British comedian best known for his larger-than-life alter ego Frankie Monroe, blending physical theatre, absurdism and punk cabaret in a way that earned him the Edinburgh Fringe Bes...

Darren Harriott describes himself as a "click-your-fingers celebrity" — famous enough to be recognised, not famous enough for anyone to be entirely sure why. He's made peace with that, moved back to the Black Country, and is now living near some greenery. Darren Harriott is an acclaimed British stand-up comedian, writer, and presenter, and a two-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee known for his sm...

Carl Donnelly started the conversation with parenting chaos and sniffles, and ended up somewhere between veganism, biohacking, Irish summers, and the ethical implications of Star Wars. Carl Donnelly is a comedian and writer known for his thoughtful, warm approach to stand-up, blending sharp observational humour with personal storytelling. A regular at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and Edinburgh Fr...

Sikisa is an immigration lawyer who does stand-up about hustle culture, grew up between Stockwell and Barbados, and has strong feelings about Peggy Mitchell. She has approximately no patience for any of it, which is exactly what makes her so funny. Sikisa is a comedian, writer, and immigration lawyer known for her laugh-out-loud sets, thoughtful storytelling, and social commentary. A regular on th...

Megan Lockhurst worked on Havoc with Tom Hardy and Forest Whitaker, has strong opinions about cinema, and grew up in a Canadian childhood that felt exactly like Stand By Me — from the inside. She also has thoughts on dill pickles that are difficult to argue with. Megan Lockhurst is an actress and singer-songwriter whose work spans screen, stage, and microphone, known for her grounded presence, pla...

Sam Nicoresti can move from the decline of Blockbuster to the philosophy of gendered spaces to the ethics of true crime podcasts in a single breath — and makes it all feel completely connected. Sam Nicoresti is a British comedian, writer, and performer blending surrealism, satire, and political commentary in their stand-up and filmed work. Their recent filmed special, drawn from their Edinburgh Fr...

Tom Fleischman has been shaping how films feel for over four decades — and most people have never heard his name, which is exactly how he knows he's doing it right. Tom Fleischman is an Academy Award-winning re-recording mixer whose credits include Goodfellas, The Irishman, School of Rock, The Silence of the Lambs, and The Devil Wears Prada. He is known for decades-long collaborations with Martin...

Chelsea Birkby is an award-nominated comedian who blends mentalism with existential dread, is very good at horse impressions, and has found genuine comfort in not always knowing, which turns out to be a surprisingly powerful comic position. Chelsea Birkby is an award-nominated comedian known for her smart, sensitive, and sneakily philosophical comedy. Her debut show, No More Mr Nice Chelsea, was c...

Cat Miller designed the props that make Severance feel like a nightmare you can't quite name — including the deliberately wrong technology that nobody in the show is allowed to explain. Cat Miller is a seasoned property master whose credits include Severance, Russian Doll, The Affair, Uncut Gems, and Confess Fletch. With a background in professional dance and a deep-rooted family history in the fi...

Joe Thomas has spent most of his career looking like he's on the verge of a breakdown — and it turns out that's been very useful. Joe Thomas is an English actor, comedian, and writer best known for his iconic role as Simon Cooper in The Inbetweeners, and for his work in Fresh Meat, White Gold, and The Festival. A former Cambridge Footlights alumnus and Taskmaster contestant, he is now forging a ne...

Tom Curley once had to persuade J.K. Simmons to wear a microphone for Whiplash — and that's not even close to the most difficult thing he's had to do on set. Tom Curley is an Oscar and BAFTA-winning production sound mixer with over two decades of experience, known for Whiplash, Yellowstone, Documentary Now! and CSI: Vegas. What guerrilla filming in Seoul with a leading Korean director actually inv...

Simon Donald started Viz in a Newcastle bedroom in 1979, created some of British comedy's most enduring characters, and spent years watching people fail to understand why it was funny — including some of the people who tried to put it on television. Simon Donald is a British comedian and co-founder of Viz, the satirical comic magazine that became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1980s and 90s. Hi...

Graham Fellows accidentally became Jilted John, accidentally became John Shuttleworth, and has spent several decades building one of the most quietly inventive careers in British comedy — largely by following things to see where they go. Graham Fellows is a British actor, comedian, and musician best known for creating Jilted John and John Shuttleworth. As Jilted John, he scored a late 70s hit that...

Ed Patrick puts people to sleep for a living and wakes them up on stage — and says there's more overlap between the two than you'd think. Ed Patrick is a comedian, author, and NHS anaesthetist known for his appearances on British panel shows, such as Have I Got News For You. He hosts the Comedians' Surgery podcast, which opens up honest conversations about health in the comedy world, and is the au...

Paul Critoph returns for the annual TV debrief — Steve attempts to review 2024's television while answering the door to impromptu Christmas deliveries, and somehow they still cover most of the important ground. Paul Critoph is an actor and regular friend of the podcast, joining Steve for the second consecutive end-of-year television review — the one where Paul also played Santa at a secret locatio...

Bobby Davro once accidentally launched a national catchphrase, shared a stage with Mickey Rooney in Milton Keynes, and has a very firm position on reality television. Four decades in and he still has zero filter. Bobby Davro is a renowned British comedian and impressionist whose career spans over four decades, known for Bobby Davro on the Box, Copycats, and a continued presence in pantomime produc...

Stephen Curry played three completely different characters on Neighbours without anyone batting an eyelid, stepped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as King Yakan in Thor: Love and Thunder, and somehow secured a lifetime supply of his favourite crisps along the way. Stephen Curry is an Australian actor known for his versatility across film and television, with standout roles in Hounds of Love, Th...