{"product_id":"book-jb22","title":"Chris Addison: A BBC Radio Comedy Collection","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAward-winning comedian Chris Addison explores the funny side of human evolution and Western civilisation in two BBC Radio 4 spoof lecture series\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChris Addison - the thinking idiot's pretend anthropologist - takes us on a comic journey through the vast and rich subject of human history in these eight hilarious comedy lectures. Aided by Professor Austin Herring (aka \u003cb\u003eGeoffrey McGivern\u003c\/b\u003e), \u003cb\u003eDan Tetsell\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eJo Enright\u003c\/b\u003e, who put their considerable talents to use in sketches illustrating the lectures, he examines how Homo sapiens became Top Species, charts the rise and fall of the Western world and looks at what's next for the future of mankind.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the Sony Gold Award-winning show \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Ape that Got Lucky\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e, he muses on the topics of Language and Communication, Social Development, Science and Progress and Man or Monkey. He asks why it's fortunate the original human language developed in Africa rather than England; tells the real story of why our brains are so big; considers how many things, including penicillin and the light bulb, have been discovered by accident and reflects that a lot of the characteristics we imagine to be uniquely human are really just animal ones.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe follow-up series \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eCivilization\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e sees Chris explaining why Western civilisation is on its last legs, and pondering how we can build ourselves a new one. Over four themed episodes - Controlling the Universe, Cities and Laws, A Working Society and A Sense of Identity - he investigates the ways we've tried to influence our physical environment; the flaws in our urban democratic system; the rocky road we've travelled over the past 5,500 years and how 'culture' gives civilisation a sense of identity. And most importantly, he reveals why he chose to spell 'civilisation' with a Z…\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eCast and credits\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStarring Chris Addison, with Geoffrey McGivern, Jo Enright and Dan Tetsell\u003cbr\u003eWritten by Chris Addison and Carl Cooper\u003cbr\u003eProduced by Simon Nicholls\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 4-25 August 2005 (The Ape That Got Lucky), 5-26 April 2006 (Civilization)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin UK","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":49280475529520,"sku":"BDjb22","price":14.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/jb22-cover.jpg?v=1762372005","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-jb22","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}