THE LATEST: 2023...

Hello you

Well here we are and here we are and here we go, in the immortal words of the Quo.

More up-to-date info on what's going on goes out on my Mailing List - do sign up. If you'd like to support what I do, there's Patreon, which also includes lots of behind-the-scenes/extra videos and things to do with broadcasting hisotyr... or some like to buy me a coffee on Ko-fi.com. Aw thanks! You.

So what's occurring? As well as the stand-up (see Gig Guide), I'm touring my new one-man show/'stand-up history' based on the origin story of British broadcasting. Two particular radio pioneers, Arthur Burrows and Peter Eckersley, had very different ideas of what broadcasting could be. They were rivals though: Burrows wanted to inform and educate; Eckersley just wanted to entertain. I play them both in this performance, based on my podcast The British Broadcasting Century and my forthcoming novel Auntie and Uncles. Come see the play on tour - or book it for your place. Click the contact link to make that happen.

PK's Writing Course returns! This was the most recent incarnation to give you a flavour. Click the Contact page to get in touch to find out when I'm running it next. I'm now teaching a version of this course as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Winchester, so I'm running it less often for all online, but only due to time limitations. Once or twice a year, I'll be running it again on Zoom.

Gigs are returning, as we embrace this new world (sounds dramatic... is dramatic). See the Gig Guide page for details. And/or do book me. Click the Contact Me page for details.

Then there's my podcast, The British Broadcasting Century. It's the oral history of the BBC, radio, and broadcasting generally. It's fun! Oh and it's nothing to do with the BBC. I've done it off my own back, no producer, no commissioner, no editor, just me researching, reading, writing, presenting and trying to get across how brilliant and amazing the origin story of British broadcasting really is. I've unearthed old clips, have great guests, and I've read a tonne of books this year that goes into this. Do listen! If you like it, rate and review wherever you get podcasts...

Try The British Broadcasting Century Podcast right here:

Enjoy the podcast? Please do consider supporting me on Patreon! It all helps keep it going. I put off Patreon for ages. I never fully liked the idea of asking people for money. Then it all went a bit pandemicky, all the gigs went... but I still wanted to create things. So this is my place where I can put writing, videos, articles, short stories, novel excerpts... and it gets me writing more, gets putting things out there more, and for those hardy few, that merry band who are happy to chip in a little each month, they get to see/read/tolerate it all either exclusively or in advance. Right now I'm posting more and more behind-the-scenesy things re my broadcasting history project (click to find out more). And JOIN US on Patreon!

Other things this year include writing Not Going Out, Radio 2 Pause for Thought, hosting on BBC Radio Sussex/Surrey, lecturing at University of Winchester, writing my first novel, some children's books, and another book on Christmas past (yes another!).

Other things? There's my Audible Original Podcast, CHRISTMAS: WHAT THE FALALALALA? You can find more details here. It's me and Grace Dent nattering about everything Christmassy, with me occasionally doing deep-dives into festive past. Plus great guests: Zaltzman, Porter, Keaveny, Bell, Nawaz, Jones... Discover their first names, plus lots about Christmas, by listening. You can only catch it on Audible, but a free trial of Audible awaits you at this link - even if you've had one before, so long as it's not in the past 12mths. Do it! Speak to you then.

My 4th children's book - Judge Deb and the Battle of the Bands - is now out - more info on that and my eight other books on St Andrew's Bookshop's special page here.

I've also got a blog about writing (formerly my Yule blog), regular articles for Surrey Life and Reform magazines, Pauses for Thought for Radio 2, plays like Three Wise Men, Carpenter's Dozen... and other stuff.

I host occasional Sunday Breakfast shows on BBC Sussex and BBC Surrey, and for when I'm not on that, there's my podcast, with guests ranging from Miranda Hart to Jimmy Cricket to Tim Vine to my kids. Currently I'm running an occasional mini series of chats on there called Catching Up. Do subscribe, rate and review to help us (well me - there's no one else) out...

And you can try A Paul Kerensa Podcast right here:

You may occasionally hear me on BBC Radio 2's Breakfast Show, with a Pause For Thought at 9:20am. You can hear all and any Pause For Thoughts, from me and others, chronologically amassed here. I try and put when these will be on my Twitter and Facebook pages, and also on my monthly email updates.

A great way of keeping across all I'm up to is to follow me on Twitter, and on Facebook, or joining the mailing list.

You're a movie geek? Try my unique movie trivia site - The Movie Timeline. It's a timeline of every event in every film ever. It also needs a makeover, but the trivia titbits are there.

I must give credit to my good pals Jon and Russ for making and feeding this site, and while I'm here let me reciprocate by plugging moviemistakes.com.

PAUL KERENSA - RECORD-BREAKER!...

The writer of the first joke on the last episode of the longest-running topical sketch show of all time...!

Ok. The News Huddlines on BBC Radio 2 is the longest-running topical sketch show of all time. Till it stopped, as soon as I joined. But on its last episode - the 2001 Christmas special - the first joke was mine. Hence, record validated.

The only bellybuttonless comedian in the world!

Ok. I have no navel. Neither did Alfred Hitchcock. Neither did Adam. Long story. So that's for another day. As far as I'm aware, no either stand-up comic in the world lacks a bellybutton. A navelless maths comedian. I've found my niche. Hence, record validated.

The first person in 20 years to beat the gong at London's Comedy Store!

Ok. The Comedy Store was one of only 2 clubs I ever went to as a comedy punter, so I thought it would be cool to play there, say, within my first 100 gigs. It was gig no.99 - the revival of the infamous Gong Show, previously banned because of its detrimental effect on comedy. Still, it's a good way of seeing lots of new acts at once, no matter how shit they are. There was about 40 of us on that first night in January 2002... I was on about 15th. So the audience had had some blood, seen some dross and were ready to be tickled. Five minutes of quick-gags/no-long-build-ups later - job done. Hence, record validated.

PAUL KERENSA - TOO MUCH FREE TIME!...

If you know your UK live comedians, click on the Comedy Tube Map to see a selection of the best, laid out as you'd never thought anyone would bother trying to before. Click on it and it'll make sense. Maybe.

PAUL KERENSA - AVAILABLE!...

If you are reading this as a booker, producer or anyone else who would like to throw some work my way, there are agent details at the top of the page, or contact me directly via the e-mail contact form.

Nuff said. Kerensa out. Stay safe. Stay groovy. Staycataion. Steak.