Week Ending

Week Ending
GenreSatirical sketch comedy
Running time25 mins
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Language(s)English
Home stationBBC Radio 4
Created by
Original release4 April 1970 (1970-04-04)[1] –
3 April 1998 (1998-04-03)[2]
No. of episodes1,132 [3]
Opening theme

Week Ending was a satirical radio current affairs sketch show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1970 and 1998. It was devised by writer-producers Simon Brett and David Hatch and was originally hosted by Nationwide presenter Michael Barratt.

The show's title was always announced as "Week Ending..." followed by the broadcast date, although the ellipsis was dropped from its billed title in Radio Times during the mid-seventies. The show was written and recorded shortly before the first broadcast (which was usually on a Friday evening) and satirised events of the week. Each show concluded with "And now here is Next Week's News", although this collection of one-liners was abandoned in the early nineties. Short gags were thereafter scattered throughout the show.

Relatively few editions survive in the BBC archives, and they are rarely repeated. There is an obvious issue of topicality, but this did not prevent annual Year Ending compilations or the re-recording of sketches for a 1989 cassette release.

  1. ^ "Week Ending... 4 April". Radio Times. Vol. 187, no. 2421 (London/South East ed.). BBC Magazines. 2 April 1970. p. 23. ISSN 0033-8060. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Week Ending". Radio Times. Vol. 296, no. 3868 (London ed.). BBC Magazines. 26 March 1998. p. 125. ISSN 0033-8060. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  3. ^ "Week Ending". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2 April 2021.