As 2023 comes in to land like a lumbering low budget jet forced on a long haul diversion, Radio Wales takes a moment to survey the passengers and find out exactly what kind of year it’s been – and what’s on the horizon.
In this daring, ground-breaking format, join Tom Price as he spends two hours catching up with friends of his, comedians, the station, and Wales. Because he can’t actually have social interactions without rules, he’s decided that each guest will have two songs available to tell their best two stories from 2023 and look ahead to 2024. Basically it’s an excuse for funny stories, hopes and dreams.
Crucially, this is not a Round Robin note folded inside a Christmas card. We’re not interested in work projects or house renovations. We’re not after an update on how the kids are or how that wedding was. We just don’t care about how the golf trip to Portugal went.
Unless that golf trip involves a fantastic tale of lost passports, mistaken identity and a short spell in a foreign prison. Because what we do want, what we are unapologetically harvesting, are the two best stories from their year. They can be funny, frank, moving, poignant, incredible, lucky or completely random. Each story will tee up a song of our guest’s choice – they decide how it relates to the story if at all – and we’ll end up throwing an eclectic, er, seasonal barbecue of a playlist together.
And what does 2024 hold for our by now tipsy (they won’t actually be tipsy) guests? We’ll find out.
The results? Two hours of great stories, top music, and not having to talk to your family.
Featuring: Stephen Merchant, Cariad Lloyd, Tom Allen, Rosie Jones, Dane Baptiste, Russell T Davies, Rosie Holt and explorer Simon Reeves.
An Unusual Production for BBC Radio Wales.
Heather Davies 