The Naked Week: Ep4: Spies, Uncanny Ghosts, and Christmas Crackers

A satirical smorgasbord of The News Quiz's best bits of the year. Covering international tensions, a UK General Election, and of course the question on everyone’s lips, what exactly was a ‘Brat Summer’?With Andy Zaltzman in the chair, full of whimsical animal metaphors and cricket stats, we’ll hear highlights from the crème de la crème of British and international comedy and journalism to dissect the news. It's a chance to return to, and revel in, some of 2024's funniest moments, starring Ian Smith, Lucy Porter, Geoff Norcott, Alasdair Beckett-King, Mark Steel, Ria Lina, Simon Evans and Zoe Lyons, amongst others.Come digest a dramatic year of news, along with the leftover turkey, as we say goodbye to 2024, goodbye to 14 years or Conservative rule, goodbye to short-lived presidential hopeful Kamala Harris, and goodbye to Earth’s temporary second moon.Written and presented by Andy ZaltzmanProducer: Sam Holmes Executive Producer: James Robinson Production Coordinator: Jodie CharmanA BBC Studios Audio Production for Radio 4 An Eco-Audio certified Production

Landing slap-bang in the no-man’s land between Christmas and New Year, the Naked Week team will be heading out of the trenches to challenge the news to a game of football. This week, we find out which of the year's political memoirs passes our special test, and we ask the big Christmas question 'When Is Bins?'Expect festive advice, guests full of joy and wonder, and a little drummer boy (budget depending), as the show sticks its hand into all the Christmas current affairs, pulls out a bag of news-giblets and stuffs the airwaves with irreverent features, mischievous set-pieces and more jokes than you can shake a seasonal stick at.Presenter of Presents: Andrew Hunter MurrayChief Christmas Correspondent: Amy HoggartWritten by: Jon Holmes Jason Hazeley Katie Sayer Sarah Dempster Gareth Ceredig Adam Macqueen Louis MianProduced by Jon Ho-ho-ho-Holmes.Production Team: Katie Sayer, Phoebe Butler, Laura Grimshaw, Jerry Peal, Tony Churnside.An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

The team give the news a hard stare as they try to recruit a spy and steal some of the Uncanny podcast's listening figures by contacting Nigel Farage with a ouija board.From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at.Host Andrew Hunter Murray and chief correspondent Amy Hoggart will strip away the curtain and dive into not only the big stories, but also the way the news is packaged and presented.From award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers a topical news nude straight to your ears.Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Sarah Dempster Gareth Ceredig Jason Hazeley Adam Macqueen Louis MianGuests: Neil Frost and Chris Banatvala.Production Team: Laura Grimshaw, Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, Katie Sayer, Phoebe ButlerProduced and Directed by Jon Holmes Executive Producer: Philip AbramsAn unusual production for BBC Radio 4

The team look at the week's news and, while trying understand how rebels took Syria so quickly, a military strategist helps us to take the Warwickshire stronghold of Nuneaton. Plus Rupert the Jorkiepoo helps solve the prison overcrowding crisis.From The Skewer’s Jon Holmes comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. Host Andrew Hunter Murray (No Such Thing As A Fish, QI Elf, Private Eye) and chief correspondent Amy Hoggart strip away the curtain and dive into not only the big stories, but also the way in which the news is packaged and presented.From award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers a topical news nude straight to your ears.Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Sarah Dempster Gareth Ceredig Jason Hazeley Adam Macqueen Louis MianPartial Nakedness: March Haynes Karl MinnsProduction Team: Laura Grimshaw, Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, Katie Sayer, Phoebe Butler.Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes Executive Producer: Philip AbramsAn unusual production for BBC Radio 4

We interrogate how many milestones make a mission, look at how some MPs fund their offices and with all the Gregg Wallace unpleasantness we put a crisis management expert under pressure to give celebrities tips on how to apologise.Host Andrew Hunter Murray, Chief Correspondent Amy Hoggart, The Skewer's Jon Holmes and The Naked Week team deliver a topical news-nude straight to your ears.The Naked Week team strip away the curtain and dive into not only the big stories, but also the way in which the news is packaged and presented.Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Sarah Dempster Gareth Ceredig Jason Hazeley Adam Macqueen Louis MianAdditional material: Marc Haynes Cornelius MendezGuests this week: Jordan Greenaway Dr Beth MaloryProduction Team: Laura Grimshaw, Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, Katie Sayer, Phoebe ButlerProduced and Directed by Jon Holmes Executive Producer: Philip AbramsAn unusual production for BBC Radio 4

The team look at the week's news and pull back the curtain on the dark arts of lobbying. Plus, to draw attention to climate change, an art critic throws Michelangelo's David at a pyramid of tomato soup tins. It's like Just Stop Oil's tactics, but in reverse.The Skewer’s Jon Holmes comes The Naked Week, a fresh way of dressing the week’s news in the altogether and parading it around for everyone to laugh at. Host Andrew Hunter Murray and chief correspondent Amy Hoggart strip away the curtain and dive into not only the big stories, but also the way the news is packaged and presented.From award-winning writers and a crack team of contemporary satirists - and recorded in front of a live audience - The Naked Week delivers a topical news nude straight to your ears.Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Sarah Dempster Gareth Ceredig Jason Hazeley Adam Macqueen Louis MianAdditional material: Marc Haynes Cornelius MendezGuests this week: Verity Babbs Professor Mark MiodownikProduction Team: Laura Grimshaw, Tony Churnside, Jerry Peal, Katie Sayer, Phoebe Butler.Produced and Directed by Jon Holmes Executive Producer: Philip AbramsAn unusual production for BBC Radio 4

Jeremy Clarkson and Nigel Farage weigh in on the new land tax, Rachel Reeves defends her CV and Donald Trump talks turkey.This week's impressionists are Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod, Duncan Wisbey and Katia Kvinge.The episode was written by: Nev Fountain and Tom Jamieson, Laurence Howarth, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Sophie Dickson, Angela Channell, Christina Riggs and Joe Topping.Executive Producer: Richard Morris Produced and created by Bill Dare Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow

Donald Trump makes some surprising new additions to his team, there’s an unexpected guest at COP29, Nigel Farage accepts that climate change is real, and Justin Welby explains the real reason for his resignation.This week's impressionists are Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod, Jess Robinson, Duncan Wisbey and Jason ForbesThe episode was written by: Tom Jamieson and Nev Fountain, Laurence Howarth, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Joe Topping, Christina Riggs, Pravanya Pillay with additional material by Lizzy Mansfield and Vicky Richards.Executive Producer: Pete Strauss Produced and created by Bill Dare Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow

What really swung it for Donald Trump and how did Joe Biden really react to the result? Kemi Badenoch’s first decision as Tory leader, and Nigel Farage’s Trump victory podcast.This week's impressionists are Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod, Jess Robinson and Duncan Wisbey.The episode was written by: Tom Jamieson and Nev Fountain, Laurence Howarth, Ed Amsden and Tom Coles, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Cody Dahler, Joe Topping, Peter Tellouche, Duncan Wisbey with additional material by Jennifer Walker and Vicky Richards.Song lyrics by Bill Dare and Duncan Wisbey Music by Duncan Wisbey Executive Producer: James Robinson Produced and created by Bill Dare Production Co-ordinator: Caroline Barlow

What was Rachel Reeves’ real inspiration for her budget? What advice is Kamala Harris giving to Joe Biden, and what exactly is a ‘working person’? JD Vance and Tim Walz make their first appearances on the show and Rishi Sunak probably his last.This week's impressionists are Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Lewis MacLeod, Jess Robinson and Jason Forbes.The episode was written by: Tom Jamieson and Nev Fountain, Laurence Howarth, Ed Amsden and Tom Coles, Cody Dahler, Rob Darke, Edward Tew, Sophie Dickson with additional material by Jennifer Walker.Sound design: Rich Evans Executive Producer: Richard Morris Produced and created by Bill Dare Production Coordinator: Caroline Barlow