Tuesday 23 June 2009

Brian & Georgina's Big Bang: Still Counting...

Podcasts can, in many cases, be a form of companionship to people. Music is all well and good on your portable music device but sometimes your favourite album doesn’t offer you a friendly voice, where a Podcast can. Many of my particular journeys on this great country’s far-from-great public transport system have been far from lonely, as they are shared with people from around the world in audio form. One pair I never travel without is Brian Luff and Georgina Sowerby, the hosts of Brian and Georgina’s Big Bang.

Both accomplished comedians and producers in their own right, Brian and Georgina reside in “leafy Crouch End” and from the outskirts of London they offer their own slanted, often times sexy, view on the world. From the moment the show starts, you feel like you’re sharing time with treasured friends. Brian and Georgina put their whole lives on display here leaving no stone unturned, and from Georgina’s infectious laughter to Brian’s mood swings it feels like you’re in the room with them.

Sowerby and Luff understand that a good Podcast can’t just be two people chatting nonchalantly and offer up recurring segments for listeners to contribute to. Weird news story segment – oddly titled “Dead Penguin” – has become the most popular feature in Sowerby and Luff’s Podcasting history. A close runner up for that crown is “Counting Things” which does exactly what it says on the tin. Listeners are invited to email Brian and Georgina and tell them what they’ve been counting this week. Believe it or not, this bizarre premise gets more correspondence than any other aspect of their show with people from every corner of the globe writing to tell everybody what they’ve been tallying in the last seven days. Proof, if needed, that when it comes to content simplicity is the key.

For half a decade, Brian Luff and Georgina Sowerby have provided consistent fun comedy for the iPod generation and are a shining example of a pair that “get it”. They are a big part of Comedy 365, the closest thing to a Podcast “channel” which features content from some of the funniest people to upload to RSS. True pioneers of the original Podcast boom, their consistency in the field should be applauded. Whilst they have adapted their style over the years they are still the Brian and Georgina we know and love and make excellent company for those long road trips or hefty delays at Birmingham New Street Station.

Brian and Georgina Official Website