How much of the podcast is pre-planned? Do you have a rough outline of things you'll discuss on the show or is it all spontaneous? Some of the sections feel like they were worked out beforehand? Is that just 'cos you're all well proper talented at comedy?
F.A.Q/ Q&A
(200 posts) (45 voices)-
JimSterling
MemberPosted 10 months ago # -
typeforty
MemberRay, do you have any methods you use to fend off the Stephen Fry depression when it gets really bad?
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorJim - the sections are often pre-planned in the sense that we will have something we wish to talk about, but we never script it or plan the conversation (except for when we are clearly reading a letter or whatever).
typeforty - If I knew the answer for 'fending off' I would write it in a book and be a multi-mullioinaire. In terms of how to 'deal' with it - the only routine I would say I perhaps try to get into is removing myself from the way of others. The most difficult thing is being able to acknowledge to yourself that the way you feel is due to SFD and to accept that it is transitory - easy to type, far more difficult (occasionally impossible) to do at the time. I tried pills (fluoxetine) which did nothing but make me a touch psychotic so they were quickly knocked on the head. It's also important, I think, to give yourself rules of engagement for when it is happening - eg. to not make any important, permanent decisions during it.Genuinely the best advice I can give is that you are open about it, make sure your nearest and dearest are aware of it and don't take it personally (again, doesn't mean they will be able to), and try to ride the wave.Ed's usual advice to me however, is "cheer up"...Posted 10 months ago # -
typeforty
MemberThanks, Ray; some really useful advice in there, actually - especially the bit about not making important decisions!
And hey, if all else fails, I'll give Ed's way a go too. Keep up the good work!
Posted 10 months ago # -
GarlicDead
MemberWhat's the deal with the girl who introduces the podcast?
Posted 10 months ago # -
typeforty
MemberDon't you mean pudcast? ;)
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorI don't understand that one. How do you mean "what's the deal"?
Posted 10 months ago # -
GarlicDead
MemberLike who is she and who's idea was it for her to introduce the podcast etc.
Posted 10 months ago # -
A Predator
MemberGlad I gave Saw a miss this time round in that case, sad times.
How are you?
Posted 10 months ago # -
Tim
MemberAs a fellow SFD sufferer I would wholeheartedly endorse Ray's advice on this. Especially the part about not making important decisions. Leave notes to yourself when you are not SFD'd reminding you of this for when you are. And it is always transient although not easy to remember at the time.
Everyone has their own ways of dealing with it though. You have to find a path that is right for you. But if you can be open about it as Ray suggests then people around you will at the very least know what is happening and understand why you've gone all uncommunicatative on them for a while and at best offer you love and support until its over. Then there's always the Peacock and Gamble Forum where you will always find much love.By the way, when I first read your answer Ray I didn't click as to what SFD stood for. Ten minutes and one google search later I had become convinced that you suffered from some advanced form of Schizophrenia the symptoms of which were so severe I wondered how you managed to get by day to day never mind produce at the work rate that you do. Then as I read on, such is the hypochondriac that is me, I began to think I might actually be displaying some of these symptoms. In fact I was thinking about having a word with my GP about it. Imagine my relief to come back to these pages to discover that I just had good old common garden Stephen Fry Depression. Phew! It felt good to be home again. I guess the moral is things could be worse. Or read things properly. And always listen to Ed Gamble. Cheers.
Posted 10 months ago # -
FrasersGhost
MemberI think the little girl says pudcarsed like what Raji used to do.
Why are all my posts about Raji?
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorChrist knows.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorOh and the girl is a relative of someone we know and it was my idea to have her introduce it. It isn't for any other reason than it just being a point of repetition and recognition.
She did it in a pre-recorded film at the live show last year so we proved she was a real girl!Posted 10 months ago # -
nood
MemberRay: Would you shave your beard and/or cut your hair for a part in a telly show?
Posted 10 months ago # -
robwebster
MemberDo you prefer the Ray Peacock Podcast or the Peacock & Gamble Podcast?
And er, subquestion, is there a reason you took a more freeform approach to Peacock & Gamble, as opposed to the sort of "series" format of the RPP, where you'd have feature X and feature Y for ten shows, take a hiatus, then change the items up entirely?Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorP&G would be far superior to the old shows, so I'm gonna vote for that.
To be honest, the only difference in the approach to P&G is that the breaks between 'series' are more unpredictable. Generally speaking I reckon the sections still run for roughly ten weeks before we change them. I have not counted - just reckon.We basically do the shows when we can get together and record every week, and don't when we can't.At the moment we are too busy but we are gonna get one out before/at Christmas. After that remains to be seen.Posted 10 months ago # -
So - what happened to the telly ideas? From listening to the podcasts, there was the one where famous actors were in it, yet you and Ed were the true stars, and also the one set in the lighthouse with a zombie band...
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorOngoing. The Lighthouse show is pretty much what the Emergency Broadcast Live Show is working towards. It's not in a lighthouse and there's no zombie band though. These ideas were trashed by important people. They are fucking brilliant ideas though.
We've also both just been in a pilot that I've written, but we only had two scenes together. Ed was best in these scenes but I am in it more so it evens itself out.Posted 10 months ago # -
CharlieSolace
MemberThis thread is the best. I am being greedy though and asking three questions.
Ray - how much of a "character" are you when you're on stage, or is your stand-up persona pretty much you?
Have you and Ed ever considered doing video versions of the podcast - or is the audio version already a shed-load of work to produce?
Have you ever considered doing a 'podclash' with another comedy duo - in the similar vein to the Collings/Herrin/Perfect10 christmas ones?Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorHello Charlie
I'm not a character at all on stage, nor do I have an onstage persona, that's pretty much me. "Ray Peacock" was originally a character (a yorkshire shouty man) and I retained the name when I stopped doing it. There are some comedy promoters (thick ones) who still can't understand that it is just a stage name, but that is all that remains of any character act.I think the writing videos on youtube are pretty much video versions of the podcast, albeit very short and lower key. There's no way to release a vodcast at full length as the size of the files would be stupid and we've nothing to add with our faces.I wasn't aware that there was a podclash thing with Herring. Interestingly I mentioned this to Rich a couple of years ago when we were going to start a podcast war with the old Ray Peacock Podcast and a few other ones. Lovely to see that Rich has gone off and done that idea for me. I was with him last night and wish I had read this then.Oh and btw The Guardian - we started our podcast long before he done his, and we done the first ever live podcast before anyone else...Just saying.Posted 10 months ago # -
A Predator
MemberWhat would you rather do generally, read the book or see the film?
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorI'd rather read the book, but I now usually have to see the film, or wait for the film to come out on blu-ray and then leave it on the table in the living room for a while gathering dust before I find the time to watch it.
I still make time to come on here though. Unlike some people I can mention.Posted 10 months ago # -
CharlieSolace
MemberCheers for the response, much appreciated :)
where is Ed?
Posted 10 months ago # -
mumbles
MemberDear Ray,
Who are your best ones of comedy? Do you have any particular comedians you really like/dislike
Also did you ever listen to Ricky Jingle's podcast and what were your thoughts?
Posted 10 months ago # -
CharlieSolace
MemberAnd another thing, wasn't that big tall one from off of inbetweeners stealing some of Ed's material last night on Live at the Apollo? The stuff about his shirt not fitting sounded a bit familiar...
Posted 10 months ago # -
JonJonB
MemberProbably an obvious one, but what opinion(s) do you guys have on the latest Frankie Boyle controversy regarding his joke about Jordan's kid? Just curious to hear a non-bullshit sanitized answer from people in the same field, as most standups asked for comments about things like this in the media will give a tactful, PC response.
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorMumbles - Ed is my best one and I would expect him to say the same but about me.
Heard most of Ricky Jingle's Podcast and enjoyed it very much, really liked Idiot Abroad as the threeway thing with Ricky, Steve and Karl is starting to get a little tired for me personally. Don't think it is rubbish or anything, know people really like it, but I think I've heard enough now, so it was good to see Karl leading a programme on TV.And contrary to what I have just said, Karl meeting Warwick Davies with Ricky on Gervais' new stand up dvd is one of the funniest things I ever saw.CharlieSolace - No idea, didn't see it. You'll have to ask Ed that as he is the one that is always away bumming Greg (or being bummed by him more probably).JonJonB - Jordan has no right of complaint given that none of us would even know her child's name if she hadn't sold his fucking life before he was even born.*bows*Posted 10 months ago # -
Just wondering - both you and Ed seem to enjoy doing comedy, but are you noticing that more and more people are doing stand-up looking for a quick route to becoming 'famous'? Only asked because I was surprised to see your friend Nick Mohammed in some god-awful BBC sitcoms recently (How Not to Live your Life, Reggie Perrin etc..), when I always considered him to be more about the stand-up circuit rather than the telly thing...
I suppose the question is - do you place more value on producing credible output to a limited group of people rather than appealling to the masses with dumbed-down material?
By the way, this isn't a dig at Nick or any other comedians that choose this route - it's just my opinion....
Posted 10 months ago # -
Ray Peacock
AdministratorNick is in everything. He simply can't say no.
The thing about Nick is, not only is he a brilliant actor with amazing comic timing and sensibility, but he is also a bit brown in a certain light.I would say that I would rather do stuff I find funny even if this is at the expense of getting on telly but I get frowned at a fair bit. Currently looking to find a happy medium but I regularly cut off my nose to spite my face/stick to my guns.Posted 10 months ago # -
Ed Gamble
AdministratorRight I have come on this bit now hello.
Mumbles - Ray is my favourite. My best bit he does is "spoon, jar, jar, spoon."
CharlieSolace - No he didn't steal anything off me. I did that once when I was wearing a little t shirt and by coincidence that one was being filmed and went on YouTube. It is Greg's thing really (not that I copied it, just done it because I am all quick and witty. And fat.)
Oh, and Nick is a character comic and actor so it is perfectly within his remit to do all the acting. And alot of those things you mentioned were actually played by Uncle Ben so that is a bit Frankie Boyle of you.
Posted 9 months ago #
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