Desert Island Discs is one of radio’s longest running shows, well, anywhere. It’s been on air continually since 1942 (I believe), perhaps due to the simplicity of its format: each week a guest is invited to choose the eight records they would take with them to an imaginary desert island, plus one book, and one luxury, which must not be practical (i.e. not a rubber dinghy).
Coupla weeks ago, I heard Nick Hornby, writer of the excellent Fever Pitch, the not bad High Fidelity, and not much else (again, imho). His records were ok-ish, but his luxury item was genius: you got it, an iPod. He pretty much called into question 60 years of radio show format – the 8 records he’d chosen paled into insignificance compared to the 10000 he’d just snuck on to the notional island in his pocket (leaving aside problems of power supply, sand in firewire port etc.). I think Hornby and Sue Lawley (the host) agreed that it should be banned from that point on.
Leave a comment