Knocker (radio series)
Encyclopedia
Knocker is a British
radio
situation comedy
broadcast on digital radio
station BBC 7
, recorded before a live audience. It is written by and stars Neil Edmond
as Ian Dunn, a long suffering market research
er. The series also co-stars Paula Wilcox
as Ian's boss, Mary. The programme, produced by Tilusha Ghelani
, was first broadcast between 19 November and 24 December 2007.
.
Ian also has to manage his problems with his boss, Mary. While Ian believes he is trying to be kind to her, she just wants him to get as many responses to his surveys as he possibly can. She even suggests to Ian that he should break the rules, but Ian considers breaking the Market Research Code of Conduct unacceptable, even if it would make his job easier. While not sorting out Ian's problems, Mary usually tries to solve those of Andre, a character who never appears, but is constantly referred to as someone who is accident prone.
chose the series as his "Pick of the Day" saying, "Elsewhere, Knocker (11.15pm, BBC7) is having a few laughs at the expense of market researchers. Ian Dunn (Neil Edmond) is the International Query Board UK's longest-serving door-to-door interviewer, spreading a little irritation everywhere he goes with his broken clipboard and inappropriate footwear. Some people, it seems, would rather hide in their bins than answer questions about flannels ..."
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
broadcast on digital radio
Digital radio
Digital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
station BBC 7
BBC 7
BBC Radio 4 Extra, formerly known as BBC 7 and BBC Radio 7, is a British digital radio station broadcasting comedy, drama, and children's programming nationally 24 hours a day. It is the principal broadcasting outlet for the BBC's archive of spoken-word entertainment...
, recorded before a live audience. It is written by and stars Neil Edmond
Neil Edmond
Neil Edmond is a British actor and comedy writer.Neil was a member of the comedic sketch trio The Consultants, alongside James Rawlings and Justin Edwards. In 2002 they won the Perrier award for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The Consultants went on to record four series for BBC...
as Ian Dunn, a long suffering market research
Market research
Market research is any organized effort to gather information about markets or customers. It is a very important component of business strategy...
er. The series also co-stars Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Chrissy in the British comedy Man About the House .-Early sitcom fame:...
as Ian's boss, Mary. The programme, produced by Tilusha Ghelani
Tilusha Ghelani
Tilusha Ghelani is a BBC Radio producer who is particularly associated with light entertainment programmes. She joined the BBC in 2002 as a producer in Radio Light Entertainment...
, was first broadcast between 19 November and 24 December 2007.
Plot
Knocker revolves around the unfortunate tale of Ian Dunn, who works as the sole surviving market researcher for International Query Board UK. His position as the only member of the Board who actually goes out of the office to canvas the opinions of the public is not surprising, considering what has to put up with on a day-to-day basis. Ian has to put up with all kinds of bad weather, while trying to ask complete strangers about personal details on the street or at their homes. As a result, most people are hostile to him and he hardly ever gets any work done. The only people Ian ever manages to interview successfully tend to be those who are in it only to gain something from him, or because they are on the verge of insanityInsanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
.
Ian also has to manage his problems with his boss, Mary. While Ian believes he is trying to be kind to her, she just wants him to get as many responses to his surveys as he possibly can. She even suggests to Ian that he should break the rules, but Ian considers breaking the Market Research Code of Conduct unacceptable, even if it would make his job easier. While not sorting out Ian's problems, Mary usually tries to solve those of Andre, a character who never appears, but is constantly referred to as someone who is accident prone.
Reception
Knocker has had some positive reviews. Phil Daoust from The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
chose the series as his "Pick of the Day" saying, "Elsewhere, Knocker (11.15pm, BBC7) is having a few laughs at the expense of market researchers. Ian Dunn (Neil Edmond) is the International Query Board UK's longest-serving door-to-door interviewer, spreading a little irritation everywhere he goes with his broken clipboard and inappropriate footwear. Some people, it seems, would rather hide in their bins than answer questions about flannels ..."
Episodes
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