The Atkinson People is a 1979 BBC radio comedy series. The series, which was first broadcast sporadically in 1979 by the BBC's arts radio station Radio 3

BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...

, features a satirical profile of a fictional famous person each week.

It is notable as being the first radio or television programme to star comedian and actor Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Atkinson

Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...

. The programme was co-written by Atkinson and Richard Curtis

Richard Curtis

Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...

 and produced by future Not the Nine O'Clock News

Not the Nine O'Clock News

Not the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...

co-star Griff Rhys-Jones, then a BBC Radio Comedy producer. In most cases, Atkinson played the lead characters, with other voices provided by Hugh Thomas

Hugh Thomas

Hugh Thomas , is a British historian and life peer.Hugh Thomas may also refer to:* Hugh Thomas , American choral conductor, pianist and educator* Hugh Thomas , Australian rules football coach...

 and Peter Wilson

Peter Wilson

Peter Wilson may refer to: * Peter Wilson , Scottish-born American footballer in the 1890s and early 1900s* Pete Wilson , American baseball pitcher...

. Following the precident set by The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series)

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy radio series written by Douglas Adams . It was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom by BBC Radio 4 in 1978, and afterwards on global short wave radio on the BBC World Service, National Public Radio in the U.S. and CBC Radio in...

, the series was also an early adopter of stereophonic sound

Stereophonic sound

The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...

; it was recorded in 1978, but only broadcast in 1979. The series has been repeated on BBC Radio 7 and its successor BBC Radio 4 Extra, and was picked by Armando Iannucci

Armando Iannucci

Armando Giovanni Iannucci is a Scottish comedian, satirist, writer, director, performer and radio producer. Born in Glasgow, he studied at Oxford University and left graduate work on a PhD about John Milton to pursue a career in comedy....

during his stint as "comedy controller".

Episodes

	Title	Transmission date
1	Sir Corin Basin	24 April 1979
Actor, raconteur and acknowledged dullard Sir Corin Basin takes us on an aural tour of his productions.
2	Sir Benjamin Fletcher	28 April 1979
Master orator Sir Benjamin Fletcher discusses his life and opinions.
3	George Dupont	30 April 1979
French thinker and philosopher George Dupont is an elusive figure, and remains so after this documentary.
4	Barry Good	2 November 1979
Pop artiste Barry Good.