Pleasingly tall comedian Pierre Novellie (star of The Frank Skinner Show and BudPod) uses his unique style of erudite bafflement to focus on the deep and the shallow in a comedic answer to In Our Time.

Join Pierre Novellie – “a master of standup” (Guardian) – for a “scintillating mix of erudition and drollery” (Daily Telegraph) that is “just what the BBC was created for” (Chortle) in Why In The Name Of Pierre Novellie

The critically acclaimed first series asked such questions as:

Why can’t we stop eating? Pierre discusses the misuse of soap, weaponised crisps, Saint Aetholwold, and George Orwell vs the pizza.

Why have we stopped reading? Pierre examines the sex-lives of elves, the evils of chess, the economics of pebbles and why the French are always cross.

What makes me British? Pierre examines key topics such as the bowler hat, the Taliban, what Switzerland gets wrong about sex and the right way to decorate a pavement on a Saturday night.

Why am I so unfashionable? Pierre discusses his sinister alter ego, the emoji versus the quill, the most stylish way to visit the off-licence and his uncanny ability to make trousers wet.

And the second series is just now being cooked up by Pierre’s ingenious and highly original brain – so this download will include four brand new episodes too (although, who knows what stupidly essential and essentially stupid subjects they’ll land on…)

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 7-28 Jan 2026.

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