Craig Charles : biography
Radio
| Year | Programme | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | John Peel Show | Himself – guest | Recorded 6 poems during "Peel Session", aired 17 March |
| 1984 | John Peel Show | Himself – guest | Radio. Recorded 3 song, aired 14 February |
| 1987-89 | Loose Ends | Himself – panelist | Regular guest on Ned Sherrin’s chat show |
| 1989 | The Steve Jones Show | Himself – interviewee | 16 March |
| 1992-93 | The Craig Charles Breakfast Show | Himself – host | Radio show |
| 1995 | Macbeth | The Porter | Steven Berkoff’s Macbeth, aired 28 December |
| 2002–present | The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show | Himself – host | First broadcast 15 March 2002 |
| 2004 | Craig Charles Breakfast Show | Himself – host | |
| 2005 | One Nation Under a Groove | Himself – presenter | Radio 2 documentary. The Story of George Clinton & P-Funk, aired 12 February |
| 2011 | The Craig Charles Soul All-Nighter | Himself – host | 27–28 August |
| 2012 | Fantasy Funk Band at Maida Vale | Himself – presenter | Review for BBC Radio 6 Music’s 10th anniversary |
| 2012 | Beatleland | Himself – presenter | Documentary on the Beatles in Liverpool, aired 10 October |
Television career
Performance Poetry
Charles first appeared on television as the resident poet on the arts programme Riverside on BBC2, and on the day-time BBC1 chat show Pebble Mill at One.Birmingham Mail, 2 July 2011, Charles was the resident poet on Channel 4’s Black on Black (1985),"Craig Charles poet/broadcaster", Black on Black, 1985, and its entertainment-based successor, Club Mix (1986), and he appeared, weekly, as a John Cooper Clarke-style ‘punk poet’ on the BBC2 pop music programme Oxford Road Show (ORS). He performed his political poems as stand-up comedy on the late-night show, Saturday Live, and on the prime-time BBC1 chat show Wogan, where he performed a topical poem in a weekly feature. He also appeared as a guest on shows including Open Air (1988). Charles included significant acting in his performance style, to enable him to put the emotion across.Charles interviewed on the Steve Jones Show, LBC Radio (London), 16 March 1989
Red Dwarf
Charles acquired cult status in 1988, in his first television acting role, as the Liverpudlian slob Dave Lister, in BBC2’s new science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf. Charles has played this role in all eight series, until 1999, and in the 2009 three-part special, Red Dwarf: Back to Earth and Red Dwarf X (2012), for channel Dave.Alexander Baron, "Review: The Return of ‘Red Dwarf’", 10 March 2012, Charles’ younger brother, Emile Charles, guest-starred in the series III episode "Timeslides", and the songs "Bad News" and "Cash" in this episode were written by Charles, and performed by his band.Andrew Ellard, Red Dwarf series III DVD boxset Collector’s Booklet, Grant Naylor Productions, 2003, pp. 8 The role has involved Charles playing a variety of alternative characters, including a gangster, a cowboy, and angelic and evil versions of Lister,TV Zone, November 1993, Carrie Cantor "Red Dwarf Interview: Lager Lout Lister", pp. 8–11 and in him carrying out a wide range of stunts, and acting involving special effects. All episodes, except those of series VII and IX, were recorded in front of a studio audience.
