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Sneakiepeeks
Harry Venning
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  • Published: 25 April 2024
  • ISBN: 9781529929546
  • Imprint: BBC DL
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $29.99
Categories:

Sneakiepeeks

A Full-Cast BBC Radio Comedy

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Comedy by Harry Venning and Neil Brand about a team of inept, backstabbing surveillance operatives

Meet the bungling surveillance team you won’t want on your tail.

The time, now - the place, outside your window. Three surveillance operatives are on an unspecified job, working for an unspecified employer. Together, they are Beagle Team.

Good surveillance operatives have patience, alertness and discretion - this is a series about the other type of surveillance operative. Bill (Richard Lumsden), career snoop and technical specialist, has long carried a torch for beautiful yet disconnected fieldworker Sharla (Nina Conti), who doesn't know he exists, despite sharing the back of a van with him for most of their working life. Mark (Daniel Kaluuya), an enthusiastic yet slightly criminal trainee, has been assigned to them by their unknown employer, who goes by the codename ‘Huntsman’. However, whilst the team should be focusing on honing their surveillance skills, they spend more time backstabbing and scapegoating each other. Usually the team member out in the field with the microphones…

Faced with fresh targets, situations and locations, can the team botch their way to bringing down a team of blackmailers, stake out a Russian billionaire or learn anything from a CIA operative? What will happen when old rivals Terrier Team come onto their patch and what about that job so secret even the boss doesn’t know about it?

Sneakiepeeks is a laugh-out-loud comedy featuring an all-star cast including comedian Nina Conti, Clare in the Community's Richard Lumsden and Daniel Kaluuya, star of Skins, Get Out and Black Panther. It’s written by Harry Venning, the creator of Clare in the Community, and Neil Brand, the creator of Big Broadcast.

©2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Cast and credits

Written by Harry Venning and Neil Brand

Produced by Katie Tyrell

Bill - Richard Lumsden

Sharla - Nina Conti

Mark - Daniel Kaluuya

Tony Savage/Captain Le Clerc - Kevin Eldon

Geoff/Boris/Bristow - John Biggins

Ted/Bolkonski - Shaban Arifi

Nanny/Milij/Russian Girl - Alex Tregear

Mr Smith/Russian Crew/Ignatius/Fuego - Nigel Hastings

Mrs Smith/Russian Girl/Mrs A/Delphine - Kate Layden

Bishop/Russian Crew/Mr A - Ewan Hooper

Justine/Mrs Davies/Secretary -Tessa Nicholson

David/Colonel/Customer 2/Channing - Ewan Bailey

Man - Rhys Jennings

Edward Barraclough MP/Ian - Paterson Joseph
Norris/Tim the Tea Boy - Joe Thomas
Ros/Mrs Davies - Lucy Montgomery
Customer 1- Harry Venning
Customer 3 - Neil Brand

First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 8 December 2009
  • Published: 25 April 2024
  • ISBN: 9781529929546
  • Imprint: BBC DL
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $29.99
Categories:

About the author

Harry Venning

'Clare in the Community began as a strip cartoon in the social work magazine Care Weekly. Six weeks later Care Weekly ceased publication, but no link was ever established between the two events. After this less than auspicious start she transferred to The Guardian, where she has been ever since.

In 2004 Clare made the leap from a printed page to the airwaves of Radio 4 as a sitcom, which demanded her character be fleshed out considerably. We decided that she should be white, middle class and heterosexual - all of which are causes of discomfort to her - and that her obsessive involvement in other people's lives was the way she avoided addressing the problems of her own.

At first we had a bit of a dilemma regarding Clare's professional competence. Although we were keen to avoid joining in with the national pastime of denigrating social workers, as popularised by certain right-leaning newspapers, Clare was funnier the more insensitive, oblivious, self-absorbed and generally useless she was. Ultimately, we went for the funny option and so far no social workers have complained of misrepresentation.

In fact, quite the opposite. Social workers often compliment us on how accurate the shows are, and are surprised that we have no background in the profession. This is particularly flattering, since we have always prided ourselves on writing the shows from a position of profound ignorance. We have our moles on the inside who feed us workplace jargon and steer us away from glaring inaccuracies, but apart from that we have studiously avoided any kind of research. First, because for the show to have mass appeal it has to be accessible to an audience without any specialist knowledge, and secondly because we are too lazy.

People often think it's the actors who make comedies funny, but it isn't. It's the writing. Having said that, Clare in the Community has been particularly lucky in its cast. So, grudging thanks to them. And since we're thanking people we really should mention our infinitely patient, endlessly resourceful, multi-talented producer Katie Tyrell.'

Harry Venning & David Ramsden, writers of Clare in the Community, June 2007

HV

Also by Harry Venning

Clare in the Community: The Complete Series 7-12
Clare in the Community: The Complete Series 1-6
Clare in the Community: Series 12
Clare In The Community
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