Bridget Christie's Utopia

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

Disengage

20180207

20180214 (BBC7)
20180215 (BBC7)
20230428 (BBC7)
20230429 (BBC7)
20220609 (R4)

As Bridget Christie struggles to come to terms with current world events - Kim Jong-un, the melting polar ice caps, the Brexit negotiations and Nick Knowles singing a cover of The Beatles 'Here Comes The Sun', she embarks on a comic quest for her Utopia.

In this opening episode, Bridget explores politically disengaging for a week - to see if that will make her happier.

Will not reading the papers, abstaining from all social media and not watching rolling news reports bring a smile to Bridget's face and be the answer to all her problems?

Or will life still be completely rubbish? In her quest to disengage from the turmoil that is world news, Bridget goes to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, has an aqua massage and stands in her garden.

Will she switch off?

With special guests

Mike Christie

Leyla Hussein

Producers: Simon Nicholls & Alison Vernon-Smith

As civilisation collapses, Bridget Christie embarks on a comic quest for her Shangri-La.

Spirituality

20180214

20180221 (BBC7)
20180222 (BBC7)
20230505 (BBC7)
20230506 (BBC7)
20220616 (R4)

In this episode, Bridget explores spirituality - to see if that will make her happier.

Could Yoga, Hinduism or becoming a nun be the answer to all her problems? Or will life still be completely rubbish?

In her tour of spirituality, Bridget meets an elderly nun - Sister Agatha - at Bar Convent, hides from an Easter egg hunt and witnesses the aftermath of her husband getting a wedgie from the ghost of Napoleon. Will any of this help her switch off?

With special guest Sister Agatha.

Producers: Simon Nicholls & Alison Vernon-Smith.

As civilisation collapses, Bridget Christie embarks on a comic quest for her Shangri-La.

The Countryside

20180221

20180228 (BBC7)
20180301 (BBC7)
20230512 (BBC7)
20230513 (BBC7)
20220623 (R4)

In this episode, Bridget explores the countryside - to see if that will make her happier.

Could living on a rural commune or moving her family to the country be the answer to all her problems? Or will life still be completely rubbish? In her tour of the countryside, Bridget meets a woman who runs her own commune - Fran Blockley - in rural Wales. Could a new life in the countryside help this town mouse switch off?

Stand-up show recorded in front of a studio audience at the BBC Radio Theatre. With special guest Fran Blockley.

Producers: Simon Nicholls and Alison Vernon-Smith.

Bridget Christie embarks on a comic quest for her Shangri-La.

Money

20180228

20180307 (BBC7)
20180308 (BBC7)
20230519 (BBC7)
20230520 (BBC7)
20220630 (R4)

In this episode, Bridget explores money and being super rich - to see if that will make her happier.

Will auditioning for a lucrative TK Maxx commercial and playing a Capitalists vs Marxists Board game with former Labour leader Ed Miliband enlighten Bridget over the happiness that lots of money could bring her? Could being super rich be the answer to all Bridget's problems and bring her inner calm?

Or will life still be completely rubbish?

Producer: Simon Nicholls and Alison Vernon-Smith.

As civilization collapses, Bridget Christie embarks on a comic quest for her Shangri-La.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	01	Disengage	20180207	20180214 (BBC7) 20180215 (BBC7) 20230428 (BBC7) 20230429 (BBC7) 20220609 (R4)	As Bridget Christie struggles to come to terms with current world events - Kim Jong-un, the melting polar ice caps, the Brexit negotiations and Nick Knowles singing a cover of The Beatles 'Here Comes The Sun', she embarks on a comic quest for her Utopia. In this opening episode, Bridget explores politically disengaging for a week - to see if that will make her happier. Will not reading the papers, abstaining from all social media and not watching rolling news reports bring a smile to Bridget's face and be the answer to all her problems? Or will life still be completely rubbish? In her quest to disengage from the turmoil that is world news, Bridget goes to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats, has an aqua massage and stands in her garden. Will she switch off? With special guests Mike Christie Leyla Hussein Producers: Simon Nicholls & Alison Vernon-Smith As civilisation collapses, Bridget Christie embarks on a comic quest for her Shangri-La.
01	02	Spirituality	20180214	20180221 (BBC7) 20180222 (BBC7) 20230505 (BBC7) 20230506 (BBC7) 20220616 (R4)	As Bridget Christie struggles to come to terms with current world events - Kim Jong-un, the melting polar ice caps, the Brexit negotiations and Nick Knowles singing a cover of The Beatles 'Here Comes The Sun', she embarks on a comic quest for her Utopia. In this episode, Bridget explores spirituality - to see if that will make her happier. Could Yoga, Hinduism or becoming a nun be the answer to all her problems? Or will life still be completely rubbish? In her tour of spirituality, Bridget meets an elderly nun - Sister Agatha - at Bar Convent, hides from an Easter egg hunt and witnesses the aftermath of her husband getting a wedgie from the ghost of Napoleon. Will any of this help her switch off? With special guest Sister Agatha. Producers: Simon Nicholls & Alison Vernon-Smith. As civilisation collapses, Bridget Christie embarks on a comic quest for her Shangri-La.
01	03	The Countryside	20180221	20180228 (BBC7) 20180301 (BBC7) 20230512 (BBC7) 20230513 (BBC7) 20220623 (R4)	As Bridget Christie struggles to come to terms with current world events - Kim Jong-un, the melting polar ice caps, the Brexit negotiations and Nick Knowles singing a cover of The Beatles 'Here Comes The Sun', she's embarked on a comic quest for her Utopia. In this episode, Bridget explores the countryside - to see if that will make her happier. Could living on a rural commune or moving her family to the country be the answer to all her problems? Or will life still be completely rubbish? In her tour of the countryside, Bridget meets a woman who runs her own commune - Fran Blockley - in rural Wales. Could a new life in the countryside help this town mouse switch off? Stand-up show recorded in front of a studio audience at the BBC Radio Theatre. With special guest Fran Blockley. Producers: Simon Nicholls and Alison Vernon-Smith. Bridget Christie embarks on a comic quest for her Shangri-La.
01	04	Money	20180228	20180307 (BBC7) 20180308 (BBC7) 20230519 (BBC7) 20230520 (BBC7) 20220630 (R4)	As Bridget Christie struggles to come to terms with current world events - Kim Jong-un, the melting polar ice caps, the Brexit negotiations and Nick Knowles singing a cover of The Beatles 'Here Comes The Sun', she's embarked on a comic quest for her Utopia. In this episode, Bridget explores money and being super rich - to see if that will make her happier. Will auditioning for a lucrative TK Maxx commercial and playing a Capitalists vs Marxists Board game with former Labour leader Ed Miliband enlighten Bridget over the happiness that lots of money could bring her? Could being super rich be the answer to all Bridget's problems and bring her inner calm? Or will life still be completely rubbish? Producer: Simon Nicholls and Alison Vernon-Smith. As civilization collapses, Bridget Christie embarks on a comic quest for her Shangri-La.