Little Blighty on the Down
Little Blighty on the Down was a satirical radio comedy series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1988 and 1992, billed as "A satirical soap opera telling the everyday story of a country folk." It was a parody of contemporary life in Britain as seen in the small village of Little Blighty on the Down. Blighty is an old affectionate nickname for Britain; a down is a chalk hill, such as in England's South Downs. The village's name is thus suggestive of a Britain which is "little" rather than "great" in terms of importance or governance, and which shouldn't be described as being "on the up".
Content
Comedian Jo Kendall stars as Mrs Hilda Roberts, domineering leader of the Parish Council, who engages in rather one-sided battles with her tongue-tied rival, Working men's club president Mr Blandish. Mrs Roberts is a clear parody of then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, in her name, in her political style, and in Kendall's performance.Each of the weekly half-hour episodes lampoons a particular political theme, e.g. party politics, the environment, health care, privatisations, the Cold War, the European Union, the criminal justice system, glasnost and perestroika, South Africa under apartheid. Current events would be used for some plot elements, e.g. the release of Nelson Mandela, the election of Solidarity in Poland, or the England football team versus West Germany.
Roberts's ruling party on the council are the Rotarians, in other words they are from the powerful and privileged sections of society but see themselves as being benevolent politicians, and are a satire on the Conservative Party. The series regularly lampooned Thatcher's perceived domineering attitude towards her Cabinet, through Mrs Roberts's heavy-handed management of her fellow councillors, accompanied by withering one-liners at their expense.
Their main opponents, at the Working Men's Club are working-class folk whose ambitions to take power from the Rotarians are constantly frustrated by their own indecisiveness and internal fighting. Labour mud-slinging and party figures such as Tony Benn and Neil Kinnock are sent up.
The wider world and the UK's relations with it made appearances in the shape of Little Blighty's neighbours. To the west across a river lies the business-dominated city of Nukem, and to the east the city of Megaton, run by a dictatorial bureaucracy.
Nearer to Blighty is the richer, bratwurst-eating, BMW-driving town of Greater Krauton, hopefully soon to be united with their Megaton-like neighbours the Lesser Krauts. The Rotarians note Greater Krauton has virtues that they desire, like efficient transport, nice hospitals, and... more money!
The resource-laden, out-of-town supermarket Oppresto's, with its slavedriving managers like Mr F.W., downtrodden workforce, and rebellious trade union shop steward Mr Freeman, presents a moral dilemma for the Blightish. Is it morally right to benefit by trading with such an exploitative operation?
At home the Blighty Bugle with its fearless reporter and nervous editor, and the local aristocratic Lady, with her mansion and relatives, would stand in for the real-world Press and British royal family.