''Knocker'' is a British

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

situational comedy A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

broadcast on

digital radio Digital radio is the use of digital technology to transmit or receive across the radio spectrum. Digital transmission by radio waves includes digital broadcasting, and especially digital audio radio services. This should not be confused with In ...

station

BBC 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It mostly broadcasts archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes, and is the sister station of Radio 4. It is the pri ...

, recorded before a live audience. It is written by and stars

Neil Edmond Neil Edmond (born December 1970) is a British actor and comedy writer. Neil was a member of the comedic sketch trio The Consultants, alongside James Rawlings and Justin Edwards. In 2002 they won the Perrier award for Best Newcomer at the E ...

as Ian Dunn, a long suffering

market research Market research is an organized effort to gather information about target markets and customers. It involves understanding who they are and what they need. It is an important component of business strategy and a major factor in maintaining com ...

er. The series also co-stars Paula Wilcox as Ian's boss, Mary. The programme, produced by Tilusha Ghelani, was first broadcast between 19 November and 24 December 2007.

Plot

''Knocker'' revolves around the unfortunate tale of Ian Dunn, who works as the sole surviving market researcher for International Query Board UK. His position as the only member of the Board who actually goes out of the office to canvas the opinions of the public is not surprising, considering what has to put up with on a day-to-day basis. Ian has to put up with all kinds of bad weather, while trying to ask complete strangers about personal details on the street or at their homes. As a result, most people are hostile to him and he hardly ever gets any work done. The only people Ian ever manages to interview successfully tend to be those who are in it only to gain something from him, or because they are on the verge of

insanity Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...

. Ian also has to manage his problems with his boss, Mary. While Ian believes he is trying to be kind to her, she just wants him to get as many responses to his surveys as he possibly can. She even suggests to Ian that he should break the rules, but Ian considers breaking the Market Research Code of Conduct unacceptable, even if it would make his job easier. While not sorting out Ian's problems, Mary usually tries to solve those of Andre, a character who never appears, but is constantly referred to as someone who is accident prone.

Reception

''Knocker'' has had some positive reviews. Phil Daoust from ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

'' chose the series as his "Pick of the Day" saying, "Elsewhere, ''Knocker'' (11.15pm, BBC7) is having a few laughs at the expense of market researchers. Ian Dunn (Neil Edmond) is the International Query Board UK's longest-serving door-to-door interviewer, spreading a little irritation everywhere he goes with his broken clipboard and inappropriate footwear. Some people, it seems, would rather hide in their bins than answer questions about flannels ..."

Episodes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Knocker (Radio Series) BBC Radio comedy programmes 2007 radio programme debuts Knocker