Author:Guy Jenkin,Martin Jarvis,Miriam Margolyes,Imelda Staunton,Full Cast,Joss Ackland,Lesley Manville

Martin Jarvis stars in this BBC radio satire set in the competitive world of advertising
Happiness... is a career in advertising. Or is it? Activist turned ad writer Ken Handley isn't so sure. Back in the day, he used to hitch-hike and attend peace protests. Now, he finds himself writing copy for the Conservative Party and extolling the virtues of products he hates - while also coping with a drunken boss, strait-laced colleagues and an overactive mind.
Over three series, we follow his exploits and moral dilemmas as he grapples with the challenges of winning accounts, presenting to clients and dealing with the women in his life. A pitch for a motorway services chain drives him round the bend, a seven-foot squirrel nearly sends him nuts, and he faces his own emergency when he's coerced into a Samaritans campaign. On the domestic front, Ken's got a divorce and a new home to contend with - but things start looking up when leggy model April comes on the scene...
Written by Guy Jenkin (Drop the Dead Donkey) and Jon Canter (Posh Nosh), this sardonic advertising sitcom stars Martin Jarvis as Ken, with a cast including Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Joss Ackland and Miriam Margolyes.
Production credits
Script and commercial concepts by Guy Jenkin
Commercials by Jon Canter
Produced by Geoffrey Perkins (Series 1) and Pete Atkin (Series 2 & 3)
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 January-22 February 1982 (Series 1), 7 February-13 March 1984 (Series 2), 7 October-11 November 1986 (Series 3)
Cast
Ken Handley - Martin Jarvis
Sarah - Sheila Steafel
Sandy - Christopher Godwin
Freddie - Lockwood West
Hitchhiker - Vincent Brimble
Portley - Richard Bebb
Runcie - Simon Jones
June - Wendy Richard
Johnnie - Patrick Barr
Murray - Gary Cady
The General - Bill Fraser
Mr Sandell - John Blythe
Barman - Geoffrey McGivern
Virgil - Marc Smith
Mr Sandell:- John Blythe
Cindy- Heather Bell
Katie- Miranda Forbes
Director- David Gooderson
Ravi - Ahmed Khalil
Deborah - Rosalind Ayres
Ambrose - Paul Jesson
Janet/Receptionist/Researcher - Stacey Tendeter
Mr Cheater/Mr McCafferty - James Griffiths
Angus - Michael Jenner
Derek - David Peart
Stella - Imelda Staunton
Stella's Heavy - Jim Carter
Subjects - David Peart & Michael Jenner
Leo Gale - Glyn Owen
Christina - Jo Manning Wilson
Receptionist - Maggie McCarthy
George - Peter Tuddenham
Corners - Don Henderson
Benny - Karl Howman
Lesley - Pauline Siddle
Andy - Chris Emmett
Film director - Scott Cherry
Tone - Jeremy Clyde
Doregan - Lesley Manville
Elvira - Moir Leslie
Kip - Joseph Marcell
April - Shelley Thompson
Hedley - Robert Longden
Artiste - David Learner
Larry Childs - William Hootkins
Loretta-Jane Duff - Toni Coyne
Dawn/Masseuse - Sally Watts
Sally/Choirboy - Jane Leonard
Len - Roger Sloman
Val/Veronica - Liz Crowther
Alf - Roger Hammond
Till lady - Avril Clark
Doorman - Richard Durden
Barman - James MacPherson
Policeman - Graham Blockey
With the voices of Joss Ackland, Miriam Margolyes, James Griffiths, John Shrapnel, David Tate, James Griffiths, Sally Grace, Enn Reitel and Anton Rodgers
She beautifully describes the way hurt can be inherited... Enright is a daring writer - witty, original and inventive... Utterly compelling
—— Eithne Farry , Daily MailIt is clearly the product of a remarkable intelligence, combined with a gift for observation and deduction
—— A. L. Kennedy , GuardianA welcome return, for this writer, to novel form, and as a fresh, sophisticated take on the ever-popular dysfunctional family saga
—— Eve Patten , Irish TimesAnne Enright has all she needs in terms of imagination and technique and she's a tremendous phrase maker
—— Adam Mars-Jones , ObserverEnright ambushes as memory does, drawing you into an event and then questioning its reality
—— Sunday TelegraphAt a time when everyone is mirroring everyone else, Enright's style of writing remains singular and instantly identifiable
—— Irish IndependentFans who have waited five long years for French's fourth novel won't be disappointed: Because Of You is a book with a beating heart, a story told with warmth and verve
—— Daily ExpressMoving . . . French's best yet
—— Good HousekeepingThe final scenes are so perfectly executed they almost broke my heart. Because of You is a story to cherish
—— Sunday ExpressTold with French's unfailing wit and warmth, Because Of You is the tale of family bonds and the mother-daughter relationships that ultimately make us who we are
—— IndependentBrilliant . . . a moving read that will stay with you long after you've finished the last page
—— CloserA fantastic page-turner
—— Mail on SundayBeautifully observed
—— The TimesWise and poignant, Because of You is a story about mothers and daughter, love and loss, mistakes and regrets, and family bonds
—— Eastern Daily PressA must-read story told with compassion and heart
—— Sunday ExpressFrench always writes so melodically about the truth of human nature . . . French manages to pick your heart up with the nib of her pen and slowly pull it apart, heart-wrenchingly, page by page . . . A true writing talent
—— My WeeklyAn emotionally charged story - and a heartbreaking twist at the end
—— Hello!A warmly told story about the bond between mothers and daughters
—— Evening StandardWarm, witty and wise . . . I raced through
—— Daily MailA powerful and emotional book
—— Good HousekeepingA bright, brilliant and heartbreaking tale of two mothers, two babies and the far-reaching consequences of one fateful day
—— Yahoo! StyleA beautifully powerful story about mothers, family and sacrifice
—— SunAn uplifting story about mothers and daughters and familial relationships, in which two very different women give birth to two very similar daughters on the same night
—— Woman & HomeArresting page-turner
—— BestA novel her fans are sure to love
—— Woman's WeeklyA story of love, identity and belonging
—— iHeartbreaking and humorous in equal measures
—— BoundlessA bouncy, comedy drama. Funny, poignant and bursting with joie de vivre
—— Daily MailA thought-provoking read . . . shows the true extent of motherly love
—— Publishers AssociationDawn French moves between the aftermath of that fateful night and 18 years later, when the explosive impact of Hope's actions is finally felt
—— Daily ExpressA heartfelt story, handled so carefully and empathetically
—— Aisling BeaBecause Of You is a tale told with warmth by a storyteller who never takes herself too seriously
—— Sunday ExpressHeartbreaking but redemptive, and lightened by French's trademark humour, this is a compelling read that will keep you poised between laughter and tears
—— Daily MailA tantalising story of motherhood told with Dawn French's signature warmth
—— Sainsbury's MagazineAs ever, even in the darkest of times, Dawn has found humour to inject into her novel
—— BestA brilliant book
—— Good HousekeepingThe life-affirming and unmissable new novel
—— Eastern Daily PressA tale told with warmth
—— Daily RecordWhile Dawn French's latest novel contains a dash of humour, it's also heart-wrenching
—— The Hunsbury HandbookA fabulous emotional tearjerker of a novel
—— SilversurfersPraise for Dawn French
—— -Hilarious and brilliant
—— Woman & HomeI adored According to YES. It's so different to anything I've read in forever, so charming, wise, brilliantly written. I loved it all
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—— Woman's WeeklyVery funny and packs an emotional clout. Brilliant!
—— HeatAn enlightening and feel-good read offering a fresh look at life and how to embrace it. Funny and enjoyable to the end
—— We Love This BookThere is lots of fun to be had reading this book. It's impossible not to warm to Rosie, a funny and open-hearted woman who acts as a salve and comfort blanket for this unhappy, inhibited family. There's something quite joyous about the way she unashamedly romps her way through the novel, changing the lives of those around her for the better
—— ExpressAnother hilarious novel!
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—— IndependentWise and poignant
—— Beyond the JokeHeart-warming
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