Best MONKEY TENNIS Podcasts (2025)

1
157 • Big Beacon: Chapters 5 to 8 55:38

2h ago55:38

55:38

In todays episode you join us at Esther McVey's BBQ: we're discussing how Alan's famous pals are chosen, the identity of "Lady A", bad regional telly, and asking what similes are (meta)phor... To help support the show you can leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, tell a friend about us, share an episode, or buy us a big marker pen…

1
#422 - Jimmy Bond, £35.17 and Tudur Owen’s Dad’s Monkey 1:05:04

26m ago1:05:04

1:05:04

Palin, Chalmers, Livingstone… Robins(?!). Yes, gliding into the show today is one of Britain’s greatest travellers. An adventurer unequalled in the 21st century. Because John has been on his once per 9 months short haul trip. Naples has experienced Robins, and he it. With such pizza consumption and the undoubted oscillation between ‘hungry’ and ‘fu…

1
#421 - Yakat, Clentin Coins and Is It A Long Forest?! 51:08

15m ago51:08

51:08

Tech problems aplenty behind the scenes, but none of you will notice until the boys bring immediate attention to it. No matter though because the mood is high, for John has not yet had his two squares of chocolate. And there’s a lot flying about today. Adrian gets intense about the length of forests and some of the finest fancy dress in the region …

1
#420 - Cheek Not Filth, World Beaker People Day and Apple Crumble Designed For Three 1:07:05

15m ago1:07:05

1:07:05

You join today’s show mid-crash. Mid-comedown. John Robins is 30 minutes post-butterscotch. How is he meant to broadcast at the top of his game on such a slippery downhill blood sugar slide? Do Elis and Dave need to have an intervention to get him back on the straight and narrow? Amidst such a rut however there’s time to dig into offering business …

1
156 • Big Beacon: Chapters 1 to 4 58:55

8d ago58:55

58:55

From the lofty highs of poetry to the greasy lows of fatbergs, join us for a scout about the opening chapters of Big Beacon. We wave goodbye to Seldom, enjoy an HR ambush and question Alan's product placement and corporate work. To help support the show you can leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, tell a friend about us, share an…

1
#419 - BQWND, The Bailiff of Content and Watching Mince Defrost in Real Time 1:09:18

9m ago1:09:18

1:09:18

If content were a wrist, chat were the blood flowing through the veins of that wrist, and today’s episode of Elis and John were the finger, then all 3 would be in perfect harmony. For this is an episode with its finger firmly on the nation’s pulse. What else is the nation talking about than mullets, Van Morrison, dressing up your kids, and a pile o…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17 26:31

2h ago26:31

26:31

Watch the full review on Youtube insteadBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#418 - Pasta Joke, Quarry Stuff and Black as Sackcloth 1:07:22

19h ago1:07:22

1:07:22

The Cymru Connection is officially newsworthy: we said it could be significant, and boy was it. Sadly we didn’t get a 2000 word thinkpiece on whether opening with the question ‘where did you go to school?’ is actually harmful for Elis’s xC (expected connections), but we did get a 3 minute package on the nation’s favourite feature that will no doubt…

1
155 • Big In The Back Time: Part 2 (Your Feedback) 33:10

1d ago33:10

33:10

From Kaplinsky to Oddie and Stewart to Strangelove, we're covering the big names as we tackle your feedback (and invoices) in today's episode. PLUS: Alan's neighbours, guilty pleasure sitcoms, and we invite AI to steal your jobs. Our Big Beacon deep-dive begins next week! To help support the show you can leave us a 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts a…

1
#417 - Sun on the Cheeks, The Nadir of the Mullet and Squatting in a Poltergeist’s World 1:00:03

6d ago1:00:03

1:00:03

Is John having a Pep Guardiola moment? For a man who wins a lot, he’s chalked up a lot of losses this week. Firstly there’s an unprecedented Wordle catastrophe that only the language of the great Bard can summarise. And secondly, there’s a barren month on the old PB’s (premium bonds). But worry not, for John has “lit a fire in today”. What kind of …

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss The 2025 Academy Awards 35:19

6d ago35:19

35:19

Watch the full episode on Youtube insteadBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#416 - That’s Massive For Me, The English Enigma and Wales Today 1:09:50

20d ago1:09:50

1:09:50

“Wales might be a country of 3.1 million people, but it seems like we all know each other. Well one broadcaster on BBC Radio 5 Live is putting that to the test.” [Roll VT] It’s a big day for Elis. This could be significant. BBC Wales are in the house to cover the local / national news stories on everyone’s lips: The Cymru Connection. The eyes of a …

1
154 • Big In The Back Time: Part 1 (Your Feedback) 33:10

8d ago33:10

33:10

We're back and eager to discuss new Partridge, driving bans, and of course, your feedback. Whether you have thoughts on Oasthouse, are asking "How much Michael is too much Michael", or you’re simply a Farmer horrified by Sting and Shaggy collaborating and want your concerns heard, we’re here to offer an APU POV. Our analysis of Big Beacon is coming…

1
#415 - This Is Your Stand Up Life: John Robins 1:00:04

19d ago1:00:04

1:00:04

“I just feel ashamed and sad now.” John’s in a bad mood. He has made this patently clear he wants nothing to catch him off guard. That’s great news for Elis when he’s got a big fun surprise for John that he’s put a load of work into. Wish him luck. Because it’s a huge milestone week for Mr Johnny JR Robins. Two decades on the circuit. And in that t…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Osgood Perkins' The Monkey 29:43

13d ago29:43

29:43

Watch the full episode on YoutubeBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#414 - Yesterday’s Bone, Book Humour and The Coalface We Call Prose 1:06:40

15d ago1:06:40

1:06:40

John’s currently penning something which will change global culture. But what if we lift the bonnet of his genius? That is what we find out on today’s show. For in that bonce is a V8 plucking words from the ether with such vim and vigour, and combining those words to make phrases, clauses and sentences. Word constructs which then combine to make re…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Julius Onah's Captain America: Brave New World 36:11

16d ago36:11

36:11

Watch the full review on Youtube insteadBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#413 - Generation Graze, A Chunk Funk and Rustle Click Munch Ting Ting 54:45

19d ago54:45

54:45

John has eaten some chocolate just before recording and now he’s all glum. So it’s up to Elis and Dave to get him out of his funk. Their options: 1. Take his trousers off. 2. Give him a wedgie. 3. Let him tell his anecdote about going to a folk gig and sitting in front of an annoying couple. One wonders which they’ll pick? After the chunk funk (cho…

1
#412 - John’s Pensionversary, Riffing on Togetherness and There Will Always Be More Steves 1:05:35

28d ago1:05:35

1:05:35

Brace yourselves, because John is about to discover something massive LIVE on the podcast. This could be significant. This could change the game. This could mean that Project 2032(TM) has come early. It’s a potentially life-changing day for Robins, and somewhat like an episode of 24, it all plays out in real time. Strap yourselves in, folks. And wi…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss This is The Tom Green Documentary 25:12

25d ago25:12

25:12

Watch the full review on Youtube insteadBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#411 - Hayley They’ve Dropped!!, #PoorBloke and A Civil Servant For Love 1:09:58

26d ago1:09:58

1:09:58

Love is in the air and it’s really setting Producer Dave’s pulse racing. And not just because he’s madly in love himself. Rather it’s because Elis and John are leaning into topical content in a natural fashion without prompting. Something to get any commercial radio producer excitable. For yes, it’s Valentine’s Day. Romance is making the studio a t…

1
#410 - Nepo Connectors, Keir Today John Tomorrow and Richard Herring 1:16:11

29d ago1:16:11

1:16:11

What do the people want? Wordle Live. What do they not want? The Cymru Connection. That’s the opinion of John Robins. Just John Robins. You thought that we were out of the Wordly woods. But no, the more concern you have for the woods the more trees John will plant. PLANT being a good starter. John wants a feature substitution and he'll wage this wa…

1
#409 - The Double Ian, Everyone’s Sacked and John Goes In On Shoes 53:49

1M ago53:49

53:49

You would think Elis and Producer Dave would be offering praise to the mood gods, for Johnny JR is in a good one, having interviewed his favourite musician of all time for a project he cannot comment on. May - check. Oldham - check. McCombes - check (but didn’t engage). Yet the fly in the ointment: with such big energy, John’s sackings flow forth l…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Drew Hancock's Companion 25:53

1M ago25:53

25:53

Watch the full review on YoutubeBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#408 - Project 2032, Red Peppards and Britain Is Typing… 1:25:39

1M ago1:25:39

1:25:39

There’s some big goals targeted on today’s show. Firstly, ‘legacy’ is on the lips. What permanent impact can Elis and John leave? Secondly, what can help achieve Project 2032 and allow John to retire in just 7 years? Finally, Dave just wants to create some vaguely entertaining content and keep John busy. The proposed options are numerous to reach t…

1
#407 - Boring Moons, Germans Don’t WhatsApp and Grind, Block & Jumpy 1:10:09

1M ago1:10:09

1:10:09

Some of you wanted less not more Wordle chat. You pleaded even to the production team. But the team were scared. For there were Wordle emails that had come in. What if Emperor Robins found out they’d been squirreling such content away from him. It would displease him so. Thus he was presented with it all. And like a labrador at the bowl, he could f…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Michael Gracey's Better Man 29:19

1M ago29:19

29:19

Watch the full review on YouTube insteadBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#406 - Callipound, A4 Ravioli and Our New Coal 1:04:25

2M ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Someone’s put 50p in Johnny JR today. And it’s incredible what such loose change can enact. For since the wee hours he’s been cackling into his notebook at the output of his terrifyingly fervent mind at work. So fervent in fact, that he almost struggles to get through his own twisting creation. Strap in from the off, because when he’s in top gear i…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Leigh Whannell's Wolf Man 31:15

2M ago31:15

31:15

Watch the full review on YouTubeBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#405 - My Integrity, A Million Pounds and Why Can’t We All Just Be Clerks? 1:00:45

2M ago1:00:45

1:00:45

You thought you were safe from Wordle? Hasn’t everyone else stopped talking about it? Well, you were wrong. But don’t switch off, come back, come back! For it’s an etymological *feast* today - is that a good eliminator word?! Because alongside Old English word origins and some quite impenetrable tactics chat, there are some astonishing revelations …

1
#404 - #PlasticJack, Lou Sanders and You Can Only Push The Listeners So Far 50:42

2M ago50:42

50:42

No, this episode is not a web error. Instead it contains something else which will make the content servers explode. Yes that’s right, it’s the return of the Cymru Connection. And amidst such Cymraeg content it’s fever pitch. In fact the fervour has led to an Elis on such a high that he makes financial cheques that he might not be able to cash. In …

1
Ajay and Nathsn Harmony Korine's Spring Breakers (2012) 27:50

2M ago27:50

27:50

Watch the full review on YoutubeBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#403 - The Dread Brothers, Great Flanks and The CEO of My Own Mind 59:46

2M ago59:46

59:46

Akin to Weller in February 1980 ‘tatts entertainment’ was bouncing around the studio today as the boys hit action stations to execute one of their great TV ideas. If commissioners are listening then [email protected] is the place to send your multimillion pound offer. Next on the list: Adrian and John travel round the UK feeling existential dre…

1
#402 - Connor’s Killed Us, A1 Prostates and Bring Back The Erotic Thriller 1:14:32

2M ago1:14:32

1:14:32

With Speakergate gone (we hope) in the blink of a manually adjustable eye it’s time for John to turn to one of his other favourite pastimes: cheekiness. Trying to get plugs past Producer Dave without him noticing, by increasingly layered and convoluted means? Count that checked and duly intervened on. Campaigning for the return of erotic movies? Ti…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Thordur Palsson The Damned 22:13

2M ago22:13

22:13

Watch the full review on Youtube insteadBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#401 - Direct Dust, The Pint Control Board and …with John Robins 51:35

2M ago51:35

51:35

Nobody’s making audio like this. Nobody approaching such breadth. One episode it’s half an hour discussing home audio solutions and then the next the wheels are set in motion to achieve the pilot of Britain’s Sexiest Tattoo. The rumours are that we’ve already hit five submissions. Could ‘a breast on a knee’ make the shortlist? And the online promo …

1
#400 - Builth Wells Problems, xC and John Got A Speaker 1:18:25

2M ago1:18:25

1:18:25

400 not out. But plough on past Brian Lara we will. And welcome new listeners for 2025. The BBC's wide reaching podcast ad campaign has no doubt brought you here. You are likely puzzled now that you're here, because what follows today is a man spending around 35 minutes ranting about speakers and the technicalities of streaming platforms, before an…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Robert Eggers' Nosferatu 31:00

2M ago31:00

31:00

Watch the full review on Youtube insteadBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#399 - The Second Petard, Pad Thai for Breakfast and 11 Reasons to be Cheerful 56:52

2M ago56:52

56:52

The boys are kicking off 2025 with contrasting vibes: Johnny JR is feeling grateful, and the team think of 11 (slightly unusual) reasons for him to be cheerful (think white teeth, think flat ears). Poor Elis on the other hand is starting the New Year with the sniffles, so regales us of his Christmas antics down the line. And is it a case of new yea…

1
#398 - The Best of The Great Reset 1:07:27

2M ago1:07:27

1:07:27

Things that can be reset: timers, bones, electronic devices. Other things that can be reset: bantercasts featuring the BBC’s youngest and most relevant broadcasters. For this year, Messrs Elis James and John Robins hit the big reset button, and changed to a groundbreaking linear podcast-first broadcast-second podcast way of broadcasting, something …

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Anna Kendrick's Woman of the Hour 22:23

2M ago22:23

22:23

Watch the full review on Youtube insteadBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#397 - The Sun Lounger Statute, Wednesday Ringo Regret, and I Can’t Go Till February 1:15:34

3M ago1:15:34

1:15:34

It’s a game of 3 halves as a trifecta of things looms large over today’s episode: Paul McCartney, a sun lounger, and a humdinger of a Made Up Game. Also looming large from the sidelines: a pigeon and some dog mess. All of the above contribute to a wild rollercoaster for our Elis. One moment he’s experiencing McCartney bliss, the next he’s in the du…

1
Closed Era 59:01

3M ago59:01

59:01

And that's a wrap! On the final episode of Open Era, Simon and Devang sit down for their 2024 Fireside Chat. Dev and Simon discuss the state of Tennis heading into 2025, share why they're concerned but also (slightly) optimistic, and examine how the podcast landscape has changed since 2019 when they started. To close out, they share their predictio…

1
#396 - Britain’s Sexiest Tattoo, Fallible Sounds, and Content Doesn’t Stop For Christmas 53:05

3M ago53:05

53:05

'Elis and John Smash Up A Bus Stop'. 'The UK’s Biggest Dog'. 'Elis and John’s Big Supper'. Just a flavour of how unstoppable the content ideas train is today. There’s no ‘out of office’ here. Not even Keanu Reeves in Speed 3: Content Never Sleeps could stop this festive content locomotive. For alongside such a fertile ideas flow, Father Christmas h…

1
Ajay and Nathan's 2024 State of the Film Address 41:14

3M ago41:14

41:14

Watch the full review on YoutubeBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#395 - A Heavy Weft, A Talented Sheep Dog and 31 Minutes with a Nun 1:06:31

3M ago1:06:31

1:06:31

Fresh from their Christmas Cracker Elis and John are in a sense celebrating Boxing Day, but in another sense they’re creating linear/circular content that can be easily digested at any point this Christmas/not at Christmas at all. In short, it’s the most confusing time of the year! But what we can guarantee there isn’t confusion about is the qualit…

1
Golden Rackets 2024 43:01

3M ago43:01

43:01

It’s awards time! Put on your best dinner jacket and pick up a Golden Racket…Or something like that. Dev and Simon pick their award winners for 2024 in what is Open Era’s penultimate show. Just one more fireside chat and that’s all she wrote. Sick of hearing all the ads? Subscribe to Soda Premium on Apple Podcasts to get rid of them! Come join the …

1
#394 - Elis and John’s Christmas Cracker 1:04:39

3M ago1:04:39

1:04:39

“Mmmh yeah Christmastime.” In a linear sense it’s Christmas Day. In a circular sense it’s some time between 13th and 25th December. Ho! Ho! Ho! What better way to celebrate the birth of Jesus than Elis and John’s Christmas Cracker? Oh and we have festive fun. Elis and John write a Christmas song which is equal parts downbeat and administration heav…

1
Ajay and Nathan Discuss Kyle Mooney's Y2K 25:33

3M ago25:33

25:33

Watch the full review on YoutubeBy Ajay Thakkar

1
#393 - High Budget Dreams, Smacks of Mellor and That Fried Tuesday Feeling 1:01:42

3M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

This is sierras of the papas broadcasting, and news just in: we’re all out of papas! John’s losing his voice because of doing an extraordinary impression of an Australian in a mystical Bureau de Change for some BBC Sounds bonus content, but we plough on! And in a way, this is the definition of ‘talent’, which we discover that Tim Davie is keen to d…

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