Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation is a BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...

 series of comedy lectures, hosted by Jeremy Hardy

Jeremy Hardy

Jeremy James Hardy is a British alternative comedian who is also known for his socialist politics.-Career:Hardy was born in Farnborough, Hampshire. He attended Farnham College and studied Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton...

. This has been running since the mid 1993. The seventh series aired in April 2007.

The lectures are on topics like "How to have a baby", "How to be truly loved", and will often include his personal views on current affairs.

There are a series of sketches and mock interviews carried out with his two guests. Gordon Kennedy

Gordon Kennedy (actor)

Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh...

 and Debbie Isitt

Debbie Isitt

Debbie Isitt; born 7 February 1966 in Birmingham, UK; is a comic writer, film director and performer.Isitt set up the theatre company 'Snarling Beasties' in the 1980s...

 are the two main guests, although other guests have included Meera Syal

Meera Syal

Meera Syal MBE is a British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No...

, Rebecca Front

Rebecca Front

Rebecca Front is a BAFTA Award–winning English comedian and actress best known for her performances in The Thick of It in the late 2000s, and series of critically acclaimed satirical comedies in the early 1990s: On The Hour, The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You...with Alan Partridge...

, Alison Steadman

Alison Steadman

Alison Steadman OBE is an English actress. She established her career with roles such as Beverley in Abigail's Party and Candice Marie in Nuts in May for the director Mike Leigh, to whom she was once married. In addition to her stage and radio work, she has had lead roles in The Singing Detective,...

, Stephen Frost

Stephen Frost

Stephen Frost , also known as Steve Frost, is an English comedian.Frost is known for his work in the 1980s with Mark Arden as part of the double act The Oblivion Boys on Saturday Live...

, Miranda Richardson

Miranda Richardson

Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....

 and Harriet Walter

Harriet Walter

Dame Harriet Mary Walter, DBE is a British actress.-Personal life:She is the niece of renowned British actor Sir Christopher Lee, as the daughter of his elder sister Xandra Lee. On her father's side she is a great-great-great-granddaughter of John Walter, founder of The TimesShe was educated at...

.

Episode guide

Series	Episode	Title	First broadcast	Guests
1	1	How to Stay Alive for as Long as You Possibly Can	30 Sep 1993	Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt; born 7 February 1966 in Birmingham, UK; is a comic writer, film director and performer.Isitt set up the theatre company 'Snarling Beasties' in the 1980s... , Stephen Frost Stephen Frost Stephen Frost , also known as Steve Frost, is an English comedian.Frost is known for his work in the 1980s with Mark Arden as part of the double act The Oblivion Boys on Saturday Live...
	2	How to Be Truly Free	7 Oct 1993	Debbie Isitt, Stephen Frost
	3	How to Earn Your Place in Heaven	14 Oct 1993	Debbie Isitt, Stephen Frost
	4	How to Be an Adult	21 Oct 1993	Debbie Isitt, Stephen Frost
	5	How to Have Sex	28 Oct 1993	Debbie Isitt, Stephen Frost
	6	How to Know Your Place	4 Nov 1993	Debbie Isitt, Stephen Frost
2	1	How to Be a Popular Figure Around Town	6 Oct 1994	Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt; born 7 February 1966 in Birmingham, UK; is a comic writer, film director and performer.Isitt set up the theatre company 'Snarling Beasties' in the 1980s... , Gordon Kennedy Gordon Kennedy (actor) Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh...
	2	How to Have a Baby	13 Oct 1994	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	3	How to Be a Leader of Men	20 Oct 1994	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	4	How to Be a Father (1)	27 Oct 1994	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy, Ben Keaton Ben Keaton Ben Keaton is an Irish actor who appeared as Jeff Brannigan in ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He appeared in BBC's Casualty playing the part of Spencer between 1999-2002. He also appeared in the Channel 4's Irish comedy Father Ted, "Think Fast, Father Ted"...
	5	How to Be a Father (2)	3 Nov 1994	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	6	How to Meet the Challenge of the 21st Century	10 Nov 1994	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
3	1	How to Be a Man	6 Feb 1997	Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt; born 7 February 1966 in Birmingham, UK; is a comic writer, film director and performer.Isitt set up the theatre company 'Snarling Beasties' in the 1980s... , Gordon Kennedy Gordon Kennedy (actor) Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh...
	2	How to Bear Up Under the Strain	13 Feb 1997	Meera Syal Meera Syal Meera Syal MBE is a British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No... , Gordon Kennedy
	3	How to Make Your Presence Felt	20 Feb 1997	Meera Syal, Gordon Kennedy
	4	How to Improve Your Mind	27 Feb 1997	Meera Syal, Gordon Kennedy
	5	How to Keep Abreast of Developments	6 Mar 1997	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	6	How to Be Happy	13 Mar 1997	Caroline Leddy, Gordon Kennedy
4	1	How to Fight Fire with Fire	6 Sep 2001	Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt; born 7 February 1966 in Birmingham, UK; is a comic writer, film director and performer.Isitt set up the theatre company 'Snarling Beasties' in the 1980s... , Gordon Kennedy Gordon Kennedy (actor) Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh...
	2	How to Live	20 Sep 2001	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	3	How to Work	27 Sep 2001	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	4	How to See Through Others' Eyes	4 Oct 2001	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	5	How to Hand the World on to the Next Generation	11 Oct 2001	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	6	When Jeremy Hardy Spoke to the Nation	18 Oct 2001	Graeme Garden Graeme Garden David Graeme Garden OBE is a Scottish author, actor, comedian, artist and television presenter, who first became known as a member of The Goodies.-Early life and beginnings in comedy:... , Debbie Isitt
5	1	How to Be Yourself	8 Jan 2003	Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt Debbie Isitt; born 7 February 1966 in Birmingham, UK; is a comic writer, film director and performer.Isitt set up the theatre company 'Snarling Beasties' in the 1980s... , Gordon Kennedy Gordon Kennedy (actor) Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh...
	2	How to Belong	15 Jan 2003	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	3	How to Maximise Your Leisure	22 Jan 2003	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
	4	How to Be Young	29 Jan 2003	Debbie Isitt, Gordon Kennedy
6	1	How to Be Afraid	9 Sep 2004	Rebecca Front Rebecca Front Rebecca Front is a BAFTA Award–winning English comedian and actress best known for her performances in The Thick of It in the late 2000s, and series of critically acclaimed satirical comedies in the early 1990s: On The Hour, The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You...with Alan Partridge... , Gordon Kennedy Gordon Kennedy (actor) Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh...
	2	How to Argue Your Position	16 Sep 2004	Gordon Kennedy, Alison Steadman Alison Steadman Alison Steadman OBE is an English actress. She established her career with roles such as Beverley in Abigail's Party and Candice Marie in Nuts in May for the director Mike Leigh, to whom she was once married. In addition to her stage and radio work, she has had lead roles in The Singing Detective,...
	3	How to Choose	23 Sep 2004	Gordon Kennedy, Pauline McLynn Pauline McLynn Pauline McLynn is an Irish actress, comedienne and author, best known for playing Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, and Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless.- Early life :...
	4	How to Live Life to the Full	30 Sep 2004	Juliet Stevenson Juliet Stevenson Juliet Anne Virginia Stevenson, CBE is an English actor of stage and screen.- Early life :Stevenson was born in Kelvedon, Essex, England, the daughter of Virginia Ruth , a teacher, and Michael Guy Stevenson, an army officer. Stevenson's father was in the army and was posted to a new place every... , Gordon Kennedy
7	1	How to Feel	3 Apr 2007	Gordon Kennedy Gordon Kennedy (actor) Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh... , Miranda Richardson Miranda Richardson Miranda Jane Richardson is an English stage, film and television actor. She has been nominated for two Academy Awards, and has won two Golden Globes and a BAFTA during her career....
	2	How to Believe	10 Apr 2007	Alison Steadman Alison Steadman Alison Steadman OBE is an English actress. She established her career with roles such as Beverley in Abigail's Party and Candice Marie in Nuts in May for the director Mike Leigh, to whom she was once married. In addition to her stage and radio work, she has had lead roles in The Singing Detective,... , Ewan Bailey
	3	How to Die	17 Apr 2007	Pauline McLynn Pauline McLynn Pauline McLynn is an Irish actress, comedienne and author, best known for playing Mrs Doyle in the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted, and Libby Croker in the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless.- Early life :... , Paul B Davies
	4	How to Look	24 Apr 2007	Juliet Stevenson Juliet Stevenson Juliet Anne Virginia Stevenson, CBE is an English actor of stage and screen.- Early life :Stevenson was born in Kelvedon, Essex, England, the daughter of Virginia Ruth , a teacher, and Michael Guy Stevenson, an army officer. Stevenson's father was in the army and was posted to a new place every... , Paul B Davies
8	1	How to Grow Up	|30 Jun 2010	Gordon Kennedy Gordon Kennedy (actor) Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh... , Rebecca Front Rebecca Front Rebecca Front is a BAFTA Award–winning English comedian and actress best known for her performances in The Thick of It in the late 2000s, and series of critically acclaimed satirical comedies in the early 1990s: On The Hour, The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You...with Alan Partridge...
	2	How To Confront The Vexed Issue Of British Identity Without Getting In The Most Fearful Bate About The Whole Thing	|7 Jul 2010	Gordon Kennedy Gordon Kennedy (actor) Gordon Kennedy is a Scottish actor. Kennedy grew up in Tranent, East Lothian, and attended George Watson's College in Edinburgh... , Shappi Khorsandi
	3	How to Have Faith	14 Jul 2010	Paul B Davies, Pauline McLynn
	4	How to Communicate Without Showing Off	21 Jul 2010	Paul B Davies, Morwenna Banks Morwenna Banks Morwenna Banks is a British comedy actress, writer and producer.Banks is perhaps best known in the UK as a cast member of the British Channel 4 comedy series Absolutely, where her best-known character was a schoolgirl who sat on the edge of a desk.She appeared as the Keeper of the Rules in the...

Audio Books

Jeremy Hardy Speaks to the Nation currently has four audio books on sale.

• How To Be Happy and other shows - Released on 19 July 2004.
• How To Be Young and other shows - Released on 19 July 2004.
• How To Be Afraid and other shows - Released on 15 November 2004.
• How To Live and other shows - Released on 15 November 2004.

In addition the first series was adapted as a book, ISBN 0413692507, published by Methuen in 1993.