Episode 83: Adam Tandy – Christmas 2021 part 2

It’s part two of our bumper double Christmas Special! True ‘heads’ will remember us chatting to TV producer Adam Tandy on episode 1 of Shift Run Stop, an astonishing 12 years ago. Well, he’s back with tales of his adventures in the intervening years, including making The Detectorists, Inside Number 9 and the recent League of Gentlemen episodes.

On the 40th anniversary of the BBC Micro we reminisce about our (and your!) favourite games and Micro memories. Thanks to everyone who sent in their memories.

Massive thanks to Adam Tandy, LJ Rich, Tim Vickerstaff and Stephen Goodwin and to YOU for listening. Neither of this year’s episodes are sponsored by a regional soft drink, but we are open to offers. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you!

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Posted: December 22nd, 2021 | 11,048 Comments »



Episode 82: Helen Arney – Christmas 2021 part 1

We have a special treat for you this year. A two-parter! Think of it as two halves of a glorious cracker, two stockings on a fireplace, two brussels sprouts rolling slowly under the fridge. In this episode we get to know comedian, writer, presenter and geek songstress Helen Arney of The Festival of the Spoken Nerd. Geek holidays, live music, BBC Micro memories – there’s so much in these episodes that we’ve made a LIST and checked it twice (the first time we turned up a Syntax Error At Line 320, all good now though).

Don’t miss part two in which we revisit the Ghost of SRS Christmas Past, our first ever guest Adam Tandy and experiment with some regional snackfood. Merry Christmas one and all!

Massive thanks to Helen Arney, LJ Rich and Bill Thompson.

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Posted: December 22nd, 2021 | 5,273 Comments »



Episode 81: Christmas Special 2020

You climbed into your hosts' laps and, in a small voice, politely asked for an episode that will make this dreary Christmas temporarily more fun. Well, ask and you shall receive! Ho ho ho! No need for social distancing in the SRS grotto. The gifts have been sanitised, the Amazons have been Primed, even the weird lap thing is well-established. But open this quickly anyway; the police are on their way.

Join Roo, Leila and Lee alongside many familiar voices and a couple of unfamiliar ones in this very special, remotely-recorded, as-festive-as-can-be-expected edition of your favourite podcast.

What do Christmas tree growers do during the summer? What's the best festive treat for radiation poisoning? What's this month's most unexpected format for an Escape Room? Discover all this and more in this extra-long stocking of an episode. Look out for satsumas and unexpected nuts!

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Posted: December 17th, 2020 | 14,351 Comments »



Episode 80: splendid isolation

Skype-20200410-222042Isolation continues, but we continue to defy the microbe by finding fresh ways to connect with you across the airwaves. This time we take to live-streaming service Twitch for a special interactive episode of Shift Run Stop. Obviously it's not live now, but don't worry if you missed it: next time you're washing your hands just shout any questions or thoughts for us down the plughole. Alternatively, bang them out in morse code on the radiator pipes. We won't hear you, but it'll feel more interactive, and apparently that's the main thing these days.

If you don't know Twitch, we're basically on a video call in this episode, responding to things people are typing into the chat box. And if you missed the live session but are intrigued by the format and would like more like this, let us know and we'll see what we can do. Mind-blowing livestream format aside, the content is really just the classic ingredients of an SRS episode cake: lego, 8-bit games, sci-fi, quizzes, snacks and silliness. Enjoy!

Leila's Twitch channel | Roo's newsletter | @shiftrunstop

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Posted: May 18th, 2020 | 4,322 Comments »



Episode 79: lockdown special

It's been a long time, but like your geek guardian angels or an unwanted announcement from a Government official, Leila and Roo can always be relied upon to emerge at times of crisis to interrupt your day. Whether you're staying in at home or staying in at home, this special isolation edition of Shift Run Stop is for you. No pandemic can stop us (though a couple of years of completely normal life apparently could). Sit back, relax, and allow us to fill your empty toilet roll holders with reams of pillowy, comforting nostalgia. Soft, strong and long, tear off as required: Red Dwarf, the X Files, movie chat, a quiz, and a visit from gaming royalty...


Leila's Twitch channel | Roo's newsletter | @shiftrunstop

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Posted: April 3rd, 2020 | 5,156 Comments »



Episode 78: Easter special 2018

The ice is retreating, finally. To celebrate Aslan's return, your hosts gather in a pub at a noisy train station on one of the snackiest times of the year, with chocolate animal parts, questionable caramel, and a surprisingly tricky Easter-themed movie quiz, specially created for Roo, by Leila and Lee. With only a gossamer thread linking most of the questions to the theme, you're challenged to play along at home. How much do you know about Howard the Duck, Donnie Darko and Chicken Run? Egg-cellent.


Benji movie | Gentle Ben | Howard the Duck

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Posted: March 31st, 2018 | 11,086 Comments »