The Masterson Inheritance

The Masterson Inheritance was an improvised comedy series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 from 1993 to 1995 billed as "an improvised historical saga of a family at war with itself."^[1] There were three series and two Christmas specials. It was broadcast from 1993 to 1995. From time to time, repeats of the show are broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

The Masterson Inheritance

Cassette cover from the BBC Canned Laughter series, 1993
Genre	Comedy
Running time	30 minutes
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language(s)	English
Home station	BBC Radio 4
Starring	Josie Lawrence Paul Merton Phelim McDermott Caroline Quentin Lee Simpson Jim Sweeney
Original release	22 April 1993 – 25 December 1995
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	20
Audio format	Stereophonic sound

In each programme, the cast members – Josie Lawrence, Phelim McDermott, Paul Merton, Caroline Quentin, Lee Simpson, and Jim Sweeney – would be given a particular historical setting, and, incorporating suggestions from the audience, would improvise that episode in the saga of the Masterson family.^[2] One episode, The Marooned Mastersons, was never broadcast but is available on Jim Sweeney's website.

Music

Each episode of the saga was introduced by and ended with Erich Korngold's Hollywood-style title music from the 1946 film noir Deception.

Critical reaction

The Independent reckoned the show was genuinely improvised, due to the "air of suppressed panic", even if the improvisation revolved around a small number of choices. It questioned the longevity of the format once people got bored with listening to their mistakes.^[3]

Episode list

Series	Episode	Title	Historical setting	First broadcast
1	1	The Curse of the Mastersons	The 1760s and the slave trade	22 April 1993
	2	The Mastersons and Johnson	The 1790s	29 April 1993
	3	Scurvy	The 1800s at sea	6 May 1993
	4	The Sweat of the Mastersons	Victorian London	13 May 1993
	5	The Tatting of the Mastersons	19th century America	20 May 1993
	6	The Mastersons Lose Everything	The 1890s	27 May 1993
Special	1	The Stuffing of the Mastersons	Victorian Christmas	25 December 1993
2	1	Beware the Ides of Masterson	Imperial Rome	11 June 1994
	2	The Quest for the Other Rabbit's Foot	The court of King Arthur	18 June 1994
	3	Last Word to the Mastersons	The Industrial Revolution	25 June 1994
	4	The Jousting Mastersons	Late 15th century	2 July 1994
	5	The Gangrene of the Mastersons	The Crimean War	9 July 1994
	6	The Mastersons Go Down	The Hercules (passenger ship)	16 July 1994
3	1	The Mastersons Magical Marquee (1)	Travelling Victorian circus	24 June 1995
	2	The Mastersons Magical Marquee (2)		1 July 1995
	3	Masterson Rides Again	19th century public school	8 July 1995
	4	The Masterson Bunch	Early 20th century before the great war	15 July 1995
	5	The Pain of the Mastersons	The romantic poets	22 July 1995
	6	The St Valentine's Day Masterson	1920s Hollywood	29 July 1995
Special	2	The Mastersons' Christmas Cracker	An isolated village of ancient beliefs	25 December 1995