Big Problems with Helen Keen
After three series’ of her cult award-winning Radio 4 show It IS Rocket Science! – based on her debut solo Fringe show of the same name – comedian Helen Keen is ready to go mainstream, as she returns to Radio 4 with more funny, yet factual, stories of unsung pioneers and oddballs (sometimes both), in a new show which shows us how science and technology could help solve our Big Problems. Carl L. Hutchinson (not to be confused with the other Carl Hutchinson; the Mancunian stand-up) discussed Big Problems with Helen L. Keen (not to be confused with the other Helen Keen).

Even though Big Problems is playing out in a better timeslot, you’re using the same team assembled by Gareth Edwards back in 2011 – you all seem to be like a big happy family now!

Tell us about the best gag you were sad to edit out or pare down & why; was it purely for timing reasons or did it just fall flat?
Am I prepared to risk the extinction of the human species to risk building artilect? …YEP!
It got a big laugh, but we had to cut 6 minutes, so something had to go. But it does cause me pain that we had to lose it.