Leonard Bernstein — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
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Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
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Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Leonard Bernstein — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

Find a castaway Most requested Browse the archive About Report a fault

Artist

Leonard Bernstein

14 episodes

Chosen over the decades

14

Total castaways

2000s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Andrew Davies
Christopher Bruce
David Morrissey
Deborah Bull
Earl Of Snowdon
Frances Edmonds
Lang Lang
Marquess Of Bath
Minette Walters
Penelope Hobhouse
Penelope Keith
Phil Redmond
Ronnie Corbett
Ruby Wax

David Morrissey
David Morrissey on being born in a house with an outside toilet and a tin bath
Castaway · 10 May 2026Lauren Laverne
Deborah Bull
How a night at the Oxford Union changed Deborah Bull's life
Castaway · 26 May 2013Kirsty Young

desert is.land

“And if you could take only one…” — a semantic wireless tuned to the Desert Island Discs archive.

The listing

Find a castaway
Most requested
Browse the archive
About

Transmission

Broadcasting since 1942
Long wave 198 kHz
An unofficial archive companion
Report a fault

Not affiliated with the BBC · Built for the love of the long wave · Made by Daniel Hails

Lang Lang on his father telling him to jump off a building

Castaway · 31 October 2010Kirsty Young

04°28′S 129°39′W

Ronnie Corbett

Ronnie Corbett on playing the wicked aunt in a church hall pantomime

Castaway · 21 October 2007Kirsty Young

06°47′S 111°23′W

Andrew Davies

Andrew Davies on making up scenes and convincing people Jane Austen wrote them

Castaway · 5 August 2007Kirsty Young

22°24′S 031°16′W

Ruby Wax

Ruby Wax on borrowing 100,000 pounds of jewellery to impress Imelda Marcos

Castaway · 26 June 2005Sue Lawley

Minette Walters

16°38′S 096°22′W

Minette Walters

Minette Walters on the neighbour who told her to do something with her day

Castaway · 30 June 2002Sue Lawley

Marquess Of Bath

11°04′S 041°09′W

Marquess Of Bath

Marquess of Bath on growing a ponytail and painting the walls of Longleat

Castaway · 7 January 2001Sue Lawley

Christopher Bruce

12°07′S 146°44′W

Christopher Bruce

Christopher Bruce on his accent making him an outsider at Ballet Rambert

Castaway · 23 May 1999Sue Lawley

20°50′S 175°17′W

Phil Redmond

Phil Redmond on vetoing a glue sniffing storyline for Grange Hill

Castaway · 15 January 1995Sue Lawley

Penelope Hobhouse

16°13′S 030°49′W

Penelope Hobhouse

Penelope Hobhouse on writing her first book after buying a typewriter at Woolworths

Castaway · 18 December 1994Sue Lawley

Frances Edmonds

06°49′S 063°04′W

Frances Edmonds

How a two-book deal for Phil Edmonds started his wife's writing career

Castaway · 9 August 1987Michael Parkinson

Earl Of Snowdon

17°34′S 140°55′W

Earl Of Snowdon

Snowdon on starting his photography career in a box room

Castaway · 6 September 1980Roy Plomley

09°19′S 169°56′W

Penelope Keith

Penelope Keith on the sewing machine needle that ended her piano playing

Castaway · 21 August 1976Roy Plomley