Randy Newman — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Tuning in…

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

Randy Newman — Artist · desert is.land

desert is.landest. 1942

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

Artist

Randy Newman

12 episodes

Chosen over the decades

12

Total castaways

1990s

Peak decade

6

Decades seen

Castaways who chose this

Barbara Dickson
Eric Idle
Hugh Laurie
Jon Ronson
Leslie Caron
Norma Percy
Pamela Stephenson
Patrick Stewart
Rita Dove
Tom Lehrer
Victoria Wood
Willy Russell

Norma Percy
Norma Percy on the gin and tonic her professor gave nervous students
Castaway · 22 June 2025Lauren Laverne
Jon Ronson
Jon Ronson on getting on buses alone in London as a child
Castaway · 5 June 2022Lauren Laverne

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

Leslie Caron on her grandfather crying when war broke out

Castaway · 13 February 2022Lauren Laverne

06°33′S 039°00′W

Hugh Laurie

Hugh Laurie on being bored in a stock car race with exploding cars

Castaway · 23 June 2013Kirsty Young

18°31′S 013°30′W

Victoria Wood

Victoria Wood on her childhood home crammed with junk from bombsites

Castaway · 23 December 2007Kirsty Young

Patrick Stewart

23°47′S 104°15′W

Patrick Stewart

Patrick Stewart on being cast as Shylock by his teacher at age 12

Castaway · 17 April 2005Sue Lawley

20°46′S 100°09′W

Rita Dove

Rita Dove on her father being denied the valedictorian address

Castaway · 22 August 1999Sue Lawley

Barbara Dickson

07°45′S 149°42′W

Barbara Dickson

Barbara Dickson on singing into a toothpaste tube in the bathroom

Castaway · 17 December 1995Sue Lawley

16°43′S 171°04′W

Willy Russell

Willy Russell on the woman who told him the same story every week for two years

Castaway · 23 January 1994Sue Lawley

Pamela Stephenson

18°54′S 048°58′W

Pamela Stephenson

Pamela Stephenson on asking BBC producers for a job as an English rose

Castaway · 17 July 1982Roy Plomley

16°55′S 059°23′W

Tom Lehrer

Tom Lehrer on his parents finding him a popular music teacher

Castaway · 12 July 1980Roy Plomley

14°43′S 077°36′W

Eric Idle

Eric Idle on being banned in Rutland

Castaway · 27 November 1976Roy Plomley