The Rest Is Entertainment
Episode: The Toughest Job In Entertainment
Hosts: Richard Osman & Marina Hyde
Date: April 8, 2026
Episode Overview
In this Questions & Answers edition, Richard Osman and Marina Hyde tackle a diverse range of listener queries, offering their signature blend of industry insider knowledge, humor, and anecdotal flair. Topics span blockbuster box office showdowns, the art and challenge of translating musicals, the realities of emergency presenter stand-ins, the legality and stats of brands in pop lyrics, and more. With sharp wit and deep expertise, the duo shed light on both the serious and the absurd in the world of entertainment, referencing breaking stories, media gossip, and their own career experiences throughout.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Chekhov’s Gun in “Toy Story”
[02:24]
- Marina announces “Any Other Business,” introducing a correction sent by famed writer/producer Russell T. Davies.
- Russell claims the best long-term Chekhov’s gun in cinema is the claw from Toy Story, set up in 1995 and paying off in Toy Story 3 (2010).
- Quote: “The greatest Chekhov's gun… is surely the claw. First seen in Toy Story in 1995… 15 years for the payoff in Toy Story 3… The height of cinema. I actually said the claw out loud. Bliss.” – Russell T. Davies [02:31]
- Both hosts agree, impressed by the 15-year payoff.
- Quote: “A 15 year Chekhov’s gun… That is a long range rifle.” – Richard Osman [03:07]
2. Dune Part 3 vs. Avengers: Doomsday – The Junesday Showdown
[03:20 - 07:43]
- Listener Jamie Miller asks about two blockbusters, Dune Part 3 and Avengers: Doomsday, both scheduled for release on December 18, and whether this is a bold strategy, who will win at the box office, and suggestions for a portmanteau like 'Junesday'.
- Marina provides industry insight into the logistics and rivalry behind movie release dates, referencing the Barbenheimer meme.
- Both films releasing together is “probably unwise” as unlike Barbie and Oppenheimer, these share more audience overlap and risk cannibalizing one another [06:10].
- Dune will almost certainly stick to the date, as it has booked IMAX screens, while Avengers may move (Marvel is notoriously slow and chaotic with finalizing release plans).
- Richard and Marina debate the portmanteau ‘Junesday,’ ultimately dismissing it as terrible.
- Quote: “If I was the Avengers… I'd be moving to a different portmanteau… Dunevengers or something… Junesday is just the day Dune comes out.” – Richard Osman [07:04]
- Outcome prediction: The Avengers is expected to win box office due to sheer scale and studio stakes, but Dune is financially more efficient. [06:19]
3. Translating Musicals—One of the “Toughest Jobs”
[07:48 - 14:08]
- Tony Swindlehurst asks how musicals are translated into other languages, given complex word and rhythm requirements.
- Richard explains the extreme difficulty: translators must fit words to pre-existing melodies, syllable counts, and even vowel sounds for held notes.
- Quote: “You are immediately starting in a very, very difficult place… if you've got a three note structure, you need a three syllable word.” – Richard Osman [08:20]
- Rhyming and sentence structure differences in languages add to the challenge.
- Example: Hamilton’s German translation took two and a half years. German words are longer, so translators had to invent compound words and use Anglicisms to preserve the rhythm.
- “They sent Lin-Manuel Miranda a three-column list: original lyrics, German translation, and a literal English translation…” – Richard Osman [09:51]
- The Lion King has translations in over 40 languages, with all changes approved at many levels.
- Discussion digresses to the “Lion King law” and a recent viral controversy over the meaning of the opening chant, leading to a lawsuit from the composer Lebo M against comedian Learnmore Jonasi for trivializing African languages.
- Quote: "Look, there's a lion. Oh, my God.” – Marina Hyde, on the ‘alternative’ translation [12:41]
- Takeaway: Translation is inherently ambiguous and a joy but presents “head-scramble” challenges.
4. Emergency Stand-ins for Presenters (“Depping”)
[16:43 - 23:57]
- Listener Susie asks how radio stations handle unexpected presenter absences, especially at short notice for shows like breakfast radio.
- Marina explains the concept of “depping” – having a rota of professional hosts always on call.
- “Depping… is like people who can… just pick something up and make it look as though they do it every day. It’s quite lucrative.” – Marina Hyde [17:30]
- Steps include escalating to a list (with Gary Davies as an example of the go-to professional), sometimes extending previous shows, or literally grabbing someone from the building or who lives nearby.
- Both stress that professional stand-ins are always available and responsive, likened to “first responders.”
- “The idea that people in radio like that don’t answer their phones… They’re so on it.” – Marina Hyde [20:13]
- On TV and panel shows, similar plans exist, sometimes involving regular backups or warm-up staff stepping into main roles at the last minute. This process can kick-start careers.
- Example: On The Wheel, Tony Bellew filled in for a sick participant [21:17].
- Quote: “If you're a captain on a panel show… you would have to be really, really sick for you not to go on.” – Marina Hyde [21:11]
5. Namechecking Brands in Songs—Legalities and Pop Chart Data
[23:57 - 27:50]
- Listener Ben wonders about legal limits on using brands in song lyrics/titles and if royalties or permissions are involved.
- Richard confirms it’s largely allowed under “nominative fair use,” unless the brand is libeled or the reference implies sponsorship.
- “You can absolutely use brand names if you wish to… so long as you are not either A, libeling that brand or B, passing off.” – Richard Osman [24:15]
- Cites Mattel unsuccessfully suing Aqua for “Barbie Girl” as an example.
- The team did original research on the most-mentioned brands in US Billboard Top 100 songs (1959-2023). After controlling for repetition, the top 10 most-referenced brands:
- Cadillac (51 songs)
- Chevrolet
- Gucci
- Mercedes Benz
- Coca-Cola
- Hennessy
- Bentley
- Nike
- Cartier
- Chanel
- Rap music is a key driver for these mentions.
- UK data likely differs due to less frequent use of brand names.
6. Book Sales—Matt Goodwin Case
[27:50 - 28:52]
- Brief segment revisiting Matt Goodwin’s book sales, clarifying he ranked 20th in the UK (Easter children’s books dominated the top slots).
- Book sold c. 5,500 copies in its first week.
- “If you just say you’re the biggest book in Britain, there’s a number of dinosaurs that pooped Easter that want to hear from you.” – Marina Hyde [28:44]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “A 15 year Chekhov’s gun… That is a long range rifle.” – Richard Osman [03:07]
- “If I was the Avengers… I'd be moving to a different portmanteau… Dunevengers or something.” – Richard Osman [07:04]
- “You are immediately starting in a very, very difficult place… if you've got a three note structure, you need a three syllable word.” – Richard Osman [08:20]
- “They sent Lin-Manuel Miranda a three-column list: original lyrics, German translation, and a literal English translation…” – Richard Osman [09:51]
- "Look, there's a lion. Oh, my God.” – Marina Hyde [12:41]
- “Depping… is like people who can… just pick something up and make it look as though they do it every day. It’s quite lucrative.” – Marina Hyde [17:30]
- “The idea that people in radio like that don’t answer their phones… They’re so on it.” – Marina Hyde [20:13]
- “You can absolutely use brand names if you wish to… so long as you are not either A, libeling that brand or B, passing off.” – Richard Osman [24:15]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [02:24] – Russell T. Davies on Chekhov’s gun in Toy Story
- [03:30] – Listener question: Dune vs Avengers release date, “Junesday” debate
- [07:48] – Translating musicals, Hamilton as a case study, Lion King lawsuit
- [16:43] – Emergency presenter stand-ins (“depping”) in radio and TV
- [23:57] – Brand names in song lyrics: music law, cultural stats
- [27:50] – Matt Goodwin’s book sales and the Easter book charts
Overall Tone and Style
Conversational, witty, occasionally irreverent, but always insightful. Richard and Marina maintain an easy rapport, blending deep industry knowledge with humor and spontaneous anecdotes, making complex media topics engaging and relatable.
For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In
This episode delivers a fascinating and often funny behind-the-scenes look at media logistics, translation conundrums, radio emergencies, legal quirks in pop and literature, as well as the odd viral entertainment headline—all through the dry wit and expert opinions of two of Britain’s most plugged-in culture commentators.