Linda Smith's A Brief History of Timewasting

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Linda Smith’s A Brief History of Timewasting was a BBC Radio 4 situation comedy series written by and starring the late Linda Smith. It ran for two series (of six episodes each) in 2001 and 2002.

Set in East London, where Smith herself lived, A Brief History of Timewasting concerned the struggle of a single woman to fill the day, helped by her inept, sugar-loving, live-in builder Chris (Chris Neill), morbid elderly neighbour Betty (Margaret John), and Cab driver Worra (Femi Olufowuju Junior). Supporting roles were played by Jeremy Hardy and Martin Hyder.

Smith’s playing to her audience led to many familiar voices from Radio 4, including then-chief announcer Peter Donaldson, Thought for the Day regular Rabbi Lionel Blue, and Woman's Hour stalwart Jenni Murray, appearing as themselves.

Despite the claim of the programme’s page on the Radio 4 website, many of Chris’s antics revealed that Linda and Betty did not live in neighbouring flats in a tower block, but in neighbouring houses.

After her death, it was revealed by Jeremy Hardy that Linda had been working on a third series.