Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar
{{short description|British radio series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox Radio show
| show_name = Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| other_names =
| format = Comedy
| runtime = 30 minutes
| country = United Kingdom
| language = English
| home_station = BBC Radio 4
| syndicates =
| television =
| starring =
| creator =
| writer = Alexei Sayle
| producer = Joe Nunnery
| executive_producer =
| narrated =
| record_location =
| first_aired = 22 November 2016
| last_aired =
| num_series = 5
| num_episodes = 20
| audio_format =
| opentheme =
| endtheme =
| website = https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09fb6n5
| podcast =
}}
Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar is a stand up and storytelling BBC Radio 4 show hosted and written by Alexei Sayle.{{Cite news |last=Barfe |first=Louis |date=25 November 2016|title=The Lady |url=https://lady.co.uk/radio-review-25-november}}
The show features Alexei delivering "a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy from behind the counter of his imaginary sandwich bar".{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 4 - Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09fb6n5 |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/alexei_sayles_imaginary_sandwich_bar/ |website=British Comedy Guide}} It has garnered critical acclaim, winning a BBC Audio Drama award in 2020.{{Cite web |date=2016-12-06 |title=BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Audio Drama Awards 2020 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p082bd0l |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}
The first episode aired in 2016, with 5 series having aired as of 2025.
A tie-in book was released in 2017.{{Cite web |title=Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar: Based on the Hilarious BBC Radio 4 Series - Sayle, Alexei: 9781408895825 - AbeBooks |url=https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9781408895825/Alexei-Sayles-Imaginary-Sandwich-Bar-140889582X/plp |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=www.abebooks.co.uk |language=en-GB}}
Episodes
=Series 1=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:90%; | ||
| {{abbr|Ep|Episode number by series}} | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pretending and Sandwiches | {{Start date|2016|11|15|df=y}} |
| 2 | Political Beliefs | {{Start date|2016|11|22|df=y}} |
| 3 | Careerism | {{Start date|2016|11|29|df=y}} |
| 4 | History and the Role of the Entertainer | {{Start date|2016|12|6|df=y}} |
=Series 2=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:90%; | ||
| {{abbr|Ep|Episode number by series}} | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Britain's Place in the World | {{Start date|2017|11|09|df=y}} |
| 2 | The Financial Crash | {{Start date|2017|11|16|df=y}} |
| 3 | Death and Travel | {{Start date|2017|11|23|df=y}} |
| 4 | La Vie Moral | {{Start date|2017|11|30|df=y}} |
=Series 3=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:90%; | ||
| {{abbr|Ep|Episode number by series}} | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corbyn and the Left | {{Start date|2019|9|12|df=y}} |
| 2 | Santa Claused Faced Old... | {{Start date|2019|9|19|df=y}} |
| 3 | Rage and Resentment | {{Start date|2019|9|26|df=y}} |
| 4 | Kings of Comedy | {{Start date|2019|10|3|df=y}} |
=Series 4=
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:90%; | ||
| {{abbr|Ep|Episode number by series}} | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Monopoly of Violence | {{Start date|2022|10|20|df=y}} |
| 2 | The Revolving Door | {{Start date|2022|10|27|df=y}} |
| 3 | The Way We Live Now | {{Start date|2022|11|03|df=y}} |
| 4 | Repetition. Repetition. Repetition. | {{Start date|2022|11|10|df=y}} |
= Series 5 =
| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:90%; " | ||
| {{abbr|Ep|Episode number by series}} | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Sense of an Abrupt Ending | {{Start date|2025|03|01|df=y}} |
| 2 | What is this place you have brought me to Roger? | {{Start date|2025|03|08|df=y}} |
| 3 | Jumping the Shark | {{Start date|2025|03|15|df=y}} |
| 4 | Unsweet Charity | {{Start date|2025|03|22|df=y}} |