Crunch Time For Jarvis Cocker

Normally when I’m on holiday, I’m far more inclined towards trash TV than anything remotely brain-taxing, but this Christmas I’m going to tune into a Radio 4 special about the economy (Today programme, 31 December).

The fact that this particular radio show is being edited by Jarvis Cocker – who I’ve seen in concert, oh, about a trillion times - has absolutely nothing to do with it; I simply am that dedicated to anything work-related. Ooh, look: Rudolph and Santa just flew by in a silver sleigh.

The slight flaw in my plan is the programme’s ridiculously early kick-off time – six o’clock in the morning, for pity’s sake – that’d be a struggle even without the yuletide festivities; however, I reckon it’d be worth it to catch Jarvis’s musings on economic matters.

Here’s what the man himself has to say about the various topics he’ll be pondering on the programme:

(click to watch BBC iPlayer clip)

• When The Chips Are Down, Reach For The Chocolate (2)
• The Sub-prime Crisis: Blame The Man In The String Vest (0)
• Phil’s Credit Crunch Crisis (1)
• My Eyes! My Eyes! (0)
• If Bankers Had To Pitch To The Dragons… (0)