Shift Run Stop

Share our pleasure chatting about magic, coincidences and games with the fascinating Dave Gorman, then feel our pain as a tarry soft drink promotes the question: "What IS 'malt' anyway?" Yes, it's like a trip back in time to the early days of the show, as once again we find ourselves hijacking someone else's office without asking, scouring [...]

We were slumbering, as usual, in our misty Shift Run Stop cryo-pods, when through the liquid nitrogen we heard it: the unmistakable call of a Raspberry Pi in the wild. So here we are again, temporarily reanimated for a very special and rare chat with credit-card sized computer creator, Eben Upton. As Eben reflects on a trajectory [...]

After a bit of a break, Shift Run Stop is back in your ears – on an occasional basis, at least. This month, we meet Ed Jefferson, aka Ben from @shippamspaste, Danny O'Brien (from episode 34) tells us about the life of an Englishman in New York and Lee Maguire is back with Snack Time. We also work [...]

Yes, we are back! Well, for a one-off Christmas special at least. As it's been so long, and you've been waiting so patiently, we've tried to make sure this episode is bursting at the seams. Put your feet up (yes, even if you're driving, it's Christmas!) and join us as we chat to journalist and [...]

It's the end-of-the-year show you've been waiting for. Spam-baiting humorist Neil Forsyth reveals how he winds up cyber crooks, and we track down the bootleg of our live spot on London's recent Radio Roundabout where, lest auld acquaintance Rhodri Marsden be forgot, we interview him. All that washed down with a cup of kindness from snacks expert Lee Maguire [...]

Happy Christmas or otherwise holidays! As you've been good this year, we've made you a very special extra-long holly-decked episode, featuring music, festive snacks and the glorious comedian Joanna Neary who tells us about everything from performing in Time Trumpet to her remarkable gloves. We're really pleased with this episode. Hope you like it too, and thanks [...]

A modern nerd legend for you this week, as we chat to John Graham-Cumming about his new project, Plan 28, which aims to "finish Babbage's work" by raising the cash to build an Analytical Engine from original plans. John has previously successfully petitioned the Government to formally apologise for the treatment of Alan Turing, and [...]

You know when you're on the train, and you think "Oh there's Jigsaw, just getting on at this stop. Hi Jigsaw!" You know. Usually happens the day after you watched all the Saw films in a row, like this week's guest Sarah Dobbs did recently. Luckily, she's a horror fan... she's also a journalist, and [...]

We chat to a games-creator this week, the talented Minkette, and hear about some of her extraordinary projects - which range from mindbending ARGs to a radio-transmitted theatre production on the Tube. All that plus Kinect hacking, real world point-and-clicks, and Rockband with Grannie in this foil-fresh square of your Shift Run Stop advent calendar. Now [...]

Artist, designer, writer, and man of extraordinary imagination Dominic Wilcox calls in for a chat about his latest creations which include bread lampshades and helium-powered crisp packets. We also find out what Leila would've tweeted had she still been on Twitter, and Roo starts feeling festive at the South Bank's Christmas fair. Oh, and you [...]

Leila went to R3PLAY, the enormous retro-gaming event in Blackpool, and has returned armed with interviews with loads of people, including Sensible Soccer creator John Hare, Adam from the National Museum of Computing, and retro computing enthusiast off-the-telly Iain Lee. Back at Shift Run Stop Towers, our snackfood correspondent Dave Green takes us on a gastronomical voyage [...]

We welcome another ridiculously talented guest this week, in the form of acclaimed screen actor Andy Nyman. The horror aficionado joined us on his only night off from the West End hit Ghost Stories, which he wrote and stars in - though you might also remember his turn as the deliciously aggressive Patrick in Charlie Brooker's zombie satire [...]

It's all bionic legs, bananas and biplanes this week, as we meet the exuberant comedian Helen Keen, creator of acclaimed stand-up show and soon-to-be Radio 4 series "It IS rocket science". There's big news from Roo, inane comments about time travel from Leila, and your hosts finally get some decent food in them, via some [...]

Yes, we've reached episode 50. When we started a year ago we didn't really know what the show would be like, or how sustainable it could be, so we're pleased to have made it this far. Thanks for sticking with it (would a hug be inappropriate?) In this one-off, one-for-the-fans, where-are-they-now geekstravaganza, excellent early guest Alice [...]

Rhianna knows games. We meet the famous "narrative paramedic" behind Heavenly Sword, the Overlord series, Mirror's Edge and lots more - and discover it all began with Leisure Suit Larry. But that's not all! Your hosts discuss the great "Inventing the 21st Century" exhibition at the British Library over a beer somewhere, while back at Shift [...]

Robert Schifreen and Stephen Gold hacked into the Post Office/BT's Viewdata system 'Prestel' back in the 80s, gaining access to thousands of mailboxes (including Prince Philip's). It was the first high profile hacking case in the UK, and resulted in the passing of the Computer Misuse Act. We reminisce with Robert about the good old [...]

Special episode this week - two guests, several locations and lots of meaty snacks. We went to the annual London games conference Playful and Skype-interviewed very funny former Games Master host-turned farmer Dominik Diamond on stage - hear the best bits in this episode. Games consultant and former editor of Edge magazine, Margaret Robertson was at [...]

A return to video games chat this week, and who better to put our endless questions about narrative and puzzles to than friendly games maker Hayden Scott-Baron ("Docky"). Hayden is the man behind hit iPhone physics game Tumbledrop, and much of what you like about RollerCoaster Tycoon. He's a comic artist, too, so we exploited [...]

This week as we talk to Simon Hickson, or to give him his full name: SIMON OUT OF TREVOR AND SIMON. He has one of those voices, and he uses it great effect in this nostalgic episode, revealing which of their characters were banned from Going Live, the thing that links Trev to Mad Men, [...]

Kev Cecil, Kev Cecil. Rings a bell, doesn't it? You've definitely come across Kev's work, because he's written for everything. Black Books, Little Britain, Armstrong and Miller, Katy Brand, Harry & Paul, Armando Iannucci... wherever you go, there he is, often teaming up with writing partner Andy Riley. Most recently, the pair co-created the three-part [...]