
Chart Throb
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.84
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Adam Godley
-
By:
-
Ben Elton
About this listen
Ben Elton, author of Popcorn and Dead Famous, returns to blistering comic satire with a savagely hilarious deconstruction of the world of modern television talent shows. Chart Throb: one winner and a whole bunch of losers.
©2006 Ben EltonListeners also enjoyed...
-
High Society
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Greg Wagland
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The war on drugs has been lost but for want of the courage to face the fact that the whole world is rapidly becoming one vast criminal network. From pop stars and princes to crack whores and street kids. From the Groucho Club toilets to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, we are all partners in crime.
-
-
Ben brilliant as always
- By Lisa on 09-21-11
By: Ben Elton
-
Time and Time Again
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Jot Davies
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s the 1st of June 1914 and Hugh Stanton, ex-soldier and celebrated adventurer is quite literally the loneliest man on earth. No one he has ever known or loved has been born yet. Perhaps now they never will be.Stanton knows that a great and terrible war is coming. A collective suicidal madness that will destroy European civilization and bring misery to millions in the century to come. He knows this because, for him, that century is already history.Somehow he must change that history. He must prevent the war.
-
-
Don't Mess With Yesterday!
- By Carole T. on 01-03-15
By: Ben Elton
-
Meltdown
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For amiable city trader Jimmy Corby money was the new rock n' roll. His whole life was a party, adrenaline charged and cocaine fuelled. If he hadn't met Monica, he would probably have ended up either dead or in rehab. But Jimmy was as lucky in love as he was at betting on dodgy derivatives, so instead of burning out, his star just burned brighter than ever. Rich, pampered and successful; Jimmy; Monica; and their friends lived the dream, bringing up their children with an army of domestic helps.
-
-
Excellent
- By Sarah Jane Walton on 04-13-22
By: Ben Elton
-
Blind Faith
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Glen McCready
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Trafford Sewell struggles to work through the usual crowds of commuters, he is confronted by the intimidating figure of his Parish Confessor. Why has Trafford not been streaming his every moment of sexual intimacy onto the community website like everybody else? Does he think he's different or special in some way? Better than his fellow man and woman? Does he have something to hide? Imagine a world where everyone knows everything about everybody.
-
-
Hard to read
- By Jules Milani on 05-30-17
By: Ben Elton
-
Identity Crisis
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Ben Elton
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A series of apparently random murders draws amiable, old-school Detective Mick Matlock into a world of sex, politics, reality TV and a bewildering kaleidoscope of opposing identity groups. Lost in a blizzard of hashtags, his already complex investigation is further impeded by the fact that he simply doesn’t ‘get’ a single thing about anything anymore. Meanwhile, each day another public figure confesses to having ‘misspoken’ and prostrates themselves before the judgment of Twitter. Begging for forgiveness, assuring the public 'that is not who I am'.
-
-
Starts strange and ends amazing.
- By Adayam mirsky on 05-12-24
By: Ben Elton
-
The First Casualty
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Jack Davenport
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Flanders, June 1917: a British officer and celebrated poet is shot dead, killed not by German fire, but while recuperating from shell shock well behind the lines. A young English soldier is arrested and, although he protests his innocence, charged with his murder. Douglas Kingsley is a conscientious objector, previously a detective with the London police, now imprisoned for his beliefs. He is released, and sent to France in order to secure a conviction.
-
-
love it!!!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-19-16
By: Ben Elton
-
High Society
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Greg Wagland
- Length: 11 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The war on drugs has been lost but for want of the courage to face the fact that the whole world is rapidly becoming one vast criminal network. From pop stars and princes to crack whores and street kids. From the Groucho Club toilets to the poppy fields of Afghanistan, we are all partners in crime.
-
-
Ben brilliant as always
- By Lisa on 09-21-11
By: Ben Elton
-
Time and Time Again
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Jot Davies
- Length: 13 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s the 1st of June 1914 and Hugh Stanton, ex-soldier and celebrated adventurer is quite literally the loneliest man on earth. No one he has ever known or loved has been born yet. Perhaps now they never will be.Stanton knows that a great and terrible war is coming. A collective suicidal madness that will destroy European civilization and bring misery to millions in the century to come. He knows this because, for him, that century is already history.Somehow he must change that history. He must prevent the war.
-
-
Don't Mess With Yesterday!
- By Carole T. on 01-03-15
By: Ben Elton
-
Meltdown
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Paul Thornley
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For amiable city trader Jimmy Corby money was the new rock n' roll. His whole life was a party, adrenaline charged and cocaine fuelled. If he hadn't met Monica, he would probably have ended up either dead or in rehab. But Jimmy was as lucky in love as he was at betting on dodgy derivatives, so instead of burning out, his star just burned brighter than ever. Rich, pampered and successful; Jimmy; Monica; and their friends lived the dream, bringing up their children with an army of domestic helps.
-
-
Excellent
- By Sarah Jane Walton on 04-13-22
By: Ben Elton
-
Blind Faith
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Glen McCready
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As Trafford Sewell struggles to work through the usual crowds of commuters, he is confronted by the intimidating figure of his Parish Confessor. Why has Trafford not been streaming his every moment of sexual intimacy onto the community website like everybody else? Does he think he's different or special in some way? Better than his fellow man and woman? Does he have something to hide? Imagine a world where everyone knows everything about everybody.
-
-
Hard to read
- By Jules Milani on 05-30-17
By: Ben Elton
-
Identity Crisis
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Ben Elton
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A series of apparently random murders draws amiable, old-school Detective Mick Matlock into a world of sex, politics, reality TV and a bewildering kaleidoscope of opposing identity groups. Lost in a blizzard of hashtags, his already complex investigation is further impeded by the fact that he simply doesn’t ‘get’ a single thing about anything anymore. Meanwhile, each day another public figure confesses to having ‘misspoken’ and prostrates themselves before the judgment of Twitter. Begging for forgiveness, assuring the public 'that is not who I am'.
-
-
Starts strange and ends amazing.
- By Adayam mirsky on 05-12-24
By: Ben Elton
-
The First Casualty
- By: Ben Elton
- Narrated by: Jack Davenport
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Flanders, June 1917: a British officer and celebrated poet is shot dead, killed not by German fire, but while recuperating from shell shock well behind the lines. A young English soldier is arrested and, although he protests his innocence, charged with his murder. Douglas Kingsley is a conscientious objector, previously a detective with the London police, now imprisoned for his beliefs. He is released, and sent to France in order to secure a conviction.
-
-
love it!!!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-19-16
By: Ben Elton
-
Starter Villain
- By: John Scalzi
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place. Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan. Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie. But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits.
-
-
Volcanic Lairs, Death Rays & Cats… Oh My! 😼
- By C. White on 09-19-23
By: John Scalzi
-
Blackadder: The Complete Collected Series
- By: Ben Elton, Richard Curtis
- Narrated by: full cast, Rowan Atkinson, Tony Robinson, and others
- Length: 15 hrs and 3 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Through the ages of Britain, from the 15th century to the 21st, Edmund Blackadder has meddled his way along the bloodlines, aided by his servant and sidekick, Baldrick, and hindered by an assortment of dimwitted aristocrats. Now the complete history of Blackadder is collected together, including the four TV series: The Black Adder, Blackadder II, Blackadder the Third and Blackadder Goes Forth.
-
-
If you know the show well, You'll Love its Audio.
- By addie on 04-01-20
By: Ben Elton, and others
-
May I Have Your Attention Please?
- By: James Corden
- Narrated by: James Corden
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As far back as he can remember James Corden has only ever wanted to be in one place: in front of you, doing something to make you laugh, cry, shout, or giggle uncontrollably. At the age of 4, he grandstanded throughout his baby sister’s christening, standing on a chair in front of the whole congregation, pulling faces and cracking everyone up. Despite himself, the vicar was impressed. And from then on he couldn’t get enough of the spotlight, even when it always seemed to avoid him. Throughout his teens, he and his Dad trudged up and down towards London....
-
-
Absolutely brilliant
- By Rachael on 06-29-16
By: James Corden
-
Try Hard
- Tales from the life of a needy overachiever
- By: Em Rusciano
- Narrated by: Em Rusciano
- Length: 7 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Funny, feisty and fabulous, Em Rusciano's insights into her world of mayhem, marriage and motherhood are a laugh-out-loud, cry-out-loud balm for the soul. From her exploits at the Miss Sheila Fancypants School of Dance and her efforts to secure a solo at her end-of-year performance to embracing the spotlight as an Australian Idol contestant and her deep and abiding love for John Farnham, Em Rusciano is a self-confessed bottomless pit of anxiety with a taste for glitter.
-
-
You need Emelia Rusciano in your life!
- By Anonymous User on 05-27-18
By: Em Rusciano
-
Runnin' with the Devil
- A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen
- By: Noel Monk, Joe Layden
- Narrated by: Fred Berman
- Length: 11 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Van Halen's rise in the 1980s was one of the most thrilling the music world had ever seen - their mythos an epic party, a sweaty, sexy, never-ending rock extravaganza. During this unparalleled run of success, debauchery, and drama, no one was closer to the band than Noel Monk. Throughout Van Halen's meteoric rise and abrupt halt, this confidant, fixer, friend, and promoter saw it all and lived to tell. Now, for the first time, he shares the most outrageous escapades.
-
-
Van Halen ❤️
- By Diane Rodriguez on 09-01-17
By: Noel Monk, and others
-
Most Talkative
- Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture
- By: Andy Cohen
- Narrated by: Andy Cohen
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From a young age, Andy Cohen knew two things: He was gay, and he loved television. Now presiding over Bravo's reality-TV empire, he started out as an overly talkative pop-culture obsessive, devoted to Charlie's Angels and All My Children—and to his mother, who received daily letters from him while he was at summer camp, usually reminding her to tape the soaps. In retrospect, it's hard to believe that everyone didn't know that Andy was gay; still, he remained in the closet until college. Finally out, he embarked on making a career out of his passion for television.
-
-
If you're depressed, listen to this book!!!
- By Roberta on 07-02-12
By: Andy Cohen
-
Killing Critics
- By: Carol O'Connell
- Narrated by: Laural Merlington
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
NYPD sergeant Kathleen Mallory - computer genius, street fighter, provocative waif, peerless investigator, manipulative beauty - is the gorgeous, near-sociopathic heroine of this knife-edged suspense novel. Along with old pals, Ricker, Coffey, and faithful admirer Charles Butler, Mallory is determined to solve the brutal "art as death" murder of an untalented but highly touted artist-critic.
-
-
2 Stars is generous
- By P. Chavez on 10-14-12
By: Carol O'Connell
-
Reveal: Robbie Williams
- By: Chris Heath
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 17 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An intimate, funny and frank account of the moments behind the music, of the truth behind the headlines and of the fascinatingly complicated man behind the imperious entertainer, Reveal is Robbie Williams as you've never seen him before. Best-selling author Chris Heath has been working closely with Robbie for many years to create a personal and raw account of fame, fortune, family and music - a vivid and detailed story of the real highs and lows as Robbie has found his way forward, that is unprecedented in its intimacy and honesty.
-
-
Absolutely Briliant!
- By L. Elder on 10-01-17
By: Chris Heath
-
Kathy Griffin's Celebrity Run-Ins
- My A-Z Index
- By: Kathy Griffin
- Narrated by: Kathy Griffin
- Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From New York Times best-selling author Kathy Griffin, an A-Z compendium of the celebrities she's met over the years and the jaw-dropping, charming, and sometimes bizarre anecdotes only she can tell about them. Starting with Woody Allen and making pit stops with Demi Lovato, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Donald Trump, Kathy Griffin finally lifts the veil on her never-before-told run-ins with the famous and the infamous.
-
-
Kathy hit it out of the park!
- By Josh P on 01-15-17
By: Kathy Griffin
-
Little Me
- My Life from A-Z
- By: Matt Lucas
- Narrated by: Matt Lucas
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hello there. Welcome to my autobiography. Throughout this audiobook I talk about my life and work, including Little Britain, Come Fly with Me, Bridesmaids, Les Miserables, Alice in Wonderland and, of course, Shooting Stars. The thing is, this is a bit different to most memoirs you may have listened to, because it comes in the form of an A-Z. Anyway, I hope you buy it at least twice. Thank you.
-
-
Food
- By Gavin Brown on 09-26-20
By: Matt Lucas
-
No Is a Four-Letter Word
- How I Failed Spelling but Succeeded in Life
- By: Chris Jericho
- Narrated by: Chris Jericho
- Length: 5 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Three-time New York Times best-selling author and six-time WWE champion Chris Jericho shares 20 of his most valuable lessons for achieving your goals and living the life you want, jam-packed with fantastic stories and the classic off-the-wall, laugh-out-loud Jericho references he's famous for.
-
-
GOAT is also a Four Letter Word
- By VC on 01-01-18
By: Chris Jericho
-
So That Happened
- A Memoir
- By: Jon Cryer
- Narrated by: Jon Cryer
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If it can happen in show business, it’s happened to Jon Cryer. Now he’s opening up for the first time and sharing his behind-the-scenes stories in a warmly endearing, sharply observed, and frankly funny look at life in Hollywood. In 1986, Jon Cryer won over America as Molly Ringwald’s loyal and lovable best friend, Duckie, in the cult classic Pretty in Pink in a role that set the tone for his three-decade-long career in Hollywood. He went on to establish himself as one of the most talented comedic actors in the business.
-
-
So much more than just TWO AND A HALF MEN!!!
- By Dea Lyn on 04-14-15
By: Jon Cryer
What listeners say about Chart Throb
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Philip
- 03-14-07
Book of the year! Humourous look at TV culture
Ben Elton's "Chart Throb" lashes out at the makers as well as viewers of pulp TV reality shows and (non) talent contests. Yep, we are implicitly talking about The Osbournes, X-Factor, Dancing on ice with the Stars. Ben Elton is asking (and answering) all the right questions in this entertaining novel: how many of the "spontaneous" moments are scripted? what is the objective of these shows.... to truly find talent or to make fun of well-meaning contestants? how far would you go as an individual to gain your 10 seconds of fame? Listening to "Chart Throb" provided me with four hours of suspense, fun, and a critical look at what's on current day telly. A definite eye opener. I would recommend it to anyone! If you enjoy Carl Hiaasen or Nick Hornby, then Ben Elton is certainly a writer you need to discover. I first came across his work with the excellent "Popcorn", and have by now read most of his other work (including the excellent Big Brother parody Dead Famous).
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Sævar Ari Finnbogason
- 07-31-08
"throbing fun"
This is an exellent book, whitt and humor ala Ben Elton. If you liked his works you'll like this one.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!