Fireworks at the Villa Lucia!

My Hero script writer Paul Mendelson's radio comedy Fireworks at the Villa Lucia!, starring Sammantha Bond, will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on New Year's Eve.

Described as an original Neapolitan radio comedy, the Radio Times selected Mendelson's story as a Pick of the Day for Christmas. "If you can only watch one TV show, listen to one radio programme or see one film on television each day this festive season, this is what you must tune in for."

When Pete (played by Philip Whitchurch, who played Tyler in My Hero), a jobbing TV scriptwriter who's jobbing less and less, goes on holiday to get away from the downward spiral of his career and breathe some fresh life into his marriage.

Finding himself booked into the same hotel in the Bay of Naples as a cult Hollywood director, who's on holiday to get away from movies and writers, Peter tries to pitch his cherished movie idea.

Knowing any director would run a mile from a struggling TV writer brandishing a dog-eared movie script, Pete hits on a ruse to "sell" his script – he'll intrigue the guy by pretending his fiction is the true story of how he and Julie (Bond) met.

Farcical misunderstandings ensue as Julie is forced to pass herself off as the script's main character – a fiery Venezuelan ex-soap star – with Pete masquerading as her psychoanalyst. And, as Julie gets into playing the role, she begins to re-write the script on the hoof giving the character a third split in her personality.

• Fireworks at the Villa Lucia! will be broadcast on Thursday 31st December on BBC Radio 4 at 2.15pm

Ardal O'Hanlon stars in BBC Radio 4 'Spike's Lookalikes'

My Hero and Father Ted star Ardal O'Hanlon stars in a new sitcom for radio which starts on Monday on BBC Radio 4.

Spike's Lookalikes is stand-up comedian Mark Watson's first sitcom for Radio 4 and the first of three episodes will air on Monday 16 June at 11.00pm.

Ardal plays Spike, whose efforts to run a successful lookalikes agency are continually undermined – invariably by himself. His client list is diverse, if nothing else, and includes a Del Boy, a Posh Spice and a Pope John Paul II.

Loveable but thoroughly useless, Spike is bailed out on a regular basis by his wife, Maggie, office boy and lookalike wannabe Phil, and their friends, Jimmy and Sandie.

In the first episode, 'To Del And Back', Jimmy, Spike's Del Boy impersonator, has had enough and has decided to pack in the lookalikes game and fulfil his dream of being a dentist in Spain. But as Jimmy is about the only one of Spike's clients who actually gets booked, Spike has to pull out all the stops to change his mind.

Spike's Lookalikes also stars Doon Mackichan and Bruce Mackinnon.