Phil Whelans

Phil Whelans is a British comedy writer and performer whose radio series My First Planet is a science fiction comedy that imagines the chaotic early days of humanity's first colony on another world. The series, broadcast on BBC Radio 4, combines science fiction concepts with workplace comedy, creating a show where the grand ambitions of space colonisation collide with the petty bureaucracy, incompetence and interpersonal conflicts that characterise any human organisation. Whelans brings a sharp comic sensibility to the science fiction setting, using the premise of a space colony to satirise corporate culture, management jargon and the gap between institutional ambitions and individual capabilities. The series features a strong ensemble cast bringing to life a gallery of eccentric characters whose attempts to build a new civilisation are constantly undermined by their own limitations. My First Planet belongs to the rich tradition of British science fiction comedy that includes Douglas Adams and Red Dwarf, finding humour in the collision between cosmic ambitions and mundane human reality. The audiobook edition brings this entertaining radio comedy to listeners who enjoy science fiction, workplace comedy and British radio humour.