The Archers Rich (piano) and Norman Parker (percussion). Robert Robinson once compared the tune to "the genteel abandon of a lifelong teetotaller who has suddenly taken to drink". On April Fool's Day 2004 both "The Independent" and "The Today Programme" claimed that BBC executives had commissioned composer Brian Eno to record an electronic version of "Barwick Green" as a replacement for the current theme, while comedian Billy Connolly included in his act the joke that the theme was so typically British that it should be the national anthem of the United Kingdom. In 2009, comedian Rainer Hersch conducted the Philharmonia Orchestra in
The Radio 2 Breakfast Show to be an even more controversial choice, as his perceived acerbic manner was seen as being at odds with what the Radio 2 breakfast programme had become. Subtitled "Good Morning UK!", it did not prove popular and Hayes presented his last programme on 23 December 1992. During the Hayes era, the show was extended by 1 hour and was moved to an earlier start time of 6.30am. Terry Wogan returned to the BBC Radio 2 breakfast programme in January 1993. Now entitled "Wake Up to Wogan," it was the first time the breakfast show had explicitly been given a title