A BBC Radio 4 Thriller

Only The Good Die Young

A tense six-part techno-thriller, set during the era of George Bush and Boris Yeltsin 
 
Mike Fisher has everything to live for: a stunning model girlfriend, who has just accepted his proposal, and a successful career as a computer programmer. So why would he suddenly resign, dress up in women's underwear and crash his car into a tree? And if he wanted to kill himself, why do it on his wedding day? 
 
His death is ruled as suicide, but his fiancée Kim Drake is sure there's more to it than meets the eye. Determined to find out what really happened, she retraces Mike's footsteps across Europe, where she learns he'd been keeping crucial secrets relating to his highly sensitive job at Peregrine Communications Systems and his involvement with certain disaffected members of the European intelligence community. 
 
Aided by ex-Stasi agent Otto, rock producer Charles Causley and Mike's brother, disabled cyperpunk genius Todd Fisher, she travels across Germany, Denmark and France in search of answers. But Kim's every move is being watched by the sinister Mr Stone, and her dogged investigations are putting her in terrible danger... 
 
First broadcast in 1992, this hard-hitting, electrifying drama was created by award-winning writer and actor Shaun Prendergast, who plays Otto. It stars Siriol Jenkins as Kim, Kenneth Cranham as Stone, Neil Roberts as Mike, Okon Jones as Charles and Jack Klaff as Todd. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Shaun Prendergast 
Produced and directed by Adrian Bean 
Technical presentation by Wilfredo Acosta, Michael Atherton and Ian Pratt 
 
Cast 
Kim Drake - Siriol Jenkins 
Mike Fisher - Neil Roberts 
Anne/Optician's receptionist/Jean/Clearwater - Kate Binchy 
Frank/Otto/Burns - Shaun Prendergast 
Miss Gee - Ann Davies 
Stone - Kenneth Cranham 
Todd - Jack Klaff 
DI Dear - Eric Alan 
DS Love - Jonathan Tafler 
John Maschler - Terence Edmond 
Emma/Nurse Lewis - Caroline Strong 
Mary/WPC - Nicola Boyce 
Charles - Okon Jones 
Wilson - Peter Gunn 
Doris Meyer/Computer/Hotel receptionist - Joanna Wake 
Helga/Prostitute - Melanie Hudson 
DI Dear - Eric Allen 
DS Love/Victor - Jonathan Tafler 
Seeta Kumar - Mamta Kaash 
Welkin/Journalist - William Roberts 
Jill Noone - Alice Arnold 
Nelson - Kenneth McClellan 
Doctor - Teresa Streatfield 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 April-28 May 1992 
 
 
©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Shaun Prendergast

Sarah Parish

Tracy-Ann Oberman

Sean Foley

Hamish McColl

A BBC Radio 4 Sitcom

All sixteen episodes of the BBC radio comedy about two goldfish who contemplate life &ndash; and their human owners &ndash; from their bowl 
 
Anton and Liam are the Eric and Ernie of the fish world. Liam is a slippers-and-cardigan, Friday-night-in-with-a-Dick Francis-and-a-box-of-Terry&rsquo;s-All-Gold kind of goldfish; whereas Anton is erudite, philosophical, sophisticated and fluent in several languages. Thrown together by fate, their only company in their bowl is some gravel and a little plastic castle as they closely observe the tumultuous relationship between their owners, Martin and Susan. 
 
In these two series, Liam and Anton contemplate the meaning of their existence, ponder the concept of time, and learn about sex &ndash; and a hot new fantail called Pandora sparks jealousy in the bowl. Worried about the future when their owners&rsquo; quarrel, the duo try to put their best fin forward; but as Martin and Susan break up, is it the end for our piscine friends? 
 
As their owners move house, Anton and Liam go on a little holiday, and find themselves face-to-face with Horace the master criminal cat. They have 60 seconds to save the world, 007-style... Let loose on the mean streets of the fish tank, our be-scaled heroes find themselves in big trouble. First Liam is threatened by a piranha, then Anton finds himself at the mercy of an estate agent who really is a shark. And as Anton prepares to throw a party, Liam starts his own religion, and becomes the unwitting spiritual leader of all fishkind. 
 
Written by and starring Shaun Prendergast, this entertaining sitcom is full of underwater wit and fishy frivolity. Sean Foley and Hamish McColl star as Liam and Anton, with Sarah Parish and Tracy-Ann Oberman as Susan. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Shaun Prendergast 
Produced and directed by Sally Avens 
 
Cast 
Liam &ndash; Sean Foley 
Martin/Struan &ndash; Shaun Prendergast 
Anton &ndash; Hamish McColl 
Susan &ndash; Sarah Parish (Series 1), Tracy Ann Oberman (Series 2) 
Other parts were played by members of the cast 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 26 August&ndash;14 October 1998 (Series 1), 2 February&ndash;22 March 2000 (Series 2) 
 
&copy; 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Shaun Prendergast

Books by Shaun Prendergast

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