Alfie Small is a keen explorer, just like his older cousin, Charlie. And just like Charlie, Alfie is fearless! He loves adventures, speedboats, dragons and sword-fighting. He does NOT like wrinkly old pirates and interfering puffins. Unlike Charlie, Alfie always makes sure he gets back home in time for tea!

Alfie Small

Alfie Teale

Alfred Assollant was born in 1827. He was a teacher, journalist, writer and outspoken opponent of Napoleon III. He wrote more than thirty books over thirty years, including historical fiction, collected essays and a treatise on the rights of women, but only The Marvellous (But Authentic) Adventures of Captain Corcoran, published in 1867, was a success. In the 1870s, his wife, son and daughter died in quick succession and Assollant found himself poverty-stricken. In 1886 he also died, all but forgotten despite the continuing success of Corcoran, in a paupers’ hospital in Paris. 
 
Sam Miller was born and brought up in London. He studied History at Cambridge University and Politics at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies, before joining the BBC in 1986, for which he has worked, on and off, ever since. In the early 1990s he was the BBC World Service TV and radio correspondent in Delhi, and on his return to the UK in 1993 was the presenter of the BBC’s current affairs programme, South Asia Report. Later he became the head of the Urdu service and subsequently Managing Editor, South Asia. He was posted back to Delhi in 2002 and has remained there ever since. He is the author of Delhi: Adventures in a Megacity (2009), Blue Guide: India (2012) and most recently A Strange Kind of Paradise: India Through Foreign Eyes, which was published by Jonathan Cape in 2014.

Alfred Assollant

Alfred Döblin

Alfred Hayes

Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Lord Tennyson

Alfred Russel Wallace

Alfred Tennyson

Alfred Tong

Alfred de Musset

Alfred de Vigny

Algernon Blackwood

Algernon Blackwood (1869 – 1951) was one of the most influential horror writers of the twentieth century. Transcending the boundaries of conventional writing in the genre, his tales are celebrated for their atmospheric descriptions, psychological depth, and their deep interest in phenomena outside of conventional human experience. A lover of nature, his writing is imbued with a mysticism and awe for his surroundings, and much of his work is concerned with the beauty and terror to be found in moutainscapes and dark forests. Blackwood's influence extends beyond horror literature, inspiring authors across various genres and with his evocative storytelling and philosophical insight.

Algernon Charles Swinburne

Ali Abdaal is a doctor, entrepreneur, amateur magician, and the world's most-followed productivity expert. 
 
Ali became intrigued by the science of productivity while juggling the demands of medical training at Cambridge University with building his business. While working as a doctor in the UK's National Health Service, Ali started to document his journey towards living a healthier, happier, more productive life online. In the years since, Ali's evidence-based videos, podcasts and articles about the human mind have reached hundreds of millions of people all around the world. 
 
In 2021, Ali took a break from his medical practice to focus full-time on his work popularising the science of human flourishing and high performance. Here, he reveals everything he has learnt from a decade studying the secrets of feeling better and achieving more.

Ali Abdaal

His Excellency Ali Ibrahim Al-Naimi is the former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. One of the most powerful economic and political jobs in the world, he held this post from August 1995 to May 2016. 
 
Prior to that he held a wide range of leadership positions in the Kingdom's national oil company, Saudi Aramco. He was the first Saudi national to be named President of the company in 1984 and became the first Saudi CEO in 1988. Al-Naimi joined the company, then called Aramco, as an office boy in 1947. A Bedouin, he was born in the deserts of eastern Arabia in 1935.

Ali Al-Naimi

Ali Campbell

Ali Cronin

After graduating from university with a degree in mental health, Ali Land spent a decade working as a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Nurse in hospitals and schools in the UK and Australia. Ali is now a full-time writer and lives in Scotland. Her first novel, Good Me Bad Me, was a Sunday Times bestseller and has been translated into over twenty languages. 
 
Follow Ali on Twitter and Instagram @byAliLand

Ali Land

Ali is a leading expert in spiralizing and launched the world-renowned blog Inspiralized.com.

Ali Maffucci

Ali McDowall is a designer, life coach, and creative mentor with a passion for helping others connect, reflect, and grow. After graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2008 with a degree in Design for Performance, she worked in the arts until becoming a mother in 2013. Her own journey then led her into coaching, where she now supports fellow creatives through mentoring, vision board workshops, and networking events that centre on open, honest conversation and inspiring panel talks. Ali lives in Bath with her husband and two children.

Ali McDowall

Ali Millar was born and raised in the Scottish Borders, and now lives in England with her husband and four children. She has an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing from Edinburgh Napier University, and has worked as a cultural producer for Summerhall in Edinburgh, for whom she has interviewed dozens of writers including Marina Warner, Rachel Cusk, Emma Jane Unsworth, and Etgar Keret. She has also chaired events at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Ali Millar

Ali Pantony is a freelance writer and editor. Her writing has appeared in Glamour, Grazia, BBC Three, Refinery29, Vice, Red and Evening Standard. Almost Adults is her debut novel. 
 
Ali was born in Maidstone, Kent, and lives in North London. You can follow Ali on Twitter and Instagram @alipantony

Ali Pantony

Ali Pye has illustrated more than 30 books, which have been published around the world. She is the author of several picture books, and the 'Harry Stevenson' young fiction series. Ali studied fashion at Central St Martins before taking an MA in illustration at Kingston University. She lives in London with her family, two guinea pigs and the world's greediest spaniel.

Ali Pye

Ali Recanati, the farmer's wife, joined Farmer J with a branding obsession, strong views on pickles and an eye for everything beautiful and bold. Now CMO and co-pilot of the brand, she brings the creative spark and mischief to Farmer J — from breakfast raves to the perfect field tray.

Ali Recanati

Ali Sethi

Ali Smith was born in Inverness in 1962. She is the author of several novels and short story collections including, The Accidental, Hotel World, How to Be Both and the Seasonal Quartet. She has been four times shortlisted for the Booker Prize, has won the Goldsmiths Prize, Orwell Prize, Costa Best Novel Award and the Women’s Prize. Ali Smith lives in Cambridge.

Ali Smith

Ali Soufan, a former FBI special agent, served on the front lines against Al Qaeda and gained an international reputation as a top counter-terrorism operative and interrogator. He has been profiled in The New Yorker and featured in books, newspaper articles, and documentaries around the globe.

Ali Soufan

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Myles Rudge

Ronie Wolfe

Series 1-3 of the 1960s comedy set in the world of advertising 
 
Set in a London ad agency called 'Apsley, Addis, Cohen, Barbican, Blythe, Giddy &amp; Partners’, Something To Shout About ran over three series in 1960-61. 
 
Michael Medwin stars as account executive Michael, with Fenella Fielding as his seductive secretary Janet, Joan Sims and Sheila Hancock as shorthand typists Mavis and Shirley, Eleanor Summerfield as no-frills executive Maggie and Nicholas Phipps as copywriter Adrian. This disparate team must stick together to succeed, as they battle to win new accounts and impress clients – and from wooing a US tycoon to putting a glamorous spin on a dreary seaside holiday camp, they always think big. Why else would they hire an elephant to promote bath salts? 
 
In these three series, a new recruit unsettles the ad agency’s routine, there’s uproar in the agency when the women discover that the men get paid more, a Parisian photoshoot is ruined and has to be redone on a budget, and a team trip to the countryside to work on a shampoo commercial doesn’t go to plan... 
 
Written by Myles Rudge and guest starring Warren Mitchell and Roy Dotrice in a variety of roles, this light-hearted look at the advertising world is a treat for lovers of classic radio comedy. 
 
Due to the age of these vintage recordings, the sound quality may vary. 
 
Produced by John Simmonds, Trafford Whitelock and Eric Miller 
Music by The Jingle Belles and The Bernie Fenton Quartet, under the direction of Cliff Adams (Series 1)

Something to Shout About: Series 1-3: A BBC Radio Comedy

Vasily Grossman

A two-part radio dramatisation of Vasily Grossman's dark, honest account of the battle of Stalingrad; a prequel to Life and Fate – plus Stalingrad: Destiny of a Novel 
 
Epic BBC serial Life and Fate stunned radio audiences in 2011, garnering rave reviews for its powerful depiction of a family torn apart by war in Soviet Russia. Now, with this astonishing prequel published in its first ever English translation by Richard and Elizabeth Chandler, we are transported back to the very beginning of Vasily Grossman’s panoramic tale, as the ‘harsh whirlwind’ of war approaches the city of Stalingrad. 
 
As Stalingrad opens, we are introduced to the many lives of the Shaposhnikov family and their partners. Atomic scientist Viktor Shtrum struggles with his work for the State and with his own conscience, while his family live, love and work (despite swirling rumours) to run the city’s power stations, factories and hospitals. 
 
Meanwhile, at the Front, we meet old-school Bolshevik Commissar Nikolai Krymov in the thick of the Russian army’s pell-mell retreat before Operation Barbarossa, and follow the 'unknown' soldiers giving their lives to hold the line at the Volga. 
 
This vivid, gripping drama features many of the same acclaimed cast as Life and Fate, including Kenneth Branagh as Viktor Shtrum and Greta Scacchi as Lyuda Shaposhnikova. 
 
Accompanying this stellar dramatisation is Stalingrad: Destiny Of A Novel; featuring extracts from Grossman's private journal, translated here for the first time, and chronicling Stalingrad’s tortuous gestation and long, tormented passage to print. Written and presented by author and historian Catherine Merridale, with readings by Anton Lesser, this five-part series reveals the dramatic backstory behind the classic novel and explores the beginnings of Grossman’s own journey towards Soviet heresy. 
 
Written by Vasily Grossman 
Translated by Robert and Elizabeth Chandler 
Dramatised by Mike Walker (Part One) and Jonathan Myerson (Part Two) 
 
Part One produced and directed by Jonquil Panting 
Part Two produced by James Robinson and directed by Jonathan Myerson 
Series Producer: Alison Hindell 
 
Original music composed by John Hardy, with Rob Whitehead, and performed by Oliver Wilson-Dixon, Tom Jackson, Stacey Blythe and Max Pownall 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 30 November-1 December 2019

Stalingrad

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

Barry Grossman

All three series of the BBC Radio 4 comedy drama about the collision between the old and the new in the Jewish community of Hillfield 
 
Abraham Fine lives a settled, comfortable life as Rabbi of Hillfield’s Orthodox synagogue. But his world is turned upside down when a new Reform synagogue opens, led by a female Rabbi, Su Jacobs. Young, single, trendy and full of new ideas, she soon sets about modernisation: introducing her congregation to the delights of the Internet, putting ‘executive boxes’ with TV screens in the pews and offering coffee and croissants during the services – much to Rabbi Fine’s consternation. Fortunately, his wife Sadie is less resistant to change, and is quick to befriend Su and endeavour to keep the peace between her and Abraham. 
 
Written by Barry Grossman, this culture-clash comedy stars David de Keyser as Rabbi Abraham Fine and Tracy-Ann Oberman as Rabbi Su Jacobs, with Doreen Mantle as Sadie. Guest stars include Warren Mitchell, Geoffrey Whitehead and Nadim Sawalha. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Barry Grossman 
Produced by John Fawcett Wilson 
Music: Max Harris 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 12 November-3 December 1999 (Series 1), 22 September-27 October 2000 (Series 2), 13 February-20 March 2002 (Series 3)

The Attractive Young Rabbi

The Complete BBC Radio comedy

Marcy Kahan

The Master turns sleuth and spy in this quintet of radio dramas 
 
Actor, playwright, songwriter, director, author and star – as far as we know, Noël Coward never added ‘detective’ or ‘undercover agent’ to his astonishing achievements. But could the intriguing gaps in his memoirs be hiding a thrilling secret life? 
 
Design for Murder 
In this wry backstage whodunit set just before World War II, Coward must put aside the play he’s writing to track down a murderous psychopath in London’s West End. 
 
Blithe Spy 
This Second World War espionage adventure finds Coward in New York, where he turns secret agent and uses his talent to amuse to help Britain battle the Nazis. 
 
A Bullet at Balmain’s 
1948, and the celebrated playwright is in post-liberation Paris to take the lead role in his play Present Laughter. But the murder of a fashion-house mannequin provides a stylish distraction. 
 
Death at the Desert Inn 
1955. When $300,000 is left in a satchel in Noël Coward's Las Vegas suite, it’s the prelude to a baffling murder mystery, complete with Judy Garland, a showgirl, a Broadway agent, an unlikely croupier, and a US Congressman. 
 
Our Man in Jamaica 
1961. Reconciled to being out of fashion, Noël Coward is determined to finish his first novel – until his neighbour Ian Fleming sets him a challenge: become a spy once more to help destabilise Fidel Castro… 
 
Written by Marcy Kahan and starring Malcolm Sinclair as Coward, Eleanor Bron as his devoted secretary Lorn Loraine and Tam Williams as his devoted valet Cole Lesley, these light-hearted thrillers see Noël Coward solving crimes and foiling villains with his favourite weapon: wit. 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Marcy Kahan 
Starring Malcolm Sinclair as Noël Coward, Eleanor Bron as Lorn Loraine and Tam Williams as Cole Lesley

The Noël Coward Quintet

Detective. Spy. The entirely fictional adventures of Noël Coward

Simon Brett

All four series of the hugely popular BBC radio sitcom – plus two Christmas specials 
 
After the death of her GP husband, widow Sarah is battling to bring up her strong-willed 18-year-old daughter Clare, hindered by her meddling mother Eleanor. Living on the middle floor of the family home, with Clare downstairs and Eleanor upstairs, Sarah finds herself besieged from above and below as she tries to cope with the demands of both her mum and her daughter. Luckily, she finds solace at work, where her best friend and boss at Bygone Books, Russell, provides a sympathetic ear. 
 
In these four series, Sarah dips a tentative toe into the dating scene, daughter Clare has boyfriend troubles, and Eleanor takes a keen interest in both their love lives – sharing all the gossip with her pensioner friends, the ‘geriatric Mafia’. Holidays, house tidiness and hospital visits all cause problems for Sarah, and there are disagreements over everything from hiring a builder to the correct way to prepare Sunday lunch... 
 
Also included are two special seasonal episodes, in which the three women bicker over the festive planning and Eleanor’s strict Christmas Day timetable. 
 
Created by award-winning detective novelist and sitcom writer Simon Brett, this much-loved generation gap comedy ran for four years on radio between 1985 and 1989. It was adapted for ITV by Thames Television and was extremely successful, attracting 14 million viewers. Prunella Scales stars as Sarah, with Joan Sanderson as Eleanor and Gerry Cowper as Clare. 
 
Cast 
Sarah – Prunella Scales 
Eleanor – Joan Sanderson 
Clare – Gerry Cowper 
Russell – Benjamin Whitrow 
Nick – James Griffiths 
Janie – Marion Bailey 
Terry – Leo Dolan 
Clifford – Richard Davies 
Gwen – Ellen McIntosh 
Vicar – John Nettleton 
David – Nigel Williams 
Chris – Mark Kingston 
Alison – Mary Maddox 
Miles – David Quilter 
Quizmaster – Graham Blockey 
Customer – Alan Thompson 
Aubrey – Lockwood West 
Delivery boy – David Learner 
Doctor – Peter Howell 
Sister – Deborah Findlay 
Policeman – Michael Hadley 
Percy Bradshaw/The television – Simon Brett 
James – Edward de Souza 
Valuer – Nicholas Le Provost 
Neville – Ian Thompson 
Julian – Jasper Jacob 
The doctor – Julie Berry 
Tom Wilkinson – Peter 
Rod – Paul Sirr 
Lady Newby – Fabia Drake 
Vernon – Frederick Treves 
Gary – Ian Michie 
Auntie Lilian – Jean Anderson 
 
Production credits 
Written by Simon Brett 
Produced by Pete Atkin

After Henry: The Complete BBC Radio Series 1-4

David Renwick

The complete series of the BBC radio sketch show that takes a post-truth look at the history of laughter. 
 
A dark, quirky parody of Desert Island Discs, Desolation Jests is a post-apocalyptic sketch show that takes a not-altogether-accurate look at the history of comedy. Featuring faux interviews with spurious celebrities, conducted by the Roy Plomley-esque host JP Doom, it poses the question ‘Which comedy sketches would you most want at your side to face the end of the world?’ 
 
Choosing their favourite moments of mirth are Frankie ‘Flesh Eater’ Harris, who talks about life at the top of the ‘Most Wanted’ list; Viktor Schmelling, Emeritus Professor of Princeton University’s Faculty of Laughter; Lucian Bile (aka Rot Caries), Britain’s first and only punk dentist and Sydney Pynchlink, the innovative director behind some of the country's most admired weather forecasts. 
 
Among the counter-factual comedy clips singled out for posterity are the fast-talking lunacy of the Klutz Brothers’ classic A Day at the Proctologists, the atheist episode of Sunday Worship; most of an announcement from the Ministry of Unfinished Business, and a lobster with a rather crucial piece of evidence. 
 
Created by award-winning TV writer David Renwick (One Foot in the Grave, Jonathan Creek), Desolation Jests’ stellar line-up includes John Bird and Rory Bremner (Bremner, Bird and Fortune), as well as Dead Ringers star Jan Ravens and comedy legend David Jason. 
 
Written by David Renwick 
Starring: David Jason, John Bird, Jan Ravens, Rory Bremner 
With Christopher Timothy, Adie Allen, James Lailey and Nick Underwood 
Produced by Gareth Edwards 
Production Coordinator: Sophie Richardson 
A BBC Studios Production 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 13 December 2016-3 January 2017

Desolation Jests

A BBC Radio Sketch Comedy

Nick Revell

Gyles Brandreth

All six episodes of the BBC radio comedy about two chalk-and-cheese flatmates 
 
Nick Reynolds is a lefty alternative comedian-turned-holistic therapist. Living on the floor below him is Gyles Brandon, an ex-Tory MP turned media darling. Poles apart, they’d never choose each other as friends, but when Nick accidentally floods Gyles’ apartment, they become reluctant flat-sharers. 
 
Joined by Gyles’ goddaughter Sophie Okuyu, the spoilt daughter of a corrupt African politician, the housemates get into various scrapes, including plotting to seek revenge on Gyles’ ex-wife, trying to curry favour (and make some money) at a swanky Mayfair art gallery, and going on a celebratory night out which swiftly turns to disaster... 
 
Written by and starring Gyles Brandreth as Gyles and Nick Revell as Nick, this Odd Couple story was inspired by a chance meeting between the pair at the Edinburgh Festival, where they hit it off despite being political opposites. Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle, Black Mirror) plays Sophie, and guest stars include Prunella Scales, Timothy West, Martin Jarvis and Neil Pearson. 
 
Cast 
Gyles Brandon – Gyles Brandreth 
Nick Reynolds – Nick Revell 
Sophie Okuyu – Gugu Mbatha-Raw 
George Carstairs – Martin Jarvis 
Taxi driver/Goon – Nathan Caton 
Mr Longstaff/ Richard Dowdeswell/Piers/Brian/Barry – Martin Hyder 
Shop assistant – Alys Torrance 
Mrs Woodman – Prunella Scales 
Mr Woodman – Timothy West 
Charles Danbury – Nickolas Grace 
Jana – Maria McErlane 
Immigration officer/Asif – Dan Mersh 
Olga – Barunka O'Shaughnessy 
Rick – Neil Pearson 
 
Written by Nick Revell and Gyles Brandreth 
Produced by Ed Morrish 
BA: Pamela Norris 
Studio Managers: Alick Hale-Monro &amp; Gary Newman 
Archive BA: Kevin Gordon 
Theme music composed and performed by Ben Walker

Living with the Enemy

Richard Waring

All 26 episodes of the much-loved 1960s sitcom, as heard on BBC radio 
 
Kate and George Starling are just beginning their lives as young newlyweds, and are already experiencing the frustrations, as well as the joys, of marriage. But although they have their ups and downs, their mutual love and mistrust gets them through. 
 
In these two series, they experience the downsides and delights of domesticity: from getting locked out of their new flat, sparring over nights out and coping with the next-door neighbours, to planning a holiday together and looking forward to a new arrival. Parenthood brings further challenges – including organising baby Helen’s christening and finding a family home – but a job abroad could offer new opportunities for the Starlings... 
 
Originally broadcast on BBC TV between 1963 and 1966, this absorbing comedy by Richard Waring was so popular that it was adapted on radio for the BBC Light Programme. It stars Richard Briers as George and Prunella Scales as Kate, with guest stars including Heather Chasen, Derek Waring, Joan Sanderson, Wallas Eaton and Derek Fowlds. 
 
Written by Richard Waring 
Produced by Charles Maxwell 
Recorded at the BBC Paris Studio in London 
 
First broadcast BBC Light Programme: 21 May-13 August 1965 (Series 1), 19 March-11 June 1967 (Series 2) 
 
Cast 
George – Richard Briers 
Kate – Prunella Scales 
Norah – Heather Chasen 
Peter – Geoffrey Matthews 
John – David Morton 
Miles – Rodney Diak/Derek Waring 
Ossie – David Graham 
Mr Reynolds – Leon Thau 
Ronald – Terence Alexander 
George’s father– Geoffrey Sumner 
Kate’s mother– Joan Sanderson 
Mr Cartwright – Wallas Eaton 
Mr Renfrew Smith – Felix Felton 
Arthur – Frederick Treves 
Denis – Peter Hawkins 
Jeanie – Audrey Nicholson 
Murray – Penny Morrell 
Mother – Diana King 
Pauline – Rosalind Knight 
Ronald – William Fox 
With John Baddeley, Norma Ronald, Philip Guard, Isabel Rennie, Elizabeth Morgan, Jo Kendall, Nigel Graham, John Graham, Charlotte Mitchell, Rosemary Miller, Peter Gilmore, James Taylor, Clive Morton, Noel Hood, Edward de Souza, Beth Boyd, Carol Marsh, Wilfred Babbage, Pearl Hackney, Ronald Hines, Fraser Kerr, Carole Boyd, Robert McBain, Lockwood West, Tim Barrett, Doris Rogers, Anna Gilchrist, Derek Fowlds, Gretchen Franklin, Alec Bregonzi

Marriage Lines: The Complete Series 1 and 2

A BBC Radio 4 comedy

Douglas Adams

Don’t Panic! Reissued for the first time in 40 years, two unique recordings of Douglas Adams's sci-fi comedy drama. 
 
When Earthman Arthur Dent learns that first his house and then his planet are about to be bulldozed, it’s the beginning of an interplanetary adventure for him and his friend, Ford Prefect. After fleeing Earth they hitch a lift with hoopy frood Zaphod Beeblebrox, who hurtles from one improbability to another - literally. With Trillian and Marvin the Paranoid Android in tow, the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything is soon revealed: 42. But what was the question…? 
 
Following the success of the BBC radio series, Douglas Adams adapted his scripts for these two full-cast albums, with incidental radiophonic music provided by Paddy Kingsland. First released by Original Records in 1980, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe star Peter Jones as The Book, Simon Jones as Arthur Dent, Geoffrey McGivern as Ford Prefect and Mark Wing-Davey as Zaphod Beeblebrox. 
 
 Produced by Geoffrey Perkins and Tim Souster, the cast also includes Cindy Oswin, Stephen Moore, Richard Vernon, Valentine Dyall, David Tate, Jim Broadbent, Bill Wallis, Roy Hudd, Frank Middlemass, Stephen Greif and others. 
 
Hang onto your towel – it’s going to be the ride of a lifetime.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: The Original Albums

Two full-cast audio dramatisations

Marcus Brigstocke

Danny Robins

Dan Tetsell

Welcome to the all-encompassing Museum of Everything – feel free to take a wander round our infinite gallery of strange exhibits, stranger exhibitors, disgruntled guides and obsessed visitors. 
 
The items on display range from the Elgin Tiddlywinks to the birds and the bees, and you can learn about the history of wicker and the origins of scampi, enjoy a display featuring the worst-selling author of Victorian times, get inducted into the Mock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame and discover the real identity of Jack the Ripper. 
 
For some badger-based fun, take the family to Badgerland or Euro Badger. Alternatively, why not tour a stately home with Lady Bagshot, go on a journey to experience the History of the Future or marvel at the monarchy with our majestic royal theme park? 
 
But whatever you choose to do, beware of ‘The Curator’ – and don’t leave without visiting the gift shop… 
 
Shortlisted for a 2005 Sony Radio Award, this surprising, surreal sketch series was written by and stars Marcus Brigstocke, Danny Robins and Dan Tetsell, with Lucy Montgomery. 
 
Produced by Alex Walsh-Taylor 
Music by Dominic Haslam and Ben Walker

The Museum of Everything

The Complete Series 1-3

Brian B Thompson

All 18 episodes of the BBC Radio series featuring bickering detective duo Trueman and Riley 
 
 DI Trueman and DS Riley are reluctant partners in crime-fighting, paired up after high-flyer Trueman suffered a nervous breakdown that left him struggling to get back on his feet. Working with Riley isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered – but the sergeant turns out to be much more of a help than a hindrance when it comes to cracking cases. 
 
 First broadcast as Trueman in 2002, the pilot episode centres around a student found shot dead next to a bag of cocaine. Renamed Trueman and Riley, Series 1 opens with the detectives relocated from Hull to Leeds, where they probe a man’s disappearance en route to a secret new job in Vanished. 
 
 Written by BAFTA-winning dramatist Brian B Thompson, this smart, entertaining crime drama stars Robert Daws as Trueman and Duncan Preston as Riley. 
 
 Written by Brian B Thompson 
 Produced and directed by Toby Swift and Jenny Stevens 
 
 
 Trueman 
 Angel Heights 
 Sir James Huntley – Michael Cochrane 
 Helen Turner – Sammy Dobson 
 Keith Fletcher – Gerard McDermott 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 15 July 2005 
 
 The Road to Hull 
 Frank Stuart – Henry Goodman 
 Terry Stuart – Harry Myers 
 Annabelle – Jo Theaker 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 July 2005 
 
 High Windows 
 Jimmy McEwan – Gerard Kelly 
 Kate Saunders – Susan Penhaligon 
 Phoebe Beresford – Naomi Kerbel 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 29 July 2005 
 
 Trueman and Riley 
 Vanished 
 Janie Tully – Amy Robbins 
 Nick Tully – John Dougal 
 Barmaid – Rachel Bavidge 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 7, 8 January 2008 
 
 Story 
 David – Anthony Glennon 
 Harriet – Jasmine Callan 
 Aaron – Paul Richard Biggin 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 7, 9 January 2008 
 
 Bond 
 Karen – Rachel Bavidge 
 Bill – Paul Rider 
 Gerard – Mark Straker 
 Jane – Christine Kavanagh 
 Receptionist – Anthony Glennon 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 7, 10 January 2008 
 
 Speed 
 Frank Butters – Sam Dale 
 Melanie – Christine Kavanagh 
 Eric Simonelli – John Dougal 
 Inez – Miranda Keeling 
 Svetlana – Jasmine Callan 
 First broadcast on BBC Radio 7, 11 January 2008 
 
 The Road to Nowhere 
 With Laura Molyneux, Hannah Storey, Malcolm Tierney, Benjamin Askew and Matt Addis 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 16 March 2009 
 
 The Three Degrees 
 With Jonathan Tafler, Caroline Guthrie and Paul Rider 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 17 March 2009 
 
 A Man’s World 
 With Benjamin Askew, Caroline Guthrie, Lizzy Watts, Stephen Critchlow, Janice Acquah and Stephen Hogan 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 18 March 2009 
 
 The Other Chic 
 With Melanie Kilburn and Philip Fox 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 19 March 2009 
 
 Love Bytes 
 With Rebecca Manley, Matt Addis, Malcolm Tierney, Stephen Critchlow, Benjamin Askew, Jonathan Tafler, Lizzy Watts and Paul Rider 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 7, 20 March 2009 
 
 Every Dog Has His Day 
 Sally – Katherine Dow 
 Blyton Brandon – Harry Livingstone 
 Patrick Makin – Gerard McDermott 
 Track Announcer – James Lailey 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 26 March 2012 
 
 Angel Delight 
 Angel – Tracy Wiles 
 David Farr – Peter Hamilton Dyer 
 Martin Beer – Don Gilet 
 Ophelia Nuts – Susie Riddell 
 Cafe Owner – Harry Livingstone 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 27 March 2012 
 
 Family Business 
 Bill – Gerard McDermott 
 Charlie – David Hargreaves 
 Dermot – James Lailey 
 Sandra – Christine Absalom 
 Waitress – Tracy Wiles 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 28 March 2012 
 
 Green Machine 
 Terry – Don Gilet 
 Jenny – Susie Riddell 
 Tyler – Tom Meredith 
 Mr Eagle – James Lailey 
 Woman – Christine Absalom 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 29 March 2012 
 
 Home Truths 
 Sue Stokes – Lorraine Ashbourne 
 Becki – Holly Matthews 
 PC – Harry Livingstone 
 First broadcast BBC Radio 4 Extra, 30 March 2012

Trueman and Riley

The complete BBC Radio crime drama

Victor Canning

Two BBC Radio 4 adaptations of Victor Canning’s comic novels about the exploits of a shy solicitor’s clerk, starring Richard Griffiths 
 
Edgar Finchley is middle-aged, unassuming and not in the habit of taking holidays – but in these two delightful dramatisations, he unexpectedly discovers the delights of travel as he crosses the Channel to the Continent and explores the English countryside. 
 
Mr Finchley Goes to Paris finds our hero on his way to France to track down a rather irresponsible client. But before he sets off, he has an important question to put to a certain widow of his acquaintance… On arrival in Paris, he has a contretemps with a haddock, gains a guide, makes a move, visits a fair and gets caught up in a kidnapping – but is it a case of mistaken identity? 
 
In Mr Finchley Takes the Road, he falls in love with a canary-coloured caravan and a rather stubborn horse, and heads off for a series of adventures touring 1930s Kent. Along the way, he meets an unlikely teller of salty tales, is captured by two gamekeepers and accused of poaching, visits an old haunt and goes on a crusade. But someone is following hot on his trail… 
 
Dramatised by father-and-son team Eric Merriman (Beyond Our Ken) and Andy Merriman, these whimsical stories are narrated by James Villiers and star Richard Griffiths as Mr Finchley. 
 
Written by Victor Canning 
Adapted by Andy and Eric Merriman 
Produced by Gareth Edwards 
 
Starring Richard Griffiths as Edgar Finchley 
Narrated by James Villiers 
 
Mr Finchley Goes to Paris 
Mrs Crantell – Anna Cropper 
Mr Sprake – James Grout 
Lawrence Hume – Piers Gibbon 
Mrs Patten – Jill Graham 
David White – James Taylor 
Mavis – Teresa Gallagher 
Frenchman – Barry Gordon 
Marie Peters – Serena Evans 
Robert Gillespie – James Cohen 
Madame Mignard – Jacqueline Tong 
Waiter – Keith Anderson 
Mr Hammerton – Nicky Henson 
Michel – Jeffrey Holland 
Jerome Giraud – Simon Roberts 
Gaston/Jacques – David Howarth 
Baptiste Mignard – Albert Welling 
Mr Barker – John Bird 
Esmond Lockwood – Edward de Souza 
Perkins – Richard Ridings 
Lanky Harris – Alex Arkell 
 
Mr Finchley Takes the Road 
Mrs Finchley – Dinah Sheridan 
Mr Rivers– Ron Pember 
Turk – Peter Vaughan 
Mr Sprake – James Grout 
Mr Harricot– Alan Thompson 
Colonel Greatorex – Ronald Fraser 
Marshall – Joe Melia 
Garge – Chris Emmett 
Ernie – Jon Glover 
Young woman – Susie Brann 
Mr Blain – John Bird 
Captain – Clive Swift 
Mrs Maberley – Auriol Swift 
Duffy – Richard Ridings 
Mr Greevey – Albert Welling 
Robert Finchley – Robert Gill 
Mr Harbottle – Piers Gibbon 
Miss Slater– Kate Binchy 
Sir Simon Penickle – Alan Thompson 
Mechanic – David Howarth 
Jenks – Ian Bartholomew 
Joe Turnbull – Bill Wallis 
James Grimes – Geoffrey McGivern 
Clarence Armitage – Sebastian Brennan 
Mrs Armitage – Jacqueline Tong

Victor Canning's Mr Finchley

Two BBC Radio full-cast dramatisations

Sarah Woods

A love story, about flu. 
 
It's January 1969, the winter after the summer of love, and Jill and David's fledgling relationship is about to be put to test by the outbreak of Hong Kong Flu. As they huddle under blankets together, full of flu, neither of them is aware of how this moment will impact them in both the near and distant future. 
 
Over five episodes, we follow Jill’s story across five decades as she struggles with the highs and lows of life, love and viral infection. At the same time the story tracks the life of Hong Kong Flu – how, over 45 years, it traversed the globe, evolved and was ultimately superseded by new, more virulent strains, such as Swine Flu and now COVID-19. Using cutting edge science – of transmission, viral evolution and genetic predisposition – it tells the story of flu, and investigates the unique qualities of Jill's genome which make her a 'severe responder'. The human story at the heart of this drama underlines the deep connection we have to the viruses that survive through us, and how illness can shape the course of our lives. 
 
First broadcast in 2014 under the title ‘My Life with Flu’, this programme has new resonance today in the time of coronavirus. It touches on many of the subjects that we are now all too familiar with – the ease of transmission, the way that some people react more severely than others to flu, how the body’s reaction to the flu virus creates a perfect climate in the lungs for pneumonia to develop, and flu’s deadly potential. 
 
Cast and credits 
Narrator.... Eiry Thomas 
Jill/Polly.... Hannah Daniel 
 David.... Ronan Summers 
 John.... Liam Williams 
Older Jill… Sharon Morgan 
Older David… William Hope 
Older John… Simon Armstrong 
 Doctor.... John Norton 
 Protestor/Yvette/Paramedic 2.... Eirlys Bellin 
Minister/Paramedic 1/Doctor.... Alun Raglan 
 
Directed by James Robinson 
Produced in collaboration with the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute 
 A BBC Cymru/Wales Production 
First broadcast 27-31 October 2014

Virus

A BBC Radio full-cast drama

Tanika Gupta

All ten episodes of the BBC Radio 4 comedy about an eccentric 'olderpreneur' and her adventures in business 
 
At the age of 51, Bindi Banerjee unexpectedly finds herself out of a job. But she has her redundancy pay-off and a can-do attitude, and as Series 1 opens, Bindi decides to start up her own business. Bindi’s Beauty Box soon gets off to a promising start, but Bindi must get her reluctant children on board if she is going to succeed. When she runs into some bumps in the road, Bindi wonders if she’s taken on more than she can manage – can she overcome the obstacles and make the business prosper? 
 
In Series 2, fresh from her first flush of success, Bindi takes on an exciting new business venture in property development but discovers that Slough just isn't ready for her visionary micro-pods. But Bindi is an unstoppable force of nature, and is determined that nothing will get in her way. As stress levels rise and pressure starts to mount, help arrives from an unexpected source – but just as she is preparing for the big opening, she is put to the test when she finds that not everyone shares her vision... 
 
Created by award-winning dramatist Tanika Gupta, this entertaining comedy-drama about the highs and lows of enterprise stars Meera Syal (Goodness Gracious Me) as Bindi. 
 
Cast 
Bindi – Meera Syal 
Raj – Chris Nayak 
Anu – Krupa Pattani 
Hema – Rina Fatania 
Sam – Will Ash 
Buzz – Tachia Newall 
Uncle Bash – Vincent Ebrahim/Sagar Arya 
Dwayne – Andonis Anthony 
Marcus – Mark Strepan 
Anil – Nitin Ganatra 
 
Production credits 
Written by Tanika Gupta 
Directed by Nadia Molinari

Bindi Business

A BBC Radio Full-Cast Drama: Series 1 and 2

Nick Warburton

Ronald Pickup, Paul Ritter and Kate Duchêne star in Nick Warburton’s comedy about one community’s attempts to resist change 
 
When Richard and Clare Wells inherit a clifftop house in Yorkshire, they also inherit a sitting tenant, John Hector, who treats their home as his own and the local town as his own personal fiefdom. But the sea is eroding the land, and John is intent on stopping them all from being evicted, so the Wells’ reluctantly embrace him as an ally. As he entangles them in his conservation battles, Clare and Richard find themselves drawn into the Breck Howe Preservation Society, an unlikely group attempting to defend their town against the worst ills of modernity. Their lives will never be the same again... 
 
North meets South in this comedic clash of cultures, written by award-winning dramatist Nick Warburton. Ronald Pickup stars as John Hector, with Paul Ritter as Richard and Kate Duchêne as Clare. 
 
Written by Nick Warburton 
Directed by Sally Avens 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 January 2016 (The Vauxgarth Pig), 11-25 August 2017 (Series 1), 16 November-14 December 2018 (Series 2) 
 
Cast 
Richard Wells – Paul Ritter 
Clare Wells – Kate Duchêne 
John Hector – Ronald Pickup 
Lux – Michelle Asante 
Penrith – Chris Pavlo 
Trafford/Hugh – Gerard McDermott 
Mrs Cardabbon – Susan James 
Estate Agent – Caolan McCarthy 
Ticket Lady – Kerry Gooderson 
Guard – Bob Blythe 
Tiffany – Louise Brealey 
Librarian – Chetna Pandya/Liam Lau Fernandez 
Mrs Briggs of Events – Sanchia McCormack/Elizabeth Counsell 
Headley – Philip Fox 
Norwegian Herring Enthusiast – Simon Ludders 
Ralph Bell – Sean Murray 
MC/Trevor Butt – Tony Turner 
Robust Betty – Emma Handy 
Rude Girl/Brandi – Saffron Coomber 
Barb/WPC – Jeannette Percival 
Mikey/Surly Reader/Tourist – Cameron Percival 
Chucker/A Heavy – Don Gilet 
Anthony/Wayne/Seasider – Lewis Bray 
Himself – Jonathan Agnew

Holding Back the Tide

A BBC Radio full-cast comedy drama

Rich Hall

Nick Doody

Comedian Rich Hall takes an acerbic look across the pond at US politics, from the closing stages of the 2016 election to the 2020 race for the White House 
 
‘I could listen to Hall for ever. His laconic, hilarious intelligence and beautiful use of language is always a delight’ Miranda Sawyer, The Observer 
 
Welcome to Washington D.C.'s favourite political phone-in show, as multi award-winning comedian (and American citizen) Rich Hall and a selection of comedians from both sides of the Atlantic reflect on the latest political events in the United States. 
 
Using a combination of stand-up, sketch and interview, Rich Hall’s US Breakdown broadcasts live from the fictional IBBC network in Washington to the whole of America, as Rich and his producer Nick Doody take calls from every corner of the country to hear the concerns of voters and give us their take on the issues troubling the US electorate. 
 
Speaking to American pundits, comics and the man on the street, the series guides us through the chaotic circus of a presidential race and offers an insight into the unfolding drama of Donald Trump’s presidency. Hall muses on Trump’s first 60 days in office, and first 12 months, breaks down the result of the US midterms and weighs up the relative merits of the candidates seeking the Democratic Presidential nomination in 2020. 
 
Enlightening, entertaining and engaging, Rich Hall’s sardonic, satirical take on the state of his nation will appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in US politics. 
 
Production credits 
Written and presented by Rich Hall and Nick Doody 
With Lewis MacLeod, Debra Stephenson, Mike Wilmot, Karen Bartke, Andrew Maxwell, Jess Robinson, Lewis Black, Alex Edelman, Charlie Wolf, David Feldman, Jena Friedman, Freya Parker, Desiree Burch, Emma Sidi, Jen Kirkman 
Additional material by Ben Partridge, Robin Morgan, Sarah Campbell, Gráinne Maguire, Jenny Laville, James Kettle, Laura Major, Mike Shephard 
Produced by Joe Nunnery 
Independence Day special produced by Matt Stronge 
A BBC Studios production 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 19 October-9 November 2016, (Series 1), 22 March 2017 (Special: 60 Days of Trump), 18 January 2018 (Special: 12 Months of Trump), 22 November 2018 (Special: Midterms), 4 July 2019 (Special: Independence Day), 28 November 2019, 1 December 2019

Rich Hall's (US) Breakdown

BBC Radio stand up and sketch comedy

Jim Poyser

Neil Griffiths

Arch-Brutalist Sir Lucien founded his architectural practice on a commitment to brutalist concrete in all its forms. But fashion has been a cruel mistress, and four decades later things are not going well for Sir Lucien and his loyal(ish) employees. With no money and no commissions, times are tough – but it’s onwards and upwards (and upwards again) for the staff, as they go all out to win new contracts, deal with nightmare clients and fight to get their ambitious projects past the planners. 
 
In the pilot episode, architects Sarah (Laura Solon) and Dan (Ben Willbond) contemplate escape from a malfunctioning multi-storey car park in Esher and the pure aesthetic of the open sandwich. 
 
Series 1 finds Sir Lucien (Geoffrey Whitehead) trying to overcome his creative block by visiting a spa in Baden Baden – accompanied by reluctant colleague Tim (Alex Carter). Back at the practice, the other partners are juggling ambition, principles and scary Americans – and dreaming of taking minimalism to the max. 
 
In Series 2, Sir Lucien and Partners chase a lucrative airport contract, head to Watford to restyle a Premier League footballer’s mansion, design a building with a great big turret (possibly) and decide to go into house building – negotiating marshland, unexploded bombs and homicidal relatives en route... 
 
Written by Jim Poyser and Neil Griffiths, this caustic, satirical comedy also stars Dominic Coleman, Ingrid Oliver, Anna Crilly and Aisling Bea. 
 
Written by Jim Poyser and Neil Griffiths 
Directed by Toby Swift 
 
Pilot 
Sarah – Laura Solon 
Dan – Ben Willbond 
Sir Lucien – Geoffrey Whitehead 
Rasmus – Ewan Bailey 
Tim – Tim Downie 
Mayoress – Joanna Brookes 
Car Park Attendant – Ben Crowe 
 
Series 1 and 2 
Matt – Dominic Coleman 
Sarah – Ingrid Oliver/Anna Crilly 
Sir Lucien – Geoffrey Whitehead 
Tim – Alex Carter 
Hayley – Aisling Bea 
Gregory Nettles/Mr Douglas – Sean Murray 
Mr Russell/Gentle Energy MD – Steve Toussaint 
Nurse/Amanda/Helene/Planning Officer – Carolyn Pickles 
Lotte – Georgie Fuller 
Snadaker/Dave – Stephen Critchlow 
Mr McCoy – Harry Myers 
Justin – Ben Crowe 
Dawn – Susie Riddell 
Murray – Peter Forbes 
Noel – David Hounslow 
Ella – Rhiannon Neads 
Danny – Richie Campbell 
Sean – Jude Akuwudike 
John/Darvo/Council Receptionist – Ian Conningham 
Computer Caddie/Tony – Sam Dale 
Jemima – Hannah Genesius 
Bob – David Acton 
Jane/Lucy – Jane Slavin 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 27 March 2013, (Pilot), 14 March-4 April 2014 (Series 1), 2-23 February 2015 (Series 2)

The Architects: The complete series 1 and 2

A BBC Radio comedy

Anthony Trollope

A BBC radio adaptation of the celebrated novels about high life and low politics in Victorian England 
 
‘Beautifully acted and presented at a gallop … one of the most entertainingly vivid radio dramas I have listened to all year’ The Telegraph 
 
In this lively, radical reworking of Anthony Trollope’s famous ‘Palliser’ series, we are invited into the world of our omniscient narrator, Lady Glencora, as she introduces us to her social circle and takes us on a whirlwind tour through two decades of scandal, scheming, ambition and political powerbroking. 
 
Cora’s story starts in the 1860s, when she is just nineteen, and married to the older, conscientious politician Plantagenet Palliser. Bored and unhappy, she pines for her ex-fiancé, the wastrel Burgo Fitzgerald. However, motherhood and maturity put an end to her youthful dreams – and as her husband’s career takes off, she settles for becoming the power behind the throne. But she cannot control her children’s futures, however much she tries to guide and protect them. 
 
Nor can Cora shape her friends’ lives. Clever, politics-obsessed heiress Violet Standish, denied the opportunity to be a Member of Parliament, aspires to marry one instead – will her chosen husband listen to her advice? Newly-elected MP Phineas Finn sets his sights on a Cabinet post – but could his strict principles and weakness for the fairer sex count against him? And wealthy Bohemian widow Marie Goesler is determined to be accepted into the higher echelons of society – might a match with the elderly Duke of Omnium provide the prestige she seeks? 
 
From her unique vantage point, Cora watches her nearest and dearest take fateful decisions, make rash mistakes – and even get away with murder, as they struggle to win power and find love... 
 
This bold, pacy adaptation of Trollope’s ‘Palliser’ series stars Jessica Raine as Cora, Tim McMullan as Plantagenet, Edward MacLiam as Phineas and Melody Grove as Marie. 
 
Written by Anthony Trollope 
Dramatised by Mike Harris and Sharon Oakes 
Directed by Gary Brown and Emma Harding 
Produced by Gary Brown 
 
Cast 
Cora – Jessica Raine 
Plantagenet – Tim McMullan 
Phineas Finn – Edward MacLiam 
Burgo – Blake Ritson 
Violet/Servant – Scarlett Courtney 
Marie Goesler – Melody Grove 
Kennedy/Slide/Duke/Orlando Drought/Mr Boncasson – Neil McCaul 
Bonce/Grimes/Sailor/Servant/Popplecourt – Greg Jones 
Commons Speaker/Judge – Hamilton Berstock 
Mary Flood – Sinead MacInnes 
Finn's mother – Heather Craney 
Servant/Policeman/Usher/Johnson/Nidderdale – Ikky Elyas 
Bonteen/ Sir Gregory – Eugene O’Hare 
Lowe – Jonathan Keeble 
Fawn – Lloyd Peters 
Lopez – Mark Arends 
Emily Drought – Lucy Reynolds 
Spurgeon – Clive Hayward 
Mary – Laura Christy 
Silverbridge – Will Kirk 
Lady Mabel – Anneika Rose 
Tregear – Prasanna Puwanarajah 
Isabel – Julianna Jennings 
Mrs Boncasson – Jessica Turner 
Tifto – Sam Dale 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 10 November 2019-8 March 2020

The Pallisers

A full-cast BBC radio dramatisation

Katherine Jakeways

Rosie Cavaliero and Justin Edwards star in this romantic comedy about a couple who meet on a train 
 
‘Had me gripped from the start … Just lovely’ – Miranda Sawyer, Observer 
 
Suzie’s never been to Cornwall before, but one day she finds herself on the Cornish Riviera Express, hurtling from Paddington to Penzance. She sits next to David and over the course of an eventful five-hour journey an intense relationship develops. But both she and David are married, so they don’t expect to see each other again. 
 
However, fifteen months later, out of the blue, David lands in Suzie’s life again. Another five months pass, and Suzie seeks David out, needing his help. Two years after their first meeting, David again turns up unexpectedly. 
 
They’ve both enjoyed escaping their middle-aged lives together. But now there’s no escape from reality; and it’s crunch time for Suzie and David. Should the duo make their love affair last? 
 
Written by acclaimed actress and comedian Katherine Jakeways, creator of the much-loved radio sitcom North by Northamptonshire, this funny, touching drama stars Rosie Cavaliero (Gentleman Jack) as Suzie and Justin Edwards (The Thick of It) as David.

Where This Service Will Terminate

A BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama

John Cleese

Connie Booth

Welcome to Fawlty Towers, where attentive hotelier Basil Fawlty and his charming wife Sybil will attend to your every need - in your worst nightmare. With hapless waiter Manuel and long-suffering waitress Polly on hand to help, anything could happen during your stay - and probably will. 
 
John Cleese’s special introductions to each episode are included in this collection of all 12 TV soundtrack episodes: 
A Touch of Class 
The Builders 
The Wedding Party 
The Hotel Inspectors 
Gourmet Night 
The Germans 
Communication Problems 
The Psychiatrist 
Waldorf Salad 
The Kipper and the Corpse 
The Anniversary 
Basil the Rat 
 
Co-starring with John Cleese as Basil are Prunella Scales (Sybil), Andrew Sachs (Manuel) and Connie Booth (Polly), with a supporting cast including Ballard Berkeley, Bernard Cribbins, Joan Sanderson, Geoffrey Palmer, Nicky Henson and Ken Campbell.

Fawlty Towers: The Complete Collection

Every soundtrack episode of the classic BBC TV comedy

John Mortimer

Timothy West takes on the role of Rumpole in these two thrilling dramas featuring the wily magician of the Old Bailey at his implacable best 
 
Rumpole on Trial 
Rumpole takes up the cause of young Bertie Timson, whose sole ‘crime’ seems to be playing football in the street. As he endeavours to defend our ancient freedoms, he becomes uneasy about exactly what his wife Hilda is up to in her continuing friendship with a high court judge. 
 
Going for Silk 
Having narrowly avoided an ASBO himself, Rumpole hopes to become a QC at last. But first he must turn his attention back to the Timson case, while also preparing to defend a young man charged with the murder of a prostitute. 
 
Timothy West stars as Rumpole and Prunella Scales as Hilda, with Nigel Anthony as Claude Erskine-Brown and Michael Cochrane as ‘Soapy Sam’ Ballard. 
 
Cast and production credits: 
Written by John Mortimer 
Directed by Marilyn Imrie 
 
Rumpole on Trial 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 28 May 2008 
Horace Rumpole – Timothy West 
Hilda Rumpole – Prunella Scales 
‘Soapy Sam’ Ballard – Michael Cochrane 
Bonny Bernard – Nicholas Le Provost 
Prosecutor Parkes – Roger May 
Madam Chair of Magistrates – Jillie Mears 
Graham Wetherby – David Holt 
Lars Bergman – Matthew Morgan 
Judge Bullingham – David Shaw-Parker 
Fig Newton – Geoffrey Whitehead 
 
Going for Silk 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 May 2008 
Horace Rumpole – Timothy West 
Hilda Rumpole – Prunella Scales 
Bonny Bernard – Nicholas Le Provost 
Anna McKinnon – Jillie Mears 
Prosecutor Noakes – Matthew Morgan 
Police Doctor – Roger May 
Judge Barnes – Geoffrey Whitehead 
Graham Wetherby – David Holt 
Det Insp Belfrage – David Shaw-Parker

Rumpole: On Trial & Going for Silk

Two BBC Radio 4 dramatisations

Frank Dickens

Michael Williams stars in all three series of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom based on Frank Dickens’ famous comic strip character 
 
Bristow is a middle-aged, ineffectual buying clerk for the Chester-Perry Organisation. He is merely a small cog in a gigantic wheel... and he knows it. But he has his own small ways of rebelling, and together with sparring partner Jones and tea lady Mrs Purdy, he weaves hopeless tangles of red tape to confound the system and liven up everyone’s day. 
 
In these fourteen episodes, Bristow hopes to make a mint from a rumoured takeover bid; helps Jones to plan his escape from Chester-Perry; crusades to improve conditions for the cleaning ladies and falls in with troublemaker Tom Paine at the office dinner dance. Plus, he obtains some inside information that must surely lead to promotion; learns the meaning of poetic justice while writing for the house journal and bumbles towards proving his theory that he is surrounded by incompentents. 
 
Adapted by Frank Dickens from his own cartoon strip, which ran for 41 years in London’s Evening Standard and was syndicated internationally, this charming corporate comedy stars Michael Williams (A Fine Romance) as Bristow, with Rodney Bewes (The Likely Lads) as Jones and Dora Bryan (Last of the Summer Wine) as Mrs Purdy. 
 
Written by Frank Dickens 
Produced and directed by Neil Cargill 
Music composed and performed by John Whitehall 
Image copyright © Estate of Frank Dickens, 2019. 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 21 April-26 May 1999, (Series 1), 24 November-15 December 1999 (Series 2), 7-28 July 2000 (Series 3) 
 
Cast 
Bristow……………………Michael Williams 
Jones……………………Rodney Bewes 
Mrs Purdy……………………Dora Bryan 
Hewitt……………………Owen Brenman 
BJ Bothwick……………………Christopher Benjamin 
Miss Sunman……………………Katy Odey 
Fudge/Stationmaster/Samson/Hawkins/Tom……………………Jon Glover 
Mrs Dimple/Molly……………………Sheila Reid 
Jonathan Quartly……………………Bernard Cribbins 
Rupert Clement……………………Royce Mills 
Richard Blobb……………………Norman Bird 
Miss Golightly……………………Lucy Akhurst 
Postboy/Little Red……………………Simon Schatzberger 
Receptionist/Yellow Overcoat Girl……………………Zeena Eate 
Gert……………………Liz Fraser 
Daisy……………………Joan Sims 
Fred Stokes……………………David Battley 
Hickford……………………Roger Lloyd Pack 
Lift Boy……………………Ian Kelland 
Miss Peach/Miss Glockling……………………Carol Starks 
Moorcroft……………………Robert Bathurst 
Witherspoon……………………Peter Kelly 
Fenella……………………Anna Mountford 
Perkins……………………Leslie Phillips 
Teacher……………………Jane Booker 
Sylvana/Miss Pleasant……………………Jackie Neglia 
Liftboy……………………Ian Kelland 
 
With Sarah Huntley and David Ryall

Bristow

The Complete Series 1-3 of the BBC radio 4 comedy series

BBC Radio Comedy

The award-winning series Dead Ringers is back with highlights from its television series. A huge hit on BBC Radio 4, Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Kevin Connelly, Mark Perry and Phil Cornwell star once again in the best impression comedy on TV. 
 
This collection brings together some of the best episodes from BBC1’s first, second and third series. 
Enter a surreal universe where David Dickinson goes looking for weapons of mass destruction in "Weapons Hunt", the Queen sells off the royal jewels on the QVC shopping channel, and Delia Smith turns homicidal and starts cooking up the competition. Elsewhere, Anne Robinson votes off The Weakest Disciple and Simon Schama and David Starkey battle it out - literally - in order to become television's leading historian. 
 
Also in the mix are an oddly threatening Michael Buerk, Saddam Hussein advertising Werther's Originals, and familiar favourites Tony Blair, Greg Dyke, and Kristy Wark. Obi-Wan Kenobi visits a second-hand car salesman, Ozzy Osborne takes over the role of Dumbledore in the new Harry Potter movie, and Doctor Who spends a weekend with the Cybermen family in Living with the Enemy. 
 
So take a ringside seat for another TV swipe at the famous - and infamous - courtesy of Dead Ringers.

Dead Ringers

Highlights from Series 1, 2 & 3 of the BBC TV show

Jan Etherington

Gavin Petrie

All four series of the BBC radio comedy drama about a couple experiencing love for the second time – plus special festive episode The Fight Before Christmas 
 
Bill and Faith are both divorcees, late in love but new to each other. As they battle to forge a relationship together, they discover that the course of true love doesn’t always run smoothly. 
 
In these 31 episodes, they move in together, plan a wedding and deal with the challenges of married life – all the while trying to balance the demands of Gavin’s ex-wife, Liza, and her teenage children, Hannah and Joe. From bickering about the kids to worrying about money, trying to find time for romance and dealing with feelings of jealousy, the duo’s relationship comes under fire from all sides. Can they make love work the second time around? 
 
Inspired by the real lives of its writers, husband and wife Jan Etherington and Gavin Petrie, this funny, bittersweet sitcom was adapted for ITV where it ran for five seasons and was followed by an equally successful sequel, Faith in the Future. It stars Lynda Bellingham as Faith and James Bolam as Bill. 
 
Written by Jan Etherington and Gavin Petrie 
Produced by Pete Atkin (Series 1), Sioned Wiliam (Series 2) and Paul Schlesinger (Series 3 and 4 and The Fight Before Christmas) 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 3 November-22 December 1988 (Series 1), 31 October-19 December 1989 (Series 2), 9 April-28 May 1991 (Series 3), 18 June-23 July 1992 (Series 4), 25 December 1992 (The Fight Before Christmas) 
 
Cast 
Faith……………………Lynda Bellingham 
Bill……………………James Bolam 
Hilary……………………Celia Imrie/Geraldine Fitzgerald 
Liza……………………Belinda Lang 
Hannah……………………Kelda Holmes/Emma Gregory/Julia Sawalha 
Joe……………………Mark Denham 
Grace/Jill……………………Moir Leslie 
Alex……………………John Samson/Mark Straker 
Ray……………………Nicholas Courtney/Ian Lindsay 
Ted/Mr Burrows……………………Norman Bird 
Treadwell……………………Richard Tate 
Christian/Gideon/Waiter……………………Ian Targett 
Richard……………………John Moffatt/Christopher Good/Geoffrey Whitehead 
Steve……………………Guy Brougham 
Rachel……………………Rebecca Front 
Police Officer……………………Deborah Rowbottom 
Dennis……………………Brian Bowles 
Mr Roper……………………Danny Schiller 
Marjorie……………………Jo Kendall 
Registrar……………………John Baddeley 
Video Man……………………Richard Tate 
Cabbie……………………Ben Onwukwe 
Gina……………………Danielle Allen 
Kevin……………………Mark Straker/David Learner 
Karel Cerny……………………Nigel Carrington 
Clayton……………………David Learner 
Chris……………………Peter Gunn 
Louise……………………Melanie Hudson 
Course Leader/Duncan……………………Nick Murchie

Second Thoughts

Series 1-4 of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom

Paul Whitehouse

Suits you, Sir! 
 
With a host of memorable characters and catch-phrases, The Fast Show was one of the most popular BBC TV comedy shows ever. The talents of Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Caroline Aherne, Simon Day and many more come together in this collection of selected TV episodes and special edition of The Fast Show Live. 
 
This compilation of sketches from the comedy series, features characters such as Ted and Ralph, coughing Bob Fleming, the "Suit you, sir" tailors from hell, and the bloke in the stupid hat. Pop down to the jazz club, the football field with Ron Manager or check in on the weather with Channel 9. It's bound to be a Scorchio! 
 
All the favourite characters plus new sketches are included in this hilarious collection, plus a bonus collection of sketches taken from the live stage performance of BBC TV's top comedy show.

The Fast Show

Sketches from series 1 – 3 of the hit TV show and The Fast Show Live

Julian Rhind-Tutt stars as Travis, the ‘other man’ in love with a married woman, in this six-part romantic comedy 
 
Travis meets Grace, the woman of his dreams. But she has one fatal flaw – a husband. And Travis and Grace aren’t the only people with complicated love lives – there’s also Travis's brother Charlie, Charlie's ex-girlfriend Alice and Travis's not-so-secret admirer Serena. 
 
As Travis and Grace try to get their illicit affair underway, events seem to be conspiring against them and their plans are continually thwarted. When they are nearly caught out twice, Travis begins to wonder if he’s really cut out for infidelity – especially when he meets the other ‘other man’ in Grace’s life: her son. Meanwhile, the Serena/Charlie/Alice love knot shows no signs of untangling – so Alice decides to take matters into her own hands. 
 
Events finally come to a head for all the star-crossed lovers with a date, a declaration, some poetry and a proposal... 
 
Created by award-winning husband-and-wife writing team Jan Etherington and Gavin Petrie (Second Thoughts, Faith in the Future) this delightful comedy drama stars Julian Rhind-Tutt as Travis, with Charlotte Randle as Grace. 
 
Written by Jan Etherington and Gavin Petrie 
Produced by Elizabeth Freestone 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 15 March-19 April 2006 
 
Cast 
Travis……………………Julian Rhind-Tutt 
Grace……………………Charlotte Randle 
Charlie……………………Paul Reynolds 
Serena……………………Alice Lowe 
Alice……………………Clare Cathcart 
George……………………Russell Bentley 
Ian/Goosey/Cyrano……………………Andrew Westfield 
Annie/Miss Lambourne……………………Harvey Virdi 
Miles……………………Charlie Hicks

The Other Man

Oliver Emanuel

In a world without antibiotics, an everyday scratch turns a family’s world upside down in this dystopian BBC radio drama 
 
It is the near-future, and drug resistance has taken hold. Antibiotics are no longer available, and in the war between humanity and bacteria, one little girl is in the front line... 
 
Ten-year-old Sarah is not allowed to play outside. But one day, she and her brother break the rules and go into the nearby woods, where she scratches her knee. The wound gets infected, and soon becomes life-threatening. 
 
Now Sarah’s in a coma, in an isolated room in hospital. Her family and medical team are hoping this will stop the infection – but they’re running out of time. While Sarah’s imagination drifts to Hawaii, her parents are left to make an unbearable choice for their daughter… 
 
Winner of the 2019 BBC Audio Drama Award for Best Original Series, this potent, playful drama was written by acclaimed dramatist Oliver Emanuel, and stars Jocelyn Brassington, Christine Bottomley, Roderick Gilkison and Robin Laing. 
 
Written by Oliver Emanuel 
Produced and directed by Kirsty Williams 
Consultants: Prof Joanna Coast and Dr Adam Roberts 
The Truth About Hawaii was developed through Wellcome Experimental Stories in consultation with Prof Joanna Coast (Professor in the Economics of Health &amp; Care, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol) and Dr Adam Roberts (Senior Lecturer in Antimicrobial Chemotherapy and Resistance at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine) 
 
Cast 
Sarah……………………Jocelyn Brassington 
Lizzie……………………Christine Bottomley 
Paul……………………Roderick Gilkison 
David/Woolfson……………………Robin Laing 
GP/Elvis Presley/Leo/Minister for Health ……………………Kevin Mains 
Doctor/Journalist/UN Secretary General/Headmistress……………………Anita Vettesse 
Kylie……………………Dani Heron 
Congolese Ambassador/Matron……………………Adura Onashile 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 22 January-2 February 2018

The Truth About Hawaii

A full-cast BBC radio drama

James Cary

All four series of the Sony Award-winning radio sitcom 
 
Meet the hapless management consultants of Unthinkable Solutions – idealistic team leader Ryan, sociopathic Sophie and hippy-dippy Daisy. Enthusiastic and enterprising, they’re strong on jargon (and always ready to ‘imaginate, reincentivise and skin the leopard’), but short on practical ideas – unfortunately for the unsuspecting corporations that come to them for help. 
 
Aided by morally dubious IT expert Owen, and fellow member of the Fraternity of the Sacred Goat, Jed, the team get proactive with clients including a bank, a struggling high street retailer, an inner city school, the Post Office, a zoo, an ailing hospital and the MoD. Over 21 episodes, Unthinkable Solutions prove that there is no 'i' in team – but there is one in 'incompetent'. 
 
Brought in by Barrington Council to rationalise refuse services (ie sack people), Ryan and Daisy decide to take the binmen on a weekend in the Cairngorms instead; and in a bid to revitalise London’s transport system, the consultants put a bus driver in charge while the chief executive is sent back to driving tube trains. Plus, the team get to the bottom of a scam at an electricity company, face the tricky task of making cuts at the firm that insures Ryan’s flashy new car, and set out to smooth the path for Superco, a Megastore that wants to expand into a Terrastore. 
 
Created by acclaimed comedy writer James Cary, this witty, satirical sitcom won the Sony Silver Award for Comedy. It stars Marcus Brigstocke as Ryan, with Emma Kennedy and Beth Chalmers as Sophie, Catherine Shepherd as Daisy, David Mitchell as Owen and Robin Ince as Jed.

Think the Unthinkable: The Complete Series 1-4

Cherylee Houston

Lou Ramsden

All seventeen episodes of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom about the life, loves and misadventures of wheelchair user Maz 
 
Nicknamed 'Tinsel Girl' by her best friend Lisa because of her sparkly view of life, Maz is an eternal optimist. But having just turned 30, she's all too aware that not only is she single, but also disabled. Her degenerative disease means she now has to use a motorised wheelchair, which isn't exactly the sexiest accessory a girl can have... 
 
In Tinsel Girl, the prospect of finding a partner through the minefield of online dating makes Maz reassess her situation and other people's perceptions of her. Can a man really find a woman in a wheelchair attractive? 
 
Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip finds Maz preparing for her first holiday abroad as a wheelchair user, as she heads to the Seychelles to be maid of honour at Lisa's wedding. But she is broke, unemployed and apprehensive - can she raise the money for her trip, and is she up to the challenge? 
 
In Tinsel Girl and the Big Reunion, Maz makes a startling discovery about flatmate Rachel, leading her to move out and plan a fresh start with new friend Verity. But is ditching Rachel really the best move? 
 
Tinsel Girl and the Support Worker sees Maz struggling to come to terms with needing a carer: can she find a way to make it work with Hayley? 
 
And in Tinsel Girl and the Pain Clinic, Maz hits rock bottom and reluctantly checks into a pain clinic. As she embarks on an adventure and finds friendship, she discovers that if she wants to change other people's outlooks, she must first change her own... 
 
Starring Cherylee Houston (Coronation Street), Tinsel Girl is inspired by her own experiences, and adapted from her diaries by Lou Ramsden. 
 
*Cherylee Houston was the Bronze Winner in the Audio Performer of the Year category at the 2020 Audio Production Awards for her performance in Tinsel Girl * 
 
Cast 
Maz - Cherylee Houston 
Donny - Mikey North 
Rachel/Student - Kathryn Pemberton 
Wes/Doctor - Ged Mulherin 
Kev/Pete/Seamus/Guard/Barry/Compere/Clive/Bernie/Ed/DS Warren/Specialist - Toby Hadoke 
Jason/Robert - Benjamin Sadler 
Angus/Photographer - Hamilton Berstock 
Jim - James Quinn 
Lisa - Rosina Carbone 
Didier - Quentin Surtel 
Ollie - Sonny Flood 
Ruth - Wendy Patterson 
Callum - John Catterall 
Didier - Quentin Surtel 
Verity/Juliet/Mrs Coates - Krissi Bohn 
Felipe - Phil Perez 
Sid - Ged Mulherin 
Hayley - Sarah McDonald Hughes 
Andy - Chris Jack 
Liz - Enid Dunn 
Keira - Beatrice Baxter 
Dawn - Julie Hesmondhalgh 
Richard - Kevin Davids 
 
Production credits 
Written by Lou Ramsden 
Produced and directed by Charlotte Riches (Tinsel Girl, Tinsel Girl and the Tropical Trip, Tinsel Girl and the Big Reunion, Tinsel Girl and the Support Worker) and Nadia Molinari (Tinsel Girl and the Pain Clinic) 
With the BBC North Staff Choir 
Tinsel Girl and the Pain Clinic is dedicated to Ian from Bath Pain Clinic

Tinsel Girl

The BBC Radio comedy drama

Nigel Smith

All three series of the BBC Radio 4 sitcom, plus the hour-long special Locked In 
 
‘Bold, beautiful, daring radio’ The Telegraph 
 
Vent charts coma patient Ben’s journey from the depths of unconsciousness, where he travels through the distinctly odd landscape of his own mind, to recovery and his attempts to readjust to the real world. 
 
In Series 1 and 2, as his mum and wife Mary sit round his bedside and wonder how to wake him up, Ben’s mind is busy elsewhere. In his imagination, he lives with his 2-year-old daughter Blitz (now miraculously grown up), encounters celebrities such as Sue Lawley, Elvis Presley and Tom Paulin, relives memories from his past and gets into a compromising situation with a fellow inmate at a strangely familiar Torquay hotel. Meanwhile, an imaginary sitcom written by him, about coma patients in a hospital, plays in the background. 
 
Locked In, first broadcast as a Friday Play in 2009, sees Ben free of his coma, but suffering from locked-in syndrome. Unable to engage with the world around him, he takes refuge once more in the safety of his unconscious – while the hospital debate whether to send him to a rehab unit or a care home. 
 
Series 3 finds Ben taking the ambulance home to begin life in a wheelchair. But life outside hospital is a little fraught. Fortunately, he can still escape into his fantasy world, where he meets Buzz Aldrin, invents a panel game and gets some relationship advice from Lord Byron. 
 
Based on writer Nigel Smith’s own experience of being hospitalised with a brain lesion, this moving, darkly funny sitcom stars Neil Pearson as Ben, with Fiona Allen as Mary, Josie Lawrence as Mum and Leslie Ash as Blitz. Guest stars include David Mitchell, Robert Webb and Jeremy Paxman.

Vent: A Comedy on Life-Support

The Complete BBC Radio Comedy Series 1-3

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