Alice Beer

Alice Bell is a full time astrologer and resident astrologer for British Vogue. She first got into astrology because it helped her validate certain personality traits she had always had trouble accepting, but it also made her more aware of which areas of life she needed to lean into to feel the most fulfilled. Through her work, she aims to help others find their unique life path and trust in their own personal timing. 
 
In addition to her weekly horoscopes for British Vogue, she is a co-host of the astrology podcast, Astrology and You, and has worked with many fashion and beauty brands to create astrology content. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Refinery 29, Goop, The Times, and Forbes. You can find Alice on Instagram @stalkalice.

Alice Bell

Alice Borchardt

Alice Boyes, PhD, is a former clinical psychologist-turned-writer. The author of The Anxiety Toolkit and The Healthy Mind Toolkit, she is a popular blogger for Psychology Today (where her articles have over 23 million views) and The Harvard Business Review. Her research has been published in The American Psychological Association, and and she has been featured in publications like the Guardian and Women's Health.

Alice Boyes

Alice Clark-Platts is a former human rights lawyer who has worked at the UN International Criminal Tribunal in connection with the Rwandan genocide, and on cases involving Winnie Mandela and the rapper Snoop Dogg. She studied at Durham University and is a graduate of the Curtis Brown creative writing course whose fiction has been shortlisted for literary prizes.

Alice Clark-Platts

Alice Correia

Alice Courtley is an illustrator based in the UK. She creates playful images with a blend of people, animals and backgrounds inspired by real life. Her work has been recognised for prizes such as the Batsford Prize and featured in exhibitions such as the AOI's 'Inspired to Innovate' in London. She has been shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2023.

Alice Courtley

Alice Gendron was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 29 and created her online platform, The Mini ADHD Coach, to navigate her diagnosis and help others to make sense of theirs too. Alice's funny and relatable illustrations are loved around the world. She currently lives in Bordeaux, France and has also lived in Melbourne, Australia.

Alice Gendron

Alice Hart is an established and experienced UK-based food writer, food stylist, chef and cookbook author. Her vibrant, seasonal vegetarian recipes celebrate wholefoods, spices and herb by the handful. This is her second vegetarian cookbook. Alice lives by the sea.

Alice Hart

Alice Hoffman

Alice James Books

Alice LaPlante

Alice Lascelles

Alice Levine

Alice Liveing is a personal trainer, influencer, columnist, podcaster and bestselling author who has inspired thousands of people with her relatable, motivational and balanced health advice. She runs her own successful fitness app Give Me Strength. This is her fourth book.

Alice Liveing

Alice Lowe

Alice Mah is a Chinese Canadian-British writer and Professor of Urban and Environmental Studies at the University of Glasgow. Originally from a small town in northern British Columbia, she has a long-standing interest in ecology and place. Her award-winning research focuses on toxic pollution and environmental justice, the subjects of her most recent books: Petrochemical Planet and Plastic Unlimited. This is her first trade book.

Alice Mah

Alice Mawdsley is a UK-based freelance illustrator who studied illustration at Falmouth University. She enjoys reportage illustration, sharing the stories of the people she meets across her travels. Known for her colourful drawings, Alice explores different cultures, daily life and food - highlighting similarities that connect us all.

Alice Mawdsley

Alice Montgomery

Alice Munro was born in 1931 and was the author of thirteen collections of stories and the novel, Lives of Girls and Women. She received many awards and prizes, including three of Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Awards and two Giller Prizes, the Rea Award for the Short Story, the Lannan Literary Award, the WHSmith Book Award in the UK, the National Book Critics Circle Award in the US, was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Who Do You Think You Are? (previously published as The Beggar Maid), and was awarded the Man Booker International Prize 2009 for her overall contribution to fiction on the world stage, and in 2013 she won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Her stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Paris Review and other publications, and her collections have been translated into thirteen languages. Alice Munro died in 2024.

Alice Munro

Alice Nutter

Alice has worked at or written for nearly all of the country’s broadsheets and women’s glossies. She spent a decade at The Times as its Senior Fashion Writer, where she contributed front-page stories as well as big hitting fashion and lifestyle interviews for Times2 and the Saturday Magazine. Then came a stint as Marie Claire’s Fashion Features Director, where she commissioned, wrote and edited a weighty proportion of the magazine and co-founded the new publication Marie Claire Runway. Today, with two daughters in tow, Alice continues her career on a freelance basis. She is a Contributing Editor at Red and Marie Claire Australia, and continues to write across the board for titles including Grazia, LivingEtc and The FT.

Alice Olins

Alice Oswald lives in Devon and is married with three children. Her collections include Dart, which won the 2002 T.S. Eliot Prize, Woods etc. (Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize), A Sleepwalk on the Severn (Hawthornden Prize), Weeds and Wildflowers (Ted Hughes Award), Memorial (Warwick Prize for Writing), and Falling Awake, which won the 2016 Costa Poetry Award and the Griffin Prize for Poetry. She was elected as the Oxford University Professor of Poetry in 2019.

Alice Oswald

Alice Patten

Alice Rawsthorn is the author of Yves Saint Laurent: A Biography and Hello World: Where Design Meets Life. A British Design critic, she writes for the International New York Times, and she is a regular contributor to Frieze magazine. she is Chair of Trustees at Chisenhale Gallery and the dance group Michael Clark Company, and a trustee of the Whitechapel Gallery. She worked as an award-winning journalist for the Financial Times from 1985 to 2001 and was Director of the Design Museum in London from 2001 to 2006. She has sat on the jury of many cultural prizes, including the Turner Prize, the Sterling Prize for Architecture and the PEN History Book Prize. 
She was awarded an OBE for services to design and the arts and she lives in London.

Alice Rawsthorn

Professor Alice Roberts is an academic, author and broadcaster, specialising in human anatomy, physiology, evolution, archaeology and history. In 2001, Alice made her television debut on Channel 4’s Time Team, and went on to write and present The Incredible Human Journey, Origins of Us and Ice Age Giants on BBC2. She is also the presenter of the popular TV series Digging for Britain, Ancient Egypt by Train with Alice Roberts, Ancient Greece by Train with Alice Roberts, Ottoman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts and Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts. Alice has been a Professor of Public Engagement with Science at the University of Birmingham since 2012.

Alice Roberts

Alice Roberts is an anthropologist, writer and broadcaster, and is currently Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham. She has presented several landmark BBC series including The Incredible Human Journey, Origins of Us, Coast and The Celts. Her latest book on evolutionary biology, The Incredible Unlikeliness of Being, was shortlisted for the Wellcome Trust Book Prize in 2015. 
 
www.alice-roberts.co.uk

Alice Ross is the deputy news editor at the Financial Times. She has been a Financial Times journalist for more than a decade writing on topics from personal investment to corporate activity to market movements. She has held roles as the deputy editor of the weekend Money section, editor of the Wealth Magazine and now holds a role as the editor of the newsletter, Trade Secrets, which examines issues affecting globalisation including climate change. Alice has a degree in philosophy from Cambridge University and an MA in European Thought from University College London.

Alice Ross

Alice Snape is founder and editor of Things &amp; Ink magazine, now online at th-ink.co.uk. An expert and authority on tattoos from within the global tattoo community, she is the go-to commentator in the media. She has appeared on Newsnight, ITV news, BBC Radio and more. She has also written on tattoos for the Guardian, Inked, Marie Claire, Stylist, Bust, Total Tattoo and other prominent tattoo press and blogs.

Alice Snape

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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

Sue Limb

'... one of the funniest, slyest, most naughtily inventive and brilliantly performed shows on the air' - Gillian Reynolds, The Daily Telegraph 
 
'A gloriously silly show' - The Lady 
 
Miriam Margolyes, Alison Steadman and Nigel Planer star in Sue Limb's wickedly funny comedy parodying the arty and adulterous adventures of the Bloomsbury Group, who dominated the English cultural scene in the early 20th Century. 
 
The series follows the fortunes of Vera Sackcloth-Vest - writer, gardener and cross-dresser - and her urge to escape from the tranquillity of the rather cramped little castle in Kent which she shares with her doting but ambiguous husband, Harry, who is 'something in the Foreign Office'. Vera's heart is forever surging with exotic passion, either for Ginny Fox, a highly-strung novelist who adores her, or the beautiful but shallow Venus Traduces. 
 
As the scene shifts from Kent to London, and Cornwall to Monaco, this close-knit coterie is divided by misunderstandings, jealousies and rows, whilst the colourfully chaotic characters are joined by such sort-of familiar figures as D.H. Lollipop, T.S. Jellitot, Sigmund Void, George Gurnard Shaw, Dorothy Barker, Al Padrone, James Voyce and Ernest Hammingaway. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Sue Lamb. 
Produced by Jamie Rix. A Little Brother production for BBC Radio 4. 
 
Cast 
Vera Sackcloth-Vest - Miriam Margolyes 
Henry Mickleton - Jonathan Coy 
Mrs Ginny Fox / Mrs Gosling - Alison Steadman 
Venus Traduces - Morwenna Banks 
Lionel Fox / Mr Gosling - Nigel Planer (Series 1, 3-5) / Roger Lloyd Pack (Series 2) 
D H Lollipop - John Sessions 
Other parts played by members of the cast. 
 
First broadcast 28th September - 2nd November 2012 (Series 1), 2nd April - 7th May 2014 (Series 2), 29th May 2015 - 3rd July 2015 (Series 3), 7th April - 12th May 2017 (Series 4) and 12th October 2018 -16th November 2018 (Series 5). 
 
©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Gloomsbury

The complete series 1-5 of the hit BBC Radio 4 comedy

Caroline Stafford

David Stafford

Nerdy Nick's life takes an abrupt turn into surreal chaos when he returns to England to find the mysterious Ronnie Hazelbeach living in his late father's house. 
 
Ronnie has certainly lived an interesting life. He's been a wrestler, a sailor, a thief and a jailbird, a gambler, a husband, a conman, a salesman, a getaway driver, a cook, a priest and much more. James can learn a lot about life from him. 
 
Ronnie hatches a plan to help Nick get his ex-girlfriend back, while selling heart monitors to Monty Python fans and purchasing an extraordinary amount of sinks in a bid to shore up their finances. But just as the unlikely pair find domestic harmony, they are visited by an unwanted guest... 
 
The complete series 1-3 stars Jamie Foreman as Ronnie, Paul Bazely as Nick, Tracy Wiles/Claire Harry as Chloe and John Dougall/Neil Stuke as James. 
 
Written by Caroline and David Stafford 
Produced by Marc Beeby

Hazelbeach: The Complete Series 1-3

A BBC Radio Comedy

David Nobbs

All three series of David Nobbs’ museum-based sitcom, starring Julian Rhind-Tutt 
 
Rod Millet has always dreamed of working at the Maltby Collection, but on being appointed Deputy Curator of Painting and Sculpture, it quickly becomes clear that the son of a self-made biscuit mogul isn't going to fit into the musty, insular world of London antiquities. But when, on his first day, Rod learns that the museum has been earmarked for closure, he starts a campaign to save it (threatening his boss Walter Brindle’s plans for a cushy early retirement). 
 
With the collection’s future secured, the staff turn their energies towards romance. Rod competes with colleague Julian for the affections of the lovely Prunella, Walter makes a move on Susie Maltby, and there are wedding bells for several members of the team – but heartbreak for another. 
 
It’s time for the museum to get sexy too, as Rod drags it out of the past and towards a more modern future, with innovations such as Sunday opening (which does not run smoothly) and a children’s day (where the dog-counting competition gets a little out of hand). Director Walter also has his hands full, with warring curators, cleaners causing controversy, a dodgy alarm system and the prospect of making cuts – who will be for the chop? 
 
Created by comic genius David Nobbs, of Reginald Perrin fame, this warm, good-natured comedy stars Julian Rhind-Tutt as Rod, with Geoffrey Palmer as Walter, Ben Willbond as Julian, Rachel Atkins as Prunella and Margaret Cabourn-Smith as Susie. Guest stars include Hugh Dennis, Barry Cryer and Stephen K Amos.

The Maltby Collection: The Complete Series 1-3

Jonathan Myerson

Six BBC radio dramas following the political swings of the Republican Party, through the personal stories of its Presidents 
 
Focussing on three of the best-known Republican Presidents of the 20th Century, Jonathan Myerson’s riveting drama series looks at how their triumphs and disasters drove the party's electoral fortunes.Closely based on accounts by those who were there, this political trilogy reimagines the pivotal moments that changed history, and the part played by these famous and controversial leaders. 
 
Ronald Reagan: Death Valley Days 
1965. Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign against LBJ has crashed and burned, and the Republicans need a fresh, new face –someone with TV appeal. Inspired by his down-home style and easygoing charm, they turn to fading movie star and Western hero Ronnie Reagan, and ask him to play a different kind of role. 
 
Richard Nixon: Searchlight Has Left the Building 
1970. President Nixon has invaded Cambodia, sparking student protests across the US. At Kent State University, the National Guardsmen have shot four dead, and Washington is on high alert. But when the insomniac President wakes at 4am to see rebellious students assembling at the Lincoln Memorial, he goes out to meet them, taking his White House valet with him. As the Secret Service struggles to catch up, the night takes a bizarre turn… 
 
Gerald Ford: Fascist Insect 
1975. Nixon has resigned, and new President Gerald Ford is fighting for his political survival. The country is in chaos, his party is disintegrating, and challenger Ronald Reagan is attacking with weekly radio broadcasts and the catchy slogan ‘Make America Great Again’. Saigon has fallen, the Panama Canal is under threat and political fervour is everywhere – even celebrity rich-girl kidnap victim Patty Hearst seems to have turned terrorist. Then ex-FBI informant Sara Jane Moore decides to trigger the revolution. She buys a gun – and aims it at the President… 
 
Ronald Reagan: Hanging by Our Thumbs 
1987. Hold on tight for a knockabout journey through the crazy stories of the notorious Iran-Contra affair. 
Ronald Reagan’s landslide second term is on the ropes. Congress is investigating evidence that the US has illegally been selling arms to Iran, and secretly diverting the proceeds to fund Contra guerrilla fighters in Nicaragua – all with the President’s knowledge. 
But when NATO Ambassador David Abshire is recalled to try to get the facts straight, he discovers it all depends on what you believe….. 
 
 
George W Bush: A Higher Father 
2000. As George W Bush scrapes into the White House, his surprise journey to the Presidency doesn't just follow in his father's footsteps. 
According to US Marine Gunnery Sergeant Louella Harkrader - a storyteller with her own peculiar angle - Dubya's political steps have been guided all along by a Higher Father, now exerting His influence on US politics. 
 
 
Donald Trump: This Isn't Happening 
2016. At a campaign rally, Donald Trump declares: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.” 
But when President Trump loses his temper on his Scottish golf course one day, things work out very differently.... 
 
Among the casts of these entertaining radio plays are Kerry Shale, Madeleine Potter, Jonathan Hyde, Sian Thomas and Nathan Osgood.

The Republicans

A collection of six BBC Radio 4 dramatisations following the political swings of the Republican party

Andy Hamilton

Neil Pearson stars in Andy Hamilton’s BBC Radio 4 comedy series about a sports agent with a conscience 
 
One of the main movers and shakers at TS Sports Stars agency, Trevor Heslop is honest, decent and sensitive. Unfortunately, he works in a world of cut-throats and corruption, with nightmare clients and a rapacious partner with the morals of a barracuda. Add to that his dysfunctional family – estranged wife Meryl and teenage son Toby – and it’s a miracle he manages to stay afloat in the shark tank that is his life. 
 
In these eighteen episodes, he grapples with a Buddhist (and a specially trained bear), tackles a footballer who’s just issued his seventeenth public apology, ends up in court as a witness while trying hard not to lie and proposes taking on the firm’s first Muslim client – but do his colleagues think this is a good idea? As he copes with the ultimate client from hell, Ralph, struggles to keep his dignity and his staff, and tries to save his reputation from being destroyed by a ruthless tennis star, can Trevor retain his decency in an increasingly indecent world? 
 
Written by Andy Hamilton, whose radio credits include the Sony Award-winning Old Harry’s Game, this funny, fast-moving comedy stars Neil Pearson as Trevor, Paul Reynolds as Sammy and Michael Fenton Stevens as Ralph, with guest appearances from Kevin R. McNally, Doon Mackichan and Kayvan Novak.

Trevor's World of Sport: The Complete Series 1-3

Rhys James

Comedian Rhys James explores different aspects of himself through live stand up, spoken word poetry and interview clips. 
 
In Series 1, titled 'Rhys James Is...' he examines his privileged status, chats to his mum and dad, and reluctantly speak to a girl he had a crush on in school. Rhys also explores the topic of wisdom in his own unique way- by reading a letter he wrote to his future self at 10 years old. 
 
In Series 2 'Rhys James Isn't...', Rhys attempts to become more politically engaged by one week trying out one set of opinions, the next week, another. He asks questions such as why are we not doing more to save the planet, whether Facebook is actually spying on us and whether gender neutral toilets are really worth it. 
 
 
With startling insight such as "You don't need to find out who you are. It's finding out about who you is" Rhys presents a brilliant stand up series about the past, growing up and finding yourself.

What is Rhys James?

The Complete Series 1 and 2

Rik Mayall

Ade Edmondson

Join sad pervie Richard Richard and his masochistic flatmate Eddie Hitler (aka Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson) for some disgusting toilet humour, caustic merriment and charming English pleasantries in these four pungent episodes classic TV episodes of anarchic sitcom Bottom. 
 
In addition, we join charismatic ace investigative reporter, Kevin Turvey (Mayall) as he combs the back of his mind to bring us exclusives on such soul-searching subjects as death, sex, and the supernatural in Kevin Turvey Investigates. 
 
So, do up your trousers, and settle down to the antics of these head banging morons, whose idea of a good night in is pulling nose hair with a pair of pliers.

Bottom: A BBC Collection

Four selected episodes plus Kevin Turvey Investigates

Margaret Kerr Trilogy

Margaret Thatcher: The Authorised Biography

Mark Steel’s In Town

Follow the incredible journey of Mary Queen of Scots from her coronoation at just six days old, through to her imprisonment by ruthless cousin Queen Elizabeth I.

Mary Stuart

Spanning sixty years of Roman history, Masters of Rome is Colleen McCullough's brilliant reimagining of the tumultuous years that led to the rise of Julius Caeser, his time in power and his ultimate demise.

Masters of Rome

Matched

Follow Lieutenant-Colonel Matthew Hervey through the 19th century as he takes command of the Sixth Light Dragoons, battles to crush the rebellion, and tries to safeguard his country's interests whilst leaving the brutal war as unscathed as possible. With cuts in the army and with his battalion down to a single squadron, can Hervey remain an impartial spectator when the stakes have never been higher?

Matthew Hervey

Maugham Plays

Maugham Short Stories

Max Cassidy

Max Einstein Series

Max Meow

Maximum Ride

Maximum Ride Manga Series

Maxton Hall series

McCullagh Inn Series

McLevy Full-Cast Dramas

Me & My Monsters

This series follows the life of Catherine de Medicirides beginning with her childhood, her subsequent political marriage to Henry, Duke of Orleans, and concluding with her drive to end the conflict between Catholic Spain and Protestant England.

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