Radio Drama preview/7

There is some good stuff on this week. BBC 7 treats us to two Poirot stories. The first, at 12:00 on Saturday, is The ABC Murders and sets Poirot against a serial killer. The second, Three Act Tragedy, is narrated by an amateur detective friend of Poirot’s (played by George Cole) and is broadcast, in five episodes, from Monday to Friday at 09:30, repeated at 20:30 the same evening.

Saturday afternoon on Radio 4 sees the second and final part of David Chapel’s The Dark Side. Given its good and amusing start last week, this is on my listening list. Saturday evening on the same network sees the start of quite a week for Bert Coules, with the second and final episode of his adaptation of the John Buchan novel, Mr Standfast. I haven’t read any of the Buchan books, so the story was completely new to me and I was unaware of the title being taken from The Pilgrim’s Progress. This is high adventure, tautly written, and with driving incidental music: it brought back memories of the Saturday Night Theatre broadcasts of my youth. It was beautifully produced and had a wonderful depth of sound over DAB radio plugged into a decent amplifier.

On Sunday Radio 3 and BBC7 between them provide a couple of classic stories. Cyrano de Bergerac is the Drama on Three production at 20:00. It boasts a first class cast, director and producer. BBC 7 gives us the first part of a two-part adaptation of Don Quixote at 10:00, repeated at 20:00. Bob Grant is in the title role and is supported by the wonderful Bernard Cribbins as his squire.

If you listen to BBC 7 at 18:00 on Sunday evening, you will realise just what a mistake the BBC made in not making a TV series of Doctor Who with Paul McGann. Luckily, in 1999 Big Finish, noting the huge gap in the market, started producing audio dramas on CD featuring The Doctor, played by actors who had previously performed in the role: Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann. Storm Warning, which BBC 7 starts broadcasting this week, was Paul McGann’s first audio drama as The Doctor. As the writer of the story, Alan Barnes, said on the CD – "It’s been a rare privilege to author the adventure which sees a certain Mr Paul McGann reprise the role of the Eighth Doctor for the first time since the 1996 TV Movie. He is, of course, quite brilliant. He’s back – and it’s about bloody time!"

Monday to Friday on BBC 7 at 09:00, repeated at 20:00, will be great fun, because it is then that Richard Pearce and a good cast will be giving us their rendition of some stories from the Tintin canon. Also on weekdays, the Martyn Wade adaptation of Trollope’s Barchester novels continues at 11:00 on the same network. Also on BBC 7 there is a Simon Bovey 7th Dimension serial from Monday to Friday at 18:00, repeated at midnight the same day. It’s called Slipstream and is set near the end of World War II.

Finally, at 10:15 (repeated 21:15 the same day), Tuesday to Friday, BBC 7 broadcasts the first four of five Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. These are written by Bert Coules and were inspired by cases not written up by Dr Watson but referred to fleetingly in the original Conan Doyle stories. By the time these dramas were produced, Michael Williams, who had played Dr Watson opposite Clive Merrison’s Sherlock Holmes in all the stories of the original canon, had passed away. So, for these productions, Andrew Sachs plays the good doctor.

This will be my last radio drama preview for a couple of weeks. I shall be away at the European Chess Solving Championship (ECSC) in Turkey from the middle of next week until the middle of the week after. Immediately after that is the British Chess Problem Society (BCPS) residential weekend in Torquay.

SATURDAY 22nd March

12:00/BBC 7/90 mins – The ABC Murders, by Agatha Christie, dramatised by Michael Bakewell and starring John Moffatt at Poirot and Simon Williams as Hastings, with Philip Jackson, Tom George and Ioan Meredith. Directed by Enyd Williams. First broadcast in 2000 on Radio 4.

14:30/BBC Radio 4/60 mins – The Dark Side, by David Chapel. A comic adventure about an MP’s researcher who becomes a lobbyist, starring Sam Troughton. Listen out for radio regulars Stephen Critchlow, Ben Crowe, Peter Marinker and Liza Sadovy. Part 2 of 2.

17:00/BBC 7/60 mins – Garrison Keillor’s Radio Show. This import from the USA is more a light entertainment show in the old BBC tradition than audio drama, but may well be worth listening to if you like that kind of thing. Garrison has a light (and sometimes not so light) line in satire that many find appealing. Listen out especially for his weekly monologue about ‘Lake Wobegone, My Home Town’. There are no real adverts broadcast during this program! Repeated this evening at 23:00 on BBC 7.

18:30/BBC 7/30 mins – Dalek, I Love You Too, by Colin Sharpe. This tale about a Doctor Who fan is a sequel to last week’s offering in this slot.

21:00/BBC Radio 4/60 mins – Mr Standfast, by John Buchan, dramatised by Bert Coules, starring David Robb, Clive Merrison, Struan Rodger and including Jon Glover, Briony McRoberts, Chris Pavlo and Ben Onwukwe. This story is set during the First World War. Radio Times includes this introduction – "Richard Hannay pursues the German spy Moxon Ivery to France, where Mary Lammington offers herself as bait in a deadly trap." Struan Rodger is on top form in this final episode. Part 2 of 2.

SUNDAY 23rd March (Easter Day)

10:00/BBC 7/90 mins – Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes, adapted by John Arden. Starring Bob Grant as the Don and Bernard Cribbins as Sancho Panza. Directed by Alfred Bradley. Part 1 of 2. First broadcast in 1980. Repeated tonight at 20:00 on BBC 7.

15:00/BBC Radio 4/60 mins - Mr Sponge’s Sporting Tour, by R S Surtees, dramatised by Scott Cherry, featuring Clive Swift, Paul Jesson, John McAndrews, Trevor Martin, Rupert Evans, David Troughton, Philip Jackson, Stella McClusker, Julie Cox, Chris Emmett and David Cardy. Writes Radio Times – "Picaresque romp following the fortunes of Soapey Sponge, a man determined to better himself, no matter what the cost to others. Soapey stands accused of selling the same mad horse to a number of respected citizens of Laverick Wells." Episode 1 of 2. Repeated next Saturday at 21:00.

18:00/BBC 7/30 mins - Doctor Who - Storm Warning, by Alan Barnes. Paul McGann stars as the Eighth Doctor in this Big Finish production for CD in 2000 and first broadcast on BBC 7 a few years ago. The CD says – "... the airship R101 takes to the skies. But why is one of the stewards acting so strangely? Who is the unusual passenger in Cabin 43? And just what is a 1960s police box doing on board?" Listen out for India Fisher as the strangely acting steward, Gareth Thomas as Lord Tamworth and Barnaby Edwards as a man just doing his duty, as he sees it, to king and country. Part 1 of 4. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at midnight.

18:30/BBC 7/30 mins – We Can Remember it for You Wholesale, by Philip K Dick. This isn’t drama at all, but a reading of the story that formed the basis of the film Total Recall. As well as enjoying the plot, revel in this marvellous reading by the late William Hootkins. Part 2 of 2. Repeated very early tomorrow morning at 00:30 on BBC 7.

20:00/BBC Radio 3/135 mins – Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand in Anthony Burgess’s verse translation, adapted for radio by John Tydeman, directed by David Timson. Kenneth Branagh is in the title role, but this classic drama also features Jodhi May, Tom Hiddleston, John Shrapnel, Jimmy Yuill, Stephen Critchlow, Hugh Dickson, Gerard Horan, John McAndrew, Steve Hodson, Frances Jeater, Susan Jameson, Joannah Tincey and Oliver Le Sueur. With such a strong cast, writers and director, Radio Times must be right to highlight this as their choice of the day. The producer is Nicholas Soames, which makes one wonder if this will become available on CD from Naxos.

MONDAY 24th March (Easter Monday)

09:00/BBC 7/30 mins – The Adventures of Tintin – The Seven Crystal Balls, by Hergé, adapted by Simon Eastwood and starring Richard Pearce as TinTin. Also featuring Andrew Sachs, Charles Kay, Lionel Jeffries and Stephen Moore. Episode 1 of 6. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:00.

09:30/BBC 7/30 mins – Three Act Tragedy, by Agatha Christie, Dramatised by Michael Bakewell and starring John Moffatt as Poirot, with George Cole and Michael Cochrane. Part 1 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:30.

10:15/BBC 7/45 mins – Our Late Supper, by Nick Waburton, starring Marcia Warren, Holly Grainger and Gerard McDermott. According to the BBC 7 website – "A shy middle-aged woman is forced out of her shell by an unexpected friendship with a 12 year old girl." First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated this evening on BBC 7 at 21:15.

11:00/BBC 7/60 mins – The Barchester Chronicles – Doctor Thorne/1, by Anthony Trollope, dramatised by Martyn Wade. There is much to enjoy in these classic adaptations of the classic novel sequence by Trollope. Throughout the series, at different times, listen out for Alec McCowen (Septimus Harding), Stephen Moore (quite often in wonderful splenetic form as Dr Grantly), Peter Howell (the Bishop of Barchester), Simon Russell Beale (Slope), Clive Francis (Arabin), David Horovitch (Dr Proudie), Rosemary Leach (Mrs Proudie) and, in the final episodes, Kenneth Cranham (Crawley). Episode 6 of 20.

11:30/BBC Radio 4/30 mins – Dixon of Dock Green. An adaptation by Sue Rodwell of a Ted Willis TV script from the classic television series. David Calder stars as George Dixon and David Tennant as Andy Crawford. The title of this story is Crawford’s First Pinch. Part 3 of 6.

14:15/BBC Radio 4/45 mins – Baldi – A Green Murder, by Andrew Martin. One of a group of environmentalists is struck down. As ever, David Threlfall stars as Baldi and Tara Flynn as Tina.

18:00/BBC 7/30 mins – Slipstream, by Simon Bovey, starring Rory Kinnear, Tim McMullan, Ben Crowe, Joannah Tincey and Laura Molyneux. It's 1945. The Allies are certain to win the war. Then a strange aircraft is spotted, and nothing will ever be the same again. I think this is an original commission for BBC 7. Part 1 of 5. Repeated at midnight tonight on BBC 7.

23:00/BBC Radio 4/30 mins – Sicken and So Die, by Simon Brett, dramatised by Jeremy Front. Bill Nighy, Suzanne Burden and Jon Glover star in this adaptation of one of Simon Brett’s entertaining novels about Charles Paris. Episode 4 of 4.

TUESDAY 25th March

09:00/BBC 7/30 mins – The Adventures of Tintin – Prisoners of the Sun, by Hergé, adapted by Simon Eastwood and starring Richard Pearce as TinTin. Also featuring Andrew Sachs, Charles Kay, Lionel Jeffries and Stephen Moore. Episode 2 of 6. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:00.

09:30/BBC 7/30 mins – Three Act Tragedy, by Agatha Christie, Dramatised by Michael Bakewell and starring John Moffatt as Poirot, with George Cole and Michael Cochrane. Part 2 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:30.

10:15/BBC 7/45 mins – The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/1 – The Madness of Colonel Warburton, by Bert Coules, starring Clive Merrison as Sherlock Holmes and Andrew Sachs as Dr Watson, with Timothy West as Colonel Warburton and also featuring Eleanor Bron and Struan Rodger. Watson's old commanding officer is alarming his family with his interest in spiritualism. This story was inspired by a reference in the original Sherlock Holmes story The Engineer’s Thumb by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Episode 1 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated this evening on BBC 7 at 21:15.

11:00/BBC 7/60 mins – The Barchester Chronicles – Doctor Thorne/2, by Anthony Trollope, dramatised by Martyn Wade. There is much to enjoy in these classic adaptations of the classic novel sequence by Trollope. Throughout the series, at different times, listen out for Alec McCowen (Septimus Harding), Stephen Moore (quite often in wonderful splenetic form as Dr Grantly), Peter Howell (the Bishop of Barchester), Simon Russell Beale (Slope), Clive Francis (Arabin), David Horovitch (Dr Proudie), Rosemary Leach (Mrs Proudie) and, in the final episodes, Kenneth Cranham (Crawley). Episode 7 of 20.

14:15/BBC Radio 4/45 mins – Lost in Plain Sight, by Donna Franceschild. Jimmy Chisholm stars in this story of a teenager who receives emails promising to change his life. "A darkly comic drama ..." says Radio Times.

18:00/BBC 7/30 mins – Slipstream, by Simon Bovey, starring Rory Kinnear, Tim McMullan, Ben Crowe, Joannah Tincey and Laura Molyneux. It's 1945. The Allies are certain to win the war. Then a strange aircraft is spotted, and nothing will ever be the same again. I think this is an original commission for BBC 7. Part 2 of 5. Repeated at midnight tonight on BBC 7.

WEDNESDAY 26th March

09:00/BBC 7/30 mins – The Adventures of Tintin – The Calculus Affair/1, by Hergé, adapted by Simon Eastwood and starring Richard Pearce as Tintin. Also featuring Andrew Sachs, Charles Kay, Lionel Jeffries and Stephen Moore and Stephen Thorne. Episode 3 of 6. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:00.

09:30/BBC 7/30 mins – Three Act Tragedy, by Agatha Christie, Dramatised by Michael Bakewell and starring John Moffatt as Poirot, with George Cole and Michael Cochrane. Part 3 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:30.

10:15/BBC 7/45 mins – The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/2 – The Star of the Adelphi, by Bert Coules, starring Clive Merrison as Sherlock Holmes and Andrew Sachs as Dr Watson. When an actor is stabbed to death, Holmes and Watson step behind the scenes into a world of deception. This story was inspired by a reference in the original Sherlock Holmes story The Second Stain by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Episode 2 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated this evening on BBC 7 at 21:15.

11:00/BBC 7/60 mins – The Barchester Chronicles – Doctor Thorne/3, by Anthony Trollope, dramatised by Martyn Wade. There is much to enjoy in these classic adaptations of the classic novel sequence by Trollope. Throughout the series, at different times, listen out for Alec McCowen (Septimus Harding), Stephen Moore (quite often in wonderful splenetic form as Dr Grantly), Peter Howell (the Bishop of Barchester), Simon Russell Beale (Slope), Clive Francis (Arabin), David Horovitch (Dr Proudie), Rosemary Leach (Mrs Proudie) and, in the final episodes, Kenneth Cranham (Crawley). Episode 8 of 20.

14:15/BBC Radio 4/45 mins – The Fall, by Clare Duffy. A pregnant woman hunts for the mother who left her.

18:00/BBC 7/30 mins – Slipstream, by Simon Bovey, starring Rory Kinnear, Tim McMullan, Ben Crowe, Joannah Tincey and Laura Molyneux. It's 1945. The Allies are certain to win the war. Then a strange aircraft is spotted, and nothing will ever be the same again. I think this is an original commission for BBC 7. Part 3 of 5. Repeated at midnight tonight on BBC 7.

23:00/BBC Radio 4/30 mins – Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett, dramatised by Robin Brooks. A ‘must-listen’, with Philip Jackson, Carl Prekopp, Paul Ritter, Sam Dale, Clare Corbutt, Matt Addis, Ben Onwukwe and Peter Marinker. Episode 5 of 5.

THURSDAY 27th March

09:00/BBC 7/30 mins – The Adventures of Tintin – The Calculus Affair/2, by Hergé, adapted by Simon Eastwood and starring Richard Pearce as TinTin. Also featuring Andrew Sachs, Charles Kay, Lionel Jeffries and Stephen Moore and Stephen Thorne. Episode 4 of 6. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:00.

09:30/BBC 7/30 mins – Three Act Tragedy, by Agatha Christie, Dramatised by Michael Bakewell and starring John Moffatt as Poirot, with George Cole and Michael Cochrane. Part 4 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:30.

10:15/BBC 7/45 mins – The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/3 – The Peculiar Persecution of Mr John Vincent Harden, by Bert Coules, starring Clive Merrison as Sherlock Holmes and Andrew Sachs as Dr Watson and featuring Jane Asher and David Thorpe. A mysterious metal object found in a man's stomach holds a vital clue to his death. This story was inspired by a reference in the original Sherlock Holmes story The Solitary Cyclist by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Episode 3 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated this evening on BBC 7 at 21:15.

11:00/BBC 7/60 mins – The Barchester Chronicles – Framley Parsonage/1, by Anthony Trollope, dramatised by Martyn Wade. There is much to enjoy in these classic adaptations of the classic novel sequence by Trollope. Throughout the series, at different times, listen out for Alec McCowen (Septimus Harding), Stephen Moore (quite often in wonderful splenetic form as Dr Grantly), Peter Howell (the Bishop of Barchester), Simon Russell Beale (Slope), Clive Francis (Arabin), David Horovitch (Dr Proudie), Rosemary Leach (Mrs Proudie) and, in the final episodes, Kenneth Cranham (Crawley). Episode 9 of 20.

14:15/BBC Radio 4/45 mins – The Death of Magnus Sweet, by Alastair Jessiman, starring William Barlow, Miles Jupp and Gareth Thomas. Two schoolboys invent a classmate, whom even the headmaster starts to believe in.

18:00/BBC 7/30 mins – Slipstream, by Simon Bovey, starring Rory Kinnear, Tim McMullan, Ben Crowe, Joannah Tincey and Laura Molyneux. It's 1945. The Allies are certain to win the war. Then a strange aircraft is spotted, and nothing will ever be the same again. I think this is an original commission for BBC 7. Part 4 of 5. Repeated at midnight tonight on BBC 7.

FRIDAY 28th March

09:00/BBC 7/30 mins – The Adventures of Tintin – The Red Sea Sharks/1, by Hergé, adapted by Simon Eastwood and starring Richard Pearce as TinTin. Also featuring Andrew Sachs, Charles Kay, Lionel Jeffries and Stephen Moore and Stephen Thorne. Episode 5 of 6. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:00.

09:30/BBC 7/30 mins – Three Act Tragedy, by Agatha Christie, Dramatised by Michael Bakewell and starring John Moffatt as Poirot, with George Cole and Michael Cochrane. Part 5 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated tonight on BBC 7 at 20:30.

10:15/BBC 7/45 mins – The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/4 – The Singular Inheritance of Miss Gloria Wilson, by Bert Coules, starring Clive Merrison as Sherlock Holmes and Andrew Sachs as Dr Watson, with Roy Hudd, Toyah Willcox, Sean Baker and Sion Probert. This story was inspired by a reference in the original Sherlock Holmes story The Problem of Thor Bridge by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Episode 4 of 5. First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2002. Repeated this evening on BBC 7 at 21:15.

11:00/BBC 7/60 mins – The Barchester Chronicles – Framley Parsonage/2, by Anthony Trollope, dramatised by Martyn Wade. There is much to enjoy in these classic adaptations of the classic novel sequence by Trollope. Throughout the series, at different times, listen out for Alec McCowen (Septimus Harding), Stephen Moore (quite often in wonderful splenetic form as Dr Grantly), Peter Howell (the Bishop of Barchester), Simon Russell Beale (Slope), Clive Francis (Arabin), David Horovitch (Dr Proudie), Rosemary Leach (Mrs Proudie) and, in the final episodes, Kenneth Cranham (Crawley). Episode 10 of 20.

14:15/BBC Radio 4/45 mins – Cavalry by Dan Rebellato. "Four men are waxing saddles, cleaning spurs, polishing bridles and weapons. They are preparing for battle. But which one and which century are we in?" – says Radio Times.

18:00/BBC 7/30 mins – Slipstream, by Simon Bovey, starring Rory Kinnear, Tim McMullan, Ben Crowe, Joannah Tincey and Laura Molyneux. It's 1945. The Allies are certain to win the war. Then a strange aircraft is spotted, and nothing will ever be the same again. I think this is an original commission for BBC 7. Part 5 of 5. Repeated at midnight tonight on BBC 7.

21:00/BBC Radio 4/60 mins – Forgiving, by Tina Pepler. [Radio Times] introduces this thus – "Tina Pepler’s story of a family torn apart by one act of violence explores the journey from grief and anger to the possibility of forgiveness and reconciliation. Woven through it are the voices of real people who are dealing with their own experiences of great pain and the struggle to forgive."