Old Radio Drama

[Del.Monte]

I grew up on the stuff as we didn't have a TV in the house until 1970 and I still enjoy the format as it leaves so much to the imagination.

Tonight I listened to a two-part adaption of "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley from a 1956 CBS broadcast. A depressing dystopian view of the future which I've never read or listened to before and at least I won't inflict the new movie on myself after this.

Anybody else listen to radio drama these days - my two teenage sons can't get their head around radio at all and yet they listen to podcasts?

[CelticRambler]

Yep, also grew up listening to drama on the radio (in the 80s and 90s) despite having a TV in the house. Those would have been plays of various genres broadcast on RTE Radio 1, and I continued the practice later on BBC Radio 4 when I moved to England. My enjoyment started to wane, though, when both channels shifted to forcing their dramas into a rigid 58-minute (or 1 hour 58 minute) time slot.

Having said that, I'd be quite happy if the French would put their dramas into a slot at roughly the same time and/or day and/or station every week, instead of the erratic programming they seem to adore. Seeing as I find French drama - audio or visual - is frequently very "arty" and not necessarily very enjoyable, I am less inclined to go looking for it when I can load up something from my personal Hiberno-Anglo-American archives.

[Del.Monte]

Another favourite of mine is Sherlock Holmes - books, movies, TV series and for this thread there are some excellent radio dramatisations. "The Hound of the Baskervilles" is to my mind the best Sherlock Holmes story of all and here's a 1988 BBC production. Close your eyes, turn down the lights and you're there on bleakest Dartmoor with hound in pursuit....

[Del.Monte]

Just finished a 1989 BBC adaption of John Buchan's "The 39 Steps" on YouTube. Not the best adaption that I've heard but not the worst either and very appropriate for the times were are living in.

[95438756]

Harbour Hotel on radio 1. I can't remember a single episode although I must have heard a dozen of them.

[Del.Monte]

Harbour Hotel on radio 1. I can't remember a single episode although I must have heard a dozen of them.

Only a dozen? There were several thousand episodes but like yourself I can't remember any of them.

[95438756]

So is there any memorable episode of a radio drama that any gubernite can recall?
I grew out of being exposed to them, or, I was in my teens when I was doing other things. Like watching live at 3 on tv.

[Del.Monte]

Not that old in this case but a BBC drama from 1994 - "The Riddle of the Sands" by Erskine Childers - he who was murdered by the Free State Government in 1922. Slow moving but a classic of its type and written at time when Childers still firmly believed in the British Empire.

[Del.Monte]

I'm really having a retro blow-out tonight and followed the "Riddle of the Sands" with this 1998 BBC adaption of the Arnold Ridley 1923 classic "The Ghost Train". In common with Erskine Childers' story this one is credited with starting a genre of movies - people trapped on trains and unable to get away from impending danger. Strangely I have never listened to this one before or watched any of the movie adaptions.