BBC Radio Full Christmas Schedule
Cabin Pressure Series 5 = 6 Episodes? Me thinks someone in scheduling / website management goofed, perhaps due to being on autopilot, and no one warned them not to get the hopes up of Cabin Pressure fans! ;-)
Anyway... I'm sure most people on the flist were already aware of the air dates for Cabin Pressure Zurich Parts 1 and 2 and for Good Omens, but the full radio schedule between now and Christmas is up so I thought I'd run through a few highlights beyond those two between now and 25 December. I've got a bit of time today and I've missed doing the regular schedule posts. I'll see if I can get back to something with them in the new year.
Once and Future King (Sundays starting a couple weeks ago)
This one is actually back-tracking a bit, but they're in the middle of airing a new dramatization of this classic novel of King Arthur's life. I've listened to the first episode and liked it and am looking forward to the rest as soon as I have time.
Decameron (Daily or Omnibus on Sundays starting this past week)
I have one older dramatization of some of the stories from the Decameron but there's a new one that sounds really good airing this past week and next in daily shorter versions or today and next Sunday in longer ones. Roger Allam was in the older one that I've got and John Finnemore is in one of the new ones (#2) so everything is Cabin Pressure! If you don't know the Decameron, it is a collection of stories supposedly told by different people so kind of like Canterbury Tales but it's set among people fleeing the Plague in Venice.
Patrick O'Brian (Too many days)
This week and next Radio 4 and 4 Extra are doing readings and dramatizations of tons of O'Brian's historic novels and stories. He's best known for his naval series and they've got a dramatizaton of Master and Commander, the first, and a reading (by Benedict Cumberbatch - see everything is CP!) of The Surgeon's Mate, the seventh. They've also got other stuff not related to the main series, I think: readings of short stories Samphire, Little Death, and Stag at Bay and a dramatization of Testimonies. I think that's it, but there might be more of his stuff either after 25 Dec or that I just missed.
A House to Let (Daily 15 to 19 Dec or Omnibus on 21 Dec.)
Dramatization, I think, of a story jointly written by Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Adelaide Anne Procter. I'm more curios than anything.
Pilgrim Series 6 (Mondays starting 22 Dec.)
This is a show about a man from the 11th century, I think, who was cursed by a fairy or elf king to be immortal and stuck between the normal human world and the land of magic. I've listened to series 1 and 2 of this program and enjoyed them a lot and have the rest so I'm glad there will be more for when I get that far.
Good Omens (Daily starting 22 Dec.)
Dramatization of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's classic comedic novel of the Apocalypse that wasn't! Hooray!
Cabin Pressure Zurich Parts 1 and 2 (23 and 24 Dec.)
Hooray for new Cabin Pressure! Boo for the end of Cabin Pressure!
News at Bedtime Christmas episode (24 Dec.)
News at Bedtime is a ridiculous little series of short (15 minute) episodes about two radio news presenters in the fairy / folk tale world. It is ridiculous puns and jokes making fun of new presenting in general, BBC radio in particular, and nursery rhymes and folk tales. The presenters are played by Jack Dee and Peter Capaldi and they are absolutely hilarious. Most of the series, episodes 1 and 3-7, aired a couple of weeks ago and I have those but they skipped episode 2 at the time because it was the Christmas episode about the Queen's speech but they're airing it Christmas Eve and I'm really happy about that!
There's a bunch of other stuff, but those are the highlights. I'm also looking forward to the the New Year's Day 10-hour dramatization of War and Peace with John Hurt, but that's not got a schedule page yet.
Anyway... I'm sure most people on the flist were already aware of the air dates for Cabin Pressure Zurich Parts 1 and 2 and for Good Omens, but the full radio schedule between now and Christmas is up so I thought I'd run through a few highlights beyond those two between now and 25 December. I've got a bit of time today and I've missed doing the regular schedule posts. I'll see if I can get back to something with them in the new year.
Once and Future King (Sundays starting a couple weeks ago)
This one is actually back-tracking a bit, but they're in the middle of airing a new dramatization of this classic novel of King Arthur's life. I've listened to the first episode and liked it and am looking forward to the rest as soon as I have time.
Decameron (Daily or Omnibus on Sundays starting this past week)
I have one older dramatization of some of the stories from the Decameron but there's a new one that sounds really good airing this past week and next in daily shorter versions or today and next Sunday in longer ones. Roger Allam was in the older one that I've got and John Finnemore is in one of the new ones (#2) so everything is Cabin Pressure! If you don't know the Decameron, it is a collection of stories supposedly told by different people so kind of like Canterbury Tales but it's set among people fleeing the Plague in Venice.
Patrick O'Brian (Too many days)
This week and next Radio 4 and 4 Extra are doing readings and dramatizations of tons of O'Brian's historic novels and stories. He's best known for his naval series and they've got a dramatizaton of Master and Commander, the first, and a reading (by Benedict Cumberbatch - see everything is CP!) of The Surgeon's Mate, the seventh. They've also got other stuff not related to the main series, I think: readings of short stories Samphire, Little Death, and Stag at Bay and a dramatization of Testimonies. I think that's it, but there might be more of his stuff either after 25 Dec or that I just missed.
A House to Let (Daily 15 to 19 Dec or Omnibus on 21 Dec.)
Dramatization, I think, of a story jointly written by Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Adelaide Anne Procter. I'm more curios than anything.
Pilgrim Series 6 (Mondays starting 22 Dec.)
This is a show about a man from the 11th century, I think, who was cursed by a fairy or elf king to be immortal and stuck between the normal human world and the land of magic. I've listened to series 1 and 2 of this program and enjoyed them a lot and have the rest so I'm glad there will be more for when I get that far.
Good Omens (Daily starting 22 Dec.)
Dramatization of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's classic comedic novel of the Apocalypse that wasn't! Hooray!
Cabin Pressure Zurich Parts 1 and 2 (23 and 24 Dec.)
Hooray for new Cabin Pressure! Boo for the end of Cabin Pressure!
News at Bedtime Christmas episode (24 Dec.)
News at Bedtime is a ridiculous little series of short (15 minute) episodes about two radio news presenters in the fairy / folk tale world. It is ridiculous puns and jokes making fun of new presenting in general, BBC radio in particular, and nursery rhymes and folk tales. The presenters are played by Jack Dee and Peter Capaldi and they are absolutely hilarious. Most of the series, episodes 1 and 3-7, aired a couple of weeks ago and I have those but they skipped episode 2 at the time because it was the Christmas episode about the Queen's speech but they're airing it Christmas Eve and I'm really happy about that!
There's a bunch of other stuff, but those are the highlights. I'm also looking forward to the the New Year's Day 10-hour dramatization of War and Peace with John Hurt, but that's not got a schedule page yet.