Classic Radio

Good Omens: The BBC Radio 4 dramatisation

• ORIGINAL (4 hrs and 19 mins)
• By Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett
• Narrated By Full Cast, Peter Serafinowicz, Mark Heap

A full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman’s celebrated apocalyptic comic novel, with bonus length episodes and outtakes. According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday in fact. Just after Any Answers on Radio 4….Events have been set in motion to bring about the End of Days. The armies of Good and Evil are gathering and making their way towards the sleepy English village of Lower Tadfield.

Raymond Chandler: The BBC Radio Drama Collection

• ORIGINAL (10 hrs and 34 mins)
• By Raymond Chandler
• Narrated By Toby Stephens

The complete collection of landmark BBC Radio dramas of Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe mysteries. Philip Marlowe is the archetypal noir detective: wisecracking and world weary, hard boiled yet honourable. This volume includes all eight dramatisations of Raymond Chandler's groundbreaking crime novels featuring his iconic hero.

Dad's Army: Complete Radio Series Two

• ORIGINAL (9 hrs and 12 mins)
• By Jimmy Perry, David Croft
• Narrated By Full Cast, Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier

Twenty episodes from the second BBC Radio series, starring Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn. In 1973 the BBC adapted its hit TV series for radio, featuring the original TV cast and characters. Three series were broadcast between 1974 and 1976, with episodes adapted from their TV counterparts by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles. Now you can enjoy once again these unique recordings, with a supporting cast including John Laurie, Arnold Ridley and Ian Lavender.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Dramatised)

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 14 mins)
• By Agatha Christie
• Narrated By Nicola McAuliffe, Philip Jackson, Simon Williams, and others

This is the very first Poirot/Hastings story. Set in 1916, we meet Captain Hastings as he is invalided out of the Great War and goes to convalesce at Styles Court, the family home of his great friend, John Cavendish. By an extraordinary coincidence, billeted in the village is a brilliant little retired detective with an egg-shaped head, who made a considerable impression on the Captain when he was in Belgium. Styles is not a happy household and in the blistering summer heat, tensions mount.

More of Poirot's Finest Cases: Seven Full-Cast BBC Radio Dramatisations

• ORIGINAL (13 hrs and 45 mins)
• By Agatha Christie
• Narrated By Full Cast, John Moffat

John Moffat stars as the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in seven more BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations. The stories in this volume are: Evil Under the Sun, Sad Cypress, Murder in Mesopotamia, Lord Edgware Dies, Halloween Party, Murder on the Links and Five Little Pigs. Based on the original novels by Agatha Christie, these superb adaptations feature a cast of outstanding actors playing an array of likely suspects.

Round the Horne: Complete Series One: March 1965 - June 1965

• ORIGINAL (8 hrs and 21 mins)
• By Barry Took, Marty Feldman
• Narrated By Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Hugh Paddick, and others

Kenneth Horne, Kenneth Williams, Betty Marsden and Hugh Paddick star in 16 episodes of the anarchic 1960s radio comedy. Round the Horne arrived on BBC radio in 1965, bringing laughter to Sunday lunchtimes throughout the land. Over the course of 16weekly episodes it carved a niche in the history of broadcast comedy, a sketch show which prodded the boundaries of propriety and innuendo.

Rumpole: The Penge Bungalow Murders and other stories: 4 BBC Radio 4 dramatisations

• UNABRIDGED (3 hrs)
• By John Mortimer
• Narrated By Benedict Cumberbatch, Timothy West

Benedict Cumberbatch plays the young, feisty, devastatingly acute Horace Rumpole in this collection of cracking cases, also starring Timothy West as the older Rumpole. Rumpole and the Penge Bungalow Murders: It is the 50s, and two war heroes have been shot dead. Defending the suspect is deemed hopeless, so the case is handed to a novice. But the novice's superiors didn't count on the tenacity and wit of the young and hungry Horace Rumpole.

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries: Classic Radio Crime

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 55 mins)
• By Gladys Mitchell
• Narrated By Mary Winbush, Leslie Phillips, Full Cast

Mary Wimbush stars as unconventional psychoanalyst sleuth Mrs Bradley in these two full-cast dramatisations of stories by Gladys Mitchell. Colourful, cynical, intimidating and extremely intelligent, Mrs Bradley is one of the most unorthodox detectives in the history of Golden Age crime fiction. The heroine of 66 novels by Gladys Mitchell, she has also appeared in several radio adaptations and a BBC TV series starring Diana Rigg.

The Divine Comedy: Inferno; Purgatorio; Paradiso

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 50 mins)
• By Dante Alighieri, Stephen Wyatt
• Narrated By Blake Ritson, John Hurt, David Warner, and others

Blake Ritson, David Warner, Hattie Morahan and John Hurt star in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of Dante's epic poem. Inferno: Thirty-five year old Dante finds himself in the middle of a dark wood, in extreme personal and spiritual crisis. Hope of rescue appears in the form of the venerable poet Virgil, now a shade himself, who offers to lead Dante on an odyssey through the afterlife, beginning in the terrifying depths of Hell.

Paul Temple: The Complete Radio Collection: Volume Two: The Fifties

• ORIGINAL (18 hrs and 49 mins)
• By Francis Durbridge
• Narrated By Marjorie Westbury, Peter Coke

When it comes to classic crime partnerships, Paul Temple (Peter Coke) and his wife, Steve (Marjorie Westbury), are the crème de la crème. Between 1938 and 1968, their glamorous exploits enthralled generations of radio listeners around the world. Here, presented in chronological order, are some of the amateur detective's adventures from the 1950s.

Dad's Army: Complete Radio Series 3

• ORIGINAL (12 hrs and 42 mins)
• By Jimmy Perry, David Croft
• Narrated By full cast, Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier

Twenty-six episodes from the third BBC Radio series starring Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and Clive Dunn, plus the pilot episode of It Sticks Out Half a Mile. In 1973 the BBC adapted its hit wartime TV series for radio, featuring the original television cast and characters. Three series were broadcast between 1974 and 1976, with episodes adapted by Harold Snoad and Michael Knowles.

Our Miss Brooks, Collection 1

• ORIGINAL (5 hrs and 56 mins)
• By Black Eye Entertainment
• Narrated By full cast

Our Miss Brooks was a situation comedy show heard on radio and seen on television and films. It starred Hollywood film and New York stage veteran Eve Arden, who had specialized in playing the wisecracking friend to the heroine. Arden's skill with the wicked one-liner and acid aside was beginning to lead to typecasting so, to find a new image, Arden signed on for the lead in radio's Our Miss Brooks.

Dick Barton: Special Agent: The Complete BBC Radio Collection

• ORIGINAL (38 hrs and 20 mins)
• By Edward J. Mason
• Narrated By Douglas Kelly, Noël Johnson

Set in an exciting world of criminal masterminds, espionage and adventure, the adventures of special agent Dick Barton and his friends Jock and Snowey were essential listening for an entire generation. Originally running on the BBC Light Programme between 1946 and 1951, few of the BBC's original recordings still survive. However, in 1949 a number of early Barton tales were rerecorded for transmission overseas starring Douglas Kelly.

Paul Temple: The Complete Radio Collection: Volume Three: The Sixties (1960-1968)

• ORIGINAL (17 hrs and 36 mins)
• By Francis Durbridge
• Narrated By full cast, Marjorie Westbury, Peter Coke

Paul Temple swings into the '60s with five complete radio dramas featuring the writer-cum-amateur detective and his wife, Steve, plus bonus archive material. Between 1938 and 1968, Paul and Steve's exploits enthralled generations of radio listeners around the world. Here, presented in chronological order, are 'The Gilbert Case' (1960 remake), 'The Margo Mystery' (1961), 'The Jonathan Mystery' (1963 remake), 'The Geneva Mystery' (1965) and 'The Alex Affair' (1968). This set also includes the bonus radio feature 'Peter Coke and the Paul Temple Affair'.

The Goon Show, Volume 1: Moriarity, Where Are You?

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 2 mins)
• By The Goons
• Narrated By The Goons

Here's a crazy quartet of cult comedy classics from those wireless wizards Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, and Harry Secombe. This collection features "The Dreaded Batter Pudding Hurler of Bexhill-on-Sea", "The Histories of Pliny the Elder", "The Jet Propelled Guided Naafi", and "The Evils of Bushy Spon".

The Goon Show, Compendium 10 (Series 9, Part 1): The classic BBC radio comedy series

• ORIGINAL (9 hrs and 36 mins)
• By Spike Milligan
• Narrated By Spike Milligan, full cast, Harry Secombe

Twelve episodes of the groundbreaking show starring Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers. Immensely popular and hugely influential, legendary radio series The Goon Show changed the face of British comedy. This collection of episodes is taken from the first part of the ninth series, first broadcast in 1958-59.

The Sittaford Mystery (Dramatised)

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 21 mins)
• By Agatha Christie
• Narrated By John Moffatt, Stephen Tompkinson

A blizzard has hit England. In the tiny village of Sittaford, on the fringes of Dartmoor, a party of six is gathered in Sittaford House, home of Captain Trevelyan. He has rented the house out for the winter and is staying in a nearby village. As evening draws in, a seance is proposed. But it reveals more than they had anticipated - TREVELYAN DEAD, spells out the board. Slowly the table begins to rock again, spelling out the word M-U-R-D-E-R. Is it true? And who would kill a man who doesn’t have an enemy in the world?

The Goon Show, Volume 2: Enter Bluebottle

• ORIGINAL (1 hr and 59 mins)
• By The Goons
• Narrated By The Goons

Here's another crazy quartet of cult comedy classics from those wireless wizards Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, and Harry Secombe. This collection features "Lurgi Strikes Britain", "The International Christmas Pudding", "Napoleon's Piano", and "The Flea".

Dr Gideon Fell: Collected Cases: Classic Radio Crime

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 49 mins)
• By John Dickson Carr
• Narrated By Donald Sinden, John Hartley, full cast

Donald Sinden stars as eccentric amateur sleuth Gideon Fell in these two full-cast BBC radio dramatisations of stories by John Dickson Carr. One of the pre-eminent detectives of crime fiction's Golden Age, Dr Gideon Fell is stout, jovial and fond of beer and band music. However, he also possesses a razor-sharp mind and extraordinary powers of deduction, which are frequently put to the test as he is called upon to solve seemingly impossible crimes.

Peril at End House (Dramatised)

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 15 mins)
• By Agatha Christie
• Narrated By John Moffatt

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation starring John Moffatt as the great Belgian detective. Hercule Poirot and his good friend Captain Hastings are enjoying a well-deserved break on the Cornish Riviera, in the idyllic village of St Loo. Wandering along the terrace of the Hotel Majestic on the first morning of their stay, Poirot literally falls at the feet of a pretty, dark-haired girl and, much to Hastings’ delight, insists that she join them for a cocktail.

Gunsmoke: Killers & Spoilers

• ORIGINAL (6 hrs and 55 mins)
• By William Conrad
• Narrated By William Conrad

William Conrad stars as Dillon, with Parley Baer as Chester, Howard McNear as Doc, and Georgia Ellis as Kitty. Step inside the Long Branch Saloon for 20 digitally restored and remastered Gunsmoke episodes from 1954.

Fitch Bandwagon/Phil Harris-Alice Faye: Stepping Out

• ORIGINAL (7 hrs and 56 mins)
• By Phil Harris, Alice Faye
• Narrated By original radio broadcast

Get on the Bandwagon with Phil and Alice in rare episodes from their first season together! Curly and the Mrs. mix their tuneful talents with zany family antics as the Harris gang takes on nature, nurture, and nightlife in 16 hilarious half hours. Regulars Elliott Lewis, Walter Tetley, Jeanine Roose, and Anne Whitfield and announcer Bill Forman are joined by a range of rascally guests, including Frank Nelson, Verna Felton, Gale Gordon, J. Scott Smart, and Jack Benny.

The Mrs Bradley Mysteries: Classic Radio Crime

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 55 mins)
• By Gladys Mitchell
• Narrated By Mary Winbush, Leslie Phillips, Full Cast

Mary Wimbush stars as unconventional psychoanalyst sleuth Mrs Bradley in these two full-cast dramatisations of stories by Gladys Mitchell. Colourful, cynical, intimidating and extremely intelligent, Mrs Bradley is one of the most unorthodox detectives in the history of Golden Age crime fiction. The heroine of 66 novels by Gladys Mitchell, she has also appeared in several radio adaptations and a BBC TV series starring Diana Rigg.

Dr Gideon Fell: Collected Cases: Classic Radio Crime

• ORIGINAL (2 hrs and 49 mins)
• By John Dickson Carr
• Narrated By Donald Sinden, John Hartley, full cast

Donald Sinden stars as eccentric amateur sleuth Gideon Fell in these two full-cast BBC radio dramatisations of stories by John Dickson Carr. One of the pre-eminent detectives of crime fiction's Golden Age, Dr Gideon Fell is stout, jovial and fond of beer and band music. However, he also possesses a razor-sharp mind and extraordinary powers of deduction, which are frequently put to the test as he is called upon to solve seemingly impossible crimes.

Cover Her Face

• ORIGINAL (1 hr and 57 mins)
• By Neville Teller, P. D. James
• Narrated By full cast, Robin Ellis, Siân Phillips

Though Sally Jupp came from the village home for unmarried mothers, she seemed the ideal girl to help Mrs Maxie run a large Elizabethan manor house and look after her invalid husband. But the real Sally, pretty, ambitious and clever, was very different from the docile, repentant character she seemed to be. Murder shattered the tranquillity of her new home, and Chief Detective Inspector Adam Dalgliesh arrived in the peace of a country Sunday to solve a case as mysterious as Sally herself.

The Barchester Chronicles: Six BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations

• ORIGINAL (15 hrs and 35 mins)
• By Anthony Trollope
• Narrated By Clive Mantle, David Bamber, Iain Glen, and others

Six lavish BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisations of Anthony Trollope's much-loved novels. Anthony Trollope's series of witty and gently satirical stories of provincial life are set in the fictional town of Barchester and its surrounding county of Barsetshire. The canvas is broad and colourful, with a set of iconic characters in whose lives we become intimately involved as they grow up, grow old, and fall in or out of love and friendship across the years.

Our Miss Brooks, Collection 1

• ORIGINAL (5 hrs and 56 mins)
• By Black Eye Entertainment
• Narrated By full cast

Our Miss Brooks was a situation comedy show heard on radio and seen on television and films. It starred Hollywood film and New York stage veteran Eve Arden, who had specialized in playing the wisecracking friend to the heroine. Arden's skill with the wicked one-liner and acid aside was beginning to lead to typecasting so, to find a new image, Arden signed on for the lead in radio's Our Miss Brooks.

Dick Barton: Special Agent: The Complete BBC Radio Collection

• ORIGINAL (38 hrs and 20 mins)
• By Edward J. Mason
• Narrated By Douglas Kelly, Noël Johnson

Set in an exciting world of criminal masterminds, espionage and adventure, the adventures of special agent Dick Barton and his friends Jock and Snowey were essential listening for an entire generation. Originally running on the BBC Light Programme between 1946 and 1951, few of the BBC's original recordings still survive. However, in 1949 a number of early Barton tales were rerecorded for transmission overseas starring Douglas Kelly.