Doctor Who at the BBC, Volume Two

Elisabeth Sladen presents another time-travelling journey through the history of Doctor Who on BBC radio and television.

Our good friend the Doctor may continually jump from the past to the present and back to the future, but heÆs never really gone away. Since 1963 he has had a massive influence on our popular culture û as this second volume of rare material illustrates.

Doctor Who has long been a favourite source of inspiration for comedy programmes including The Mary Whitehouse Experience, IÆm Sorry I HavenÆt a Clue and Dead Ringers. It has also provided an endless source of features for programmes such as Nationwide, Pebble Mill at One, WomanÆs Hour and Talkback. All of these, and more, are featured here.

We hear from no less than seven of the first eight actors to play the Doctor on TV: Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann all talk about what itÆs like to play the role, and the effect it has had on their lives. The DoctorÆs companions are also well featured, with Elisabeth Sladen, Louise Jameson, Matthew Waterhouse and John Leeson popping up in interviews recorded during their time on the programme.

The issue of violence in Doctor Who is discussed by producer John Nathan-Turner, writer Kit Pedler and some very angry parents; director Paul Joyce takes us behind the scenes on the series; and thereÆs a plethora of news items about the DoctorÆs many returns since 1989. So hold on to your hats û the latest journey starts here!


Douglas Adams at the BBC

Simon Jones, who played Arthur Dent in The HitchhikerÆs Guide to the Galaxy, presents a look back at the life and work of a writer who has captivated the imagination of millions.

When Douglas Adams created The HitchhikerÆs Guide to the Galaxy for BBC Radio 4, it was the genesis of a science fiction comedy legend. Yet his career at the BBC had begun in Light Entertainment, with contributions to The Burkiss Way, Week Ending and other sketch shows of the time. He went on to script edit a series of Doctor Who, and to write a series of Hitchhiker and Dirk Gently books.

In this triple-CD programme, Simon Jones takes an A-Z look at Douglas AdamsÆs career, taking in extracts from the many radio and TV programmes he contributed to. These include personal appearances on Wogan, TomorrowÆs World and Desert Island Discs, his own radio programmes such as Last Chance to See (about the search for endangered species) and The HitchhikerÆs Guide to the Future (a look at impending technology), and even a ælostÆ segment of The HitchhikerÆs Guide to the Galaxy which Adams wrote specially for Radio 4Æs Steafel Plus in 1982. Also included are some of the many tributes paid to Adams following his untimely death in May 2001.

This is a fascinating and in-depth audio biography of a man whose brilliant work has inspired, enraptured and entertained millions of people worldwide.