In the mid seventies, the series of books written by Dorothy L. Sayers, with the detective, Lord Peter Wimsey, were transferred to televison and radio with Ian Carmichael in the title role. From my research it would seem that eleven serials were made on radio, but only nine of these appear to be currently held within the BBC archive, and two of these being recently re-released by the BBC Radio Collection (although there have been at least another 4 previously available). A note on the archive collection at the BBC. I have only given details regarding recordings held within the main archive at Broadcasting House. This does not mean that the recordings DO NOT exist, although if you have excellent copies of those serials listed as missing, please contact the BBC, or myself. There are other regional archives, and also archives for the world service and transcription services, and if serials were picked up by the other networks or for overseas sales, there is the possibility that they will be in their archives. Whose Body Clouds of Witness During a shoot at the family retreat in Yorkshire, Captain Cathcart, the fiance of Lord Peter's sister Mary, receives an unwelcomed letter casuing him to flee Riddlesdale Lodge in the middle of the night. But he is not the only one with departure plans! One Wimsey plans to escape in the early hours of the morning until she finds a body in the garden, and her brother, the Duke of Denver, bent over it. Wimsey hears the news whilst on holiday in Paris and travels back to Yorkshire, to try to unravel the mystery. Aided by his faithful butler Bunter, and in collaboration with Chief Inspector Parker, Lord Peter must work his way through a string of coincidences, and a miriad of clues, to finally uncover the goings on. Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club Lord Peter is called upon to investigate the death of an aged member of the Bellona Club, General Fentiman. Although he apparently died piecefully whilst sitting in front of the fire at the club, suspicion is aroused as the General's death was vital to the distribution ot a huge inheritance. It soon becomes evident that the General was murdered, and the list of suspects is nearly as huge as the inheritance! Strong Poison When Mystery writer Harriet Vane is accused of the murder of her lover, the evidence seems pretty damning. Not an hour after leaving her flat, Philip Boyes is found dead in the back of a taxi cab - from arsenic poisoning An open and shut case, it appears; watching from the gallery, Freddy Arbuthnot thinks the jury will be back in no time. His friend, Lord Peter Wimsey disagrees - and when, five hours later, no verdict has been return, it looks as though Lord Peter may be right. But if Harriet didn't kill Boyes, who did? Having come to the end of releasing the hugely popular Lord Peter Wimsey series starring Ian Carmichael on DVD, Acorn Media have followed them up with Strong Poison starring Edward Petherbridge as the aristocratic detective. Mystery writer Harriet Vane is on trial for the murder of her lover. The evidence seems conclusive. Not an hour after leaving her flat, Philip Boyles was found dead in the back of a taxi cab - from arsenic poisoning. Wimsey attends the trial and becomes beguiled but eh writer, He also becomes convinced of her innocence of the crime. When the jury is unable to reach a verdict, Lord Peter sets out to find out what really happened. The DVD contains a whole host of extra features including an exclusive interview with Edward Petherbridge, his biography, and Dorothy L Sayers materials including a biography and book list, and the whole lot is produced under the normal high standards that we have come to expect from Acorn. Murder Must AdvertiseThe Nine TailorsA young copyrighter at Pym's Publicity Ltd falls down the staircase and is fatally injured, but before his fall, he had notified his boss that something more dire than just bad copy had infiltrated the ad agency. The owner hires Death Bredon, a detective - Whimsey in disguise - who poses as an adman filling the shoes of the late man. Snappy headlines, banter with the typists and much socialising with the highborn lowlifes fill Wimsey's day and all the while he is peiceing together a web of nefarious criminals that has ensnared both the wicked and the weak. This story is held in BBC Archives and was broadcast on Radio 4 at 8.30pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes. This serial has been released on the BBC Radio Collection and the television version has also been released by Acorn Media priced £16.99.
The winters in Fenchurch St Paul, an East Anglian village, can be harsh, and two of the local bell ringers go down with flu, throwing a spanner in the works for the vicars holiday season. If this was not enough, when Sir Henry Thorpe dies, the gravediggers opent he family grave only to find another body, one that has not had a proper send off. Help is at hand when Lord Peter and his manservant Bunter are stranded in the village and are drawn into the intriguing incidents. Who was the corpse? Who murdered him? Why? Perhaps the answer lies with the Fenchurch bell….First broadcast in 1974, the TV adaptation is now available from Acorn Media as a double video priced £16.99. Released totally unedited, this, as with all the others, is a joy to watch and is long overdue. Acorn Can be contacted by phone on 020 7801 9668, or by post at Acorn Media UK Ltd., 10 Smith's Yard, Summerly Street, London. SW18 4HR. Have His Carcase
Two years after the trial for murder of her lovel. the blaze of publicity surrounding mystery writer Harriet Vanehas begun to die away and Harriet decides it is time for a break. But the peace of a North Devon walking tour is rudely shattered when she discovers the body of a man on the beach, with his throat slit for ear to ear. The moment the story appears in the papers, Harriet's old friend Lord Peter is on the scene to lend his powers of detection. together they discover that the young man was a Russian engineer, earning his living as a dancer at the local hotel. he had become engaged to a wealthy widow, whose son was wholly disapproving. And he had recently withdrawn all his savings from the bank and turned them into gold. However, that proves to be onlu the start of the mystery. There are plenty of motives and several suspects, but why are they so hard to fit in with the timing of the murder? And most importantly, why has the body disappeared? Television | Radio | Books Have His Carcass was released at the beginning of May by BBC Radio Collection. As ever, Ian Carmichael stars as Lord Peter, with Maria Aitken as Harriet in this adaptation of the novel. For more details go to the detailed series log below. Unfortunately, I do not been able to find out what exactly exists of the televison shows, but there is a short log at the end of the page with the details I have been able to dig up. In addition to this, CLOUDS OF WITNESS has just been released on double video at the bargain price of £16.99. I had never seen the series before this, and was pleasantly surprised with the adaptations. Ian Carmichael plays a wonderful Wimsey on screen (as he does on radio) and apart from some limitations of the era - dodgy CSO and limited budgets (look out for the shots of Paris, York etc, these are obviously postcards!!!!) - the acting is brilliant and the shows themselves VERY watchable. To add to this, Acorn Media have retained the original episodic form of the serial, so all the 'cliffhangers' are in place, and it gives you a perfect stopping point if you don't want to watch nearly four hours all in one go. I can confirm that Acorn Media have aquired the rights to the second serial, The Unpleasantness At the Bellona Club, and that this is scheduled for release later in the year. If the release of this is successful, like Clouds of Witness has been, then there is not only a chance that all will hit the shops, but that other material lurking in the BBC archives agthering dust may see the light of day through Acorn. The Clouds of Witness video is avialable now in the shops, or you can call their Video Sales Hotline on 020 7801 9668. Please mention the British Drama Website if you call up. Well, I have gone on long enough, here follows the details for the radio series, with recording and transmission (TX) dates of the shows. If you have more einformation about the series then please do not hesitate to contact me
Not held in BBC Archives. Broadcast on Radio 4 at 7pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes.
| Episode Title | Rec. Date | TX Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Body In The Bath | 31.12.73 | |
| Disppearance of a Financier | 6.1.74 | |
| Lunch at Lady Swaffham's | 13.1.74 | |
| Shellshock | 20.1.74 | |
| Bunter Brings a Letter | 27.1.74 |
Held in BBC Archives. Broadcast on Radio 4 at 7pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes.
Episode Title Rec. Date TX Date The Riddlesdale Inquest 8.1.74 3.2.74 Mudstains and Bloodstains 8.1.74 10.2.74 The Diamond Cat 15.1.74 17.2.74 Mary Quite Contrary 15.1.74 24.2.74 The Morning After 21.1.74 3.3.74 In A Fog 21.1.74 10.3.74 The Barometer Falls 28.1.74 17.3.74 The Speech for the Defence 28.1.74 24.3.74 UNNATURAL DEATH
Held in BBC Archives. Broadcast on Radio 4 at 7.30pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes.
Episode Title Rec. Date TX Date No Sign of Foul Play 9.9.74 5.5.75 Death in Epping Forest 9.9.74 12.5.75 The Will 13.9.74 19.5.75 Hallelujah 13.9.74 26.5.75 The Property Act 16.9.74 2.6.75 Vera Findlater 16.9.74 9.6.75 Miss Climpson Investigates 19.9.74 16.6.75 UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB
Held in BBC Archives. Broadcast on Radio 4 at 7.30pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes. This has been issued on the BBC Radio Collection.
Episode Title Rec. Date TX Date Armistice Night 23.1.75 23.6.75 The General's Last Evening 23.1.75 30.6.75 Mr Oliver 24.1.75 7.7.75 Exhumation 24.1.75 14.7.75 At Lady Dormer's 25.1.75 21.7.75 Ann Dorland 25.1.75 28.7.75 This is held in the BBC Archives, and has recently been re-issued on the Radio Collection. Originally broadcast on Radio 4 at 7.30pm, with each episode nominally lasting for 30 minutes. STRONG POISON
| Episode Title | Rec. Date | TX Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Old Bailey | 15.3.76 | 17.5.76 |
| Ten Minutes in Bloomsbury | 15.3.76 | 24.5.76 |
| Norman Urquhart | 16.3.76 | 31.5.76 |
| Miss Murchison | 16.3.76 | 7.6.76 |
| Pongo | 17.3.76 | 14.6.76 |
| Turkish Delight | 17.3.76 | 21.6.76 |
Held in BBC Archives. Broadcast on Radio 4 at 8.00pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes. This serial has been released on the BBC Radio Collection.
| Episode Title | Rec. Date | TX Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Body In The Burn | 17.10.77 | 4.1.78 |
| Disappearances | 17.10.77 | 11.1.78 |
| Bicycles | 19.10.77 | 18.1.78 |
| Bunter Investigates | 19.10.77 | 25.1.78 |
| Alibis | 20.10.77 | 1.2.78 |
| Evidence of a Commercial Traveller | 20.10.77 | 8.2.78 |
| Council of War | 21.10.77 | 15.2.78 |
| Reconstruction | 21.10.77 | 22.2.78 |
| Episode Title | Rec. Date | TX Date |
|---|---|---|
| Death Comes To Pym's Publicity | 29.11.78 | 1.1.79 |
| Sigular Spotlessness of a Lethal Weapon | 29.11.78 | 8.1.79 |
| Unsentimental Masquerade of a Harlequin | 30.11.78 | 15.1.79 |
| Inexcusable Invitation of a Ducal Entertainment | 30.11.78 | 22.1.79 |
| Sudden Decease of a Man in Dress Clothes | 1.12.78 | 29.1.79 |
| Appropriate Exit of an Unskilled Murderer | 1.12.78 | 5.2.79 |
Held in BBC Archives. Broadcast on Radio 4 at 12.30pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes. This serial has recently been reissued on the BBC Radio Collection.
| Episode Title | Rec. Date | TX Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Bells are Rung Up | 15.9.80 | 20.10.80 |
| Lord Peter Is Called In | 16.9.80 | 27.10.80 |
| Bunter Breaks the Law | 17.9.80 | 3.11.80 |
| The Hunt Moves To France | 18.9.80 | 10.11.80 |
| A Question of Identity | 22.9.80 | 17.11.80 |
| A Damnable Business | 23.9.80 | 24.11.80 |
| All Is Not Explained | 24.9.80 | 1.12.80 |
| Nine Tailors Make a Man | 25.9.80 | 8.12.80 |
This serial is held in BBC Archives. Broadcast on Radio 4 at 12.30pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes. It has been issed on double cassette, ISBN 0563 558 563.
| Episode Title | Rec. Date | TX Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Evidence of the Corpse | 10.9.81 | 20.10.81 |
| Lord Peter Sets a Trap | 11.9.81 | 27.10.81 |
| A Dutiful Son | 14.9.81 | 3.11.81 |
| The Snake in the Grass | 18.9.81 | 10.11.81 |
| Too Perfect an Alibi | 17.9.81 | 17.11.81 |
| All a Question of Time | 21.10.81 | 24.11.81 |
Held in BBC Archives. Broadcast on Radio 4 at 12.30pm, each episode nominally 30 minutes. This serial has been released on the BBC Radio Collection.
| Episode Title | Rec. Date | TX Date |
|---|---|---|
| The Mysteries of Married Life | 9.12.82 | 3.1.83 |
| Credit Where Credit Is Due | 10.12.82 | 10.1.83 |
| A Policeman's Lot | 11.12.82 | 17.1.83 |
| Not Why, But How | 12.12.82 | 24.1.83 |
| Crossed In Love | 13.12.82 | 31.1.83 |
| A Chain of Circumstances | 14.12.82 | 7.2.83 |
If the radio series wasn't enough, the BBC also made a TV series using Carmichael as Lord Peter in the early to mid seventies. The original period settings and flavour were retained form the original stories, although adaptation was made to suit the television. The first of the serials was Clouds of Witness. This ran for 5, 45 minute, episodes under the directorship of Hugh David, with Anthony Stevens adapting Sayer's story, and was broadcast on BBC 1 between 5.4 and 3.5.72 The next story was The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club, again adapted by Anthony Stevens, but directed by Ronald Wilson. Broadcast from 1-22.2.73 on BBC1, this consisted of 4, 45 minute, episodes. Murder Must Advertise was broadcast from 30.11 to the 21.12.73, with the adaptation by Bill Craig, This serial was slightly longer, constisting of 4, 50 minute, episodes, with direction by Rodney Bennett. The Nine Tailors was next followed by Five Red Herrings. The first was broadcast between 22.4 and 13.5.74 and was 4, 50 minute episodes, adapted by Anthony Steven and directed by Raymond Menmuir, and the second was broadcast 23.7 - 13.8.75, and again 4, 50 minute, episodes, but this time directed by Robert Tronson. All the serials were produced by Richard Beynon, with exception of the last story where Bill Sellars produced for BBC Scotland. Of course, there have been other adaptations over the years, but Ian Carmichael seems to have made the role his and for that reason I am only going to limited myself to this information for the time being. Ian Carmichael seriesEdward Petherbridge series
Clouds of Witness DVD | Video
Five Red Herrings DVD | Video
The Nine Tailors DVD | Video
Murder Must Advertise DVD | Video
The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club DVD | Video
Gaudy Night DVD | Video
Have His Carcase DVD | Video
Strong Poison DVD | Video
