A BBC Radio 4 comedy

Tomorrow, Today!: The Complete Series 1 and 2

1961. Radio producer Hugo is proud of his new science fiction show. Admittedly, the dialogue is somewhat creaky, the two lead actors despise each other, and the sound effects were knocked up in the engineer's kitchen - but it has rocket-ships, hover-cars, robots and Martians. It's the world of the future, where anything can happen: and often does... 
 
There's just one problem: nobody's listening. The future's about to be a thing of the past - until government intervention saves the series from cancellation. With the Russians forging ahead with space travel, BBC bigwigs are persuaded that Tomorrow, Today! could serve as a useful anti-Soviet propaganda tool. 
 
Rescued from the scrapheap, the show is free to head fearlessly for the stars - including a renowned Shakespearean thespian cast in the role of an android. But reviews are poor, the Home Office won't stop interfering, and as 1962 dawns, things are looking dark. Two suspicious deaths lead to rumours of a curse, Hugo is tempted away to TV, and with Harold Macmillan set to guest star, the programme is infiltrated by a spy. As the Cuban missile crisis escalates and the Cold War hots up, the whole show relocates to Wales - but will that prove any safer? 
 
Written by award-winning dramatist Christopher William Hill (On the Rocks), this amusing, affectionate sci-fi spoof stars Joseph Kloska, Peter Bowles, Cheryl Campbell and John Fortune. 
 
 
Produced by Liz Webb 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-27 October 2006 (Series 1), 28 January-3 March 2008 (Series 2) 
 
Cast 
Nigel Lavery - Peter Bowles 
Sylvia Hann - Cheryl Campbell 
Godfrey Winnard- John Fortune 
Sir Angus McNairn - Gary Waldhorn 
Huqo Kellerman - Joseph Kloska 
Douglas Bennings/Harold Macmillan - Jon Glover 
Colin Franks - Paul Richard Biggin 
Miss Pickford/Waitress/Advert voice/Producer - Miranda Keeling 
Sir Monty - Leslie Phillips 
Rex the pianist - Marc Willcox 
Keith Wood - Sam Pamphilon 
Mrs Tinkler/Cynthia Valentine - Rachel Atkins 
Graham Tinkler - Lloyd Thomas 
Delivery boy/Director - Alex Lanipekun 
Georgina Barrett - Carolyn Pickles 
Burton/Porter - Peter Marinker 
Fenella Sayers - Ania Gordon 
Angela/Miss Thurwell - Anna Bengo 
Continuity/Roger Aspinall - Simon Treves 
Veronica Walters - Johannah Tincey 
Henderson/Mr Thomas - Ben Crowe 
Secretary/Tannoy - Laura Molyneux

1961. Radio producer Hugo is proud of his new science fiction show. Admittedly, the dialogue is somewhat creaky, the two lead actors despise each other, and the sound effects were knocked up in the engineer's kitchen - but it has rocket-ships, hover-cars, robots and Martians. It's the world of the future, where anything can happen: and often does... 
 
There's just one problem: nobody's listening. The future's about to be a thing of the past - until government intervention saves the series from cancellation. With the Russians forging ahead with space travel, BBC bigwigs are persuaded that Tomorrow, Today! could serve as a useful anti-Soviet propaganda tool. 
 
Rescued from the scrapheap, the show is free to head fearlessly for the stars - including a renowned Shakespearean thespian cast in the role of an android. But reviews are poor, the Home Office won't stop interfering, and as 1962 dawns, things are looking dark. Two suspicious deaths lead to rumours of a curse, Hugo is tempted away to TV, and with Harold Macmillan set to guest star, the programme is infiltrated by a spy. As the Cuban missile crisis escalates and the Cold War hots up, the whole show relocates to Wales - but will that prove any safer? 
 
Written by award-winning dramatist Christopher William Hill (On the Rocks), this amusing, affectionate sci-fi spoof stars Joseph Kloska, Peter Bowles, Cheryl Campbell and John Fortune. 
 
 
Produced by Liz Webb 
 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 6-27 October 2006 (Series 1), 28 January-3 March 2008 (Series 2) 
 
Cast 
Nigel Lavery - Peter Bowles 
Sylvia Hann - Cheryl Campbell 
Godfrey Winnard- John Fortune 
Sir Angus McNairn - Gary Waldhorn 
Huqo Kellerman - Joseph Kloska 
Douglas Bennings/Harold Macmillan - Jon Glover 
Colin Franks - Paul Richard Biggin 
Miss Pickford/Waitress/Advert voice/Producer - Miranda Keeling 
Sir Monty - Leslie Phillips 
Rex the pianist - Marc Willcox 
Keith Wood - Sam Pamphilon 
Mrs Tinkler/Cynthia Valentine - Rachel Atkins 
Graham Tinkler - Lloyd Thomas 
Delivery boy/Director - Alex Lanipekun 
Georgina Barrett - Carolyn Pickles 
Burton/Porter - Peter Marinker 
Fenella Sayers - Ania Gordon 
Angela/Miss Thurwell - Anna Bengo 
Continuity/Roger Aspinall - Simon Treves 
Veronica Walters - Johannah Tincey 
Henderson/Mr Thomas - Ben Crowe 
Secretary/Tannoy - Laura Molyneux

A BBC Radio 4 comedy drama

On the Rocks: The Complete Series 1 and 2

All eight episodes of the comedy drama series set on a remote Scilly isle just before the Second World War

A radio play by Christopher William Hill is something to look forward to with pleasure'

'A radio play by Christopher William Hill is something to look forward to with pleasure' - Radio Times 
 
It's the late 1930s, and even on the remote island of St Martin's in the Isles of Scilly war seems inevitable. But the islanders have their own battles to contend with, stuck on a rock flung 27 miles out into the Atlantic with only their natural grit and gallows humour to see them through. 
 
When a stranger in a suit arrives on the island, the locals decide he must be the undertaker come to deal with the body of the late postmaster. Then they discover he is not an undertaker after all - so they naturally conclude that he's a spy. But the truth is worse than that - his name is Frank Gunwallow and he's been sent over from Penzance to modernise the Post Office, around which their world revolves. 
 
The islanders are determined to resist this unwelcome change, and deeply suspicious of the young man from the mainland. Frank realises he's got a fight on his hands - and it'll take more than a shiny new telegraph machine to win them over... 
 
Created by award-winning novelist and scriptwriter Christopher William Hill, this gentle comedy stars Joseph Kloska as Frank, with Christine Absalom, Peter Marinker and Alex Tregear. 
 
 
Produced and directed by Mary Peate 
Sound by Jenni Burnett, Anne Bunting, Graham Harper and Caleb Knightley 
Production Co-ordinator: Jessica Brown 
First broadcast BBC Radio 4: 29 November-20 December 2013 (Series 1), 11 May-1 June 2015 (Series 2) 
 
Cast 
Frank Gunwallow - Joseph Kloska 
Mary - Bec Applebee 
Grace - Christine Absalom 
Tommy - Stuart Fox 
Ben - Alex Palmer 
Len - Ed Gaughan 
Reverend Tregarthan - Peter Marinker 
Morwenna-May - Alex Tregear 
Pender - Christopher William Hill 
Anthony - David Seddon 
Signor Di Bicci - Sam Dale

Christopher William Hill

Michael Brandon

Samantha Bond

Pippa Haywood

Malcolm Tierney

Janice Acquah

Inam Mirza

Stephen Critchlow

Donnla Hughes

Jonathan Tafler

Gunnar Cauthery

Manjeet Mann

Joannah Tincey

Full Cast

BBC Radio 4 Comedy set in the cutthroat world of advertising

Comedy capers set in the cutthroat world of advertising 
 
Disgraced in the US, maverick ad man, Eliott Thurber is forced to transfer to the newly opened London offices of Parabola Media. The clash of cultures has hilarious consequences as he tries to cope with promoting a range of peculiar products, challenging clients and not to mention his disgruntled new colleagues. His first assignment is a gourmet cat food for an intensely conservative company but Eliott has his eyes on a bigger prize, American investment in the NHS. After all, "where there's pain, there's gain..." Can the media mastermind win over a whole new market? Or will his eccentric ways see him fall even further from favour? 
 
Laugh out loud over six episodes of this fast paced comedy drama set in the shallow, dog-eat-dog world of advertising. The series features the brilliant Pippa Haywood, star of Green Wing and Prisoner's Wives and Samantha Bond, best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond movies and her role in the BAFTA nominated Outnumbered series. Michael Brandon, from the classic TV show Dempsey and Makepeace as well as Jerry Springer the Opera, plays Eliott Thurber. Says on the Tin is written by Christopher William Hill and is an absolute treat for any listeners who have enjoyed Trevor's World of Sport, Chambers and Legal, Decent, Honest and Truthful. 
 
 
Cast and credits 
Written by Christopher William Hill 
Produced by Liz Webb 
 
Eliott Thurber - Michael Brandon 
Esther Finn - Samantha Bond 
Hannah Walker - Pippa Haywood 
Zadie - Joannah Tincey 
Ted Bruckner - Malcolm Tierney 
Toothrot - Chris Pavlo 
Customs Officer/Moses/Rutter - Stephen Critchlow 
Woman/Film Director - Janice Acquah 
Child - Manjeet Mann 
Stewardess/Angelique - Donnla Hughes 
Mrs Braden - Rachel Atkins 
Interpreter - Gunnar Cauthery 
Plaque/Baz - Inam Mirza 
Sal - John Guerrasio 
Hospital Exec - Dan Starkey 
Max - Robert Lonsdale 
 
Other parts played by Dan Starkey, Jonathan Tafler, Janice Acquah, Gunnar Catuhery and Jill Cardo 
 
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 29 December 2008 
 
©2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2023 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

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