A Full-Cast BBC Radio Comedy Drama

The Queen of Romance: The Complete Series 1-3

Lesley Joseph stars as romantic novelist Angela Temple in these three sparkling series 
 
Angela Temple is a best-selling ‘bonk-buster’ writer beloved by her readers for her raunchy, bodice-ripping historical romances. To her adoring public, she’s demure, chaste and respectable – but in reality, she’s a much-married, chain-smoking, heavy-drinking hedonist who treats her staff like dirt. 
 
Her long-suffering housekeeper, Mrs Partridge, is used to the abuse, but when her agent’s son, Conrad Bone, becomes her new personal assistant, he soon finds that life with Angela isn’t exactly a bowl of cherries. An ex-journalist and aspiring author of serious literary fiction, Conrad considers it deeply unfair that he should have to work for a talentless hack. But despite his deep dislike of her, he saves her bacon on more than one occasion as Angela tangles with an old flame, a rival author, an untrustworthy reporter, her soap star sister and her erstwhile boyfriend, the dashing Dr Lockheart... 
 
Starring alongside Lesley Joseph in Stephen Sheridan’s lively sitcom are Matthew Byam Shaw, Anna Wing, Pat Coombs and Gordon Reid, with guest stars including Honor Blackman, Geoffrey Whitehead, Jean Heywood, James Grout and Sally Grace. 
 
Written by Stephen Sheridan 
Produced and directed by Caroline Leddy and Ann Jobson 
 
Cast 
Angela Temple – Lesley Joseph 
Conrad Bone – Matthew Byam Shaw 
Mrs Partridge – Anna Wing/Pat Coombs 
Donald Bone – Gordon Reid 
 
With Jon Glover, Elizabeth Spriggs, Robert Harley, Melinda Walker, Jonathan Adams, Saira Todd, Ken Bruce, Victoria Plum, Michael Melia, Francesca Ryan, Andrew Rashleigh, Chris Emmett, Frank Windsor, Jonathan Gould, Liz Smith, James Grout, Linda Polan, Philip Anthony, Honor Blackman, Ronald Herdman, Ainslie Foster, Christopher Rowe, Geoffrey Whitehead, Jean Heywood, John Baddeley, Michael Onslow, Rachel Atkins, James Taylor, David Thorpe, Barry J Gordon, Robert Lang, Mary Wimbush, Dominic Letts, Colin Pinney, David Swift, John Evitts, Margaret Courtenay, Jonathan Keeble, Hilda Braid, Joshua Towb, Deborah Berlin, Ian Masters, Peter Yapp, Norman Bird, Sally Grace, Dan Strauss, Andrew Branch and Eva Stuart 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 18 November-23 December 1992 (Series 1), 2 December 1993-13 January 1994 (Series 2), 17 February-23 March 1996 (Series 3) 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Lesley Joseph stars as romantic novelist Angela Temple in these three sparkling series 
 
Angela Temple is a best-selling ‘bonk-buster’ writer beloved by her readers for her raunchy, bodice-ripping historical romances. To her adoring public, she’s demure, chaste and respectable – but in reality, she’s a much-married, chain-smoking, heavy-drinking hedonist who treats her staff like dirt. 
 
Her long-suffering housekeeper, Mrs Partridge, is used to the abuse, but when her agent’s son, Conrad Bone, becomes her new personal assistant, he soon finds that life with Angela isn’t exactly a bowl of cherries. An ex-journalist and aspiring author of serious literary fiction, Conrad considers it deeply unfair that he should have to work for a talentless hack. But despite his deep dislike of her, he saves her bacon on more than one occasion as Angela tangles with an old flame, a rival author, an untrustworthy reporter, her soap star sister and her erstwhile boyfriend, the dashing Dr Lockheart... 
 
Starring alongside Lesley Joseph in Stephen Sheridan’s lively sitcom are Matthew Byam Shaw, Anna Wing, Pat Coombs and Gordon Reid, with guest stars including Honor Blackman, Geoffrey Whitehead, Jean Heywood, James Grout and Sally Grace. 
 
Written by Stephen Sheridan 
Produced and directed by Caroline Leddy and Ann Jobson 
 
Cast 
Angela Temple – Lesley Joseph 
Conrad Bone – Matthew Byam Shaw 
Mrs Partridge – Anna Wing/Pat Coombs 
Donald Bone – Gordon Reid 
 
With Jon Glover, Elizabeth Spriggs, Robert Harley, Melinda Walker, Jonathan Adams, Saira Todd, Ken Bruce, Victoria Plum, Michael Melia, Francesca Ryan, Andrew Rashleigh, Chris Emmett, Frank Windsor, Jonathan Gould, Liz Smith, James Grout, Linda Polan, Philip Anthony, Honor Blackman, Ronald Herdman, Ainslie Foster, Christopher Rowe, Geoffrey Whitehead, Jean Heywood, John Baddeley, Michael Onslow, Rachel Atkins, James Taylor, David Thorpe, Barry J Gordon, Robert Lang, Mary Wimbush, Dominic Letts, Colin Pinney, David Swift, John Evitts, Margaret Courtenay, Jonathan Keeble, Hilda Braid, Joshua Towb, Deborah Berlin, Ian Masters, Peter Yapp, Norman Bird, Sally Grace, Dan Strauss, Andrew Branch and Eva Stuart 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 18 November-23 December 1992 (Series 1), 2 December 1993-13 January 1994 (Series 2), 17 February-23 March 1996 (Series 3) 
 
© 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Stephen Sheridan

James Grout

Margaret Courtenay

Jen Heywood

Christopher Good

Full Cast

Elizabeth Mansfield

Sarah Thomas

A BBC Radio 4 comedy

James Grout stars as a hapless vicar who discovers that life behind suburbia's net curtains is more exciting than he'd expected 
 
After being mugged by a pair of pensioners outside the Darby &amp; Joan Club, the Reverend Timothy Carswell has had enough of his rough, tough inner-city parish. Convinced that someone so meek would be better suited somewhere quieter, the Bishop packs him off to a nice, sedate, residential neighbourhood where nothing ever seems to happen. 
 
However, unbeknownst to the vicar, his apparently respectable new parish is a hotbed of passion, paranormal experimentation and geriatric prostitution. Under the thumb of his dour Scottish housekeeper, Mrs Muir, who keeps him busy writing long, tedious sermons, he fails to notice the many crimes being committed under his very nose - including burglary, arson and even murder. But when his congregation is stolen by the charismatic American preacher, Elijah Hornblower, he finally realises that something is afoot - and he'll have to fight fire with fire if he wants to keep his flock... 
 
Written by acclaimed dramatist Stephen Sheridan, this dry, darkly funny sitcom stars James Grout as Rev Carswell, with Sarah Thomas and Elizabeth Mansfield as Mrs Muir. 
 
Production credits 
Written by Stephen Sheridan 
Produced by Lissa Evans 
 
Cast 
Rev Timothy Carswell - James Grout 
Miss Tilling - Margaret Courtenay 
Miss Tapp/Emily Ford - Jean Heywood 
Dr Warlock/Bishop - Christopher Good 
Mrs Muir - Sarah Thomas/Elizabeth Mansfield 
Mrs Knatchbull - Maxine Audley 
Cudlipp/Mugger/Critchley - Fraser Kerr 
Mugger's accomplice/Miss Shaw - Auriol Smith 
Edwin - Robert Lang 
Jeremy - Christian Robinson 
David - Tobias Best 
Mr Rainbird - David Bannerman 
Constable/Eric - Ian Lindsay 
Mrs Garland - Rosemary Martin 
Arnold - Cyril Shaps 
Captain Van Thal - Donald Pickering 
Hilary - Jacqueline Tong 
Miss Willow - Patricia Hayes 
Keith - Brian Bowles 
Maria - Sarah Souster 
Guy/Jehovah's Witness - Angus Wright 
Simon Garland - Daniel Strauss 
Mr Vaughan - Michael Turner 
Mr Shaw - Ronald Herdman 
Rev Hornblower - Garrick Hagon 
Mr Widlake - Brian Miller 
Mrs Widlake - Bernadine Corrigan 
 
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 26 February-2 April 1991 
 
© 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Stephen Sheridan

Books by Stephen Sheridan

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter