#139 Anne of Green Gables (Focus on the Family)

Focus on the Family brings you Anne of Green Gables. Aging siblings Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert have decided to adopt an orphaned boy to help them work on their Prince Edward Island farm. However, the boy they are expecting to meet at the train station turns out, to their astonishment, to be a young redheaded girl. The Cuthbert's can't imagine how a young girl could be of any use on the farm and so Marilla decides the Anne must return to the orphanage. However, after a few days, pity and curiosity for Anne get the better of her and she decides to let her stay. Before long the Cuthbert's adopt Anne and with feisty determination this lively and spirited young girl sets out to win over new friends and the world as she grows up. And so begins the heartwarming and hilarious adventures of Anne Shirley.

Anne of Green Gables is delightfully produced wholesome entertainment for the entire family. It features fine acting and an original musical score.

Mae Whitman (Independence Day, Hope Floats) as Anne
Christina Pickles (Legends of the Fall) as Marilla.

From Focus on the Family:
This captivating new radio drama production based on the beloved book by Lucy M. Montgomery allows listeners to personally experience the world and characters presented in Anne of Green Gables in a whole new way! Anne of Green Gables is the story of a little girl's feisty spirit and strong determination that win over the hearts of the people of Avonlea, the love and commitment of family, and a poor orphan growing up into a distinguished young woman.

http://www.amazon.com/Anne-Green-Gables-Radio-Theatre/dp/1589975022

#138 Sherlock Holmes Vs Dracula (BBC)

A ship has arrived on the shores of England with a missing crew and a dead captain who had lashed himself to the wheel. The captain's dead face is twisted in terror. No reason can be given as to why he died except that he is totally devoid of blood. Yet there are no signs of violence. There is no blood on the captain or the surrounding area. The only marks on the body are two small puncture wounds on the neck. Baffled by this strange event a local reporter enlists the aid of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to solve the mystery. Soon the great detective discerns that Count Dracula has made his way to England. So too has Professor Abraham Van Helsing who has followed the Count from his homeland in his ardently quest to destroy the vampire. But it's Holmes and Watson that are hot on the trail of the dark plague of the night. And before long their dogged pursuit forces a desperate Dracula to turn his attention to Holmes and Watson. It's up to Sherlock Holmes to stop Dracula. But will the fiendish Transylvanian terror prove to be too formidable for the great detective and his faithful friend and companion?  

John Moffatt who most will recognize as the voice of Hercule Poirot in the long running BBC's radio drama mystery series stars as Sherlock Holmes in this adaption. Moffatt does a excellent job a Holmes. This is a finely written story that proves to be most entertaining. Not too dark or sinister. Yet a nice touch of goose bump raising fright and mystery. So turn down the lights..... if you dare!

This production doesn't appear to be available for purchase from the BBC. It has been rebroadcast on a number of occasions in recent years.

First broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on December 19th, 1981.  

Rebroadcast Sunday November 7, 2007 BBC Radio 7;  Thursday November 4, 2010 BBC Radio 4; Sunday October 30, 2011 BBC Radio 4


From the BBC: 

The year is 1890. A ship is discovered adrift off the English coast, its crew missing, its murdered captain lashed to the wheel, and its only passenger is a sinister black dog. This impenetrable mystery is clearly a case for the inimitable Sherlock Holmes, but for the first time in his illustrious career the great detective is baffled. Clearly the crew have been murdered and dumped overboard, but what can account for the captain's expression of imponderable terror and his acute loss of blood, or the ship's strange cargo - fifty boxes of earth?
The game is afoot, and Sherlock Holmes, aided as ever by the faithful Dr. Watson, finds himself on the trail of no mortal enemy, but the arch-vampire himself - Count Dracula...

Sherlock Holmes...........John Moffatt

Doctor John Watson......Timothy West

Count Dracula..............David March

Professor Van Helsing.....Aubrey Woods

Thomas Parker..........Michael Maloney

Mr. Caffyn................Noel Howlett

Mary Watson........Theresa Streatfeild

Vampire.................Frances Jeater

Inspector Lestrade...Nicholas Courtney

Mrs. Barton.............Katherine Parr

Red Bridger................John Hollis

Adapted for radio and directed by Glyn Dearman. 

The Mark of Zorro Sequel

According to the Zorro Productions Inc website and the Zorro Swashbuckling News and Updates blog a sequel to The Mark of Zorro is forthcoming. Award winning Australian dramatist Barry Creyton (Australian Broadcasting Corporation and BBC) will man the helm for the follow up production replacing the late Yuri Rasovsky. Interestingly Creyton has a reputation for creating cinematic audio drama so the expectation will be for high octane sound effects and music. Val Kilmer and Ruth Livier will return to reprise their roles as Zorro and Lolita Pulido. No word on what other noted Hollywood names might be cast in the follow up to the Grammy and double Audie nominated drama.

The Mark of Zorro
http://radiodramaspotlight.blogspot.com/2011/07/4-mark-of-zorro.html

#137 The ABC Murders (Hercule Poirot)

It's a murderous game of catch me if you can! A killer has challenged the genius of Poirot's "little grey cells" sending him a letter saying a person whose name begins with the letter "A" will be murdered on a certain date in a certain city and it's up to him to stop it from happening. If he refuses the case or can't solve the crime in time another murder will be soon to follow. This time a person will die whose name begins with the letter "B". For each failure to stop the killer he vows to strike again randomly selecting a victim who name begins with the next letter in the alphabet. To chastise Poirot and show him he's not so clever the killer sends him a taunting letter with a clue to the identity of the next victim. John Moffatt provides the voice of Hercule Poirot in another great murder mystery from the mind of Agatha Christie produced by the BBC.

From the BBC:
A BBC Radio full-cast dramatization starring John Moffatt as the great Belgian detective. Alice Ascher is murdered at Andover. Betty Barnard is strangled at Bexhill-on-Sea. Each time, an ABC railway guide is found by the dead bodies and, each time, Poirot is warned in advance by a letter from someone signed "ABC." But who is ABC? And can Poirot find out in time to prevent the death of C?

http://www.amazon.com/The-ABC-Murders-Full-Cast-Radio/dp/0563510501

#136 Son of a Wanted Man (Louis L'Amour)

Louis L'Amour brings you almost 3 hours of western adventure in Son of a Wanted Man. Based loosely on the full length Louis L'Amour novel this story tells the tale of Miguel "Mike" Santos. Orphaned at a young age by outlaws who killed his father in a robbery he is taken to live with the gang and raised by their leader Ben Curry. He's grown up learning the ways of living on the wrong side of the law. He knows how to cheat at cards, rustle cattle, work over a brand, crack a safe, plan a hold up, rob a bank, a stage or a train, and make a get away without getting caught. He's good with a gun. Pistol or rifle, makes no difference. He can hunt and track. But Mike has also been educated on the ways of the outside world as well. Now as an adult his adoptive father is about to leave the outfit to him. Will this be the life he chooses to lead or will he choose another path? Will Mike have time to make a decision one way or another before the law pinpoints the hideout and all hell breaks loose? Will he be able to stave off an insurrection by some of Ben's own men?

Son of a Wanted Man is traditional high stakes fun from Louis L'Amour. This production offers a strong story and exceptional acting. Produced in the truest sense of a radio drama this presentation has, with the exception of the opening introduction, no narration. Son of a Wanted Man is a first rate drama any western fan is sure to enjoy.

From Louis L'Amour:

Son of A Wanted Man tells the story of Ben Curry and his adopted son Mike Santos. In a remote corner of California's High Sierra mountains lies the secret outlaw kingdom of Ben Curry. For fifteen years Curry has ruled supreme. But the king is getting old, and he wants to turn his legacy over to someone and get out -someone like Mike. Mike is a young man who can handle a knife, a gun, his fists, and who's been trained in every criminal skill. But so far he's never broken the law. Now, as treachery explodes among Ben's riders, Mike must choose.between his loyalty to Ben or his yearning for a different life.

Listen to the trailer:
http://www.sonofawantedman.com/trailer.htm

Buy or learn more about Son of a Wanted Man:
http://www.louislamour.com/audio/sonofawantedman.htm

#135 The Time Machine (Seeing Ear Theatre)

The Sci-Fi Channel's Seeing Ear Theatre brings you The Time Machine based on the novel by H.G. Wells. The story of a scientist who invents a time machine and travels 90,000 years into the future. A wonderful story adaptation brought to life under the direction of Charles Potter and featuring a excellent cast of actors. The Time Machine offers exciting adventure for listeners of all ages.

The Sci-Fi Channel's Seeing Ear Theatre produced more than 50 full-cast audio dramas based on the stories of some of the best living Sci-fi and fantasy writers of the day along with some great classics tales. They put together a first rate production team including but not limited to audio dramatists Charles Potter, David Rapkin and Sue Zizza. They assembled some of the best Hollywood acting talent. Names such as Brian Dennehy, Alfre Woodard, Timothy Hutton, Tony Danza, Oliver Platt, Krya Sedgewick, Stanley Tucci, Bebe Neuwirth, Tim Curry, Merwin Goldsmith, Bronson Pinchot, Mark Hamill, Marina Sirtis, Walter Koenig, Rene Auberjonois, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael O'Hare, Annabelle Sciorra, Lorna Raver, Simon Jones, and more. The result was some of the best sci-fi and fantasy audio drama ever made. Lovers the genre are sure to enjoy these star studded productions which were created between 1997 - 2001.



The Time Machine - Adapted, produced and directed by Charles Potter
Sound Effects by Arthur Miller
Edit by Molly Thompson
Mix by David Rapkin
Recorded at Back Pocket Studios, New York

The Cast
Joe Morton as the Time Traveler
Timothy Jerome as Herb Wells
Alissa Hunnicutt as Weena
Margaret Albright
Matthew Arkin
John Brady
Jeff David
Ramon de Ocampo
Peter Newman

http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Ear-Theatre-Channel-Presentation/dp/0787118133
http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Theater-Anthology-Sci-Fi-Channel/dp/0787118753/ref=pd_sim_sbs_b_2

#134 Leviathan 99 - Ray Bradbury (CART)

Ray Bradbury one of the most celebrated writers of the 20th-century has died. He leaves behind a legacy of creative storytelling that has taken millions of imaginations to the deepest reaches of adventure. From science fiction to fantasy to horror to mystery Ray Bradbury has inspired generations to dream. Leviathan 99 is just such a story: an imaginative adaptation of Moby Dick that takes listeners deep into outer space along with a strange cast of characters in order to search out the brightest comet in the universe... and destroy it. 

Ray Bradbury fans will certainly enjoy this production by California Artists Radio Theatre. CART brings together an all-star cast that features such names as Sean Astin (The Goonies, The Lord of the Rings), William Shatner (Star Trek, Boston Legal), Norman Lloyd (Alfred Hitchcock Presents), Walter Koenig (Star Trek) and more. Leviathan 99 was directed and produced by famed radio dramatist Peggy Webber and the legendary Norman Corwin. Live sound effects were provided by the great Tony Palermo. And there's even a special introduction by Ray Bradbury himself.


From CART:
A fantastical adaptation of Moby Dick, Ray Bradbury takes audiences past the moon and the stars in search of the greatest and brightest comet in the universe. Join a deranged captain, an eight-foot-tall telepathic spider, and our reluctant hero. You can call him Ishmael.

http://www.cartradio.com/leviathan-99.html


In memory of Ray Bradbury:  August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012