August
2006

Available from 7 August 2006

Lewis Carroll
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
A BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation, starring Roy Hudd as the Mad Hatter, Sarah-Jane Holm as Alice and David Bamber as the splendid White Rabbit. When Alice sees the White Rabbit run by, she is burning with curiosity. Jumping up, she follows him into a rabbit hole. Then she falls down a long, long way. Down into the world of the Mad Hatter and March Hare, the Duchess, the Cheshire Cat and the Mock Turtle. Down into Wonderland, where an ordinary little girl can have the most extraordinary adventure.
2 CDs, 1hr 55mins, ISBN 1846 07116x £9.99

Noel Streatfeild
Ballet Shoes
Rosemary Leach stars in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Noel Streatfeild's children's classic. Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil are not really sisters – even their surname is invented since Great Uncle Matthew (GUM) adopted each of them on his various fossil-hunting trips. When the trio decide to 'put our name in the history books because it's our very own', each Fossil uses her individual talents to achieve their joint aim in this captivating story, now a modern children's classic.
2 CDs, 2hrs 20mins, ISBN 1846 071135 £9.99

Chris Addison's Civilization
Based on his Perrier-nominated Edinburgh hit show of 2004, Chris Addison's Civilization is a comedy lecture series for Radio 4. It neatly follows on from Chris's first Radio 4 series, The Ape That Got Lucky. Western Civilization, like many very old things, is pretty much on its last legs. And if Western Civilization as we know it is dying sooner rather than later, we're going to have to build ourselves a newer, shinier and better one. And how are we going to do that, then? Eh?
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 1846 070988 £12.99

Doctor Who
The Ark
William Hartnell's Doctor faces the Monoids in this original television soundtrack adventure, with linking narration by Peter Purves. The TARDIS materialises in a tropical forest, and the Doctor, Steven and Dodo are surprised to find that it’s situated inside a vast spaceship. This is the distant future, and the last survivors from Earth are on a 700-year voyage to the planet Refusis II. Accompanying them are their mute, one-eyed servants: the Monoids.

When Dodo unwittingly spreads her cold amongst the Monoids it proves deadly to them, and the travellers are accused of sabotage. Then the TARDIS jumps forward in time to the Ark's future, where the Doctor and his friends make a horrifying discovery. The balance of power has shifted, and humanity is now enslaved by the vengeful Monoid race, who plan to make Refusis II their own. Also included is a bonus interview with Peter Purves who provides the linking narration, recalling the making of the original 1966 television serial.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 1846 070457 £13.99

Hancock's Half Hour
The 'Lost' Episodes
Long absent from the BBC archives, these two classic radio episodes were recently rediscovered. Now digitally remastered, they are presented here for the very first time. In 'The Blackboard Jungle' Hancock plays a young English master attempting to tame a class of unruly pupils. Can he win their respect? Or will an attractive female teacher distract him? In 'The New Secretary', Hancock decides his life is in a mess, so Sid suggests he get a secretary to organise him: ideally a blonde, Anita Ekberg lookalike. They are both very surprised by who turns up.

As ever, the master of misery is supported by a star cast including Sid James, Bill Kerr, Kenneth Williams and Hattie Jacques. Also included is an exclusive bonus disc containing two programmes from the BBC archive: In Conversation With... Galton and Simpson from 2001, in which the writers talk about their creation, and Six Characters in Search of an Answer: Tony Hancock from 2003, which explores the character of Hancock in detail.
2 CDs, 1hr 55mins, ISBN 1846 071615 £12.99

Help: Series One
Chris Langham (People Like Us, Thick of It) plays psychotherapist Peter who welcomes into his practice a whole array of clients. There's Monty, the London cabbie from Jewish Kingsbury; Johnny, the Italian wife-beater; and Gary, the cockney. Peter listens to them without prejudice but is amazed or appalled by much of what he hears, to the point where occasionally his mask slips.
2 CDs, 1hr 55mins, ISBN 1846 071593 £9.99

John Betjeman: A First Class Collection
This collection, timed to celebrate the centenary of Betjeman's birth, contains exclusive recordings and archive extracts from the unique legacy of Sir John Betjeman's relationship with the BBC. Betjeman was a poet, broadcaster, journalist, prose writer and critic, and one of the best-loved figures of the twentieth century. This collection features the poet's own readings of some of his most popular works, readings specially commissioned for BBC Radio 4's Poetry Please, and new exclusive readings from actors Derek Jacobi, Miriam Margolyes, Stephen Fry, Susan Jameson and Samuel West.
2 CDs, 2hrs 30mins, ISBN 1846 070678 £12.99

Dodie Smith
The One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Patricia Hodge starts as Cruella de Vil in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Dodie Smith's canine classic. Pongo lives happily with Mr and Mrs Dearly in a large house in Regent's Park. When his wife, Missis, produces a litter of fifteen beautiful pups, life seems wonderfully complete. But the mysterious disappearance of the puppies suddenly throws everything into turmoil. Pongo realises that he and Missis are the only hope for their youngsters' survival. And so the fearless pair set out on a bleak winter's journey into great dangers, helped along the way by the gallant Colonel, a sheepdog of the Old School. Also stars Nicky Henson as Pongo and Brenda Blethyn as Missis with narration by Dorothy Tutin.
2 CDs, 1hr 45mins, ISBN 1846 071119 £9.99

J.M. Barrie
Peter Pan
When Peter Pan flies into the night nursery of Wendy, John and Michael Darling, he takes them on the journey - and the adventure - of a lifetime. Mermaids, wolves and Indians weave their spell in the magical Never Never Land - where also lurks the wicked Captain Hook. Toyah Willcox stars as Peter Pan with Ron Moody as Captain Hook, Roy Hudd as Smee and June Whitfield as Mrs Darling in this spectacular BBC Radio 4 dramatisation, recorded in Dolby Surround Sound with stunning sound effects and specially composed music.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 1846 071143 £9.99

E. Nesbit
The Railway Children
The story of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis and their life in the country has never been out of print since it was first published in 1906. Charming, sentimental and unforgettable, the novel’s enduring appeal lives on in this BBC radio full-cast dramatisation starring Timothy Bateson as the Old Gentleman.
2 CDs, 1hr 45mins, ISBN 1846 071151 £9.99

Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Secret Garden
The magical friendship between a young girl, her lonely, bed-ridden cousin and a country boy who can talk to the birds is played out with all the freshness and warmth of the original novel in this full-cast dramatisation starring Beryl Reid, Robin Bailey and Harriet Walter. When spoilt young orphan Mary Lennox is brought back from India to live in her uncle's house on the Yorkshire Moors, she finds the blunt ways of the staff at Misselthwaite Manor an unpleasant shock. Bored and miserable, it seems life in England will be awful. But Misselthwaite has hidden delights and once Mary discovers them, nothing is the same.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 1846 071100 £9.99

Terry Wogan: Is it Me?
Terry Wogan tells the story of his remarkable life in this reading from his autobiography Is it Me? From his beginnings as a young Limerick boy to his incredible success with shows such as Wogan and The Eurovision Song Contest, Wogan's charming chatty style has made him one of best-loved radio and television celebrities.
3 CDs, 2hrs 55mins, ISBN 1846 070554 £15.99

Philippa Pearce
Tom's Midnight Garden
When his brother catches measles, Tom Long is sent away to his Aunt Gwen and Uncle Alan's house. It all seems very grim and lonely until one night Tom hears the clock downstairs strike thirteen. And when he ventures downstairs to investigate, he finds, looking out the back door, not the poky yard filled with rubbish bins but a lustrous garden with tall trees, flowerbeds and a young girl who becomes his friend. Una Stubbs and Crawford Logan star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 1846 071097 £9.99

Robert Louis Stevenson
Treasure Island
Having outwitted a band of pirates to obtain a map disclosing the whereabouts of Captain Flint's treasure, Young Jim sets sail for Treasure Island. But the crew of the Hispaniola are not what they seem. Instead they turn out to be another gang of cut throats, led by the villainous Long John Silver, hell-bent on seizing both the ship and the treasure. The struggle of Young Jim and his friends as they do battle on the high seas is thrillingly played out in this BBC Radio full-cast dramatisation starring Jack Shepherd, Iain Cuthbertson, Buster Merryfield and James McPherson as young Jim Hawkins.
2 CDs, 1hr 55mins, ISBN 1846 071089 £9.99

Kenneth Grahame
The Wind in the Willows
Many of the original cast from Alan Bennett’s acclaimed National Theatre production in 1990 appear in this special dramatisation for BBC Radio 4 including Richard Briers as Rat, Adrian Scarborough as Mole and Terence Rigby as Albert with Alan Bennett as the narrator. A wonderful, highly-acclaimed dramatic performance complimented with enchanting music that was specially composed for the original stage production.
2 CDs, 2hrs, ISBN 1846 071171 £9.99

L. Frank Baum
The Wizard of Oz
Dorothy and her little dog Toto befriend the Tinman, the Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion as they travel down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. Maureen Lipman cackles splendidly as the Wicked Witch of the West in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of L. Frank Baum’s famous and much-loved tale.
2 CDs, 2hrs 5mins, ISBN 1846 071126 £9.99