A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of the first book in Philip Pullman's trilogy 'His Dark Materials'. Set in a world which is like, yet very unlike, our own, the story begins in Oxford. Children are disappearing from the streets, and when Lyra's friend Roger also vanishes she sets out to find him. The story mixes science, theology and magic to...

This classic TV comedy sketch show launched the careers of Rowan Atkinson, Griff Rhys Jones, Mel Smith and Pamela Stephenson. Written by some of Britain's finest comedy writers including Richard Curtis, Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, and David Renwick, the show was groundbreakingly irreverent, outrageous, innovative and rude. This compilation of mat...

The Now Show is a topical comedy show recorded in front of a live audience and scripted up to the last minute. It stars Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis in a collection of sketches and routines based around recent news items and issues. Comedians Marcus Brigstock and Midge Benn provide additional support.

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast production of Homer's epic seafaring adventure, dramatised by poet Simon Armitage. In a twenty-year journey, fabulous fantasy mixes with extraordinary reality as Odysseus encounters enchantresses, nymphs, monsters, prophets and ghosts. From the temptations of the lotus flowers and the Sirens' song to the horrors of the Cyclo...

Andy Hamilton's fiendishly funny BBC Radio 4 sitcom set in Hell returns for a two-part festive special. Satan embarks on an epic quest and encounters Queen Victoria, Harpo Marx, a highly intelligent bluebottle, Death, Davina McCall, and St Peter and his rottweilers. The cast includes Andy Hamilton, James Grout, Jimmy Mulville, Claire Skinner and Mi...

The complete Series One of Andy Hamilton's BBC Radio 4 comedy set in Hell. It's not easy being Satan. Thrown out of heaven, he is condemned for eternity to listen to Edith Piaf and Elvis Presley. Still, there are new arrivals to welcome: the Professor (James Grout), whose unerring optimism is a nasty blow and Thomas (Jimmy Mulville), one of the vil...

The complete Series Two of Andy Hamilton's BBC Radio 4 comedy set in Hell. Satan has to deal with a rebellion and with human depravity on the increase, Hell's getting over-crowded. It's time for a new assistant. But will Scumspawn (Robert Duncan) get the job?

A BBC radio full-cast dramatisation of the second book in J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy. Brian Sibley's famous 1981 adaptation, starring Ian Holm and Michael Hordern, has been divided into three corresponding parts, with newly-recorded beginning and end narration by Ian Holm (who plays Frodo in this and Bilbo in the feature films...

The queen of British comedy brings her mix of observations on life, jokes and songs to audio, taken from the award-winning Victoria Wood 'As Seen on TV'. Visit Acorn Antiques, meet Kitty, make a reservation at that Italian restaurant and sing along with Frieda my goodness, it's all jolly amusing.

When a Martian spacecraft lands on Woking Common, mankind is terrorised by aliens in tall, armoured capsules which stalk the countryside on three legs. The machines wreak havoc on London and the Southern Counties, and survivors are driven underground. Scientist John Nicholson (Paul Daneman) tells how he was plunged into a paralysing nightmare of st...

Two full-cast BBC Radio 4 dramatisations of Ngaio Marsh short stories. In 'Opening Night', a leading actor is found gassed in his dressing room. It looks like suicide, until it transpires that he was widely detested. Inspector Alleyn quickly realises that almost everyone in the theatre had a motive for his murder. 'When In Rome' finds Inspector All...

A letter from an old friend she can't remember sparks off another adventure for Sarah Jane, as she and her friends explore the village of Wolfenden. What is the secret of the white wolf carved on the hillside - and what does it have to do with alien abduction?

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 City of Emeralds. 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.

Patrick Troughton stars as the second Doctor in this six-episode classic adventure from 1967, which sees his first ever encounter with the deadly Yeti! Tibet, 1935: English explorer Travers is determined to track down the mythical Abominable Snowmen which are said to roam the Himalayas. When the Doctor and his companions visit the nearby Detsen mon...

Adam Hart-Davis explores spectacular years in the long history of science.

Described by the Radio Times as 'a brilliant observer of the domestic scene, a master reporter of life as we know it', Al Read's weekly show drew audiences of 35 million during the 1950s and '60s. Born in Salford in 1909, Al started life as a sausage manufacturer, having inherited the family's meat-processing factory. His comedy developed from his...

Two stories of love, lust, happiness and heartache from Britain's longest-running radio serial. Pub landlord Sid Perks is led astray when his keep-fit regime at the local gym leads to a steamy affair with Jolene Rogers, a country-and-western singer. For Emma Carter, choosing a husband is not so straightforward. She finds herself torn between loyal,...

In this BBC full-cast production of Antony and Cleopatra, the soldier and noble prince Mark Antony's enthralment with the Egyptian queen Cleopatra is proving controversial. Will the tumultuous relationship ultimately end in tragedy?Antony and Cleopatra is an intense love story, exploring the constant conflict between duty and emotion with char...

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 sprea...

Welcome to the strange world of Armstrong & Miller, which includes some comedy sketches with tough-guy cops in 'Parsons and Lampkin (and Lampkin's Mate Steve)', and there's an insider's view of National Trousers Day. More highlights include some really macho rock climbers, and the corrupt world of mountaineering. There's a track from rock legen...

Creativity is a major economic force of the 21st century. In concise steps, Guy Claxton and Bill Lucas explain what `creativity' is and how creative thinking can be learned. Making use of exercises and case studies, the authors demonstrate essential skills for the workplace and show how developing creative ability can help us achieve harmony, balan...