Here's an audio documentary covering the world of Shakespeare's London a few centuries ago. This feature sheds a bit of more light onto the world of The Bard and his works and their context.

Shakespeare's London

Father Brown 2 dramatized short mysteries

I've always had mixed feelings about Father Brown. He's a religious man who believes in mystical and faithful things yet uses science and reason to a degree. There are parts I like about the character and stories and some parts I really walk-away thinking "This character is weak compared to Sherlock Holmes and most of his solving is done through feelings and hunches it seems". One reason I'm posting these two short-mysteries is because the BBC did them back in the 1980s and of course they are very well done. Another aspect is the historical time period. I find the late 19th century and decades before WW2 interesting in terms of back-story and characters and settings.

2 files. MP3 Format.

Father Brown - The Blue Cross

Father Brown - The Eye Of Apollo

John Buchan's The 39 Steps (dramatized)

British author John Buchan wrote a thriller in 1915 called The Thirty-Nine Steps. It's been made into various formats, most notably in 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock.

Here are two separate versions of the story dramatized by the BBC.

2 Files. MP3 Format.

The 39 Steps (1989 version)

The 39 Steps (2001 version)

Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes OTR 3 Episodes

Here's 3 episodes of the 1940's Sherlock Holmes OTR show starring Basil Rathbone.

3 separate files. MP3 File Format.

The Copper Beeches

The Cardboard Box

The Speckled Band

The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie

Up for your listening pleasure, a reading of Agatha Christie's lesser known mystery called The Sittaford Mystery. The story takes place in the barren, remote English lands of Dartmoor in the 1930s.

8 Files. MP3 File Format.

The Sittaford Mystery by Agatha Christie

Treasure Island (dramatized)

Here's a classic story from the imagination of Robert Louis Stevenson. This version of Treasure Island was done by the BBC.

Two Files. MP3 File Format.

Treasure Island Part 01

Treasure Island Part 02

Sherlock Holmes and The Murder Of Cardinal Tosca

Here's some OTR Sherlock Holmes for you audiophiles. From what I gather, this was done by the CBC in the 1970s. It's called Sherlock Holmes and the Murder Of Cardinal Tosca.

3 files. MP3 File Format.

SH Murder Of Cardinal Tosca Part 01

SH Murder Of Cardinal Tosca Part 02

SH Murder Of Cardinal Tosca Part 03

Sherlock Holmes The Mazarin Stone

There are many versions of Sherlock Holmes throughout media history. Everyone who is a fan of Holmes has his or her ideal choice of who is the quintessential Holmes. However, I have to admit, there's no contest within my mind, Clive Merrison is Sherlock Holmes and no one else comes close to his status. Rathbone and Brett had their unique, praiseworthy facets, but Merrison is simply it to a tee. Even though he only voice-acted the role on the BBC, he amazingly looks like a Holmes. Trivia note: Merrison is the only person to star in all of the original 60 canon Holmes stories in any format (movies, TV, radio).

I plan to post more of the Clive Merrison Sherlock Holmes audio plays in the future. It will, hopefully, become a standard common thread. And now, for the first entry...

One file. MP3 File Format.

The Casebook Of Sherlock Holmes: The Mazarin Stone

George Orwell's Down and Out In Paris and London (BBC dramatized)

This work by Orwell is somewhat autobiographical in nature. Orwell lived in Paris and parts of London in a down and out nature, meaning, dirt poor and barely existing at the end of the day. He worked as a kitchen dishwasher and was an itinerant hobo in the London area. When Orwell talked about the working class and the poor, he really knew what he was spouting about in his commentary and essays.

As always, the BBC does a great job of making the written word come to life.

Two parts. MP3 file format.

Orwell Down and Out Part 01

Orwell Down and Out Part 02