On This Day, August 29: BBC Saturday Night Theatre Literary Classics and Imagination Theater
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August…
August 29 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 29 across British BBC radio drama and American modern audio drama syndication, five legendary BBC Saturday Night Theatre literary adaptations including Georgette Heyer's Regency romance Sylvester (1959), E.M. Forster's Where Angels Fear to Tread (1964), Noël Coward's The Marquise (1970), Alan Bennett's Cold War drama An Englishman Abroad (1981), Dorothy L. Sayers' Lord Peter Wimsey mystery The Nine Tailors starring Ian Carmichael (1987), and Jim French's Imagination Theater (1959–1999):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Sylvester by Georgette Heyer" | BBC Home Service 1959-08-29 9:15 PM BST |
Sustaining BBC Drama |
BBC Repertory Co. | Georgette Heyer & Pughe | ["Drama", "Romance", "Regency", "Comedy", "Adaptation"] |
An arrogant Regency duke seeks a suitable bride, only to discover that the spirited young lady he pursues has secretly satirized him in an anonymous novel. |
| "Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forster" | BBC Home Service 1964-08-29 8:30 PM BST |
Sustaining BBC Drama |
BBC Repertory Co. | E.M. Forster & Sieveking | ["Drama", "Classics", "Literature", "Family", "Adaptation"] |
An English family travels to an Italian village to rescue an orphaned nephew, sparking tragic cultural clashes and moral reckonings. |
| "The Marquise by Noël Coward" | BBC Radio 4 1970-08-29 8:30 PM BST |
Sustaining BBC Drama |
BBC Repertory Co. | Noël Coward (Playwright) | ["Drama", "Comedy", "Farce", "Historical", "Adaptation"] |
An audacious French marquise arrives unannounced at the chateau of her former lover on the eve of his daughter's arranged marriage. |
| "An Englishman Abroad" | BBC Radio 4 1981-08-29 8:30 PM BST |
Sustaining BBC Drama |
BBC Repertory Co. | Alan Bennett (Writer) | ["Drama", "Biography", "Cold War", "Espionage", "Historical"] |
A touring British stage actress visiting Moscow forms an unexpected friendship with exiled double agent Guy Burgess. |
| "The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers" | BBC Radio 4 1987-08-29 7:45 PM BST |
Sustaining BBC Drama |
Ian Carmichael (Wimsey) | Sayers & Alistair Beaton | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Lord Peter Wimsey", "Classic", "Adaptation"] |
Lord Peter Wimsey is stranded in a remote fenland village during a snowstorm and investigates an unidentified mutilated corpse discovered in a churchyard grave. |
| "Crisis: The Appointment & Star Light, Star Bright" | Jim French Synd 1999-08-29 |
Sustaining Mystery Anthology |
Jim French, Voice Cast | Jim French Productions | ["Suspense", "Mystery", "Thriller", "Anthology", "Modern OTR"] |
Two psychological thrillers explore a fateful medical consultation and a celestial wish that triggers supernatural danger. |