BBC
From Tolkien Gateway
The British Broadcasting Corporation, or BBC, is the world's largest broadcasting corporation. As such, the company, and especially BBC Radio, have had a major influence on the adaptation of Tolkien's works.
BBC Radio Drama[edit | edit source]
The BBC Repertory Company, was founded in 1940. Early stars included Norman Shelley and Carleton Hobbs, who have played Watson and Holmes in over nintey radio dramas.
The "Rep" kept an ensemble cast of 30 to 35 actors, up until the mid-1980's. This cast included young theatre talent, such as Anthony Daniels and William Nighy, and was sometimes expanded with popular names.
This section of the BBC is now called the National Radio Company or NRC, and has been awarded many times.
Programs[edit | edit source]
- January 14, 1938: An unspecified program on BBC Radio, where Tolkien gave a talk on Anglo-Saxon Verse.
- December 3, 1954: The broadcast of the radio play of The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth, Beorhthelm's Son, on the BBC Third Programme.
- 1955-1956: The first adaptation of The Lord of the Rings is aired on BBC Radio.
- March 30, 1968: BBC Television airs the documentary Tolkien in Oxford.
- September-November 1968: The BBC's radio adaptation of The Hobbit is aired.
- January 1971: An Interview with J.R.R.T. (recorded in 1965) is first aired.
- 1978: Though shot in Spain, Ralph Bakshi recorded the voices of his The Lord of the Rings with several actors from the NRC.
- October, 1979: The popular children's show Jackanory airs ten episodes on The Hobbit.
- 1980: Hordes of the Things
- 1981: The famous second radio series of The Lord of the Rings is aired.
- 1987: The Adventures of Frodo with Michael Hordern
- 1992: The 6-episode radio series Tales from the Perilous Realm is aired.
- 2012: Tolkien in love is aired on BBC radio 4.
- 2012: The Hobbit, the Musical, a BBC Radio 4 programme about the 1967 stage adaptation of The Hobbit
- 2013: Beyond Belief discuss the theology of J.R.R. Tolkien.
- 2013: When Tolkien Stole Wagner's Ring is aired on BBC radio 3.
- 2013: Lewis and Tolkien: The Lost Road
- 26 October 2014: Hope in the Darkness Dr Simon Jones and Alister McGrath explore the life and spirituality of J R R Tolkien
- 15 November 2014: War of Words: Soldier-Poets of the Somme
