BBC Radio 7: Planet B

Planet B is a Science Fiction radio drama series first broadcast on BBC Radio 7 in March 2009. It follows the journey of John Armstrong (played by Gunnar Cauthery) through the virtual world of a futuristic game. In an effort to find his girlfriend Lioba Fielding (Donnla Hughes) he becomes entangled in an array of strange scenarios, teleporting from each adventure to the next with his companion Medley (Lizzy Watts) while being watched by an antivirus programme called Cerberus (Chris Pavlo). The series was created by Sam Hoyle, Jessica Dromgoole and Matthew Broughton with James Robinson and ran for ten episodes. It was BBC 7’s biggest ever commission for an original drama series. A second series is currently in production and is scheduled to be broadcast in late November 2009.

So that’s what wikipedia sez about Planet B

Here’s what my friend Julie sez about Planet B:

“An amazing show.

Hopefully if you subscribe now then you can get the first couple of episodes. If not, I’ll send them to you. So very, very good …”

Thanks Julie. Because of your recommendation I am currently downloading the torrent from RadioArchive.cc. I don’t know how I missed the original podcast feed for the show!

Here’s the description of each episode:

Episode 1 Golden Moments – Approx. 29 Minutes
Opening episode of Radio 7’s new major science fiction series set in a virtual universe of infinite possibility. John is shocked to discover that he is attending his girlfriend Lioba’s funeral, again. Unsure whether it’s a dream, a drug induced hallucination, or – as his Auntie Cherry tells him – the grief, he tries to make sense of the fact that there’s no body in her coffin.

Episode 2 New Boy – Approx. 28 Minutes
John and Medley learn to cope in the brutal environment of a nostalgic school world, where only bullies win.

Episode 3 Freak Show – Approx. 28 Minutes
Searching for Lioba, John finds himself in Freak Show, where celebrity is all. Will he find Lioba, or is this world a trap?

Episode 4 New Rome – Approx. 28 Minutes
John and Medley are transported to New Rome, a world of orgies and circuses, where the slaves are rebelling against the cruelty of the human controlled avatars.

Episode 5 Smart Money – Approx. 29 Minutes
John and Medley are pitched into the frantic world of buying low and selling high, unaware that they’re playing for his life.

Episode 6 The Wild Gang – Approx. 29 Minutes
Chuck Flint’s gang rule by gun law in Wild West World, where John finds himself in the role of Sheriff.

Episode 7 Catharsis – Approx. 27 Minutes
John is the captain of a space battleship in a world that’s so real he’s forgotten who he is. Can Medley make him remember?

Episode 8 Retreat – Approx. 28 Minutes
John and Medley find themselves in a strange religious retreat. Is it a cult or will they find real enlightenment here?

Episode 9 The Fast Track – Approx. 29 Minutes
Still stuck in a virtual world, it’s John’s last chance to save Lioba; can he work out how to navigate a path through Planet B?

Episode 10 Death’s Door – Approx. 29 Minutes
John and Lioba leave Planet B, and agree to meet in the real world, but can they ever really escape?

Posted by Jesse Willis