BBC7: The Scarifyers – The Nazad Conspiracy

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BBC Radio 7 - BBC7The Scarifyers: The Nazad Conspiracy (2006)
3 episodes beginning on Sunday, September 7 at 1800GMT
Starring Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy
Written and directed by Simon Barnard
Produced by Cosmic Hobo Productions

Detective Inspector Lionheart, veteran (don’t say old!) crime-fighter based at Whitechapel police station, and Edward Dunning, professor of Ancient History at London University (and prolific writer of ghost stories), become, somewhat unwittingly, paranormal investigators for the “very new” MI-13.

Dunning & LionheartAided by, among others, Aleister Crowley, “the wickedest man in the world,” Lionheart and Dunning must follow enigmatic and often ghastly clues, infiltrate mysterious secret cults and foil the darkest of diabolical plots against England and humanity.

But not without a grand sense of British humor. The Scarifyers, set in the late 1930’s, combines deadpan wit and Lovecraftian themes with the result being nothing short of hilarious. The writing is charming, delicious, surprising and never cornball, and the character performances are superb. Indeed, it’s my favorite audio play series in years.

The Nazad Conspiracy is the first Scarifyers adventure.

Christmas 1936.

Professor Dunning (Terry Molloy) doesn’t believe in the supernatural. So he’s more than surprised when an invisible winged demon appears in his drawing room.

The Metropolitan Police’s longest-serving officer, Inspector Lionheart (Nicholas Courtney), doesn’t believe in the supernatural either, wings or no wings. So he’s less than impressed when Russian emigres begin dying impossible deaths all over London.

Together, Lionheart and Dunning must face quarrelsome Generals, sinister clowns and Russian demons as they unravel THE NAZAD CONSPIRACY.

The first episode of The Nazad Conspiracy will air on Sunday, September 7 at 1800GMT in the 7th Dimension time slots. Episodes 2 and 3 will follow on consecutive Sundays. Listen to the trailer for the show here.

The Scarifyers is produced by Cosmic Hobo Productions and stars Nicholas Courtney as Lionheart and Terry Molloy as Dunning. Many will remember Courtney as Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart (The Brigadier), and Molloy as Davros (creator of the evil Daleks), both from the Doctor Who TV series (and the occasional Big Finish production). Also, David Benson, “man of a thousand voices,” appears as the reoccurring character, Aleister Crowley, always giving a memorable and “spirited” performance.

For more information about The Scarifyers, including actor bios, character and story info, announcements, downloadable content, and series ordering info –3 adventures so far: The Nazad Conspiracy, The Devil of Denge Marsh (2007) & For King and Country (2008)– be sure to stop by the Cosmic Hobo Productions website.

And if you want to hear the best radio show theme song since Dick Barton: Special Agent, check out The Scarifyers theme by Edwin Sykes here!

Posted by RC of RTSF

Canadia 2056 and the joys of time-shifting

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Ben Rai’s winning entry in the CANADIA 2056 Future Graphic Contest

One of the most compelling reasons to listen to podcasts is the ability to enjoy programs where and when you want them. I’ve been listening to The Zombie Astronaut‘s unofficial podcast feed for Canadia: 2056. This is a radio drama written by comedy genius Matt Watts. The show just wrapped up its second season on CBC Radio One. The podcast feed for the show has made Canadia 2056 completely accessible on my schedule. And like any podcast the show is now completely pause-able, rewindable, and re-listenable. I had to do all three this morning!

I was listening to episode 19 of the show and I was laughing so hard I had to pause it. About three minutes later, after the convulsions had stopped, I rewound and listened to what I’d missed. Here’s the scene that got me…

But first some background… the ships’ surgeon, Doc Gaffney, attends to a suicidal crew member named Skip Connors (she’s suicidal because she’s become a mere brain in a jar), just prior to the scene’s opening she’d been left alone in the Captain’s quarters with a obedient robot and a jealous computer |MP3|.

Like I said, I had to pause it, rewind, and listen again. Because it was a podcast, I could.

My enjoyment of all 24 episodes of Canadia: 2056 would be almost impossible without the podcast feed. And I’m not alone in this. I’ve read threads all over the net about the show, and the people who’ve heard the show. The people who heard it on the radio keep saying how much they like Canadia: 2056. But, I’ve also read about how these same folks ‘missed an episode’ here or there. People wanted to catch it when it was on, but just couldn’t. They can’t re-arrange their lives to listen to the radio, that’s really not how radio works. Even if radio is not appointment listening, Canadia 2056‘s podcast is well worth listening to. Give yourself a treat, go subscribe to the unofficial podcast of Canadia 2056. It’s so kruckin’ awesome!

Subscribe via this feed:

http://thezombieastronaut.com/podcasts-only/rss2.aspx

Posted by Jesse Willis

Canadia: 2056 unofficial podcast is caught up

SFFaudio Online Audio

Canadia: 2056 Unofficial PodcastThe Canadia: 2056 unofficial podcast feed has caught up to the regular broadcast! From here on out it will shadow the weekly broadcasts on CBC Radio One. In a curious foreshadowing, THIS NEW STORY illustrates just how important building the HMCSS Canadia actually would be. Episode 21 of Canadia: 2056 airs on all CBC Radio One stations this week.

Subscribe to the unofficial podcast via this feed:

http://thezombieastronaut.com/podcasts-only/rss2.aspx

Posted by Jesse Willis

Canadia: 2056 Unoffical Podcast @ episode 10

SFFaudio Online Audio

If you didn’t catch it already, The Zombie Astronaut has been unofficially podcasting Canadia: 2056. Today’s release is of the 10th Epsiode (the last episode of the first season). From here on out ZA’s going to be catching up to the second season broadcasts in an awful hurry.

Canadia: 2056 Unofficial PodcastCanadia: 2056 – Season One
By Matt Watts (and others); Performed by a full cast
10 MP3s – Approx. 5 Hours [RADIO DRAMA]
Podcaster: Unofficial Canadia 2056 Podcast
Podcast: May 2008
Episodes:
1 |MP3| 2 |MP3| 3 |MP3| 4 |MP3| 5 |MP3|
6 |MP3| 7 |MP3| 8 |MP3| 9 |MP3| 10 |MP3|

Subscribe to the unofficial podcast via this feed:

http://thezombieastronaut.com/podcasts-only/rss2.aspx

And, if you can draw or make visual art using photoshop check out the ongoing “Canadia:2056 Future Graphics Contest” and send in your rendering of a character or spacecraft from the show! Check it out on the official site: cbc.ca/canadia2056/

The best graphic entered will win the entire Matt Watts Radio Comedy Collection from CBC autographed by Matt Watts. This includes Steve, the First; Steve, the Second and Canadia: 2056 Season 1 on CD. There will also be second and third place prizes! Check out some of the entries received so far:

Space Toilet

The Canadia

The Canadia and The Pickens

Classic Trio Enterprise, Serentity, Canadia

Posted by Jesse Willis

Canadia: 2056 Season 2 Episode 2 and a cool contest

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Canadia: 2056 Season 2The second episode of season two of Canadia: 2056 airs tonight at 11PM on CBC Radio One.

To celebrate, CBC has started a contest… here are the details:

Canadia: 2056 Future Graphic Contest

Can you draw, paint or have some other artistic talent? Or are you the type to create a graphic using Photoshop or some other image manipulation program? Have you ever thought about one of the characters from Canadia: 2056 or the ship itself and had an idea of what they looked like? We want you to create that image of Max Anderson or Skip or the Robot that you’ve been hankering to and send it in to us via the form below [See the site HERE for that form].

The best graphic will win the entire Matt Watts Radio Comedy Collection from CBC autographed by Matt Watts. This includes Steve, the First; Steve, the Second and Canadia: 2056 Season 1 on CD. The will as lo be second and third place prizes, so get creating and send your JPG or GIF in using the form below [again see the site HERE for that form].”

Rules, regulations and examples of what they’re looking for are also THERE.

Here’s the official description of episode two:

This week on the award-winning comedy, the captain gets into a power struggle over who will lead the crash survivors.

Posted by Jesse Willis

P.S. Free Apocalypse Al!

Ulysses Galactic Guides and Bounties Inc. a podcast audio drama

SFFaudio Online Audio

Broken Sea Audio Production’s Ulysses Galactic Guides and Bounties Inc.Created as a spinoff from Broken Sea Audio Productions’ GUSU series – Ulysses Galactic Guides and Bounties Inc. follows the adventures of Ulysses and crew. The characters are made up of a New Zealander, a Middle Eastern head in a cybernetic fish-bowl, a nymphomaniac alien babe, and an ancient Chinese mystic. “They don’t go looking for trouble, it finds them.” The latest story arc (the three part “Return of The Red Eye”) has been purely comedic. Future stories will involving free-range freak farming (for the circus side show market), zombies and sex toys.

Subscribe to the podcast feed:

http://brokensea.com/ulysses/feed/

Posted by Jesse Willis