documentary – Page 4

BBC Radio 4 Documentary on Arthur C. Clarke

SFFaudio Online Audio

In October 2005 BBC Radio 4 visited Arthur C. Clarke in Sri Lanka to celebrate the 60th anniversary of an article’s publication in a magazine called Wireless World. “Extra-Terrestrial Relays: Can Rocket Stations Give World Wide Radio Coverage?” was the first place artifical geostationary satellites were described. The entire documentary, featuring such Clarke knowledgeables as Stephen Baxter, Isaac Asimov and even Clarke’s younger brother, is thankfully still archived on the BBC Radio 4 website and is available for listening in the RealAudio format! I thought this was a very refreshing take documenting his “futurology” vs. his Science Fiction. This documentary doesn’t dwell on Clarke’s futurology as much as most documentaries on the man do.

Arthur C. Clarke: The Science And The Fiction
Heather Couper meets the man behind the ideas
1 Broadcast |REALAUDIO| – 28 Minutes 59 Seconds [DOCUMENTARY]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Wendesday 5 October 2005 11.00-11.30am
In this programme, Heather Couper hears Sir Arthur’s own story and meets with family, fans and fiction writers he has influenced. His younger brother Fred remembers their childhood on a Somerset farm: Arthur was building telescopes and launching home-made rockets. Did the other children join in their brother’s activities? “No!”, recalls Fred with a shudder. “We kept away from the dangerous blighter”.

Posted by Jesse Willis

ABC RN to air Who Wrote Frankenstein?

Online Audio

ABC Radio National’s The Book Show has a timely documentary in their schedule for next Friday! It’s called Who Wrote Frankenstein? and here’s the description:

Was Mary Shelley too young and uneducated to have written Frankenstein? There is a debate raging about the author attribution of this classic and John Lauritsen says it was actually Percy Shelley. But, Germaine Greer says it’s precisely because it’s badly written that there should be no question of Mary Shelley being the author. Who’s right and how do they know?

Tune in to ABC Radio National’s The Book Show on October 26th @ 10:00am in Australia (repeated at midnight). This may also be available through The Book Show‘s podcast the day after it airs.

You can subscribe to the podcast using this feed:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/feeds/bsw.xml

posted by Jesse Willis

BBC Radio 4 Documentary on the "2000AD" Comic Book Series

Online Audio

Roy, our spy in the UK has uncovered a plot to air a documentary on BBC Radio 4 that should be very interesting indeed…

Futureshock! The Story Of 2000AD is a half-hour documentary about the long running weekly comic book series that spawned such iconic British SF characters as “Judge Dredd”, “Rogue Trooper” and which also revived old ones, like “Dan Dare.” Comics writing greats like Alan Moore, Garth Ennis and Grant Morrison all got their start working on 2000AD “progs.” This should be a very informative show.

Futureshock! The Story Of 2000AD
1 Broadcast -30 Minutes [DOCUMENTARY]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 4
Broadcast: Saturday 22 September 10:30am – 11:00am
“Phill Jupitus tells the story of 2000AD. Over the past 30 years, the weekly British comic’s distinctive visions of the future have shaped the imaginations of a generation of young readers. Its dark and gritty tales, often set in a near future of post-apocalyptic urban decay, have changed the tone of science fiction.”

posted by Jesse Willis

Documentary on Sir Thomas Malory and Le Morte d’Arthur

SFFaudio Online Audio

BBC Radio 3‘s “Sunday Feature” had a cool 45 minute documentary about Sir Thomas Malory and his Le Morte d’Arthur. This was produced by the same guy who made the excellent H.P. Lovecraft documentary on BBC Radio 3 last year. Malory: A Tale of Two Texts aired on Sunday. The producer, Paul Quinn, says of it:

“Malory could be said to be a forgotten forbear of heroic fantasy! This programme, though, presented by professor David Wallace of the University of Pennsylvannia, concentrates on the different textual histories of the two versions: the long lost manuscript, and Caxton print version, produced within 15 years of each other but launched into different worlds.”

This is only going to be available via the ‘Listen Again‘ until Sunday, so get listening!

posted by Jesse Willis

H.P. Lovecraft DOCUMENTARY on BBC Radio 3

SFFaudio Online Audio

BBC Radio 3 has re-aired a fascinating documentary from November of last year…

Weird Tales – The Strange Life Of H.P. Lovecraft
Radio Broadcast – Approx. 45 Minutes [DOCUMENTARY]
BROADCASTER: BBC Radio 3
BROADCAST: Sunday June 10th 2006 @ 20:00 – 20:45 (UK TIME)

“Geoff Ward examines the strange life and terrifying world of the man hailed as America’s greatest horror writer since Poe. During his life Lovecraft’s work was confined to lurid pulp magazines and he died in penury in 1937. Today, however, his writings are considered modern classics and published in prestigious editions. Among the writers considering his legacy are Neil Gaiman, S.T. Joshi, Kelly Link, Peter Straub and China Mieville.”

This is available via the ‘Listen Again‘ right now and the link should be around for the next 5 days or so.

posted by Jesse Willis

BBC2 plans a Star Wars documentary

Online Audio

Our eagle eyed U.K. correspondent, Roy, sez that BBC Radio 2 has something of interest starting later this week…

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the original Star Wars movie, BBC Radio 2 has a two part programme that will feature interviews with the actors, musicians, producers and directors who worked on (or were influenced by) the film….

Star Wars – 30th Anniversary
2 Parts – Approx. 50 Mins [DOCUMENTARY]
Broadcaster: BBC Radio 2
Broadcast: Fridays May 18th & 26th 2007 @ 19:00-19:30 (U.K. Time)

It is likely that both parts will be available via BBC R2’s ‘listen again‘ service. Thanks Roy!

posted by Jesse Willis