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Lord of the Rings
BBC Radio 4 ^
Posted on 12/30/2001 1:23:54 PM PST by Overtaxed
BBC Radio 4 first broadcast The Lord of the Rings in 1981 to huge public acclaim and you now have the chance to hear this superb serialisation in 13 weekly episodes, both online and on air, as the Saturday Play on BBC Radio 4 at 14.30 - 15.30 from 5 January 2002 on 92-95 FM and 198 LW.
This dramatisation retains a magic that has inspired many, including some of the cast and crew on the current film. It was headed by an incredible cast of Sir Michael Hordern as Gandalf, Sir Robert Stephens as Aragorn, John Le Mesurier as Bilbo and Ian Holm as Frodo. Therefore, it is no surprise that Ian Holm has now gone on to play Bilbo in the NewLine film version.
The radio production has been recognised by many fans as the definitive interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkiens trilogy to date, and whilst youll have to wait for the next episodes of the film, you can hear the whole trilogy on BBC Radio 4.
TOPICS: Miscellaneous
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1
posted on
12/30/2001 1:23:54 PM PST
by
Overtaxed
To: Overtaxed
bump for an excellent version
2
posted on
12/30/2001 1:29:27 PM PST
by
billbears
To: Overtaxed
I have the cassette version of this, and also highly recommend it. Some very moving parts include all the Lothlorien stuff, the battle of Pellanor fields, and the end.
To: Overtaxed
Yes. It is truly awesome. I own the cassette version. But buyers beware. There is another version, full of cheesey sound effects, bad music and fingernail-on-the-chalkboard cockney accents. Yech! Make sure you get the real one.
4
posted on
12/30/2001 1:49:21 PM PST
by
Thorondir
To: Overtaxed
I've listened to the BBC version and prefer the unabridged version offered by Recorded Books which are on sale right now at
http://www.recordedbooks.com/template5.cfm?tolkien_home=true They are more expensive but Tolkiens prose is much better than the BBCs interpretation of it. Also while I do like radio drama I found the sound effects to be a bit overpowering in the BBC version. I listen to a lot of books on tape so its pretty easy for me to recognize different characters by the vocal changes made by the single reader of the book and dont require an ensemble cast like the BBC version.
I did a little checking to see what the sets cost. In cassette version the four books (including the Hobbit) costs $94.48 if you buy all of them and $132.98 in the CD version plus shipping.
They also offer the Annals of the Kings ($26.95) and the Silmarillion which I bought for my son-in-law in CD this Christmas for about $62.00. I couldnt find it at their website.
5
posted on
12/30/2001 2:32:22 PM PST
by
airedale
To: Sans-Culotte
I have the cassette version of this, and also highly recommend it. Some very moving parts include all the Lothlorien stuff, the battle of Pellanor fields, and the end.I like the woman that plays Galadriel in the BBC version. She was able to convey just with her voice all the power that Peter Jackson had to show with special effects when Galadriel was tempted by the Ring.
The Battle of Helms Deep is very riveting and the music used during the battle and the song the ents sing as they march to Isengard is thrilling. John Le Mesiuerier's Gollum was incredible. And the final scene on Mount Doom is harrowing:
"I have come. But I do not choose to do what I came to do. The Ring is mine. Mine..."
6
posted on
12/30/2001 7:01:20 PM PST
by
BradyLS
To: Sans-Culotte
I have the cassette version of this, and also highly recommend it. Some very moving parts include all the Lothlorien stuff, the battle of Pellanor fields, and the end.I like the woman that plays Galadriel in the BBC version. She was able to convey just with her voice all the power that Peter Jackson had to show with special effects when Galadriel was tempted by the Ring.
The Battle of Helms Deep is very riveting and the music used during the battle and the song the ents sing as they march to Isengard is thrilling. John Le Mesiuerier's Gollum was incredible. And the final scene on Mount Doom is harrowing:
"I have come. But I do not choose to do what I came to do. The Ring is mine. Mine..."
7
posted on
12/30/2001 7:01:45 PM PST
by
BradyLS
To: Thorondir
Yes. It is truly awesome. I own the cassette version. But buyers beware. There is another version, full of cheesey sound effects, bad music and fingernail-on-the-chalkboard cockney accents. Yech! Make sure you get the real one.Are you talking about The Mind's Eye production of LOTR. I've heard just few moments of it and it was enough to tell me that the BBC version was the real deal.
8
posted on
12/30/2001 7:04:07 PM PST
by
BradyLS
To: BradyLS
Yeah ,it's the Eye of Mind version that really stinks. I have owned both and still listen to the BBC version which is very good though there is some diversion from the books.The Eye of Mind version has one actor who did voice-overs on The Underdog cartoon show-could never get past that!!
9
posted on
12/30/2001 7:31:21 PM PST
by
lawdog
To: lawdog
That's a shame. I gave a buddy the LOTR BBC set, but he so hated the Mind's Eye version that I don't think he ever got around to listening to the BBC one.
10
posted on
12/30/2001 7:39:08 PM PST
by
BradyLS
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