Writing the Century

Last Edited: 21-Mar-2019 A Global British Comedy Collaborative document. Edited by John Lucas
Broadcast source is BBC Radio Four unless otherwise indicated. Recording quality is considered good unless otherwise indicated.


"An exploration of the 20th century through real correspondence from the great, the good, and the ordinary."
The programs also listed and filed under their respective authors.


Date Title Cast Parameters
31-Dec-2007 to
04-Jan-2008
1 And Is There Honey Still for Tea?
by Vanessa Rosenthal
Joanne Mitchell, Kevin Doyle, Toby Jones, Teresa Gallagher,
Elianne Byrne, Paul David Gough, Carter Dowland, Ray Kelly,
Gareth Cassidy, Stephen Tomlin
Producer/director Polly Thomas
14:19, 13423, S
13:50, 12979, S
13:49, 12969, S
13:48, 12941, S
14:06, 13232, S
03-Mar-2008 to
07-Mar-2008
2 Keep the Home Fires Burning
by Vanessa Rosenthal

Joanne Mitchell, Robert Pugh, Claudia Renton, Robert
Pickavance, Gareth Cassidy, Rina Mahoney, Roger Morlidge,
Kate Mieko-Ward, Ann Rye
Dramatised by Venessa Rosenthal
Director Polly Thomas
13:52, 13011, S
13:37, 12772, S
13:50, 12980, S
13:50, 12980, S
13:56, 13076, S
05-May-2008 to
09-May-2008
3 1918-1930, A Land Fit for Heroes?
by Vanessa Rosenthal
Will Tacey, Toby Sawyer, John McArdle, Leanne Best,
Christine Mackie, Kieran Cunningham, Sebastian Shaw,
Bill Rogers, Julia Roundthwaite, Everall Walsh, Susan
Mitchell, Ray Kelly
Dramatised by Venessa Rosenthal
Director Polly Thomas
13:54, 13041, S
13:50, 12982, S
13:53, 13023, S
13:38, 12785, S
14:11, 13304, S
07-Jul-2008 to
11-Jul-2008
4 1933-1938, A Darkening Sky
by Vanessa Rosenthal

Russell Dixon, Susannah Harker, Brigit Forsyth, Ann Rye,
Malcolm Raeburn, Becky Hindley, Jonathan Keeble,
Emma Gregory
Director Gary Brown
13:46, 12914, S
13:54, 13033, S
13:47, 12930, S
13:48, 12945, S
13:59, 13111, S
18-Aug-2008 to
22-Aug-2008
5 1939-1942, Hostages to Fortune
by Mick Martin
Vanessa Ackerman, Olwen May, David Fleeshman, Sue Kelly,
Lisa Moore, Sue Ryding, Maggie Fox, Terence Mann, Martin
Michael, Tara Dow, Hamilton Berstock
Music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
dramatised by Mick Martin
director Gary Brown
13:54, 13048, S
13:46, 12918, S
13:44, 12889, S
13:48, 12939, S
14:17, 13393, S
27-Oct-2008 to
31-Oct-2008
6 A Paintbrush Reporter
by Hattie Naylor
Kathryn Hunt, Hester Cox, Ellie Sager, Janice Mckenzie,
Deborah McAndrew, Melissa Jane Sinden, Conrad Nelson,
Graham Hawley, Andrew Smith, Stuart Richmond,
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
Director Pauline Harris
13:43, 12872, S
13:52, 13011, S
13:48, 12943, S
13:51, 12988, S
14:14, 13345, S
05-Jan-2009 to
09-Jan-2009
7 1946-48, Out of the Ashes
by Margaret Wilkinson
Toby Hadoke, Georgia King, Maggie Fox, Richard Galazka,
Martin Oldfield, Malcolm Raeburn, Lucy Edgerton, Tara Dahr
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
director Stefan Escreet
13:51, 12989, S
13:50, 12973, S
13:49, 12963, S
13:55, 13063, S
14:03, 13178, S
09-Mar-2009 to
13-Mar-2009
8 1948-1953, Starting From Scratch
by Peter Roberts
Amy Humphreys, Adrian Grove, Olwen May, Luke Walker,
Lucy Jo Hudson, David Fleeshman, James Quinn, Kate
Layden, Stuart Richman
Director Peter Leslie Wild
13:49, 12968, S
13:53, 13017, S
13:32, 12694, S
13:50, 12983, S
13:57, 13083, S
01-Jun-2009 to
05-Jun-2009
9 Linton Andrews
by Vanessa Rosenthal

Russell Dixon, Alexandra Mathie, Malcolm Raeburn, Szilvi
Naray-Davey, Ann Rye, Martin Oldfield, Victoria Brazier,
Martine Dunn, Lloyd Peters
Directed by Gary Brown
13:37, 12770, S
13:49, 12954, S
13:45, 12893, S
13:54, 13048, S
14:18, 13415, S
31-Aug-2009 to
04-Sep-2009
10 Tom and Stella
by Vanessa Rosenthal

Rebecca Callard, John Lightbody, David Fleeshman, Olwyn
May, Christine Brennan, Greg Wood, Robert Pickavance,
Fiona Clarke, Roger Morelitch, Dermot Daley
directed by Pauline Harris
13:49, 12954, S
13:51, 12994, S
13:42, 12852, S
13:50, 12980, S
14:01, 13145, S
07-Dec-2009 to
11-Dec-2009
11 1963-66, All My Trials
by Pat Cumper
Janice Acquah, Ellen Thomas, Fiona Clarke, Declan Wilson,
Rob Pickavance
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
directed by Stephane Escrit
13:50, 12971, S
13:42, 12852, S
13:39, 12798, S
13:40, 12825, S
13:50, 12971, S
08-Feb--2010 to
12-Feb-2010
12 1966-1969, Pleidiol Wyf I'm Gwlad/
True To My Land
by Tina Pepler
William Thomas, Helen Griffin, Elin Phillips, Sharon Morgan,
Anya Murphy, Dewi Rhys Williams, Richard Mitchley, Richard
Nichols, Liam James, Sam Jones, Scott Arthur, Gareth
Williams, Catrin Stewart
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
Directed by Kate McCall
13:09, 12337, S
13:19, 12498, S
13:17, 12463, S
13:38, 12785, S
13:43, 12867, S
omnibus
57:17, 53716, S
19-Apr-2010 to
25-Apr-2010
13 Once Upon A Time
by Amanda Whittington
Joe Dempsie, Karl Davies, Joe Doherty, Robert Lonsdale,
David Seddon, Freddie Fox, Joanna Monro, Vineeta Rishi,
Tony Bell
Original music composed by Nicolai Abrahamsen
Produced and directed by Gemma Jenkins
13:17, 12467, S
13:31, 12683, S
13:21, 12532, S
13:41, 12831, S
13:41, 12839, S
26-Jul-2010 to
30-Jul-2010
14 A Burden to Strangers
by Steve Gough
Margaret John, Menna Trussler, Bernard Lloyd, Mark Carey,
John Cording, Bethan Walker, Richard Elfyn, Jennifer Hill,
John Cording
Original music composed by Nicolai Abrahamsen
Produced and Directed by Peter Leslie Wild
13:58, 13107, S
13:54, 13033, S
13:56, 13077, S
13:50, 12980, S
14:04, 13189, S
08-Nov-2010 to
12-Nov-2010
15 A Desolate Bravery
by Lavinia Murray
Shaun Dooley, Stephen Hudson, Jamie De Courcey, Charlie
Anson, Kevin Harvey, Conrad Nelson, Graeme Hawley,
Joanne Mitchell, Kieran Cunningham, Hamilton Birstock, John
Catterall, James Cartwright, Mark Chatterton, Rory Murphy,
Gordon Macaoidh, Rory Murphy
Melodeon played by David Rowlands
Original music by Nicolai Abrahamsen
Directed by Nadia Molinar
13:57, 13086, S
13:42, 12848, S
13:52, 13002, S
13:49, 12960, S
14:39, 13736, S
24-Jan-2011 to
28-Jan-2011
16 Three Women Across the Century
by Vanessa Rosenthal
Eleanor Bron, Will Tacey, Julia Rounthwaite, Suzanne
Bertish, Drew Carter-Cain, Lloyd Peters, Eva Grace,
Isaac Whitmore, Joncie Elmore
Produced in Manchester by Gary Brown
13:51, 12989, S
13:55, 13049, S
13:47, 12932, S
13:50, 12980, S
14:03, 13181, S
02-May-2011 to
06-May-2011
17 The Iron Curtain
by Nell Leyshon
Charlotte Emmerson, Jonathan Keeble, Danielle Henry,
Melissa Jane Sinden, David Seddon, Clare Louise Connolly
Directed by Susan Roberts
13:54, 13033, S
13:52, 13011, S
13:51, 13000, S
13:52, 13009, S
14:10, 13288, S
07-Nov-2011 to
11-Nov-2011
18: The Camel Hospital
by Karen Brown
Rebecca Callard, Jessica Blake, Jacqueline Redgewell, Peter
Singh, James Nickerson, Jake Norton, Melissa Jane Sinden,
Verity-May Henry, Olwen May, Fionnuala Dorrity
Research consultant - Professor Alison Fell
Directed by Pauline Harris
13:41, 12808, S
13:44, 12859, S
13:29, 12625, S
13:46, 12885, S
13:57, 13061, S

19?
I am uncertain whether there is a series that I missed.

30-Jul-2012 to
03-Aug-2012
20 The Secret Diary of Agnes Keith
by Lizzie Nunnery
Charlotte Emmerson, Jonathan Keeble, Isaac Roberts, Wendy
Kweh, Julia Rounthwaite, Benedict Wong, Kenji Watanabe,
Greg Wood
Adaptor Lizzie Nunnery
Director Pauline Harris
13:40, 12807, S
13:42, 12837, S
13:31, 12661. S
13:45, 12869, S
13:57, 13061, S
11-Mar-2013 to
15-Mar-2013
21 Journal of a Joskin
by Steve Wakelam
Ralph Ineson, Liza Sadovy, Stephanie Racine, Sarah Thom,
Paul Stonehouse, Patrick Brennan, Will Howard
Director: David Hunter
13:31, 12656, S
13:40, 12844, S
13:46, 12933, S
13:43, 12887, S
13:56, 13091, S
24-Jun-2013 to
28-Jun-2013
22 Vera 'Jack' Holme
by Louise Ironside
Irene MacDougall, Carol Ann Crawford, Kim Gerard, Rosalind
Sydney, Lesley Hart, Matthew Zajac, Finn den Hertog
Producer/Director: David Ian Neville
13:42, 12822, S
13:41, 12815, S
13:35, 12723, S
13:35, 12722, S
14:06, 13199, S
23-Sep-2013 to
27-Sep-2013
23 Takes Two to Tandem
by Lavinia Murray
Bryan Dick, Sophia Di Martino, Nick Haverson, Martin
Richardson, Susan Twist, Harriet Chandler Judd, Will Tacey
Produced and Directed by Sharon Sephton
13:38, 12772, S
13:41, 12815, S
13:46, 12886, S
13:45, 12881, S
13:50, 12958, S
27-Jan-2014 to
31-Jan-2014
24 The Dock, Nuremberg
by Amanda Whittington
Diana Quick, Gunnar Cauthery, Kate Sobey, Patrick Keeler,
Mark Meadows, Martin Bonger, Cristina Catalina
Director...Mary Ward-Lowery
13:33, 12694, S
13:53, 12995, S
13:54, 13015, S
14:10, 13268, S
13:45, 12869, S
03-Nov-2014 to
07-Nov-2014
25 Passages from Empire
by Vanessa Rosenthal
Fenella Woolgar, Sara McGaughey, Rina Mahoney, Nadim
Sawalha, Claire Cage, Sharon Morgan, Richard Nichols
Director Polly Thomas
13:33, 12694, S
13:30, 12642, S
13:44, 12857, S
13:42, 12833, S
13:55, 13034, S
08-Dec-2014 to
12-Dec-2014
26 My Greenham
by Fiona Evans
Pippa Haywood, Pauline Jefferson, Judith Barker,
Christine Cox, Jonathan Keeble, Rosina Carboni,
Roger Moorlidge, Henry Devas
Produced and directed by Pauline Harris
13:45, 12885, S
13:44, 12861, S
13:38, 12768, S
13:30, 12646, S
13:35, 12719, S
13-Apr-2015 to
17-Apr-2015
27 Journal of a Joskin II
by Steve Wakelam
Ralph Ineson, Sarah Thom, Roslyn Hill, David Acton, Shaun
Mason, Paul Stonehouse, Sam Dale, Monty d'Inverno, Paul
Heath, Jane Slavin, Ian Conningham, Gerard McDermott
Director: David Hunter
13:35, 12727, S
13:41, 12817, S
13:39, 12780, S
13:48, 12918, S
14:09, 19879, S
27-Jul-2015 to
31-Jul-2015
28 Letters from a Young Indian
Revolutionary
by Tanika Gupta
Ameet Chana, Archie Panjabi, Vincent Ebrahim, Sagar Arya,
Chris Nayak, Stephen Hogan, Nicholas Khan, Jonathan Keeble,
Ray Jayanta
Directed by Nadia Molinari
13:38, 12764, S
13:52, 12990, S
13:52, 12984, S
13:35, 12716, S
13:45, 12876, S
02-Nov-2015 to
06-Nov-2015
29 The View from the Windows
by Bethan Roberts
Monica Dolan, Robert Blythe, Julian Lewis Jones, Ben Addis,
Eiry Thomas
Directed by Helen Perry
13:22, 12525, S
11:26, 10714, S
13:42, 12827, S
13:34, 12694, S
13:44, 12858, S
11-Apr-2016 to
15-Apr-2016
30 The Secret
by Tina Pepler
Scarlett Brookes, Jeany Spark, Madeleine Power, Finn
Monteath, Joe Sims, Susan Jameson, Adie Allen, Nicola
Ferguson, Will Howard, Tom Forrister, James Lailey,
Lucy Hutchinson
originally written by Muriel Howard
adapted by Tina Pepler with Sara Davies
Violinists ..... Sam and Andrew McGregor
Produced and directed by Gemma Jenkins
13:19, 12471, S
13:44, 12857, S
13:02, 12194, S
12:45, 11933, S
13:58, 13070, S

Documentaries and Collateral Material
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