January 21st, 2007
I heart BBC 7
One of the best things about NTL (apart from Turner Classic Movies) is being able to listen to the BBC’s various radio stations. BBC 7 has become my firm favourite, not just because you can listen to Garrison Keillor’s show (which has probably pulled in more listeners recently thanks to Robert Altman’s A Prairie Home Companion) but because of the variety of content. This week, a ten-part adaptation of Martin Chuzzlewit by Dickens kicks off, tonight begins a three-part adapatation of Charlotte Bronte’s Villette (starring Joseph Fiennes and Keira Knightley) and on Sunday mornings, there are short stories by Oscar Wilde. On Tuesday, there’s Hancock’s Half Hour and on Wednesday, the classic comedy series Round the Horne with Kenneth Williams.
Today at 1pm, there’s a real treat with a radio adaptation of one of favourite books, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. The film version, The Innocents is one of best literary adaptations ever. If you miss it at 1pm today, it’s repeated at 10pm tonight or 5am on Monday morning if you’re a night owl/early bird. Actually, listening to it in the dark is highly recommended…
January 21st, 2007 at 7:37 pm
As a fan of horror, the original adaption of The Innocents is a movie that made my spine tinge an often long time ago when I stumbled upon it on RTE at some ridiculous hour of the morning years ago. There was a re-make made back in the 1990’s with with Patsy Kensit in the leading role too. Since the demise of my broadband connection I’ve genuinely missed listening to the BBC through the net. It always makes you wonder just what the hell our own national broadcaster is dishing out. We get Marty Whelan rocking the dial in the morning and some equally decrepit musical taste for nighttime listening - the UK gets the Maryanne Hobbes Show, RobdaBank and the wealth of documentaries and random arts shows on its main station and then theres the archive - fantastic stuff.
http://soundtracksforthem.blogspot.com/2005/10/masters-of-accidental-or-is-that.html
January 21st, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Oooh, I love BBC7, although I listen to it online because I just have basic cable; I almost prefer that, though, because I can listen to various programmes whenever I like thanks to the very handy “listen again” service, which keeps every programme up for a week after broadcast (I missed all of Little Dorrit last week, but I’ve been listening to it today). Thank goodness for a wireless internet connection, which basically turns my laptop into a radio with programmes on-demand, and which means that whenever I’m not home to listen to the Archers, I can listen to it the following morning while making my breakfast! My very favourite programme on BBC7 is Paul Temple, a suave ’50s mystery series; they’re not airing it at the moment, but they usually air a series of it every few months so it’ll probably turn up again soon.
Anyway, that and Radio 4 (and the fact that for some mysterious reason we can get Radio 4 on FM in every radio in my house) is why I seldom listen to Irish radio at all (apart from Phantom in the car). Radio 4 puts all Irish non-music radio programming to shame.
January 22nd, 2007 at 7:17 pm
I was asking a few weeks ago about dab digital radio and its availability in Ireland. I’ve been getting it with no problems for the last few weeks - RTE1, 2FM, RnaG, Lyric and Today FM. Whether this is another test transmission or a new full-time service, I don’t know.Ironically, now I can’t find a digital radio for sale in Dublin. When there was no broadcasting, last autumn, there were plenty!
January 22nd, 2007 at 7:22 pm
Crocodile, there was a big article in one of the weekend papers about Digital, but I can’t for the life of me remember which paper (I read it in a newspaper digest thing I get sent). Apparently a chunk of the content will come from existing RTE programs/podcasts but there will be new shows. As far as I know, it launches in April and shops will be selling digital radios in the run up to that. Have you been listening online up to now?
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:02 pm
No, Sinead. Every programme broadcast by RTE and Today FM is now available - in the Dublin area at least. There aren’t many text details being broadcast alongside, though, just directions to the RTE and Today websites. Still,anyone who, like me, has a dab radio s/he used to use in the UK, can dust it off and plug it in.