The Foundation Trilogy (BBC Radio)
Isaac Asimov's The Foundation Trilogy was adapted for the BBC in eight hour-long episodes by Patrick Tull (episodes 1 to 4) and Mike Stott (episodes 5 to 8), directed by David Cain, first broadcast in 1973, and repeated in 1977 and 2002.
Episodes
Originally broadcast in 8 parts, between 6 May and 24 June 1973.
1: Psychohistory and Encyclopedia
The opening episode begins on Trantor, capital of the Galactic Empire, with the meeting of Hari Seldon and Gaal Dornick, their trial, and their exile to Terminus. The action then jumps forward fifty years, to the first Seldon Crisis, where the repercussions of the recent independence of the Four Kingdoms of the Periphery are being felt on Terminus, and are handled by the first Mayor, Salvor Hardin.
2: The Mayors
The scene moves forward a further twenty years, as Mayor Hardin faces down the domination of the nearby and most powerful of the Four Kingdoms, Anacreon, whose ruler intends to annex the Foundation by force.
3: The Merchant Princes
A hundred and fifty years after the Foundation was established, the now powerful trading nation, guided by master trader Hober Mallow, faces its greatest threat to date.
4: The General
Two hundred years after its creation, the Foundation battles Bel Riose, the last powerful General of the dying Galactic Empire.
5: The Mule
A further hundred years have passed, and the Foundation is challenged by an unexpected threat named The Mule.
6: Flight From The Mule
During the war against The Mule, with things going badly for the Foundation, some key figures under the leadership of the Foundation's greatest scientist, Ebling Mis, flee Terminus in search of the Second Foundation, to warn it of the danger from The Mule.
7: The Mule Finds
The Mule attempts to find and overthrow the Second Foundation.
8: Star's End
Sixty years later a teenage girl is at the centre of the Foundation's renewed search for the Second Foundation.
Changes from the Novels
- The conflict between The Foundation and Anacreon takes place 70 years into the Foundation era; in the novels it occurs in year 80 F.E.
- A small segment entitled "Traders" in the first volume, Foundation, has been removed entirely
- General editing of the timescale has been done throughout
- A large, rather comedic, section about farming on Rossem has been gratuitously added to "The Mule Finds"
Cast
- William Eedle as Hari Seldon
- Geoffrey Beevers as Gaal Dornick
- Lee Montague as Salvor Hardin
- Julian Glover as Hober Mallow
- Dinsdale Landen as Bel Riose
- Maurice Denham as Ebling Mis
- Gary Watson as Toran Darell
- Angela Pleasence as Bayta Darell
- Wolfe Morris as Magnifico/The Mule
- Cyril Shaps - The Guardian/Preem Palver
- Carleton Hobbs as Dr Toran Darell II
- Prunella Scales as Lady Callia
- David Valla as Encyclopedia Galactica Read-out
- Heron Carvic as Advocate
- John Hollis as Yohan Lee
- Roy Spencer as Lewis Pirenne
- Rolf Lefebvre as Anselm Rodric and Dagobert IX
- Ronald Herdman as Lord Dorwin
- Brian Haines as Tomaz Sutt and Huxlani
- John Rowe as Jord Fara and Student Planner (Second Foundation)
- John Samson as Sef Sermak
- William Fox as Poly Verisof and Cleon II
- William Sleigh as Doktor Walto
- Michael Kilgarriff as Theo Aporat, Lieutenant Vrank and Tubor
- Francis de Wolff as Prince Regent Wienis
- Terry Scully as King Lepold I and Oval
- Anthony Jackson as Jorane Sutt
- Peter Williams as Ankor Jael
- Robin Browne as Jaim Twer and Orum Palley
- Fraser Kerr as Comdor Asper and Meirus
- Gail MacFarlane as Commdora Licia
- Douglas Blackwell as Onum Barr and The Governor (Rossem)
- David Gooderson as Tech-man
- Martin Friend as Ammel Broderig
- Michael Harbour as Lathan Devers
- Ronald Herdman as Sennett Forell and Elder (Rossem)
- Hayden Jones as First trader
- John Ruddock as Second trader, Mayor Indbur III and Elder (Rossem)
- Peter Howell as Ducem Barr
- John Justin as Han Pritcher
- Nigel Graham as Franssart
- Lewis Stringer as Randu
- Nigel Anthony as Prince Dagobert
- Trader Faulkner as Bail Channis
- Sarah Frampton as Arkady Darell
- Gabriel Woolf as Pelleas Anthor
- David March as Homir Munn
- Peter Pratt as Lord Stettin
- Katherine Parr as Mrs Palver
External links
- The Foundation Trilogy (BBC Radio) MP3s for sale at Amazon UK
- Audio files hosted at archive.org
References
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