Radio School Stories

[antfan.livejournal.com]

So the BBC this week are doing, in their own words, "a series of three 'jolly hockey stick' stories for Radio 4 - performed by stars. These classic tales represent some of the best of popular 20th Century 'girls school fiction'."

Good Show Clarissa, 3.30-3.45pm, Tues-Thurs
Three jolly hockey stick school stories:
Tues: A Midnight Revel by Angela Brazil, read by Helen Mirren
Wed: Jemima Gets Them Guessing by Hilda Richards, read by Lisa Dillon
Thur: The Cheat by Enid Blyton, read by Joanna Lumley
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00z5c8h

What a shame they didn't include Antonia Forest! I can't believe any R4 listeners, however nostalgic, are really keen to listen to Enid Blyton! Why don't we all post on the BBC boards suggesting they read/dramatise some Antonia Forest in the future?

Comments

[oursin.livejournal.com]

Possibly because Forest doesn't really fit within the 'jolly hockey-sticks' parameters that appear to be the basis for the choices made? I suspect that there are certain preconceptions there about the girls' school story.

[hooloovoo_42]

I think that the cricket final would fall into that category. Or even the swimming match against Wade Abbas.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

I think there are significant differences of tone and style between Forest and Blyton/Brazil/etc. Forest, after all, actually has characters making knowing conversation about the school-story convention of 'playing bravely on on the sprained ankle'.

The invocation of the term 'jolly hockey sticks' suggests to me a degree of condescension about the entire genre - the kind of thing Arthur Marshall (http://www.ju90.co.uk/fin.htm) used to be famous for.

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

I would be quite keen to listen to some Enid Blyton.

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

Same. I'm a Radio 4 addict, and if they did St Clare's or Malory Towers I don't think I would be able to contain my glee.

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

Ooh, yes please!

[antisoppist.livejournal.com]

A lot of children's books turn up on BBC7, often in the Big Toe Books slot where they're divided into small chunks, but some of them make it to iPlayer where you can listen to all the episodes one after the other even if you can't get digital radio.

[rosathome.livejournal.com]

Do they tend to be readings or dramatisations?

[antisoppist.livejournal.com]

The Big Toe Books ones are usually readings. Dramatisations crop up in the rest of the schedule. BBC7 has to provide children's programming as part of its remit but I'm not sure how many children are actually listening to it.

[antfan.livejournal.com]

OK so turns out people do want to listen to Enid Blyton...I just think it's a missed opportunity to show that there is more to school fiction than that. And to hear End of Term read by Helen Mirren.

Although come to that I've never heard of Hilda Richard - who's that?

[(Anonymous)]

Hilda Richards is Charles Hamilton, aka Frank Richards. He's Frank when writing Billy Bunter and Hilda when writing Bessie Bunter.

[elainerees.livejournal.com]

So: the 10.45 slot after Woman's Hour? Read by whom? Or would it be dramatised? In our heads, I mean!