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''Dick Barton – Special Agent'' is a
radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
thriller serial that was broadcast in the
BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...
between 7 October 1946 and 30 March 1951. Produced and directed by
Raymond Raikes Raymond Montgomery Raikes (13 September 1910 – 2 October 1998) was a British theatre producer, director and broadcaster. He was particularly known for his productions of classic dramas for BBC Radio's "World Theatre" and "National Theatre of ...
, Neil Tuson, and Charles Lefaux, it was aired in 15-minute episodes at 6.45 (later 6.15) each weekday evening. From 11 January 1947 an additional "omnibus" edition repeated all of the week's programmes each Saturday morning between 11.00 and 12.00. In all, 711 episodes were produced and the serial achieved a peak audience of 20 million.James Chapman (2006) ''Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television'' Vol. 26, No. 4, pp. 537–559 "‘HONEST BRITISH VIOLENCE’: CRITICAL RESPONSES TO DICK BARTON—SPECIAL AGENT (1946–1951)" Its end was marked by a leading article in ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
''.''The Times'', 31 March 1951, p. 7 "The Last Instalment" The serial followed the adventures of ex-
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Captain Richard Barton MC (
Noel Johnson Noel Frank Johnson (28 December 1916 – 1 October 1999) was an English actor. He was the voice of special agent Dick Barton on BBC Radio and Dan Dare on Radio Luxembourg. Life Johnson was born 28 December 1916 in Birmingham, England and at ...
, later
Duncan Carse Verner Duncan Carse (28 July 1913 – 2 May 2004) was an English explorer and actor known for surveying South Georgia and for the portrayal of Special Agent Dick Barton on BBC Radio. Early life Carse was born on 28 July 1913 in Fulham, London, ...
and Gordon Davies) who, with his mates Jock Anderson (
Alex McCrindle Alex McCrindle (3 August 1911 – 20 April 1990) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his role as General Jan Dodonna in ''Star Wars''. Biography McCrindle was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He began his acting career in 1937 starring in ...
) and Snowy White ( John Mann), solved all sorts of crimes, escaped from dangerous situations, and saved the nation from disaster time and time again. The series was replaced from time to time by one about the adventures of an explorer. One episode was entitled "Plague on the Plateau". Beginning in 1948, the
Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...
film company made three ''Dick Barton'' films and, long after the radio series had been replaced by ''
The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural settin ...
'',
Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was con ...
made a television version in 1979. ''Dick Barton'' has also been adapted into a tongue-in-cheek stage play and a spoof radio comedy. Each version has featured the originals' memorable signature tune, "
Devil's Galop "Devil's Galop" is a piece of light music composed by Charles Williams. It became famous as the theme tune to the radio serial '' Dick Barton – Special Agent''. The word "galop" in the title refers to the galop dance (which, in turn, refers to ...
" by Charles Williams.


Radio series


Style

The series was devised by producer
Norman Collins Norman Richard Collins (3 October 1907 – 6 September 1982) was a British writer, and later a radio and television executive, who became one of the major figures behind the establishment of the Independent Television (ITV) network in the ...
. The scripts were written by Edward J. Mason, Geoffrey Webb and Produced and directed by
Raymond Raikes Raymond Montgomery Raikes (13 September 1910 – 2 October 1998) was a British theatre producer, director and broadcaster. He was particularly known for his productions of classic dramas for BBC Radio's "World Theatre" and "National Theatre of ...
. The programme gave rise to a popular catchphrase of the late 1940s "With one bound, Dick was free!" which made light of the fact that no matter how dangerous the cliffhanging situation Dick found himself in every evening, he would always escape easily. Early ideas for the character's name included "Bill Barton" and "Rex Drake". However, the production team finally settled on the more dynamic Dick Barton. After the series had been on the air for some time, the BBC (conscious that the biggest audience for the programme was schoolboys) wrote a strict code of what Dick and his chums could and couldn't do, one clause famously stating "Sex plays no part in his adventures."


Cast

*
Noel Johnson Noel Frank Johnson (28 December 1916 – 1 October 1999) was an English actor. He was the voice of special agent Dick Barton on BBC Radio and Dan Dare on Radio Luxembourg. Life Johnson was born 28 December 1916 in Birmingham, England and at ...
as Dick Barton * John Mann as Snowy White * William Fox as Colonel Gardiner *
Alex McCrindle Alex McCrindle (3 August 1911 – 20 April 1990) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his role as General Jan Dodonna in ''Star Wars''. Biography McCrindle was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He began his acting career in 1937 starring in ...
as Jock Anderson * Margaret Robertson as Jean Hunter


Cancellation

In 1951 ''
The Archers ''The Archers'' is a BBC radio drama on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural settin ...
'' was first broadcast at 11.45 am on the
Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...
. BBC management, led by drama head
Val Gielgud Val Henry Gielgud (28 April 1900 – 30 November 1981) was an English actor, writer, director and Television presenter, broadcaster. He was a pioneer of radio drama for the BBC, and also directed the first ever drama to be produced in the newe ...
, had never felt comfortable with the sensationalism of ''Dick Barton''. ''The Archers'', which they considered more 'suitable', took ''Dick Barton'' place in the schedules from Easter 1951.


Revivals

In 1972 as part of the BBC's Golden Jubilee, the BBC broadcast a new, abridged, 10-episode version of the first Barton serial - "The Secret Weapon". The cast included many members of the original cast, including Noel Johnson, John Mann, William Fox, Alex McCrindle, and Margaret Robertson. From October 1997 to May 1998, BBC Radio 4 broadcast a six-part sequel/pastiche called ''Richard Barton: General Practitioner!'', in which Dick Barton's son Richard is a country doctor caring for his apparently senile father, who retreats into fantasies based on his past adventures, believing that there are devilish enemies lurking around him. The series was written by Edward Mason's son Lol Mason, and featured
Moray Watson Moray Robin Philip Adrian Watson (25 June 1928 – 2 May 2017) was an English actor from Sunningdale, Berkshire. Life Watson was born in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to Gerard Arthur Watson (1901–1940), a ship broker, who was killed during World ...
as old Dick Barton,
Robert Bathurst Robert Guy Bathurst (born 22 February 1957) is an English actor. Bathurst was born in The Gold Coast (now Ghana) in 1957, where his father was working as a management consultant. In 1959 his family moved to Ballybrack, Dublin, Ireland and Bath ...
as his son Richard,
Matilda Ziegler Matilda Ziegler (born 23 July 1964) is an English actress, best known for her roles as Donna Ludlow in ''EastEnders'', Irma Gobb in ''Mr. Bean'', and Pearl Pratt in ''Lark Rise to Candleford''. Television and film career Ziegler's first screen r ...
as Richard's wife Sally,
Julian Dutton Julian Dutton is an English comedy writer and performer, principally for television and radio, whose work has won a British Comedy Award, a BAFTA, and a Radio Academy Gold Award for Best Comedy. He is the author of five books. He is the co-c ...
as young Dick Barton and
Iain Cuthbertson Iain Cuthbertson (4 January 1930 – 4 September 2009) was a Scottish character actor and theatre director. He was known for his tall imposing build and also his distinctive gravelly, heavily accented voice. He had lead roles in ''The Border ...
as Jock Anderson. The series was rebroadcast on
BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the p ...
in 2015 and again in 2019. In 2009, BBC Audiobooks released ''Dick Barton and the Mystery of the Missing Formula'' (), a reading of a novel based on the radio serials written by
Mike Dorrell Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...
and read by
Toby Stephens Toby Stephens (born 21 April 1969) is an English actor who has appeared in films in the UK, US and India. He is known for the roles of Bond villain Gustav Graves in the 2002 James Bond film ''Die Another Day'' (for which he was nominated for the ...
. The BBC produced a completely new live recording of an original 1951 Dick Barton serial in June 2013, starring Tim Bentinck and Terry Molloy. (Blackstone audiobooks )


Films

Beginning in 1948, the
Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...
film company made three Dick Barton films, which were intended to be the beginning of a long-running series.
Don Stannard Don Stannard (1915 – 9 July 1949) was a British actor. Born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, Stannard trained at RADA, graduating in 1935. He is best remembered for playing the secret agent Dick Barton in three Hammer films: '' Dick Barton: Specia ...
, the star, was killed in a car crash in 1949, and Hammer decided to discontinue the series after the production of only three films. Hammer shelved plans to film the next Dick Barton film, ''Dick Barton in Africa'' written by
John Gilling John Gilling (29 May 1912 – 22 November 1984) was an English film director and screenwriter, born in London. He was known for his horror film, horror movies, especially those he made for Hammer Films, for whom he directed ''The Shadow of the ...
.p.59 Hearn, Marcus & Barnes, Alan ''The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films'' 1997 Titan Books * '' Dick Barton: Special Agent'' (1948) * ''
Dick Barton Strikes Back ''Dick Barton Strikes Back'' is a 1949 British spy film about special agent Dick Barton. It was the third of three films that Hammer Film Productions made about the agent, although it was the second released. Plot Captain Richard 'Dick' Barton a ...
'' (1949) * ''
Dick Barton at Bay ''Dick Barton at Bay'' is a 1950 British spy film about special agent Dick Barton. It was the second of three films that Hammer Film Productions made about the British agent, although it was the last released, following '' Dick Barton: Special Ag ...
'' (1950)


Television

In 1979,
Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was con ...
, one of the smaller ITV Network Companies, made a series of ''Dick Barton - Special Agent'' which ran in an early evening slot on the ITV Network. Like the original, it ran in 15-minute segments and was again accompanied by the familiar theme tune, the titles playing against an animated dagger and target motif. The production was blighted by financial troubles, though, and some critics said it was a mistake to try to resurrect the character. The cast of the show was
Tony Vogel Antony Leslie 'Tony' Vogel (29 June 1942 – 27 July 2015) was an English actor. He played Andrew in the mini-series of Franco Zeffirelli's ''Jesus of Nazareth'' (1977), Aquila in '' A.D. Anno Domini'' (1985) and the title role in the 1979 tel ...
as Dick Barton,
Anthony Heaton Anthony or Antony is a masculine given name, derived from the ''Antonii'', a '' gens'' ( Roman family name) to which Mark Antony (''Marcus Antonius'') belonged. According to Plutarch, the Antonii gens were Heracleidae, being descendants of Anton ...
as Snowy White,
James Cosmo James Ronald Gordon Copeland , known professionally as James Cosmo (b. 1947), is a Scottish film and television actor known for his appearances in films including '' Highlander'', ''Braveheart'', ''Trainspotting'', ''Jagame Thandhiram'', ''Tro ...
as Jock Anderson and John Gatrell as Sir Richard Marley. The 32x15 minutes episodes were transmitted by most of the ITV network on Saturdays and Sundays between January and April 1979. Southern, however, screened the show across consecutive nights from Mondays through to Thursday in the radio series's original timeslot of 6.45 to 7.00pm. * Adventure One written by
Clive Exton Clive Exton (11 April 1930 – 16 August 2007) was a British television and film screenwriter who wrote scripts for the series '' Poirot,'' ''Jeeves and Wooster,'' and '' Rosemary & Thyme.''Fiona Fullerton Fiona Elizabeth Fullerton (born 10 October 1956) is a British actress and singer, known for her role as Alice in the 1972 film ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' and as Bond girl KGB spy Pola Ivanova in the 1985 James Bond film ''A View to a ...
) and son Rex ( Kevan Sheehan). They come up against master criminal, Melganik played by John G Heller. * Adventure Two written by Julian Bond, in eight parts. At a late night celebration at the "Blue Parrot", Barton and his colleagues rescue a young girl, Lucy Cameron (
Debbie Farrington ''The Black Panther'' is a 1977 British crime film. Its subject is the real life ex-military criminal Donald Neilson, known as the "Black Panther". It was directed and produced by Ian Merrick, his first feature, and stars Donald Sumpter, Debbi ...
) from being attacked. She tells them that her father, George Cameron (Colin Rix) has been kidnapped by the evil Muller (
Guy Deghy Guy Deghy (born Gedeon Aladar Istvan Deghy; 11 October 1912 – 25 February 1992), was a Hungarian-born actor who appeared largely in British films and television, as in the 5th episode of the first season of '' The Saint'' depicting Inspector ...
) who is after the deadly poison he has developed. * Adventure Three written by Clive Exton, in six parts. Celebrating from the last adventure, Dick's Aunt Agatha ( Stella Kemball) rings up and tells him that her house has vanished. A further phone call from Sir Richard Marley reveals that scientist, Harold Jenkins ( Peter Godfrey) has perfected his ultimate weapon and Barton and comrades soon find themselves up against Melganik again. * Adventure Four written by Julian Bond, in eight parts. Dandy Parkes ( Terence Seward), a middle-aged playboy and Amanda Aston (
Marsha Fitzalan Lady Marcia Mary Josephine Fitzalan-Howard (born 10 March 1953), known as Marsha Fitzalan, is an English actress. Personal life Born in 1953, Marcia FitzAlan-Howard was the third daughter of Major Miles Fitzalan-Howard, 17th Duke of Norfolk a ...
), wife of a respected Whitehall official are threatened by the Drew Brothers (Ernie Drew by
Bernard Kay Bernard Frederic Bemrose Kay (23 February 1928 – 25 December 2014) was an English actor with an extensive theatre, television, and film repertoire. Career Kay began his working life as a reporter for the ''Bolton Evening News'', and a str ...
). The complete series was released on DVD in March 2009, and in 2010 re-runs of ''Dick Barton'' were shown on the British satellite television channel Film 24. By 2016 it had reappeared on another satellite channel,
Talking Pictures TV Talking Pictures TV (TPTV) is a British free-to-air vintage-film and nostalgia television channel. It was launched on 26 May 2015 on Sky channel 343, but later also became available on Freeview, Freesat, and Virgin Media. It is on air for 24 ho ...
.


Stage musical

A stage musical, ''Dick Barton Episode I, Special Agent'', written by
Phil Willmott Phil Willmott (born 26 January 1968) is a British director, playwright, arts journalist, teacher, and founder of London based theatre production company The Steam Industry. He was the Artistic Director of the Finborough Theatre in London's Ear ...
, directed by
Ted Craig Ted Craig FRSA (born 20 April 1948) is an Australian-born theatre director lately the artistic director of the Warehouse Theatre, South London, England. Biography Craig was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia. He worked in Australian te ...
. Musical direction was by Stefan Bednarczyk. It premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
in December 1998 to great acclaim. It was revived in 1999 and productions then toured Britain between 1998 and 2001. Following its success, further "episodes" were written and performed at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
: * December 1999 was ''Dick Barton Episode II, The Curse Of The Pharaoh's Tomb'' by
Phil Willmott Phil Willmott (born 26 January 1968) is a British director, playwright, arts journalist, teacher, and founder of London based theatre production company The Steam Industry. He was the Artistic Director of the Finborough Theatre in London's Ear ...
. Musical direction was by Stefan Bednarczyk. This was commissioned by and premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
. * December 2001 was ''Dick Barton Episode III, The Tango Of Terror'' by
Phil Willmott Phil Willmott (born 26 January 1968) is a British director, playwright, arts journalist, teacher, and founder of London based theatre production company The Steam Industry. He was the Artistic Director of the Finborough Theatre in London's Ear ...
. Musical direction by Stefan Bednarczyk. Commissioned by and premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
. It later toured to
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a theatre located in Guildford, Surrey, England. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, it presents a series of locally produced and national touring productions, including opera, ballet and pantomime. The theatre ...
, Guilford & Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon. * December 2002 was ''Dick Barton Episode IV, The Flight of the Phoenix'' by
Duncan Wisbey Duncan James Wisbey (born 16 December 1971) is an English actor, musician, writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art ...
and Stefan Bednarcxyk, directed by
Ted Craig Ted Craig FRSA (born 20 April 1948) is an Australian-born theatre director lately the artistic director of the Warehouse Theatre, South London, England. Biography Craig was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia. He worked in Australian te ...
. Commissioned by and premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
. * December 2003 was ''Dick Barton Episode V, The Excess of Evil'' by
Duncan Wisbey Duncan James Wisbey (born 16 December 1971) is an English actor, musician, writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art ...
and Stefan Bednarcyk, directed by
Ted Craig Ted Craig FRSA (born 20 April 1948) is an Australian-born theatre director lately the artistic director of the Warehouse Theatre, South London, England. Biography Craig was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia. He worked in Australian te ...
. Commissioned by and premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
. * December 2006 was ''Young Dick Barton'' by
Duncan Wisbey Duncan James Wisbey (born 16 December 1971) is an English actor, musician, writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art ...
, lyrics by Stefan Bednarczyk and directed by
Ted Craig Ted Craig FRSA (born 20 April 1948) is an Australian-born theatre director lately the artistic director of the Warehouse Theatre, South London, England. Biography Craig was born and educated in Melbourne, Australia. He worked in Australian te ...
. Commissioned by and premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
. * December 2008 was ''Young Dick Barton Episode II, The Devil Wears Tweed'' by
Duncan Wisbey Duncan James Wisbey (born 16 December 1971) is an English actor, musician, writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art ...
. Music and lyrics by Stefan Bednarczyk. Commissioned by and premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
. * December 2009 was ''Dick Barton, Quantum Of Porridge'' by
Duncan Wisbey Duncan James Wisbey (born 16 December 1971) is an English actor, musician, writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art ...
. Music and lyrics by Stefan Bednarczyk. Commissioned by and premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
. * December 2010 was ''Dick Barton, A Fist Full Of Barton'' by Kit Benjamin and Philip Ives, musical director was Stefan Bednarczyk. Commissioned by and premièred at the
Warehouse Theatre The Warehouse Theatre was a professional producing theatre in the centre of Croydon, England. Based in an oak-beamed Victorian former cement warehouse, it had 100 seats. The theatre closed in 2012 following withdrawal of funding and the disco ...
.


CD Releases

The BBC's 1972 remake of the very first Dick Barton serial has been available to buy on BBC CD and tape for many years. For some time, this was the only Dick Barton radio material that was commercially available, having been recovered from a recording made by a member of the public. However, this has now changed. In February 2011, BBC Radio 4 and a number of national newspapers reported that 338 episodes of Dick Barton recorded in the late 1940s had been recovered from the NFSA ational Film and Sound Archivein Australia; these re-recordings, using the original BBC scripts and music cues, starred Douglas Kelly as Barton with Moira Carleton, Clifford Cowley, Richard Davies, William Lloyd and Patricia Kennedy. BBC Worldwide's audio arm have released a number of these on CD. The Dick Barton radio series was later relaunched in the UK on
BBC Radio 4 Extra BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the p ...
(formerly
BBC Radio 7 BBC Radio 4 Extra (formerly BBC Radio 7) is a British Digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio broadcasting, radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a ...
) and further Dick Barton CDs have been announced by AudioGO (using the NFSA recordings). The BBC produced a completely new live recording of an original 1951 Dick Barton serial in June 2013, starring Tim Bentinck and Terry Molloy. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22689138 This new live production of the 1951 Barton story 'Dick Barton and the Trail of the Rocket' was recorded at the Y Theatre in Leicester using original scripts from 1951. It was released on CD by BBC Audio in July 2014, along with a number of bonus features. It is the only recording of this final Dick Barton serial to be made available by the BBC on CD. The original 1951 recording was never archived. It was billed as 'Dick Barton - Special Agent: LIVE' and starred Tim Bentinck in the lead. The following Dick Barton dramas are now available to buy on CD (or as downloads) via BBC Audio: 1 ''STORY 1'': 'Dick Barton and the Secret Weapon' (AKA 'Dick Barton: Special Agent) written by Edward J. Mason and originally broadcast 1946. The serial was re-recorded in November 1972 with much of the original cast. This is the 1972 version. (RELEASED: 1989) (RE-RELEASED: 2001 and 2009) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Barton-Special-Agent-Crimes/dp/1408426102/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c 2 ''STORY 2'': 'Dick Barton and the Paris Adventure' (which takes place right after "The Secret Weapon") written by Edward J. Mason. This recording was originally broadcast in Australia 14 March - 14 April 1949; original United Kingdom transmission dates are unknown at this time. (RELEASED: April 2011) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barton-Paris-Adventure-Edward-Mason/dp/140846800X/ref=pd_sim_b_1 3 ''STORY 3'': 'Dick Barton and the Cabatolin Diamonds' (which takes place right after "The Paris Adventure") written by Geoffrey Webb. This recording was originally broadcast in Australia 18 April - 19 May 1949; original United Kingdom transmission dates are unknown at this time. (RELEASED: April 2011) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Barton-Cabatolin-Diamonds-Geoffrey/dp/1408468107/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c 4 ''STORY 6'': 'Dick Barton and the Smash and Grab Raiders' written by Ronnie and Arthur Colley. This recording was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom 24 February - 12 March 1947 and in Australia August - September 1949. (RELEASED: 3 November 2011) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Barton-Smash-Raiders-Audio/dp/1445865114/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1320237747&sr=8-5 5 ''STORY 7'': 'Dick Barton and the Tibetan Adventure' (which takes place right after "The Smash and Grab Raiders") written by Edward J. Mason. This recording was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom 24 March - 18 April 1947 and in Australia 19 September - 14 October 1949. (RELEASED: 3 November 2011) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barton-Tibetan-Adventure-Edward-Mason/dp/1445865122/ref=pd_sim_b_1 6 ''STORY 9'': 'Dick Barton and the Affair of the Black Panther' written by Geoffrey Webb. This recording was originally broadcast in the United Kingdom 10 - 31 May 1947 and in Australia 3 November - December 1949. (RELEASED: 5 January 2012) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Barton-Vulture-Edward-Mason/dp/1445865149/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326376756&sr=1-7 7 ''STORY 10'': 'Dick Barton and the Vulture' (which takes place right after "The Affair of the Black Panther") written by Edward J. Mason. This story was first broadcast in the United Kingdom 29 September 1947 – 24 October 1947. Australian broadcast dates are unknown. (RELEASED: 5 January 2012) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Barton-Vulture-Edward-Mason/dp/1445865149/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326376756&sr=1-7 8 ''STORY 13'': 'Dick Barton and the Li-Chang Adventure' written by Edward J. Mason. This story was first broadcast in the United Kingdom 22 December 1947 – 23 January 1948. Australian broadcast dates are unknown. (RELEASED: 5 APRIL 2012) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Barton-Li-Chang-Adventure-Radio-Collection/dp/1445865157/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326376756&sr=1-10 9 ''STORY 14'': 'Dick Barton and the Case of Conrad Ruda' (which takes place right after "The Li-Chang Adventure") written by Basil Dawson. This story was first broadcast in the United Kingdom 26 January 1948 – 20 February 1948. Australian broadcast dates are unknown. (RELEASED: 5 APRIL 2012) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Barton-Conrad-Radio-Collection/dp/1445865165/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326376756&sr=1-5 10 ''STORY 16'': 'Dick Barton and the Firefly Adventure' written by Edward J. Mason & Produced by Morris West. This story was first broadcast in the United Kingdom sometime in 1950; actual transmission dates are unknown at this time. Australian broadcast dates are unknown. (RELEASED: 3 SEPTEMBER 2015) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Barton-Firefly-Adventure-full-cast/dp/1785291556/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1428684259&sr=1-4&keywords=Dick+Barton Dick Barton - Special Agent: LIVE: 11 ''STORY 39'': 'Dick Barton and the Trail of the Rocket' written by Bertie Chapman. (RELEASED: July 2014) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dick-Barton-Live-B-D-Chapman/dp/1910281255/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401456287&sr=1-13&keywords=dick+barton All of the above, including the BBC Radio documentary "Dick Barton: Still a Special Agent", have been released together for audio download as "Dick Barton: Special Agent - The Complete BBC Radio Collection" by
Audible Audible may refer to: * Audible (service), an online audiobook store * Audible (American football), a tactic used by quarterbacks * ''Audible'' (film), a short documentary film featuring a deaf high school football player * Audible finish or rush ...
. https://www.audible.com/pd/Radio-TV/Dick-Barton-Special-Agent-Audiobook/B074THPPLW?ref=a_a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=e81b7c27-6880-467a-b5a7-13cef5d729fe&pf_rd_r=W0FS6NKPP6AX6MW21ZK1&


References

{{Reflist}
Daily Express Article
http://www.bbcshop.com/dick-barton-live/invt/9781910281253


Further reading


lists radio and TV series, films and novels Films on the IMDB database
''Dick Barton: Special Agent''

''Dick Barton Strikes Back''

''Dick Barton At Bay''
BBC Light Programme programmes Barton, Dick 1946 radio programme debuts Radio programs adapted into films Radio programs adapted into television shows Barton, Dick ITV television dramas 1979 British television series debuts 1979 British television series endings 1970s British children's television series British film series Espionage television series English-language television shows Television shows produced by Southern Television Barton, Dick BBC Radio 4 programmes BBC Radio 4 Extra programmes