''Salem's Lot'' is a 1995

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

dramatization of

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...

's 1975 novel '' 'Salem's Lot'' written by

Gregory Evans Gregory Thomas Evans, (June 13, 1913 – May 23, 2010) was a Canadian judge and the first Integrity Commissioner of Ontario. Born in McAdam, New Brunswick, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Joseph's University in 1934 and gr ...

. It combines the psychological thriller and the classic horror genres, making references to

Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busine ...

's 1897 novel ''

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...

'' at several points and sometimes replicating its storyline.

Plot summary

Ben Mears, a successful writer who grew up in the (fictional) town of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine (known to locals as "Salem's Lot" or "The Lot"), has returned home following the death of his wife. Ben plans to write a book about the "Marsten House", an abandoned mansion that gave him nightmares after a traumatic (and possibly supernatural) childhood experience. Once in town, he meets local high school teacher Matt Burke and strikes up a romantic relationship with Susan Norton, a young college graduate. Mears discovers that the Marsten house has been bought by Mr. Straker and Mr. Barlow, a pair of businessmen who are also new to the town, although only Straker has been seen. Their arrival coincides with the disappearance of a young boy, Ralphie Glick, and the suspicious death of his brother Danny. It then becomes clear that Barlow is a vampire, and is taking over the town with Straker's help. Ben, Matt, Susan, and a few other residents of the Lot try to prevent the vampires from spreading. In the end, Ben and young Mark Petrie succeed in neutralizing Straker and destroy the master vampire Barlow, but, lucky to escape with their lives, are forced to leave the town to the newly created vampires.

Cast and crew

* Stuart Milligan as Ben Mears *

Teresa Gallagher Teresa Gallagher is an American-born British actress. Career Gallagher is known for her role as Ellen Smith in ''The Bill'', for her appearances on radio in ''No Commitments'', ''Salem's Lot'', and '' Memorials to the Missing''. She play ...

as Susan Norton * Danny Cannaba as Mark Petrie *

Doug Bradley Douglas William Bradley (born 7 September 1954) is an English actor and author, best known for his role as the lead Cenobite "Pinhead" in the ''Hellraiser'' film series and for narration on various Cradle of Filth albums. He is also starri ...

Kurt Barlow Kurt Barlow is a fictional character and the main antagonist of Stephen King's 1975 horror novel Salem's Lot''. The character is a powerful vampire who moves to the Maine town of Jerusalem's Lot with the intent to form a vampire colony of its ...

* John Moffatt as Richard Straker * Gavin Muir as Matt Burke *

Kerry Shale Kerry Shale is a Canadian actor and writer based in London, England. Filmography Film Television Video games References External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shale, Kerry Living people 20th-century British male actors 20th-century Ca ...

as Jimmy Cody *

Don Fellows Don Fellows (December 2, 1922 – October 21, 2007) was an American actor known for his roles in British theater and television. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Fellows served in the United States Merchant Marine ...

as Parkins Gillespie *

Nigel Anthony Nigel Anthony (born December 23, 1941) is a theatre, television, and radio actor. His theatre work includes ''Twelfth Night'', ''Dutch Uncle (play), Dutch Uncle'', ''Happy End (musical), Happy End'', ''The Taming of the Shrew'' for the Royal Sh ...

Father Callahan Father Donald Frank Callahan is a fictional Character (arts), character created by Stephen King. He originally appeared in the 1975 novel Salem's Lot'' and later ''The Dark Tower (series), The Dark Tower'', appearing in ''The Dark Tower V: Wolve ...

* George Parsons as Nolly Gardner *

Lorelei King Lorelei King is an American actress, screenwriter and development executive who has been based in the United Kingdom since 1981. She has narrated audiobooks, acted in radio plays for BBC Radio 4 and appeared on television. Early life King spe ...

as June Petrie *

Vincent Marzello Vincent Marzello (July 4, 1951 – March 31, 2020) was an American actor. Early life Marzello was born in the New York borough of Brooklyn on July 4, 1951. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Career Marzello was act ...

as Henry Petrie * Music by Elizabeth Parker of the

BBC Radiophonic Workshop The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was one of the sound effects units of the BBC, created in 1958 to produce incidental sounds and new music for radio and, later, television. The unit is known for its experimental and pioneering work in electroni ...

* Dramatised by Gregory Evans * Directed by Adrian Bean

Differences between the novel and radio adaptation

Although the story's overall structure remains similar, several lines have been consolidated and/or simplified, in keeping with the much-shortened radio format (seven 30-minute broadcasts). * Ralphie Glick's role is reduced (from both 1975 novel and 1979 TV-film) * Dud Rogers and the junkyard see only cursory mention (much of the Barlow/Dud Rogers dialogue having been re-scripted into the Barlow/Larry Crockett death scene) * Danny Glick's rise from the grave (and Mike Ryerson's death) are now explicitly enabled/supervised by Barlow, who mesmerizes Ryerson and calls Danny forth * Father Callahan and Dr. Cody become quick/willing vampire-hunters, with virtually no complaint or skepticism * Mark Petrie uses shards of broken glass (rather than contortionist rope-tricks) to free himself from Straker's knots * The entire narrative is framed by Ben Mears' confession to a Mexican priest (who periodically interrupts the retelling with specific questions) {{DEFAULTSORT:Salem's Lot (Radio Drama) 'Salem's Lot British radio dramas BBC Radio dramas 1995 radio dramas Adaptations of works by Stephen King Vampires in popular culture