Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

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The Foundation Trilogy The ''Foundation'' series is a science fiction book series written by American author Isaac Asimov. First published as a series of short stories in 1942–50, and subsequently in three collections in 1951–53, for thirty years the series was a ...

'' was adapted for the

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's ...

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 The Galactic Empire is an interstellar empire featured in Isaac Asimov's ''Robot'', ''Galactic Empire'', and '' Foundation'' series. The Empire is spread across the Milky Way galaxy and consists of almost 25 million planets settled exclusively b ...

, capital of the Galactic Empire, with the meeting of Hari Seldon and Gaal Dornick, their trial, and their exile to

Terminus Terminus may refer to: * Bus terminus, a bus station serving as an end destination * Terminal train station or terminus, a railway station serving as an end destination Geography *Terminus, the unofficial original name of Atlanta, Georgia, United ...

. 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 added to "The Mule Finds" * The leaders of the Second Foundation are referred to as 'Guardian', rather than 'Speaker' as in the books.

Cast

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

as Prince Dagobert * Geoffrey Beevers as

Gaal Dornick ''Foundation'' is a science fiction novel by American writer Isaac Asimov. It is the first published in his ''Foundation Trilogy'' (later expanded into the ''Foundation'' series). ''Foundation'' is a cycle of five interrelated short stories, ...

Douglas Blackwell Douglas Blackwell (17 May 1924 – 17 October 2009) was an English actor. Douglas Blackwell was born in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England, but brought up in Port Talbot, Wales, where he attended the local county grammar school. He narrated ...

as Onum Barr and The Governor (Rossem) * Robin Browne as Jaim Twer and Orum Palley *

Heron Carvic Heron Carvic (born Geoffrey Richard William Harris; 21 January 1913 – 9 February 1980) was an English actor and writer who provided the voice for Gandalf in the BBC Radio version of ''The Hobbit'', and played Caiaphas the High Priest every ti ...

as Advocate *

Maurice Denham William Maurice Denham OBE (23 December 1909 – 24 July 2002) was an English character actor who appeared in over 100 films and television programmes in his long career. Family Denham was born on 23 December 1909 in Beckenham, Kent, the son ...

Ebling Mis This is a list of characters in Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' series. Through the centuries-spanning nature of the ''Foundation'' series, the lives of its various characters are limited to one or two of its nine episodes. In spite of the great su ...

* William Eedle as

Hari Seldon Hari Seldon is a fictional character in Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' series. In his capacity as mathematics professor at Streeling University on the planet Trantor, Seldon develops psychohistory, an algorithmic science that allows him to predi ...

Trader Faulkner Ronald "Trader" Faulkner (7 September 1927 – 14 April 2021) was an Australian actor, raconteur and flamenco dancer, best known for his work in the UK on the stage and television. Early life Faulkner was born in Manly, Australia, the son of ...

Bail Channis This is a list of characters in Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' series. Through the centuries-spanning nature of the ''Foundation'' series, the lives of its various characters are limited to one or two of its nine episodes. In spite of the great su ...

* William Fox as

Poly Verisof This is a list of characters in Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' series. Through the centuries-spanning nature of the ''Foundation'' series, the lives of its various characters are limited to one or two of its nine episodes. In spite of the great su ...

and Cleon II * Sarah Frampton as

Arkady Darell This is a list of characters in Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' series. Through the centuries-spanning nature of the ''Foundation'' series, the lives of its various characters are limited to one or two of its nine episodes. In spite of the great s ...

* Martin Friend as Ammel Broderig *

Julian Glover Julian Wyatt Glover (born 27 March 1935) is an English classical actor with many stage, television, and film roles since commencing his career in the 1950s. He is a recipient of the Laurence Olivier Award and has performed many times for the ...

as Hober Mallow *

David Gooderson David Gooderson (born 24 February 1941) is an English actor who has appeared in several television roles. Career As well as portraying Davros, creator of the Daleks in the ''Doctor Who'' serial ''Destiny of the Daleks'', he appeared in e ...

as Tech-man * Nigel Graham as Franssart * Brian Haines as

Tomaz Sutt This is a list of characters in Isaac Asimov's ''Foundation'' series. Through the centuries-spanning nature of the ''Foundation'' series, the lives of its various characters are limited to one or two of its nine episodes. In spite of the great su ...

and Huxlani *

Michael Harbour Michael Ninian Harbour (4 July 1945 – 9 April 2009) was a British actor. In a career spanning forty years from 1969 until his death, he took on roles in television programmes such as ''The Line of Beauty'', '' Heartbeat'', ''Casualty'', ...

as Lathan Devers * Ronald Herdman as Sennett Forell and Elder (Rossem) * Ronald Herdman as Lord Dorwin *

Carleton Hobbs Carleton Percy Hobbs, OBE (18 June 1898 – 31 July 1978) was an English actor with many film, radio and television appearances. He portrayed Sherlock Holmes in 80 radio adaptations in a series of Sherlock Holmes radio dramas (1952–1969), ...

as Dr Toran Darell II * John Hollis as Yohan Lee * Dinsdale Landen as Bel Riose * Peter Howell as Ducem Barr * Anthony Jackson as Jorane Sutt * Hayden Jones as First trader *

John Justin John Justin (24 November 1917 – 29 November 2002) was a British stage and film actor. Early life John Justinian de Ledesma was born in Knightsbridge, London, England, the son of a well-off Argentine rancher. Though he grew up on his fathe ...

as Han Pritcher * Fraser Kerr as Comdor Asper and Meirus * Michael Kilgarriff as Theo Aporat, Lieutenant Vrank and Tubor * Rolf Lefebvre as Anselm Rodric and

Dagobert IX This is a list of characters in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, ''Foundation'' series. Through the centuries-spanning nature of the ''Foundation'' series, the lives of its various characters are limited to one or two of its nine episodes. In spi ...

* David March as Homir Munn * Gail MacFarlane as Commdora Licia *

Lee Montague Lee Montague (born Leonard Goldberg; 16 October 1927) is an English actor noted for his roles in film and television, usually playing tough guys. Montague was a student of the Old Vic School. Montague's film credits include ''The Camp on Blo ...

as Salvor Hardin *

Wolfe Morris Wolfe Morris (born Woolf Steinberg, 5 January 1925 – 21 July 1996) was an English actor, who played character roles on stage, television and in feature films from the 1950s until the 1990s. He made his film debut in ''Ill Met by Moonlight''. ...

as Magnifico *

Katherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...

as Mrs Palver * Angela Pleasence as Bayta Darell *

Peter Pratt Peter Pratt (21 March 1923 – 11 January 1995) was an English actor and singer. He was best known for his comic roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan comic operas. Pratt started his career in the chorus of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in 1945, ...

as Lord Stettin * John Rowe as Jord Fara and Student Planner (Second Foundation) *

John Ruddock John Ruddock (20 May 1897 – 24 September 1981) was a Peruvian-born British film and television actor. John Ruddock was born on 20 May 1897 in Lima, Peru as John Reynolds Ruddock. He was the first of seven children of his British father and Ame ...

as Second trader, Mayor Indbur III and Elder (Rossem) * John Samson as Sef Sermak *

Prunella Scales Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales (''née'' Illingworth; born 22 June 1932) is an English former actress, best known for playing Sybil Fawlty, wife of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), in the BBC comedy '' Fawlty Towers'', her nomination for a ...

as Lady Callia *

Terry Scully Terry Scully (13 May 1932 – 17 April 2001) was a British theatre and television actor. After making his name in the theatre, from the 1960s onwards he became more known for TV work. In 1960 he starred in the BBC's production of ''An Age o ...

as King Lepold I and Oval *

Cyril Shaps Cyril Leonard Shaps (13 October 1923 – 1 January 2003) was an English actor of radio, television and film, with a career spanning over seven decades. Early radio Shaps was born in the East End of London to Polish-Jewish parents; his father ...

- The Guardian/Preem Palver * William Sleigh as Doktor Walto * Roy Spencer as

Lewis Pirenne This is a list of characters in Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, ''Foundation'' series. Through the centuries-spanning nature of the ''Foundation'' series, the lives of its various characters are limited to one or two of its nine episodes. In spi ...

* Lewis Stringer as Randu * David Valla as

Encyclopedia Galactica The ''Encyclopedia Galactica'' is the name of a number of fictional or hypothetical encyclopedias containing all the knowledge accumulated by a galaxy-spanning (Type III in Kardashev scale) civilization. The name evokes the exhaustive aspects o ...

Read-out *

Gary Watson Gary Watson (born Garrowby Watson, 13 June 1930) is a British retired actor. Early in his career he appeared in Friedrich Hebbel's 1962 play '' Judith'' at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, with Sean Connery. He made more than 40 appearances ...

as Toran Darell * Peter Williams as Ankor Jael *

Francis de Wolff Francis Marie de Wolff (7 January 191318 April 1984) was an English character actor. Large, bearded, and beetle-browed, he was often cast as villains in both film and television. Life and career Born in Essex, he made his film debut in ''Flame ...

as Prince Regent Wienis *

Gabriel Woolf Gabriel Woolf (born 2 October 1932) is a British film, radio and television actor. Career Among Woolf's leading parts was his performance as the Apostle John in a frequently repeated BBC adaptation of The Man Born to Be King where he also intr ...

as Pelleas Anthor

External links

Audio files
hosted at archive.org * {{DEFAULTSORT:Foundation Trilogy (BBC Radio), The Foundation universe BBC Radio 4 programmes British science fiction radio programmes 1973 radio programme debuts