Paul Bishop, who runs the addictive Bish’s Beat blog, writes about an unfamiliar audio drama series that sounds right up our dark alley!
Sez Paul:
“McLevy!
THESE TOP NOTCH AUDIO DRAMAS FROM BBC 4 SURROUNDING INSPECTOR MCLEVY, A TACITURN, VICTORIAN, EDINBURGH SLEUTH, HIS GIRLFRIEND BROTHEL OWNER JEAN BRASH, AND HIS SIDEKICK CONSTABLE MULHOLLAND, ARE A JOY. ORIGINALLY BROADCAST FROM 1999 TO 2006, GOOD WRITING, GOOD CASTING, AND GOOD DIRECTION MAKE THIS FORTY-FIVE MINUTE SHOW A MUST FOR YOUR BBC DOWNLOADER . . .”
Indeed! Though I think a visit to RadioArchive.cc will be even more effiecent!
From “Snuffbox” a collector and moderator on RadioArchive.cc:
The dark broodings of James McLevy, a dour Scots detective created by writer James Ashton, are based loosely on the stories of a real-life police inspector. James McLevy was a County Armagh-born builder’s labourer who embarked on a police career in the 1830s and published several collections of his cases.
Ashton’s McLevy, however, is a far deeper and darker character, a man obsessed with meting out justice, and with demons of his own.
Brian Cox is superb as the brooding coffee addict McLevy, ably supported by his sharp side-kick Constable Mulholland. Running throughout the series is McLevy’s love-hate cat-and-mouse realationship with the delicious Jean Brash, propriortress of Edinburgh’s premier bawdy-hoose.
Cast:
McLevy … Brian Cox
Mulholland … Michael Perceval-Maxwell
Jean Brash … Siobhán Redmond
Lt. Roach … David Ashton
Pilot 1999
1. McLevy
1st Series 2000
2. For Unto Us
3. The Trophy Club
4. The Second Shadow
5. The Burning Question
2nd Series 2002
6. A Good Walk Spoilt
7. Wild Justice
8. The Wild Spark
9. Stab in the Back
3rd Series 2003
10. Behind the Curtain
11. A Voice from the Grave
12. The Dark Shadow
13. Servant of the Crown
4th Series 2006
14. A Piece of Cake
15. The Sea Change
16. Sins of the Fathers
17. The Devil’s Disguise
5th Series 2009
18. To Keep Him Honest
19. Picture of Innocence
20. The Chosen One
21. The Reckoning
2 episodes are also available on CD |HERE|
[via Bish’s Beat]
Posted by Jesse Willis
The newest release over on LibriVox is a solo reading of an 1888 SF novel. It should be of interest to our regular SFF literati and pretty much anyone else interested in things going on in 20th century history and modern American politics. Edward Bellamy’s novel, Looking Backward: 2000-1887, describes: unregulated stock markets, the use (and abuse) of credit cards, the rise of big box stores like Costco, socialism, and music downloading. In fact, Bellamy’s novel reflects certain aspects of our world rather uncannily! In particular: the present of the United States of America and the past of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. 
