BBC Thursday – 27th of October

Today’s the pre-scarry edition. Since it’s almost Halloween and all the creepy tales are crawling into the radio and yet there are still few interesting tales that won’t make you look under the bed searching for monsters, I’ve decides to split my BBC post to two parts this week.

Today I’ll give you a few tales that I liked or that seem interesting and during the weekend I’ll write a special creepy edition ;). I’ve got a few dramas already chosen for that one!

1. 1963 – Fanfare for the Common Men by Eddie Robson

The Fifth Doctor first fetched up on Earth in the 1960s – but what does he make of that decade’s greatest musical contribution, the Beatles?

It turns out the Time Lord is a big fan. His young companion Nyssa, however, is unfamiliar with all the fuss over Earth’s musical heritage – so a trip to Fab Four’s formative days is in order.

Yet the Beatles are nowhere to be seen and their role in history has been taken by another group…

BBC Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Goodreads

Day left: 21
Duration: 30 min | 4 episodes
Rating: ★★★☆☆

First and obviously one that I couldn’t skip – another Doctor Who! Well, I admit this one wasn’t my favorite, but if you love the series you should at least give it a try :).

On a side note – if you’re in dire need of some awesome graphic novels the HumbleBundle currently has Doctor Who set in offer! It’s like a Halloween gift!

2. Blood, Sex and Money by Emile Zola

Adelaide Fouque (Dide) is 104 years old, trapped in her small room in the local asylum, but omniscient as she broods over her extended family. As a young woman, she gave birth to two dynasties that exemplified French society – one legitimate, rich, powerful, obsessive and corrupt; the other illegitimate, poor, vulnerable, weak and depraved. France is on the brink of a new Empire. Her family is a turbulent mix of the good, the bad and the misguided.

Damaged by a lifetime of seizures and her mind scarred by trauma but Dide cannot forget her family. “What did I bring into this world? Wolves… I have raised a family of Wolves… I have watched their years. I will tell their story. Crime by crime. Blood by blood.”

BBC Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5
Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Episode 9 | Goodreads

Day left: 25
Duration: 45 to 90 min | 9 episodes

Now that the Doctor Who excitement is over its time for some classic. Drama based on a series of books by Emile Zola. 9 fascinating episodes that won’t let you get bored. Listen to all these intrigues, life struggles and family secrets. I’ve listened to few episodes and I like what I heard.

3. Cousin Bette by Honoré de Balzac

A tale of seductive women and philandering men, of passionate affairs and spiralling debts, Cousin Bette paints a vivid portrait of Paris in the 1830s and ’40s. It’s a city full of temptations, in which money is king, morals are loose and the appeals of the virtuous are usually in vain. In the midst of it all sits a poor relation, Cousin Bette, like a spider in her web. Fuelled by bitterness and jealousy, she is determined to weave destruction into the lives of her extended family, the socially superior Hulots.

BBC Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5
Episode 6 | Episode 7 | Episode 8 | Episode 9 | Episode 10 | Goodreads

Day left: 27
Duration: 15 min | 10 episodes

And yet another classic, something that maybe will calm the nerves a bit? I honestly don’t know as I haven’t listened to this ones yet. I guess we’ll see.

Only a few episodes are out now, so you might need to wait a bit for all of them, or just listen to the day-by-day.

Happy listening!