Discworld radio plays...

[Quatermass]

I know that there were a bunch of Discworld novels done as radio plays for the BBC, including Guards! Guards! and Mort. Are these available at all on CD anywhere?

 

[Tonyblack]

No they're not. I think the BBC are missing out on a great opportunity to cash in by not making them available.

I've found them all to be very good. Radio being an excellent medium for Fantasy.

I've downloaded a program called "Radio Downloader" that can be programmed to save such items. Once you mark a particular show you are interested in, it will automatically save them for you.

As well as several adaptations of Discworld books, there was also a very good one of Nation.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

They might not have permission to sell them Tony.

 

[Tonyblack]

Who? The BBC? I thought the Beeb made them. :think:

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

Licensing is a peculiar thing - they may have only had permission to produce/adapt/dramatise for radio only? I expect there's no radio version available on a 'permanent' format as it's in competition with Transworld's audio book versions perhaps?

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

That was along the lines I was thinking Jan.

 

[Tonyblack]

These are dramatized plays of the books - not readings in competition with the audiobooks. It would be the equivalent of Sky TV showing the Discworld films on TV but not making DVDs of them. Makes no sense to me at all.

 

[Jan Van Quirm]

In that case Tony it's probably more to do with format - like Stephen Briggs has permission to adapt the books into stage plays but people who want to perform his plays still have to seek permission to stage their own productions (whether this includes permission from Colin Smythe/Transworld too I wouldn't know ).

In other words I think that they probably only had a license to broadcast (and maybe repeats on air) and it's another matter as to whether they can sell it as a recording on CD - although maybe the Beeb doesn't have such deep pockets (or such good merchandising lawyers) as Sky?