Bringing about Armageddon can be dangerous. Especially on the Radio.

September 7, 2014 12:23 AM

The BBC has announced that it will be producing a radio dramatization of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's book, Good Omens. The radio drama will be broadcast as six episodes in December on BBC Radio 4, and will feature Mark Heap and Peter Serafinowicz in the lead roles.
posted by schmod (38 comments total)

This is no substitute for the Gilliam production I was promised!

And now I'm being teased at the prospect of a proper 6 hour treatment (miniseries).

Paging HBO, HBO, please pick up the courtesy phone.
posted by el io at 12:43 AM on September 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

Radio? You can't stage the End of the World on Radio. Just ask Orson Welles. Or Howard Stern.
posted by oneswellfoop at 12:45 AM on September 7, 2014 [5 favorites]

Maybe it's all part of a great big ineffable plan. All of it.
posted by arcticseal at 1:16 AM on September 7, 2014 [7 favorites]

Radio worked pretty well for Douglas Adams's version, oneswellfoop.
posted by scruss at 1:38 AM on September 7, 2014 [3 favorites]

You're right scruss, and that was BBC too (or BBC2, I don't recall). So that's a good sign as long as they don't tear down the BBC studios for a highway bypass. (Or did they already do that? I need to catch up on my BBC-stuff.)
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:57 AM on September 7, 2014

HBO, it's a false alarm. While you've done great work to date, this is not something that needs your help. Radio has it covered.
posted by taff at 3:07 AM on September 7, 2014 [5 favorites]

You can't stage the End of the World on Radio.

When the End of the World comes - I mean the actual End of the World, not some art performance - almost 70% of humanity will learn of it from a tweet.
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:30 AM on September 7, 2014 [3 favorites]

The audiobook is already pretty good so somewhat, listened to it recently. And so a bit sceptical about an adaptation.

That said, reading the cast... And crucially it is by Dirk Maggs who is a radio genius and anything he does will be worth listening to, also Peter Serofinowicz - squee just typing that gets me excited ok I am convinced this will be great
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 4:00 AM on September 7, 2014

When the End of the World comes - I mean the actual End of the World, not some art performance - almost 70% of humanity will learn of it from a tweet.

Your use of future tense reveals you are part of the 30%.
posted by srboisvert at 4:05 AM on September 7, 2014 [3 favorites]

I ain't scared. Bring it on!
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:24 AM on September 7, 2014

YAYYYYYYYYYYYY

Peter Serafinowicz has the perfect voice for Crowley.
posted by Kitteh at 4:30 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

I really liked the adaptation of Neverwhere from last year. BBC radio also did a great adaptation of Dirk Gentley a few years back. So I'm hoping this is equally as good.
posted by shelleycat at 4:33 AM on September 7, 2014

I just want Stephen Fry to read the foot notes.I will accept any other voice casting in trade. I need to hear him say:

“Buggre Alle this for a Larke I amme sick to mye Hart of typefetinge. Master Biltonn if no Gentelmann, and Master Scagges now more that a tighte fisted Southwarke Knobbefticke. I telle you, onne a daye laike thif Ennywone withe half and oz of Sense shoulde bee oute in the Suneshain, ane nott Stucke here alle the lielong dale inn thif mowldey olde By-Our-Lady Workefhoppe *AE@;I*”
posted by jeribus at 5:02 AM on September 7, 2014 [14 favorites]

Hoping it paves the way for a TV or film adaptation also.
posted by GallonOfAlan at 5:29 AM on September 7, 2014

Oh, fabulous. I'm looking forward to this.
posted by rmd1023 at 5:30 AM on September 7, 2014

Good. The more radio drama in this world, the better.
The more well-done radio drama in this world, the best.
posted by Spatch at 5:31 AM on September 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

Sure it starts out fine but by the end of the program it just becomes Queen's greatest hits.
posted by The Whelk at 5:46 AM on September 7, 2014 [32 favorites]

I really liked the adaptation of Neverwhere from last year. BBC radio also did a great adaptation of Dirk Gentley a few years back.

I agree, those were both absolutely brilliant. And they were both by Dirk Maggs, so I'm really excited to hear what he does with Good Omens.
posted by metaBugs at 5:59 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

twoleftfeet: When the End of the World comes - I mean the actual End of the World, not some art performance - almost 70% of humanity will learn of it from a tweet.

Has Welles' original "War of the Worlds" broadcast been recreated on Twitter yet? There's a great project I don't have time for this year.
posted by Songdog at 6:17 AM on September 7, 2014 [3 favorites]

Programme, The Whelk. This is the BBC.

Iincidentally, there's a really good doc on IPlayer Radio at the most, The Doctor And Douglas about Douglas Adams' legacy in Who. Mentioned because it shows how pleasingly baroque the Been can be.
posted by Devonian at 6:23 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

shelleycat: BBC radio also did a great adaptation of Dirk Gentley a few years back.

They did? I'm going to have to find it. This day keeps getting better!
posted by Songdog at 6:35 AM on September 7, 2014

Both books! Really well done, too.
posted by DoctorFedora at 6:43 AM on September 7, 2014

I ADORE Mark Heap! This is wonderful!
posted by winna at 6:55 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yeah. I've had mixed feelings about the indefinitely-stalled film adaptation. The Hitchhiker's Guide movie included all of the right pieces, but somehow failed to fit together in a way that captured the magic of the books and radio dramas.

Pratchett and Adams' books are funny, largely due to their narrative structure, which is inherently difficult to replicate in a film. Furthermore, both Good Omens and HHGG feature tuns of surrealism, which is also difficult to port to the big screen.

Good Omens is one of my favorite books of all time, and I think that this adaptation is in very good hands. (There's also a part of me that's very happy that Terry will likely live to see it)
posted by schmod at 6:56 AM on September 7, 2014

I AM MORE THAN OKAY WITH THIS
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:08 AM on September 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

BBC radio adaptations are top notch, I'm always amazed how good they are. PBS used to do it (Star Wars in the early 80s) but I don't think so much anymore. Thank you British taxpayers. The company that used to sell these adaptations, AudioGo, went bankrupt earlier this year. Not sure where to get them except BBC's website (when available), or "unofficial" channels.
posted by stbalbach at 7:14 AM on September 7, 2014

Amazon.co.uk has the Dirk Gentley CDs, eg and eg. Prices vary widely so it's probably worth searching more than I did. I think "BBC audio" are the key words and those links have the cover art I remember. I got the CDs from the Auckland City Library at one point so that's where I heard them.
posted by shelleycat at 7:53 AM on September 7, 2014

Not sure where to get them except BBC's website (when available), or "unofficial" channels.

I recently picked up the BCC adaptation of Neverwhere from Audible. Turns out that in addition to books, they have at least some dramas-based-upon-books. Got it for a song, too--I think it was $1.99 on sale.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:05 AM on September 7, 2014

Yeah, here you go: Dirk Gently at Audible. Search for BCC radio dramas and you get tons of other selections, too.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:08 AM on September 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Now we just need to make sure the reminder thread happens when this starts airing in December.

And if this is going to turn into a general "look for this BBC radio program me" thread, look for Bigipedia. 8 episodes, 4 hours, one of the most surreal, net-savvy bits of anything anywhere.
posted by hippybear at 8:59 AM on September 7, 2014

This is Very Good News
but that photo of Terry is heartbreaking, the last few pics of my grandparents are like that
posted by runincircles at 10:49 AM on September 7, 2014

I was not as impressed with the Neverwhere adaptation. Some of the voice actors weren't what I imagined in my head in terms of characters. It might have also been that it felt too short to me.
posted by Kitteh at 11:47 AM on September 7, 2014

but that photo of Terry is heartbreaking, the last few pics of my grandparents are like that

not gonna click on the link now, thanks for the heads-up.
posted by jenfullmoon at 12:19 PM on September 7, 2014

'Dog' can't stop wagging.
posted by j_curiouser at 1:46 PM on September 7, 2014

If this excites you, you might be interested in the BBC Radio drama version of His Dark Materials trilogy, which was also amazing.

"Interested" isn't the word. I love those books, and hadn't heard about the dramatisation. Thanks!
posted by metaBugs at 2:53 PM on September 7, 2014

Darth Maul, Brian and Johnson all together. Excellent!
posted by Jon Mitchell at 4:55 PM on September 7, 2014

Slightly orgasming.
posted by L'Estrange Fruit at 5:45 PM on September 7, 2014

I'm glad to hear the Neverwhere adaptation is good--I've been meaning to buy it. Now I guess we'll also have this one to listen to on road trips somewhere down the road.
posted by immlass at 9:46 PM on September 7, 2014