Dave Carley - 'Test Drive
Bitrate not checked until Post almost done, Apologies for the 16K files
CBC Radio 1: Sunday Night Playhouse (November 19 to December 24, 2001)
also re-broadcast on CBC Radio 1's Monday Playbill.
The life of a car salesman over fifty years is the subject of this new series by
award-winning playwright Dave Carley.
Earl Hughes owns an American Motors dealership on Toronto’s Golden Mile. He leads what he
describes as an uneventful life - he loves cars, his wife and his children, usually in that
order, and nothing much rocks his world. That is, except when he is taking potential
customers out for test drives - then all hell invariably breaks loose, and Earl finds
himself swept along in events out of his control.
Test Drive spans five decades, beginning in the mid-1950s and ending shortly after the new
millennium. It’s a panoramic look at cars, Canadian history and politics, with some very
bad weather thrown in.
Test Drive stars Gordon Pinsent as Earl Hughes, and was produced in Toronto by Linda Grearson.
1: 'The First Temptation of Earl' (18th November, 2001)
It’s October, 1954 and Earl is taking a Leaside librarian out for a test drive. But a heavy
rainstorm has started, and a wild thing named Hazel is about to disrupt Earl’s sales pitch.
2: 'Missiles and Mennonites' (25th November, 2001)
The Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 forms the backdrop to the story of a young man who would
like to trade his horse for a compact car - and hold the chrome trim.
3: 'Driving Bob' (2nd December, 2001)
Trudeaumania is sweeping the country in 1968, but Earl is persuaded to run for the Tories
in that year’s Federal election. The campaign is progressing moderately well, until Earl
decides to drive Robert Stanfield to a rally...
4: 'September Song' (9th December, 2001)
Earl and his wife take a sentimental car trip to Montreal, to celebrate their thirtieth
wedding anniversary. The year is 1976 and they have the best tickets in the house for the
Olympics gymnastics event, but they will never get to see Nadia Comaneci’s star turn.
5: 'The Last Temptation of Earl' (16th December, 2001)
American Motors is swallowed up by Chrysler in 1987, but Earl and his family manage to
switch gears in the nick of time.
6: 'Test Drive' (23rd December, 2001)
Earl rear-ends a Sports Utility Vehicle and is forced to take his driver’s test again. He’s
just turned 80 and he’s determined not to fail it - there being no greater hell than having
to take public transit.
My Thanks to Original Poster for Files and Text! ------------------ R
Replies
Thank you very much.
Fixed dinner, cleaned while listening to alll 6 episodes - thank you for another treat! Well written well performed, felt great listening to something done recently for radio.
Got these before but omitted to acknowledge the fact -Thanks
A car salesman? Well this something different, Thanks!