Posted by
James on July 12, 2010 at 5:46pm
First broadcast from 19870311 to 20100711
Dramatisation of PG Wodehouse's timeless comic classic of romance, scandal and pig-napping
01 -
Affably absent-minded Earl of Emsworth, preparing his prize-winning pig Empress of Blandings for the Shropshire Agricultural Show, is afraid that rival pig-owner Sir Gregory Parsloe is planning to nobble his precious Empress.
Parsloe fears that Emsworth's brother Galahad's memoirs contain scurrilous stories about their younger days in the naughty 1890s - particularly a racy story involving some prawns.
He plans to hire private detective Percy Pilbeam to purloin the manuscript.
Emsworth's sister Lady Constance, equally desperate to stop publication, also has a secret plan.
And romance is in the air.
His Lordship's new secretary and Emsworth's niece Millicent are secretly in love, but need financial help to pull off the marital merger.
Emsworth's nephew, Ronnie Fish, is also in love with an unsuitable person - chorus girl Sue Brown.
But Emsworth refuses to allow Ronnie any more money.
Ronnie concocts a plan to regain his uncle's approval.
Pig-napping, private detection, impostering, mistaken situations, fisticuffs and broken engagements ensue.
All is set for glorious mid-summer mayhem.
Galahad Threepwood.... Charles Dance
Lady Constance.... Patricia Hodge
Beach.... Tim Pigott-smith
Percy Pilbeam.... Matt Lucas
Lord Emsworth.... Martin Jarvis
Hugo Carmody.... Samuel West
Sue Brown.... LiSa Dillon
Ronnie Fish.... Matthew Wolf
Millicent.... Rachael Stirling
Rupert Baxter.... Jared Harris
Sir Gregory Parsloe.... Michael Jayston
Stage Doorman/Second Waiter.... David Weston
Commissionaire/First Waiter.... Jon Glover
Pagegirl.... Anna Moore
Voice of Wodehouse.... Ian Ogilvy
Dramatised by Archie Scottney.
Director: Martin Jarvis
Producer: Rosalind Ayres
A Jarvis & Ayres production for BBC Radio 4.
02 -
Lord Emsworth's brother, Galahad Threepwood, is writing his memoirs, to the horror and trepidation of all who knew him in their wild youths.
Sinister forces at Blandings Castle scheme to halt the scandalous revelations.
Rupert Baxter has been recalled to Blandings by Lady Constance to steal the incriminating maunscript on her behalf.
Emsworth's beloved pig, the Empress, has disappeared.
Hugo and Millicent's secret engagement has been broken off.
In an attempt to assuage Ronnie's mistaken anger over a nightclub encounter, Sue is now masquerading as an American heiress.
Detective Percy Pilbeam, also ensconced in the castle, plots to steal Galahad's racy memoirs.
Beach the butler is nervous about his part in the stolen pig plot.
Will these dilemmas be happily resolved, restoring peace and harmony to Blandings?Classic Serial Summer Lightning Episode 1 04-07-10.mp3
Classic Serial Summer Lightning Episode 2 11-07-10.mp3
Replies
The 1987 version is a classic!
James -
A belated thanks for introducing me to something I have not heard before or if I did my old brain has lost it. I am looking forward to listening to this series as I face a New Year and again thanks.
Bob
I watched Charles Dance as Lord Vetinari in "Going Postal" (Terry Pratchett)... and Michael Jayston has a great voice. Know him from some old Jane Eyre movie which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's great to be able to listen to their voices.
Thank you
---- Inga
For P.G. Wodehouse, Summer Lightning,
First broadcast 1987-03-11
40 kbps (best available copy)
Blandings - 'Summer Lightning' P.G. Wodehouse 6 R4 11.3.1987 15.4.1987 Richard Vernon/Ian Carmichael/Roger Sloman
Adapted for radio in 6 episodes by Richard Usborne, with Richard Vernon As Lord Emsworth and Ian Carmichael as the Hon. Galahad Threepwood.
1987-03-11 - Summer Lightning 1.6 - Trouble Brewing at Blandings
1987-03-18 - Summer Lightning 2.6 - Sensational Theft Of A Pig
1987-03-25 - Summer Lightning 3.6 - A Job For Percy Pilbeam
1987-04-01 - Summer Lightning 4.6 - Activities Of Beech The Butler
1987-04-08 - Summer Lightning 5.6 - Painful Scene In A Bedroom
1987-04-15 - Summer Lightning 6.6 - Sir Gally Takes Things In Hand
Richard Osbourne remembering PG Wodehouse 1971. Best copy of #6 with interview and missing some.
Summer Lightning - 1 of 6 - Trouble Brewing at Blandings.mp3
Summer Lightning - 2 of 6 - Sensational Theft of a Pig.mp3
Summer Lightning - 3 of 6 - A Job for Percy Pilbeam.mp3
Summer Lightning - 4 of 6 - Activities of Beech The Butler.mp3
Summer Lightning - 5 of 6 - Painful Scene In a Bedroom.mp3
Summer Lightning - 6 of 6 - Sir Gally Takes Things in Hand.mp3
Thank you very much for these.
Many, many thanks! This is a wonderful series. Richard Vernon & Ian Carmichael are perfect for their roles.