The Sergeant Cribb Mysteries

[Peter Regel]

Does anyone remember the Sergeant Cribb stories by Peter Lovesey that were on MYSTERY! sometime in the 1980s?  They were the typically well done period pieces that the BBC is so famous for.  I think Alan Dobie was Detective Sergeant Cribb. 

 

You may remember that the setting was Victorian London, and the stories centered around actual historical events of the time.  I’ve always thought it a shame that they were never scripted for radio. The plots were quite good.

 

Do anyone know if radio broadcasts exist?

[NorfolkApple]

First a minor correction - the TV series you mention, which I agree was excellent, was actually produced by Granada TV not the BBC. They stopped the Cribb series when they acquired rights to produce stories involving another Victorian detective - which gave us the wonderful Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes series.

On to the radio question. Yes BBC Radio dramatised 6 of the 8 novels.

Wobble To Death
The Detective Wore Silk Drawers
Abracadaver
A Case Of Spirits
Swing, Swing Together
Waxwork

The remaining two were not done.

Mad Hatter’s Holiday
Invitation To A Dynamite Party / The Tick Of Death (USA title)

The quality of the productions is, in my view, variable. Some of the earlier ones - especially Abracadaver - are played slightly too comically for my liking but the later ones, especially A Case of Spirits and Waxwork are excellent.

All of the ones I've mentioned are in circulation.

A number of Lovesey's other works have also been dramatised - Rough Cider and Keystone as one off plays, The False Inspector Dew a five part serial and the three Bertie stories in various formats.

At some point over the next couple of days I'll start uploading these - but if anyone else has them and beats me to it that's fine.

[Peter Regel]

SJH,
I've never heard of THE FALSE INSPECTOR DEW. It's a new one to me. Many thanks for this storehouse of information; it opens new avenues for me to explore.

[NorfolkApple]

Hi Peter

Well you have a real treat in store. The False Inspector Dew is a really inventive piece of writing.

And with all the other plays available I can promise you lots of enjoyment.

Regards



Steve

[Peter Regel]

Thanks for the recommendation, Steve. I believe that The False Inspector Dew and I will meet soon. Thanks also to everyone who has offered so much information in this discussion.

[David Holman]

Hi Peter,
Here's "Keystone" for starters,a murder mystery on the set of a Keystone Cops film. Hi Steve,nice to see you on here.

David

p.s. I have all of the above,kindly donated by Steve,so thanks go to him!

[NorfolkApple]

Hi David

Nice to see you - so to speak!

Regards

Steve

[Peter Regel]

Thank you for this treat, David. Night temps. are due to drop to 28 degrees tonight, and this will be good listening in front of a cozy fire.

[semoshorts]

Some radio dramatizations have been posted some time ago in this group.

https://timespast.ning.com/forum/topics/1535737:Topic:25854?groupUrl...