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Just been listening to episode one of Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair, on BBC4 iPlayer. It was broadcast Friday and the remaining nine episodes will be broadcast every Friday morning. I can actually remember this Paul Temple on its original broadcast in 1946, but cannot remember what it was all about. In actual fact this recording is new; the original were not saved in most cases. The new recordings sound exactly like the old ones in that they are recorded using old microphones, old sound-effect recordings and the old music.

So, if there are any of you who, with your parents, remember gluing your ears to the wireless in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, have a listen to the Radio 4 on Fridays. If you miss an episode you can pick it up for the next 30 days on the BBC4 iPlayer. The original version of this one was first broadcast in 1946, and does not have the Coronation Scot signature tune, or the two actors usually playing Paul Temple and Steve, of course - they sound just right, though. Five of the Paul Temple series have been re-recorded. The last one was broadcast a few weeks ago on Radio 4Extra.

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Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury were Paul and Steve in the majority of the programmes, but whoever played Paul, they all adopted the wonderfully patronising attitude towards the lower and criminal classes.

By Timothy Chullah, I have most of the mysteries on CD and can't recommend enough that you get these on your Amazon wish list without delay!

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Paul Temple radio programmes were before my time but we used to enjoy the TV series. The title role was played by Francis Matthews, who I met some years later, a very nice chap.

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A 'Paul Temple' serial is still worth listening to, cocktails in the Mayfair flat and the lot. Francis Durbridge also wrote 'The World of Tim Fraser' serials for T.V., which were also popular and worth a viewing.

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Thank you, Ian, I am pleased that my enthusiasm and description has stirred an interest.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Calling Paul Temple afficienados who will be pleased to learn that another series begins this Thursday and Friday on BBC Radio4Extra. This is Paul Temple and the Alex Affair. It will be broadcast at 6.00am, 13.00pm, 20.00pm and 1.00am.

The current serial Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair is still being broadcast once a week on Fridays at 11.00am.

da-di-da, di-da-di-da-di-da.

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I've caught a couple of episodes of the "Gregory affair"; not enough to really follow it but certainly enough to know a quality radio programme when I hear it. wonderful that they have kept it unspoiled and that the seemingly inevitable modern PC hasn't smothered it in cotton wool. In some parts of the programme you can almost smell the cigarette smoke!

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Calling Paul Temple afficienados who will be pleased to learn that another series begins this Thursday and Friday on BBC Radio4Extra. This is Paul Temple and the Alex Affair. It will be broadcast at 6.00am, 13.00pm, 20.00pm and 1.00am.

The current serial Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair is still being broadcast once a week on Fridays at 11.00am.

da-di-da, di-da-di-da-di-da.

Huge fan of the original Peter Coke/Marjorie Westbury series - solely thanks to Radio 4extra, they were before my time when first broadcast. (I remember the Francis Matthews TV version from my childhood, would be interested to see it again.)

As you say, a (particularly intricate) 'original' radio one is running at the moment, first 5 currently on iPlayer

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03pc96p/episodes/player

... the remaining 3 each weekday till Monday.

It's wonderful!

(I must say I sampled the 're-tread' series on R4 concurrently ("Gregory Affair") and in comparison with the original style, found it very phoney and sluggish - going to avoid it.)

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Nick, I don't think that the re-tread is at all bad, quite enjoying it. Anyhow, who do you think Alex is?

Have to smile that Temple always deals with knighted Scotland Yard officers. Mind you, Sir's number-two seems to be a bit of a shifty type. And what about the Welshman - very iffy.

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Nick, I don't think that the re-tread is at all bad, quite enjoying it. Anyhow, who do you think Alex is?

Have to smile that Temple always deals with knighted Scotland Yard officers. Mind you, Sir's number-two seems to be a bit of a shifty type. And what about the Welshman - very iffy.

I've only heard 4 of them so far, going to catch up this weekend!! But you're right about the Welshman and the dodgy Inspector!! Plus who's the fey little replacement manservant?! Reckon he's good for an each-way flutter to be "Alex" !!!

Glad you enjoy the modern 'reproduction' too - it's funny I took against it so much. Perhaps I just heard a bad 5 minutes, but the announcer seemed obviously a modern bloke 'putting on' the clipped 40s (or whenever) accent, and the acting made one realise what tension and pace Coke and Westbury manage to inject with the energy of how they say the lines.

I love the techniques too - like the way, when some witness has a long narrative to give ("Well yer see, it woz like this Mr Temple....."), Durbridge breaks it up by having Temple say things like "Well go on..." in an urgent voice, to add to the tension. Or "I seeeeee" as if something really significant has just been said.

Classic stuff !!

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Nick. Here is a photo of the cast at the microphone rehearsing an episode of Paul Temple and the Curzon Case. Left to right: Leslie Perrins, Duncan McIntyre, Kim Peacock (PT) and Marjorie Westbury. I bet you never imagined her looking like that after hearing her voice (hope it hasn't shattered your imagination of her ). Steve's maiden name was Trent, in case you didn't know. In the first PT, before the war, she was his girlfriend.

Paul%20Temple_zpsw8jhn099.jpg

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Nick. ....

Marjorie Westbury. I bet you never imagined her looking like that after hearing her voice (hope it hasn't shattered your imagination of her).

Crikey....! :blink: ... well, it has slightly ! I'll have to erase that slightly. I knew the actress was considerably older than the character one hears... but I had imagined her as slightly... sharper-featured! :rolleyes:

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Here is a listing of all the Paul Temple series broadcast on the Light Programme. The names of the different actors that have played him, and the dates of the first episodes are given. As can be seen there were a number of revivals of old stories.

Hugh Morton as PT and Bernadette Hodgson played Steve Trent.

Send For Paul Temple (April 1938)

Hugh Morton as PT and Marjorie Westbury as Steve (she played the part to the end)

Paul Temple and the Front Page Man (November 1938)

News of Paul Temple (November 1939)

Carl Bernard as PT

Paul Temple Intervenes (October 1942)

Barry Morse as PT

Send for Paul Temple Again (September 1945)

Howard Marion Crawford as PT

A Case For Paul Temple (February 1946)

Kim Peacock as PT

Paul Temple and the Gregory Affair (October 1946)

Paul Temple and Steve (March 1947)

Mr and Mrs Paul Temple (November 1947) 45-minute one-off

Paul Temple and the Sullivan Mystery (December 1947)

Paul Temple and the Curzon Case (December 1948)

Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery (October 1949)

Paul Temple and the Vandyke Affair (October 1950)

Paul Temple and the Jonathan Mystery (May 1951)

Peter Coke (pronounced Cooke) as PT

Paul Temple and the Gilbert Case (March 1954)

Paul Temple and the Madison Mystery (June 1955)

Paul Temple and the Lawrence Affair (January 1956)

Paul Temple and the Spencer Affair (November 1957)

Paul Temple and the Vandyke Affair (January 1959)

Paul Temple and the Conrad Case (July 1959)

Paul Temple and the Gilbert Case (November 1959)

Paul Temple and the Margo Mystery (January 1961)

Paul Temple and the Jonathan Mystery (October 1963)

Paul Temple and the Geneva Mystery (April 1965)

Paul Temple and the Alex Affair (February 1968)

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Neither did I. Thought the denoument as played out was a bit Agatha Christie-ish and not worthy of the storyline up until then. Temple revealed to Steve where all his suspicions came from, but they didn't ring many bells with me. But maybe I wasn't listening close enough.

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No I agree with you - the solution didn't pack the right punch. The mannered 'reveal' is the least successful element of the 'cocktail' I think.

I listened to another where there's also a drinks party for all the various people, at a hotel in that one - lots of fake European accents - the 'fingered' perpetrator in that instance hurled himself out of a window, I seem to recall. all a bit far-fetched!!

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#20. Yes, you are right. On the radio lots of commotion noises cause the listener to try and picture what is happening - sounds good but might not look so good on TV. Perhaps we were not so sophisticated in those days.

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  • 6 months later...

Yes, Spike, all of those and more. The Man in Black, Itma and all of the comedy shows, I remember listening to the first episode of the Archers. The Radio Doctor, Workers' Playtime, All of the dance bands - no pop groups in those days, The Brains Trust, Sandy McPherson at the organ, Two-way Family Favourites and the Billy Cotton Band Show. The list is endless because we did not have a tele in those days.

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