 BBC Radio Collection cover | |
| Genre | Radio drama |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Home station | BBC Radio 4 |
| Starring | Ian Holm Michael Hordern Robert Stephens Bill Nighy James Grout Simon Cadell John Le Mesurier Jack May Peter Vaughan |
| Created by | J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Written by | Brian Sibley[1] Michael Bakewell |
| Directed by | Jane Morgan Penny Leicester |
| Narrated by | Gerard Murphy |
| Original release | 8 March – 30 August 1981 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
The Lord of the Rings 1981 radio series is anepic fantasyadventure forBBC Radio 4, adapted fromJ. R. R. Tolkien's1955 novel of the same name. It is the third radio dramatisation of the novel, following a1955 BBC Radio adaptation and a1979 adaptation forNPR in theUnited States.
Like the novel on which it is based, the radio series tells the story of an epic struggle between the Dark LordSauron ofMordor, the primary villain of the work, andan alliance of heroes who join forces to save the world from falling under his shadow.
The BBC entered negotiations withThe Saul Zaentz Company to obtain the radio rights to adaptThe Lord of the Rings in 1979, following the release of theRalph Bakshi animated film.[2][3] J. R. R. Tolkien had sold the film, stage and merchandising rights toUnited Artists in 1969, who had subsequently sold them toThe Saul Zaentz Company in 1976.[4] The negotiations were protracted but ironically entirely unnecessary as the radio rights had never passed to the film company and were still controlled by the Tolkien estate.[2]
Brian Sibley was a young scriptwriter who had written a number of radio features for the BBC, but lacked experience adapting works of literature, having previously only adapted a short fantasy byJames Thurber.[2] In 1979, Sibley submitted an idea for an original radio drama to Head of Drama Script Unit,Richard Imison, but was rejected. In his rejection letter, Imison asked Sibley to suggest a list of novels he would like to see adapted. Sibley submitted “about abaker’s dozen” suggestions, and addedThe Lord of the Rings in apostscript, declaring it “the one book I would really like to adapt for radio.”[2]Some weeks later in a chance meeting on a corridor inBroadcasting House, Imison asked Sibley how he had learnt that the BBC were in negotiations to obtain the rights. Sibley stated that he had not been aware, and had suggested the book because he was "simply in love with [it]", having read it for the first time during an extended hospital stay a few years earlier.[2] The BBC commissioned the adaptation and offered it to Sibley as the lead writer. The commissioners had determined that it should comprise 26 half-hour episodes (6 months' worth of weekly broadcasts), and that scriptwriting should be divided between two writers.[2]Michael Bakewell was brought in as the second writer – a former producer and writer whose previous credits included a radio adaptation ofTolstoy’sWar and Peace.[5]
Sibley and Bakewell began the process of adapting the books by arranging the core storyline into 26 episode synopses, each with its own conventional narrative structure and ending on a natural ‘cliffhanger’. From these synopses, the full episode scripts would be developed. The source material presented a variety of challenges to the adaptation process. Sibley recalls pacing difficulties due to the book's fluctuations between "sections rich in description, others containing lengthy historical resumés, some having an abundance of dialogue, while others are almost entirely narrative."[2] These challenges led to decisions to omit sections and characters that were deemed not to meaningfully advance the core plot. As such, the serial omits several sequences, most notably those inBook 1 in which the hobbits come toCrickhollow, enter theOld Forest, and encounter theBarrow-wights,Old Man Willow, and ultimatelyTom Bombadil.[6] On the latter, Sibley has stated he considers Bombadil to be a character Tolkien created independently ofThe Lord of the Rings,[3] and that it was preferable to "excise one large episode than to dramatically reduce several others." On the decision to excise some minor characters who appeared for only a few lines of the book, Sibley stated he felt it preferable to remove the character altogether than the alternative, "which would have been to fabricate dialogue for them."[2]The adaptation radically restructured the chronology of the chapters in Books3-6, flattening outTolkien's interlacing by splicing the journey of Frodo and Sam with events in the West. This aligned them with the timeline of events provided by Tolkien in theAppendices, and kept more of the actors employed for more of the episodes.[2]
The script attempts to be as faithful as possible to the original novel[6] with many sections of dialogue lifted directly from the source material, such as the conversations between Frodo, Sam and Faramir inThe Window on the West.[7] The script also includes an arc whereWormtongue is waylaid by theRingwraiths, as narrated inUnfinished Tales,[8] a newly published volume at that time. In the final episode,Bilbo's Last Song, a Tolkien poem which does not appear in the novel, is used to flesh out the sequence at the Grey Havens.[9][10] The author's son and editorChristopher Tolkien reviewed and approved the final scripts for each episode. He recorded an audio cassette of correct pronunciations forMiddle-earth words and names to assist the cast during recordings.[2]
Recording took place at BBCBroadcasting House over two months in 1980.[2] One-and-a-half days was allotted for each of the 26 episodes to be rehearsed and recorded.[11] Sibley recalls the recording sessions having "quite a lot of laughter, quite a few tears, and a number of frazzled tempers".[2] Gandalf actorMichael Hordern recalled the sessions as "a bit of a slog".[12]
Elizabeth Parker of theBBC Radiophonic Workshop produced the sound effects.[13] The composerStephen Oliver, who had previously scored theRSC's successful production ofNicholas Nickleby, scored the music, with over 100 cues through the original 26-episode serial.[14] The series was directed by Jane Morgan and Penny Leicester. Morgan stated she was anxious to avoid sound effects that were "too literal", and wished to incorporate music in complex battle scenes.[11]
| Episode | Title | First broadcast | Covering (Book.Chapter) The Lord of the Rings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Long Awaited Party | 8 March 1981 | 1.1 Thehobbit protagonists are introduced. |
| 2 | The Shadow of the Past | 15 March 1981 | 1.2 The wizardGandalf tellsFrodo thehistory of the Ring, and why it must be destroyed. |
| 3 | The Black Riders | 22 March 1981 | 1.3* The hobbits are pursued by deadlyBlack Riders. |
| 4 | Trouble at The Prancing Pony | 29 March 1981 | 1.9–1.10 The hobbits try to rest inan inn, but Frodo 'accidentally' puts onthe Ring, making him invisible. |
| 5 | The Knife in the Dark | 5 April 1981 | 1.11–1.12 Frodo is stabbed with a magic knife by a Black Rider. He starts to fade. |
| 6 | The Council of Elrond | 12 April 1981 | 2.1–2.2 The half-elvenElrond calls a Council to decide the fate of the Ring. |
| 7 | The Fellowship of the Ring | 19 April 1981 | 2.3 Gandalf, the hobbits, two men –Aragorn andBoromir, an elf,Legolas, and a dwarf,Gimli, set out to destroy the Ring. |
| 8 | The Mines of Moria | 26 April 1981 | 2.4–2.5 They try to cross the Misty Mountains through the tunnels ofMoria. Gandalf dies fighting a monstrousBalrog. |
| 9 | The Mirror of Galadriel | 3 May 1981 | 2.6–2.7 The rest of the Fellowship are helped, tested, and counselled by the elf-ladyGaladriel. |
| 10 | The Breaking of the Fellowship | 10 May 1981 | 2.8–2.10, 3.1 The Fellowship breaks up as Boromir tries to take the Ring and is killed. |
| 11 | The Riders of Rohan | 17 May 1981 | 3.2–3.3 Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli meet a resurrected Gandalf and theRiders of Rohan. |
| 12 | Treebeard of Fangorn | 24 May 1981 | 3.4 Two of the hobbits, Merry and Pippin, encounter a tree-giant,Treebeard. |
| 13 | The King of the Golden Hall | 31 May 1981 | 3.5–3.6 Gandalf freesThéoden, King of Rohan, free from a spell. |
| 14 | Helm's Deep | 7 June 1981 | 3.7 Théoden fights off the wizardSaruman's army at the fortress ofHelm's Deep. |
| 15 | The Voice of Saruman | 14 June 1981 | 3.8–3.11 Gandalf and Théoden go to Saruman's tower,Orthanc, and speak with him. Gandalf breaks Saruman's staff. |
| 16 | The Black Gate Is Closed | 21 June 1981 | 4.1–4.3 The other two hobbits, Frodo and Sam, guided by the monstrousGollum, travel toMordor to destroy the Ring, but the Black Gate is shut. |
| 17 | The Window on the West | 28 June 1981 | 4.4–4.6 Frodo and Sam travel south to find another way into Mordor, but are captured by Boromir's brother,Faramir. |
| 18 | Minas Tirith | 5 July 1981 | 5.1 Gandalf and Pippin find the city ofMinas Tirith preparing for war. |
| 19 | Shelob's Lair | 12 July 1981 | 4.7–4.10 Frodo and Sam try to cross the pass of Cirith Ungol into Mordor, but are attacked by the giant spiderShelob. Frodo is stung and trussed up like a fly. |
| 20 | The Siege of Gondor | 19 July 1981 | 5.4 Minas Tirith is besieged by the forces of Mordor. |
| 21 | The Battle of Pelennor Fields | 26 July 1981 | 5.6 Minas Tirith is attacked by an immense army. The Riders of Rohan arrive to break the siege; Aragorn and an army of Gondor arrive by ship. |
| 22 | The Houses of Healing | 2 August 1981 | 5.8 The wounded are healed in Minas Tirith. |
| 23 | Mount Doom | 9 August 1981 | 6.1–6.3 Frodo and Sam travel to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring. Gollum takes the ring from Frodo, and falls into the mountain's fire. |
| 24 | The Return of the King | 16 August 1981 | 6.4–6.5 Aragorn becomes King of Gondor, and marries Elrond's daughter,Arwen. |
| 25 | Homeward Bound | 23 August 1981 | 6.6–6.8 The hobbits travel home. |
| 26 | The Grey Havens | 30 August 1981 | 6.9 Frodo, scarred by his journey, sails from Middle-earth toelvenhome. |
The serial was first broadcast from 8 March to 30 August 1981 onBBC Radio 4 on Sundays from 12 noon to 12:30pm; each episode was repeated on the following Wednesday from 10:30pm to 11:00pm.[16] A soundtrack album featuring a re-recorded and in some cases expanded suite ofStephen Oliver's music was released in 1981.[17]
The 26-part series was edited into 13 hour-long episodes broadcast from 17 July to 9 October 1982, restoring some dialogue originally cut for timing.[16] Following the success ofPeter Jackson'sThe Lord of the Rings film trilogy in the early 2000s, the BBC reissued its radio series in three sets (audiobooks) corresponding to the three original volumes (The Fellowship of the Ring,The Two Towers andThe Return of the King). This version omitted the original episode divisions, and included new opening and closing monologues for the first two sets, and an opening monologue only for the last, written by Sibley and performed by Ian Holm as Frodo Baggins. The soundtrack with Stephen Oliver's music, digitally remastered, was included withThe Return of the King set, with a demo of John Le Mesurier singingBilbo's Last Song as a bonus track.[18]
Sibley thought the casting ofIan Holm as Frodo "simply inspired", his performance "of unswerving determination, tempered always with humour and vulnerability."[1] He felt that Hordern managed to "become" Gandalf, "by intuition or some other theatrical magic ... by turn wise, stern and compassionate, a force for good, a constant light in an ever-darkening storm."[1] As forJohn Le Mesurier's Bilbo, the comic actor who had playedSergeant Wilson inDad's Army gave the part "a weary melancholy".[1]
The scholar of humanitiesBrian Rosebury sets out criteria for adapting a complex work likeThe Lord of the Rings. The adaptation, he writes, must not simply use characters and names to relabel some existing formula, or rewrite the story into a generic style; it must retain as much as possible of the original when translating the narrative into a drama; it must keep the presentation fresh, avoid repetition, and retain plausibility; and it must especially retain the coherent feeling of aMiddle-earth under threat, along with the book's momentum, coherence, moral conviction, and subtlety. Rosebury states that a radio production is "fundamentally hampered" by not being able to "suggest the physical and cultural presence of Middle-earth",[6] other than through the limited medium of sound effects. In his view, the few passages of narration in the production "give tantalising glimpses of [Tolkien's] breadth of vision which fades painfully as the studio-bound dialogues resume."[6] He finds the dialogue well delivered by the actors, admiring especiallyPeter Woodthorpe's "fineGollum", and theabridgement skilful though subtly flattening Tolkien's text "in the direction of an adventure story."[6] The version's strength, Rosebury writes, is in its rather faithful and almost complete rendering of the book's events, though as inRalph Bakshi'sanimated version andPeter Jackson'slive-action version, withoutTom Bombadil.[6]
The Tolkien scholarChristina Scull thought it a "masterly adaptation", that stayed faithful to Tolkien's story, presented most of the characters "as he depicted them", and especially "caught the spirit of the books".[16] She found the handling of theBattle of the Pelennor Fields withalliterative verse "a brilliant idea", and praised Gerard Murphy's narration.[16] Comparing the production withJackson's interpretation, she felt that her "happiness with the BBC production made [her] even less happy with Jackson than I might have been without it", disliking the films' additional material, violence, and "the weakening of almost all the characters".[16] In her view, the BBC dramatisation presented "the characters I [met] in the book", whereas the film version did not.[16]
Peter Woodthorpe (Gollum/Sméagol) andMichael Graham Cox (Boromir) had previously voiced the same roles in Bakshi's film in 1978.[19]Ian Holm, who voicedFrodo Baggins in the radio serial, went on to playBilbo Baggins in Jackson's film trilogy in the early 2000s.[20]
The Lord of the Rings was dramatised for radio by Sibley andMichael Bakewell.[21]The music was composed byStephen Oliver.[22]Radiophonic sound was provided byElizabeth Parker. The series was produced and directed by Jane Morgan and Penny Leicester.
The cast for the production was:[21]
She created special sound for The Day of the Triffids, and Lord of the Rings,
he took the part of Frodo Baggins in BBC Radio 4's massive adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, which featured Holm alongside a host of other stars including Michael Hordern and Robert Stephens.
