Raymond Chandler’s immortal private eye Philip Marlowe today makes a return to radio. The last time the BBC adapted the novels, UK-based American character actor Ed Bishop took the role in 90-minute versions of the first six novels in the series broadcast between 1977 and 1988, omitting the final book Playback.
Now that book, along with Poodle Springs, the Chandler fragment that was turned into a full-length novel thirty years later by Robert B. Parker, are to be included in a cycle of eight adaptations. The first four are to be shown every Saturday afternoon this February:
The Big Sleep - 5 February 2011
The Lady in the Lake - 12 February 2011
Farewell My Lovely - 19 February 2011
Playback - 26 February 2011
Details of the BBC season, including an interview with Stephens as well as several related radio broadcasts, including radio dramatisations of Chandler at work writing the screenplays for The Blue Dahlia and Double Indemnity, can be found at the BBC’s Chandler microsite.
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