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Paul Temple BBC Serials #17
Paul Temple and the Spencer Affair
From 1938 to 1969 the fictional crime novelist and detective Paul Temple, together with his Fleet Street journalist wife Steve, solved case after case in one of BBC radio’s most popular series.
When young drama student Mary Dreisler is found murdered in her flat, her father instantly sends for Paul Temple. There appears to have been no struggle, no robbery - no motive. The only possible clue is a package that arrives for the dead girl. It contains a gramophone record called My Heart and Harry and attached is a note: ‘Adored every minute of it - Spencer’.
Who is Spencer? Does the song have anything to do with the murder? If anyone can find the answers, Paul can...
Featuring the long running duo of Peter Coke as Paul Temple and Marjorie Westbury as Steve, this serial was first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme from 13 November 1957 to 1 January 1958.
4 CDs. 3 hrs 37 mins.
When young drama student Mary Dreisler is found murdered in her flat, her father instantly sends for Paul Temple. There appears to have been no struggle, no robbery - no motive. The only possible clue is a package that arrives for the dead girl. It contains a gramophone record called My Heart and Harry and attached is a note: ‘Adored every minute of it - Spencer’.
Who is Spencer? Does the song have anything to do with the murder? If anyone can find the answers, Paul can...
Featuring the long running duo of Peter Coke as Paul Temple and Marjorie Westbury as Steve, this serial was first broadcast on the BBC Light Programme from 13 November 1957 to 1 January 1958.
4 CDs. 3 hrs 37 mins.
4 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 1957
20 people want to read
About the author
Francis Durbridge
335 books34 followersFrancis Henry Durbridge was an English playwright and author born in Hull. In 1938, he created the character Paul Temple for the BBC radio serial Send for Paul Temple.
A crime novelist and detective, the gentlemanly Temple solved numerous crimes with the help of Steve Trent, a Fleet Street journalist who later became his wife. The character proved enormously popular and appeared in 16 radio serials and later spawned a 64-part big-budget television series (1969-71) and radio productions, as well as a number of comic strips, four feature films and various foreign radio productions.
Francis Durbridge also had a successful career as a writer for the stage and screen. His most successful play, Suddenly at Home, ran in London’s West End for over a year.
A crime novelist and detective, the gentlemanly Temple solved numerous crimes with the help of Steve Trent, a Fleet Street journalist who later became his wife. The character proved enormously popular and appeared in 16 radio serials and later spawned a 64-part big-budget television series (1969-71) and radio productions, as well as a number of comic strips, four feature films and various foreign radio productions.
Francis Durbridge also had a successful career as a writer for the stage and screen. His most successful play, Suddenly at Home, ran in London’s West End for over a year.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 24, 2024
February 2024 Lunchtime Listen
It is 5 years since I listened to this, and I must admit I remembered very little, must be my age 😬
Lunchtime listens are normally some form of detective novel, and for a change I suggested this, as I knew I had quite enjoyed it, and also there are only limited numbers of Maigret's, Poirot's and Marple's.
So as my earlier review below says, this was performed in the late 50s and then released after a bit of a clean up a decade or so ago. Wonderfully classic and just so much of the period ( "I say Paul" "yes darling" etc etc), this is still an enjoyable listen, and given I have a few Paul Temple audio stories, I can see we shall be interspersing a few of these as we move forward to further lunchtime listens
2019 Garage Listen
So this was another of my "what shall I read whilst working in my garage" mystery audiobooks, and a very enjoyable 3 and a half hours of detection it was.
This BBC dramatisation from 1957 features the "A" team in terms of Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury as Paul Temple and his wife Steve, and a great back up team providing all the other characters in this mystery.
It revolves around the death of the daughter of an acquaintance of Paul's, a record entitled my Heart and Harry and the mysterious Spencer. Before the book finishes we are treated to drunk Baritones, Impresarios, female nightclub owners, surly police Inspectors and a watery shoot out at a mysterious island. Its really fast paced with a great storyline and some great "audio" acting.
This is the second Paul Temple that I have listened to (the first was a short story) and as I have fond memories of watching Francis Matthews as Paul Temple from the early 1970s I shall almost certainly listen to more. I would definitely recommend this for passing the time (long car journeys or working in your garage), a fun story , dated yes, but still good fun.
It is 5 years since I listened to this, and I must admit I remembered very little, must be my age 😬
Lunchtime listens are normally some form of detective novel, and for a change I suggested this, as I knew I had quite enjoyed it, and also there are only limited numbers of Maigret's, Poirot's and Marple's.
So as my earlier review below says, this was performed in the late 50s and then released after a bit of a clean up a decade or so ago. Wonderfully classic and just so much of the period ( "I say Paul" "yes darling" etc etc), this is still an enjoyable listen, and given I have a few Paul Temple audio stories, I can see we shall be interspersing a few of these as we move forward to further lunchtime listens
2019 Garage Listen
So this was another of my "what shall I read whilst working in my garage" mystery audiobooks, and a very enjoyable 3 and a half hours of detection it was.
This BBC dramatisation from 1957 features the "A" team in terms of Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury as Paul Temple and his wife Steve, and a great back up team providing all the other characters in this mystery.
It revolves around the death of the daughter of an acquaintance of Paul's, a record entitled my Heart and Harry and the mysterious Spencer. Before the book finishes we are treated to drunk Baritones, Impresarios, female nightclub owners, surly police Inspectors and a watery shoot out at a mysterious island. Its really fast paced with a great storyline and some great "audio" acting.
This is the second Paul Temple that I have listened to (the first was a short story) and as I have fond memories of watching Francis Matthews as Paul Temple from the early 1970s I shall almost certainly listen to more. I would definitely recommend this for passing the time (long car journeys or working in your garage), a fun story , dated yes, but still good fun.
April 19, 2020
Another delightful audio to listen to on a Sunday afternoon.
The usual actors giving voice to the characters, oozing charm and bonhomie and brought up images of an earlier, stylish (if fictional) time. The interesting plot and and good dialogue made it easy to listen to and great fun.
The usual actors giving voice to the characters, oozing charm and bonhomie and brought up images of an earlier, stylish (if fictional) time. The interesting plot and and good dialogue made it easy to listen to and great fun.
November 22, 2018
Höre mir momentan nochmal alle meine Paul Temple Hörbücher an. Eine ausführliche Rezension, die eigentlich für alle Fälle steht, gibt es hier: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Dieser Fall ist mehr oder weniger der gleiche wie der Fall Jonathan.
Dieser Fall ist mehr oder weniger der gleiche wie der Fall Jonathan.
February 26, 2018
Mein erster original Temple und ich bin begeistert.
May 1, 2022
Because parts were very similar to the Jonathan mystery, I made the mistake of thinking too closely along those storylines.
My hunches were right, but I had the wrong person pinned as Spencer. Oh well, can’t win them all!
Content: mild language
My hunches were right, but I had the wrong person pinned as Spencer. Oh well, can’t win them all!
Content: mild language
February 27, 2013
I have to admit I like the Paul Temples audio plays. Okay, I listened to them in German, but they are still fun in that "once upon a time" way. In the current age quite a number of things would be handled differently. (Including the admitedly slightly off way the couple acts, which has been remarked on in another review.) It's sort of refreshing. Like taking a holiday in another time.
However, with this one I formed my mind very early on: two or three scenes are lifted from the Jonathan case and only slightly altered they are used again. So there was a two star rating almost certain early on. Why should I listen to a story I already heard parts of before?
What made me give three stars in the end?
The actually refreshing way in which the Temples get recognized almost everywhere, which makes it slightly problematic for Mister Temple to ask questions and get people to acidentally reveal more then they wanted to say.
I still think I will take a break listening to these. The rating would have been admitedly better if I had not listened to the Jonathan play earlier this month.
However, with this one I formed my mind very early on: two or three scenes are lifted from the Jonathan case and only slightly altered they are used again. So there was a two star rating almost certain early on. Why should I listen to a story I already heard parts of before?
What made me give three stars in the end?
The actually refreshing way in which the Temples get recognized almost everywhere, which makes it slightly problematic for Mister Temple to ask questions and get people to acidentally reveal more then they wanted to say.
I still think I will take a break listening to these. The rating would have been admitedly better if I had not listened to the Jonathan play earlier this month.
May 14, 2012
I'm surprised I got through this in one go, although I don't doubt that a bad case of insomnia helped. In terms of the good old fashioned sexism, this is one of the worst in how Durbridge wrote Temple treating stalwart wife Steve, and the story is no great shakes either, culminating in an even more than usually improbable culprit after four hours of failed attacks on Steve -- when the master criminal at the heart of things could have settled Temple's hash quite easily. To cap things off, the cast pretty much sleepwalks through the entire thing.
September 20, 2021
No car crash, what's going on??! Grant it, Mrs Temple almost gets run over but where's the crazy car crash or the crash into a river?! Other than that, it's filled with the usual Paul Temple shenanigans and very enjoyable.
Half of it seemed strangely familiar so I double-check three times whether I'd already listened to it but according to GR... nope, I hadn't. So maybe Durbridge just "recycled" some ideas and dialogues, I'm not sure.
Half of it seemed strangely familiar so I double-check three times whether I'd already listened to it but according to GR... nope, I hadn't. So maybe Durbridge just "recycled" some ideas and dialogues, I'm not sure.
March 6, 2014
Stars Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury.
The theme tune is called Coronation Scot and I DO hum along, and mimic the steam train action, at the top and the tail of each episode.
There is NO chemistry at all between husband and wife in these radio shows. You can almost hear that both feet are firmly on the floor whether it's a bedroom scene or not.
The theme tune is called Coronation Scot and I DO hum along, and mimic the steam train action, at the top and the tail of each episode.
There is NO chemistry at all between husband and wife in these radio shows. You can almost hear that both feet are firmly on the floor whether it's a bedroom scene or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2016
3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews