The Slide

by Victor Pemberton, Roger Delgado (Narrator), Maurice Denham (Narrator)

Listen! Quiet! Everybody stand still for a minute. There's something. Can't you hear it?'

During an abnormal heatwave in March, the air becomes thick and dull. Nothing moves - you can almost hear the silence. Something was bound to happen...

Redlow, a new town in Kent, was the dream of self-made man, Hugh Deverill, MP. At a crowded and restless town meeting, Janet Marshall faints due to the stifling atmosphere. She is helped by her friend Dr Ken Richards - just as a sudden earthquake tears the room apart. A long, deep crack in a road is discovered nearby, and powerful tremors are felt along the South Coast.

When torrents of seething mud start emerging from the fissure, scientist Josef Gomez is called in: the mud contains a special organism that can control people's minds. And it can kill. Declared a disaster area, Redlow becomes a state of emergency. Then other fissures appear...

Long absent from the BBC archives, this digitally remastered recording of The Slide, from Doctor Who writer Victor Pemberton, features Roger Delgado, who went on to play The Master in Doctor Who. This atmospheric BBC full-cast drama, first broadcast from 13 February to 27 March 1966, also stars Maurice Denham, David Spenser and Miriam Margolyes. This CD release also includes a detailed sleeve note recounting the making of the radio serialisation, written by Andrew Pixley.

Genres: Audiobook

4 pages, Audio CD

First published August 6, 2007

About the author

Victor Pemberton was a British writer and television producer. His scriptwriting work included BBC radio plays, and television scripts for the BBC and ITV, including Doctor Who, The Slide and The Adventures of Black Beauty.

His television production work included the British version of Fraggle Rock (second series onwards), and several independent documentaries including the 1989 International Emmy Award-winning Gwen: A Juliet Remembered, about stage actress Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies.

In addition to novelisations, he wrote many nostalgic novels set in London, prompted by the success of his autobiographical radio drama series Our Family.

In later life he moved to Spain, where he continued to write novels until his death in 2017.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I downloaded this from the Internet Archive in the 7 parts aired on the BBC. The first few were pretty good, but it got pretty dumb at the end. Still, not bad & a fun SF radio play. Good acting.

[Leila Anani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 7 part radio serial from 1966 is a fun sci-fi B-Movie plot worthy of Doctor Who - indeed Roger Delgado (The Master) voices the professor and Miriam Margolyes has several voice roles.

Professor Gomez (Delgado), An unpopular scientist, disliked for his political views, discovered cracks on the sea bed but was ignored. There's an earthquake in a sleepy town and a mudlike entity breaks through and tries to take over the town. The Professor may be the town's only hope.

This starts out really well, I love the mud monster and the way it takes over people's minds. The posessed people who shun the light are really quite creepy. I also quite like the idea that the monster hates the sun because the sun was worshipped as a god and it wants to become it's own god. The ending however I'm afraid degenerates into standard B-Movie schlock of this era - I was put in mind by things like Island of Terror, released the same year as this where a community get terrorised by silicate monsters.

Still, for those of you who love your classic sci-fi with its cut glass BBC pronunciation - you just don't get SF that sounds like that any more! and Roger Delgado! This one's well worth a listen.

[Andrea]

A great listen, brilliant sound effects. My first audio book, it doesn't disappoint.

[Simon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking to forward to this old radio play as I have a fondness for 60's sci-fi (with its dubious science) and this story could have been a John Wyndham or Quatermass or Dr Who tale. The story is about a small English town overwhelmed by "intelligent mud". The thing that lets the story down is the length. It's a 7-part tale and it should have been 4 as it doesn't have enough story to keep it moving. Also the story is a little vague as to the effect its having on the townfolk. They needed to be doing something more than being grumpy. All that said, it was a lot of nostaligic fun.

[Thasc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent story, Roger Delgado is particulary good as Professor Josef Gomez the central character, so too is Maurice Denham as Hugh Deveril, very sinster and that laugh of his certainly makes a chill run up your spine.

What on earth is going on in Holly Mill Lane?

Some brilliant sound effects from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

I would recommend this to anybody that hasn't listened to an audio book before.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story about a mud-like creature (the slide) that tries to overtake a small town. Cast did a good job of illuminating the drama. Interesting take on the idea that "mud" can hypnotize a person.