Episodes
| Episode | Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | The Tremendous Adventures Of Major Brown | 20050404 | 20130812 (BBC7) 20130813 (BBC7) 20190107 (BBC7) 20190108 (BBC7) 20190112 (BBC7) | Major Brown finds himself threatened by a flowerbed. Retired KC Basil Grant, his brother Rupert and colleague Charlie Swinburne receive a visit from Major Brown at Basil's garrett in Lambeth. The retired soldier recounts a tale which begins with a most disturbing discovery. While taking his daily constitutional his attention is directed to a marvellous display of yellow pansies that spell out the chilling slogan: 'Death to Major Brown'. What follows is possibly the most extraordinary tale of all time. Stars David Warner as Basil Grant, Martin Freeman as Rupert Grant, Geoffrey McGivern as Charlie Swinburne, Geoffrey Whitehead as Major Brown, Vicki Pepperdine as The Lady and Martin Hyder as the Gardener. GK Chesterton stories dramatised by Simon Littlefield Producer: Simon Nicholls First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2005. A retired soldier finds himself threatened by a flowerbed. Tales of people who make their living by some novel and extraordinary means |
| 02 | The Painful Fall Of A Great Reputation | 20050411 | 20130813 (BBC7) 20130814 (BBC7) 20190114 (BBC7) 20190115 (BBC7) | Retired KC, Basil Grant, his brother Rupert and colleague Charlie Swinburne are travelling on the top deck of a tramcar through the 'squalid eternity' of North London. In the midst of a sea of cadgers, pickpockets and hooligans, Basil spies one Mr Wimpole - who he claims is the wickedest man in England. At Charlie's reasonable demands for proof, Basil throws them into a frantic chase across London... Stars David Warner as Basil Grant, Martin Freeman as Rupert Grant, Geoffrey McGivern as Charlie Swinburne, Nicholas Farrell as Drummond, Richard Griffiths as Sir Walter Chumley, Justin Edwards as Wimpole, Alice Lowe as Muriel and Geoffrey Whitehead as Lord Beaumont. GK Chesterton stories dramatised by Simon Littlefield Producer: Simon Nicholls First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2005. Basil spies Mr Wimpole, the wickedest man in England. But Charlie demands proof. Tales of people who make their living by some novel and extraordinary means |
| 03 | The Awful Reason Of The Vicar's Visit | 20050418 | 20130814 (BBC7) 20130815 (BBC7) 20190121 (BBC7) 20190122 (BBC7) | The Awful Reason of the Vicar's Visit is a mystery, especially when that most distressed reverend gentleman begins his tale of a monstrous outrage committed against him. However, when Basil leaps at the cleric and demands to see him 'without his whiskers!', both Charlie and Rupert believe he has finally taken leave of his peculiar senses! Or is there a method to the vicar's mad tale that may link him to the Club of Queer Trades... Stars David Warner as Basil Grant, Martin Freeman as Rupert Grant, Geoffrey McGivern as Charlie Swinburne, Richard Griffiths as Reverend Shorter, Alexei Sayle as James, Neil Edmond as Mowbray, Matthew Holness as Brett and Martin Hyder as the Constable. GK Chesterton stories dramatised by Simon Littlefield Producer: Simon Nicholls First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2005. A distressed reverend begins his tale of a monstrous outrage committed against him. Tales of people who make their living by some novel and extraordinary means |
| 04 | The Singular Speculation Of The House Agent | 20050425 | 20130815 (BBC7) 20130816 (BBC7) 20190128 (BBC7) 20190129 (BBC7) | Rupert believes mad military adventurer, Lieutenant Drummond Keith is a rogue, and insists they follow him. En route they witness a disturbing incident with the lieutenant's sword-stick and meet a house-agent with a fondness for ferrets. But Keith gives them the slip amidst the trees of Buxton Common. Charlie and Rupert remain stumped but Basil's powers of detection reach new heights in their search... Stars David Warner as Basil Grant, Martin Freeman as Rupert Grant, Geoffrey McGivern as Charlie Swinburne, Jeff Harding as Lieutenant Keith, Simon Jones as Montmorency and Martin Hyder as the Constable. GK Chesterton stories dramatised by Simon Littlefield Producer: Simon Nicholls First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2005. Rupert believes Lt Drummond Keith is boorish, but at least his abode is interesting. Tales of people who make their living by some novel and extraordinary means |
| 05 | The Noticeable Conduct Of Professor Chadd | 20050502 | 20130816 (BBC7) 20130817 (BBC7) 20190204 (BBC7) 20190205 (BBC7) | The Noticeable Conduct of Professor Chadd is apparent to everyone who calls at the home of the noted ethnologist. However, his three sisters become alarmed when he suddenly refuses to speak. The sisters waste no time in summoning the Professor's equally eccentric acquaintance, Basil Grant. Can Basil save the highly respected Professor from his madness and the wrath of his employers at the British Museum? And just why does Professor Chadd insist on shaking his leg in the manner of a bee? Stars David Warner as Basil Grant, Martin Freeman as Rupert Grant, Geoffrey McGivern as Charlie Swinburne, Amelia Bullmore as Christina, Chris Douglas as Bingham, Martin Hyder as Dr Colman, Felicity Montagu as Adeleide and John Nettleton as Professor Chadd. GK Chesterton stories dramatised by Simon Littlefield Producer: Simon Nicholls First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2005. What is happening to Professor Chadd? Tales of people who make their living by some novel and extraordinary means |
| 06 | The Eccentric Seclusion Of The Old Lady | 20050509 | 20130819 (BBC7) 20130820 (BBC7) 20190211 (BBC7) 20190212 (BBC7) | The cries of the Old Lady distract Rupert and Charlie from a pleasant summer evening spent in the pursuit of a careless milkman. Her desperate cry of 'when shall I get out?' spurs Rupert and Basil to immediate action... and to housebreaking. When the old lady refuses to leave her subterranean cell, even the great Basil Grant is at a loss to solve this particular London crime... Starring David Warner as Basil Grant, Martin Freeman as Rupert Grant, Geoffrey McGivern as Charlie Swinburne, Justin Edwards as Burrows, James Rawlings as Greenwood and Angela Thorne as the Old Lady. GK Chesterton stories dramatised by Simon Littlefield Producer: Simon Nicholls First broadcast on Radio 4 in 2005. Could it be that Basil has an odd vocation of his own? Tales of people who make their living by some novel and extraordinary means |