Charles Paris: The Dead Side of the Mic

A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation

By: Simon Brett, Jeremy Front

Narrated by: Suzanne Burden, Full Cast, Charlotte Green, Bill Nighy

Actor and reluctant sleuth Charles Paris is facing chaos on the domestic front. He's lodging with his ex-wife Frances, and now their pregnant daughter has moved in as well. It's all a bit much....

So he is over the moon when he lands a job on the BBC Radio Rep - but the ink is barely dry on his contract when a murder takes place in Broadcasting House. A young female studio manager is found dead in an editing suite, and Charles steps in to investigate.

With a distinguished cast including Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances, and featuring Charlotte Green as herself, this four-part drama, adapted by Jeremy Front, is sheer listening pleasure.

Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.

Critic reviews

Miles better than most telly ’tecs

Bill Nighy has made actor-detective Charles Paris his own

Bill Nighy on tip, top form

There's an excellent cast in this audio drama, which helps whisk you along the nearly two hours of drama in and out of BBC Broadcasting House. The plot loses quite a bit from the novel, as often happens with radio dramatisations but Bill Nighy is really perfectly cast as Simon Brett's morose amateur sleuth - and there's a wonderful cameo by Charlotte Green which will bring a smile to the most intense Radio 4 listener!

Although based on a novel written in 1980, this Charles Paris outing has production values, a soundtrack and pace that ensure you're whisked through the two hours of old-fashioned sleuthing with a wonderful modern twist.

Trouble Keeps Finding Him

Charles has the worst luck. Just lay back and listen to a really great series. Truly wish there were more. Enjoy!!

Witty poignant dramedy!

I love everything about these re- purposed stories by Jeremy Front.
I’d love some new episodes with Miles & Julia as well.

We need more of this type of radio drama!

I'm greatly enjoying the Charles Paris BBC dramas - the music alone is a blast from the past; the actors are pitch-perfect; and the stories a lot of fun. I know Charles would not be much fun to know or live with, in reality, but he is such a wonderful scoundrel to hear from as he continues to live in a state of scotch-fueled non-divorce with his long-suffering wife Frances. The scene where he's a stand-in in his daughter's prenatal class is particularly memorable; as is the anniversary scene in "A Reconstructed Corpse." If you like radio drama with a sense of humor, these are for you.

Funny and Bill Nigh is great

Loved it. Bill Nigh is wonderful as the lead character. Great fun to listen about the main character trying to make it as an actor.