Daunt & Dervish

The Complete BBC Radio Crime Series

By: Guy Meredith

Narrated by: Anna Massey, Bill Paterson, Frances Barber, Full Cast, Imelda Staunton, Sean Scanlan, Sylvestra Le Touzel

Length: 9 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's Summary

All four series of the jaunty crime drama featuring two ex-spies who set up a private detective agency

London,1953. Josephine Daunt and Susan Dervish both worked for the Ministry of Defence during the Second World War, doing top-secret, highly dangerous espionage work. But in peacetime, they find themselves without a job and feeling useless. Determined to put their talents to good use, they decide to set up a detective agency, with the help of former private eye Bill Mackie.

From their Covent Garden office, they handle a steady flow of business. But the ladies’ lives really become exciting when they rescue a woman from drowning – only to discover that she’s not what she seems. Soon, the daring duo are caught up in all manner of challenging cases, including a sporting assignment involving a priest and an Olympic boxing hopeful, a request to bid on a Monet that takes them on a trail across the Channel, a commission to investigate film actress Belinda Lane and a theft at a fashion designer’s workshop that leads them into a world of Teddy boys, political machinations and murder....

Guy Meredith's light-hearted crime series stars Anna Massey as Josephine Daunt, while Imelda Staunton, Frances Barber and Sylvestra Le Touzel play Susan Dervish. Bill Paterson and Sean Scanlan co-star as Bill Mackie.

Written by Guy Meredith.

Format by Imelda Staunton and Anna Massey.

Series 1 produced by Cherry Cookson and directed by Janet Whitaker.

Series 2-4 produced and directed by Colin Guthrie.

Clarinet played by Julian Stringle (Series 3, Episode 1).

©2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2020 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Wonderful BBC Drama

What is the problem with Audible -why are they unable to list episode titles as opposed to meaningless chapter numbers This is not a book !!! This is a reoccurring issue with all BBC Drama and it makes listening very difficult -trying to manage episodes etc with just me meaningless chapter numbers -especially with long complex dramatisation such as war and peace and Vivat Rex .

It cannot be beyond your capability to sort this out Audible ???? It is extremely poor that you chose to never properly detail the contents of any dramatisations

Tried to explain the issue to customer service pointless . Please please please sort this out.

Good stories despite the change of actors.

Good stories, mostly well acted.
But as with other ex radio shows would it kill the producers to list the episode name instead of just giving chapter numbers that mean nothing? Would make finding episodes much easier. Why is the last episode split into several tiny bits ? No possibility of splicing it all together? Some of these ex radio shows are very lazily produced given it costs members a credit.

brilliant on all fronts.

Top quality acting by Anna Massey and co. believable plots with credible and thoroughly enjoyable sound effects and historical references across time with a lovely ending in which all loose ends are tied up.

shame about the cast and episode time changes

Having caught a few episodes on the radio, I was pleased this came out as a complete series. The idea of it was original ( getting a bit deeper here but it shows the problem women had after ww2 and returning to 'normal' life when they could offer more)and was great that the two female leads were different enough to compliment each other. The only two downsides were that Imelda Staunton only did a few episodes (the two replacements whilst ok just didn't quite work) and that the BBC changed it from one 45 minute episode per story to 15 minute segments.

Old school mysteries

Old school mysteries but none the worse for that, and the cast were brilliant. Overall it was like drinking hot chocolate, wrapped in a soft shawl on a cold grey day.

A delight!

Apart from the annoying piano jingle at the beginning and end of each episode during series one, I loved the dramatisations.
Engaging characters and believable stories brought to life by a brilliant cast.

great entertainment

full of old world charm . Great stories, great actors, very easy to listen to, and entertaining

Entertaining

Definitely a welcome change from watching the TV, let your imagination take you back to a time of rationing, 50’s style clothing and living.
Non offensive language and plots to keep you enthralled and entertained.

Unexpected find

Really enjoyed the whole thing. I just wish there had been more. I can listen to Anna Massey in anything. She has an hypnotising voice.

A Gem Not To Be Missed

Firstly, the cover artwork attracted me as a fan of the 'Paul Temple' series.
Indeed if you like 'Paul Temple' and the 'Charles Paris' series as written by Jeremy Front then 'Daunt & Dervish' is definitely for you.
An excellent production with the cream of British acting giving wonderful performances. Bill Nighy even pops up in episode 2.
I do hope more episodes are in the pipeline.