Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Oil | 20150930 | Daniel Betts, James McArdle and Michael J Shannon star in Jonathan Myerson's imagined political drama, based on real events in the propaganda campaign at the outbreak of the First Gulf War.
1991: the start of the First Gulf War. As the first bombs fall on Baghdad, a young man walks into the Marines Recruiting Office and demands to join up... because the war is his fault.
Baby Oil follows a young staffer's last crazy weeks in the White House, as George Bush Snr's administration struggles to sell to the American people the unpalatable idea of committing US troops to defend an oil-rich monarchy like Kuwait.
That is until the young staffer finds the perfect wa | |
| Blood from Stone | 20151003 | Alun Armstrong and Paul Ritter star in Tamsin Oglesby's future oil comedy - set in 2045.
A father and son energy company are struggling with the new economics of the oil market. With their wells running dry in Turkmenistan, and having to fight Chinese companies for the right to frack under Lytham St Annes .... is Ralph wrong about getting out of oil for good?
Or is his dad Charlie more of an addict than a businessman?
Will we ever be able to give up oil?
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
The Price of Oil season was devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, and produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio. As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Charlie ..... Alun Armstrong
Blood From Stone was directed by Jonquil Panting.
Alun Armstrong and Paul Ritter star in Tamsin Oglesby's future oil comedy - set in 2045. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. | |
| Blood from Stone | 20151003 | 20220625 (R4) | Alun Armstrong and Paul Ritter star in Tamsin Oglesby's future oil comedy - set in 2045.
A father and son energy company are struggling with the new economics of the oil market. With their wells running dry in Turkmenistan, and having to fight Chinese companies for the right to frack under Lytham St Annes .... is Ralph wrong about getting out of oil for good?
Or is his dad Charlie more of an addict than a businessman?
Will we ever be able to give up oil?
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
The Price of Oil season was devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, and produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio. As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Charlie ..... Alun Armstrong
Blood From Stone was directed by Jonquil Panting.
Alun Armstrong and Paul Ritter star in Tamsin Oglesby's future oil comedy - set in 2045. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. |
| Looking for Billy | 20150928 | Nicholas le Prevost and Jemma Redgrave star in Nigel Williams' gumshoe road movie, set in the Alaskan Oil Fields.
Looking for Billy takes us up Alaska's Haul Road all the way to the Arctic Sea. Every day alongside the road, above the tundra, billions of barrels of oil are being piped south from the wells discovered in the 1960's, on the North Slope. As a private detective sets out with his mysterious client to investigate protests against the pipeline, we learn what that oil discovery did to the indigenous Inupiat people of Alaska.
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
Devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, the season was produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Charlie ..... Nicholas le Prevost
Inupiat translations provided by Chelsey Zibell
Looking For Billy was directed by Nicolas Kent.
Nicholas le Prevost and Jemma Redgrave star in Nigel Williams' Alaskan gumshoe road movie. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. | |
| Looking for Billy | 20150928 | 20220613 (R4) | Nicholas le Prevost and Jemma Redgrave star in Nigel Williams' gumshoe road movie, set in the Alaskan Oil Fields.
Looking for Billy takes us up Alaska's Haul Road all the way to the Arctic Sea. Every day alongside the road, above the tundra, billions of barrels of oil are being piped south from the wells discovered in the 1960's, on the North Slope. As a private detective sets out with his mysterious client to investigate protests against the pipeline, we learn what that oil discovery did to the indigenous Inupiat people of Alaska.
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
Devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, the season was produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Charlie ..... Nicholas le Prevost
Inupiat translations provided by Chelsey Zibell
Looking For Billy was directed by Nicolas Kent.
Nicholas le Prevost and Jemma Redgrave star in Nigel Williams' Alaskan gumshoe road movie. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. |
| No Two Days | 20151002 | Faye Marsay and Paul Higgins star in Joy Wilkinson's maze of tales about risk, passion and deep-sea oil.
On 20th April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig explodes, spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Mexican Gulf. An ambitious young journalist is determined to investigate, but her story becomes confused between youthful romantic dreams and reality. It leads her to a massive old oil rig off the coast of Aberdeen, and a grizzled but good-looking drilling engineer. Their lives become entwined in a sparkling series of alternative stories about the risks, rewards and realities of deep-sea drilling.
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
Devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, the season was produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Izzy ..... Faye Marsay
No Two Days was directed by Nicolas Kent.
Faye Marsay and Paul Higgins star in a maze of tales about risk, passion and deep-sea oil. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. | |
| No Two Days | 20151002 | 20220622 (R4) | Faye Marsay and Paul Higgins star in Joy Wilkinson's maze of tales about risk, passion and deep-sea oil.
On 20th April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig explodes, spilling millions of gallons of oil into the Mexican Gulf. An ambitious young journalist is determined to investigate, but her story becomes confused between youthful romantic dreams and reality. It leads her to a massive old oil rig off the coast of Aberdeen, and a grizzled but good-looking drilling engineer. Their lives become entwined in a sparkling series of alternative stories about the risks, rewards and realities of deep-sea drilling.
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
Devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, the season was produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Izzy ..... Faye Marsay
No Two Days was directed by Nicolas Kent.
Faye Marsay and Paul Higgins star in a maze of tales about risk, passion and deep-sea oil. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. |
| Someone's Making a Killing in Nigeria | 20151001 | 20220621 (R4) | Nadine Marshall, Obi Abili, and David Ajala star in Rex Obano's drama, set in Rivers State, Nigeria, in 1994.
The Ogoni people's campaign against the environmental degradation of their land by the oil industry has crystallised into a mass movement. Under General Abacha's military regime, the dispute between the people led by Ken Saro-Wiwa on the one hand, and big oil on the other, is reaching its height - when one local businesswoman finds herself caught up in its notoriously violent consequences.
This drama uses fictional characters to reflect on real events, about which responsibilities are still disputed, and many details have never fully come to light.
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
The season was devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, and was produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Sira Banatu ..... Nadine Marshall
The poem 'Ogoni! Ogoni!' quoted in the drama, was written by Ken Saro-Wiwa.
Someone's Making a Killing in Nigeria was directed by Jonquil Panting.
Nadine Marshall, Obi Abili, and David Ajala star in Rex Obano's oil drama set in 1994. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it.
Nadine Marshall, Obi Abili, and David Ajala star in Rex Obano's drama, set in Rivers State, Nigeria, in 1994.
The Ogoni people's campaign against the environmental degradation of their land by the oil industry has crystallised into a mass movement. Under General Abacha's military regime, the dispute between the people led by Ken Saro-Wiwa on the one hand, and big oil on the other, is reaching its height - when one local businesswoman finds herself caught up in its notoriously violent consequences.
This drama uses fictional characters to reflect on real events, about which responsibilities are still disputed, and many details have never fully come to light.
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
The season was devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, and was produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Sira Banatu ..... Nadine Marshall
The poem 'Ogoni! Ogoni!' quoted in the drama, was written by Ken Saro-Wiwa.
Someone's Making a Killing in Nigeria was directed by Jonquil Panting.
Nadine Marshall, Obi Abili, and David Ajala star in Rex Obano's oil drama set in 1994. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. |
| Stand Firm, You Cads! | 20150926 | by Jonathan Myerson
Anna Maxwell Martin, Raad Rawi and Luke Treadaway star in the first of a season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it.
This is the colourful tale of how British Oil was thrown out of post-war Iran.
Anglo-Persian Oil (later BP) was specially formed to exploit the 60-year oil concession to drill for oil, which was signed in 1901 by the then Shah of Persia. Prompted by Winston Churchill, the British Government bought 51% of the company's shares. Persian oil soon became Britain's "single largest overseas asset".
But in 1951, newly-elected Prime Minister Mossadegh declared the concession 'immoral', unilaterally cancelled it, and on 1st May successfully passed a law which nationalised Anglo-Persian - and all the oil.
There are riots, demonstrations, and a blockade of shipping. And in the great oil refinery on the island of Abadan, a shocked British ex-pat community struggle to understand the new world which has just arrived...
The Price of Oil season will take us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
Devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, the season was produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Janet ..... Anna Maxwell-Martin
Stand Firm, You Cads! was directed by Nicolas Kent.
Anna Maxwell Martin stars in the first of seven dramas exploring the history of oil. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. | |
| Stand Firm, You Cads! | 20150926 | 20220611 (R4) | by Jonathan Myerson
Anna Maxwell Martin, Raad Rawi and Luke Treadaway star in the first of a season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it.
This is the colourful tale of how British Oil was thrown out of post-war Iran.
Anglo-Persian Oil (later BP) was specially formed to exploit the 60-year oil concession to drill for oil, which was signed in 1901 by the then Shah of Persia. Prompted by Winston Churchill, the British Government bought 51% of the company's shares. Persian oil soon became Britain's "single largest overseas asset".
But in 1951, newly-elected Prime Minister Mossadegh declared the concession 'immoral', unilaterally cancelled it, and on 1st May successfully passed a law which nationalised Anglo-Persian - and all the oil.
There are riots, demonstrations, and a blockade of shipping. And in the great oil refinery on the island of Abadan, a shocked British ex-pat community struggle to understand the new world which has just arrived...
The Price of Oil season will take us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
Devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, the season was produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Janet ..... Anna Maxwell-Martin
Stand Firm, You Cads! was directed by Nicolas Kent.
Anna Maxwell Martin stars in the first of seven dramas exploring the history of oil. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. |
| The Weapon | 20150929 | Zubin Varla and Joseph Balderrama star in Jonathan Myerson's thriller - a tense dramatisation of the real-life OPEC siege.
After the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War, OPEC used an oil embargo to punish the US and Europe for its support for Israel.
By early 1974, the embargo had plunged the world into an economic crisis.
Then on 21st December 1975, Venezuelan Marxist pin-up Carlos the Jackal storms the OPEC HQ in Vienna. He takes 96 hostages, including 11 oil ministers from OPEC countries.
This is the story of the siege.
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
The season was devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, and produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Carlos Martinez 'the Jackal' ..... Joseph Balderrama
The Weapon is directed by Jonquil Panting.
Joseph Balderrama plays Carlos the Jackal, in a tense dramatisation of the Opec oil siege. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. | |
| The Weapon | 20150929 | 20220614 (R4) | Zubin Varla and Joseph Balderrama star in Jonathan Myerson's thriller - a tense dramatisation of the real-life OPEC siege.
After the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War, OPEC used an oil embargo to punish the US and Europe for its support for Israel.
By early 1974, the embargo had plunged the world into an economic crisis.
Then on 21st December 1975, Venezuelan Marxist pin-up Carlos the Jackal storms the OPEC HQ in Vienna. He takes 96 hostages, including 11 oil ministers from OPEC countries.
This is the story of the siege.
The Price of Oil season of factual dramas explores the history of oil - and the price we've paid for it. It takes us from 1951 to 2045, and around the world from Iran to Alaska, Libya, Nigeria, Turkmenistan, Washington and onto Scotland's offshore rigs, to explore the role oil has played in shaping our world.
The season was devised by Nicolas Kent, with Jack Bradley & Jonathan Myerson, and produced by Jonquil Panting for BBC Audio.
As director of London's Tricycle theatre for almost 30 years, Nicolas Kent championed responsive factual and political drama, including seasons of plays by renowned writers about Afghanistan (The Great Game) and nuclear weapons (The Bomb). Now he brings that experience to BBC Radio 4, to tell the story of oil.
Carlos Martinez 'the Jackal' ..... Joseph Balderrama
The Weapon is directed by Jonquil Panting.
Joseph Balderrama plays Carlos the Jackal, in a tense dramatisation of the Opec oil siege. Season of factual dramas exploring the history of oil and the price we have paid for it. |