Episodes
| Episode | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | 20100906 | 'Roald Dahl thought biographies were boring. He told me so while munching on a lobster claw.' The new biographer of Dahl is Donald Sturrock, who once made a film about the writer, so knew the man and his family very well. His book charts Dahl's rich and varied life as fighter pilot, intelligence operative, and the adult writer who then wrote for children in such an impactful way that he remains hugely popular with today's young readers. He was truly on their wavelength. He spoke to them through books such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The BFG and Danny, Champion of The World. Sturrock investigates Dahl's eternal popularity as a writer. And of course the man behind the books... 1.In the first of five episodes, abridged by Alison Joseph, the biographer sits at the Dahl dinner table and recounts a memorable visit to the writer's hut, where certain treasures are unearthed. The reader is Julian Rhind-Tutt and the voice of Dahl is Ian McDiarmid Producer Duncan Minshull. An account of Roald's life begins at the dinner table and in his hut in Buckinghamshire. |
| 02 | 20100907 | 'Roald Dahl thought biographies were boring. He told me so while munching on a lobster claw.' The new biographer of Dahl is Donald Sturrock, who once made a film about the writer, so knew the man and his family very well. His book charts Dahl's rich and varied life as fighter pilot, intelligence operative, and the adult writer who then wrote for children in such an impactful way that he remains hugely popular with today's young readers. He was truly on their wavelength. He spoke to them through books such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The BFG and Danny, Champion of The World. Sturrock investigates Dahl's eternal popularity as a writer. And of course the man behind the books... 2. According to Dahl, it was a dramatic war-time plane crash that steered him towards being a writer. The reader is Julian Rhind Tutt and the voice of Dahl is Ian McDiarmid Producer Duncan Minshull. The dramatic effect of a wartime air crash steered Roald towards writing books. |
| 03 | 20100908 | 'Roald Dahl thought biographies were boring. He told me so while munching on a lobster claw.' The new biographer of Dahl is Donald Sturrock, who once made a film about the writer, so knew the man and his family very well. His book charts Dahl's rich and varied life as fighter pilot, intelligence operative, and the adult writer who then wrote for children in such an impactful way that he remains hugely popular with today's young readers. He was truly on their wavelength. He spoke to them through books such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The BFG and Danny, Champion of The World. Sturrock investigates Dahl's eternal popularity as a writer. And of course the man behind the books... 3. Living in New York gave the author a premonition of a family disaster, which was vividly realized all too soon. Read by Julian Rhind Tutt and the voice of Dahl is Ian McDiarmid Producer Duncan Minshull. The tale of the writer's son Theo and a remarkable invention, the Dahl-Wade-Till valve. |
| 04 | 20100909 | 'Roald Dahl thought biographies were boring. He told me so while munching on a lobster claw.' The new biographer of Dahl is Donald Sturrock, who once made a film about the writer, so knew the man and his family very well. His book charts Dahl's rich and varied life as fighter pilot, intelligence operative, and the adult writer who then wrote for children in such an impactful way that he remains hugely popular with today's young readers. He was truly on their wavelength. He spoke to them through books such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The BFG and Danny, Champion of The World. Sturrock investigates Dahl's eternal popularity as a writer. And of course the man behind the books... 4. Aged fifty six, it's suddenly all change for Dahl, and then there is his manifesto for entertaining children. Reader Julian Rhind Tutt and the voice of Dahl is Ian McDiarmid. Producer Duncan Minshull. Aged 56, it's suddenly all change for Dahl with the arrival of Liccy on the scene. |
| 05 LAST | 20100910 | 'Roald Dahl thought biographies were boring. He told me so while munching on a lobster claw.' The new biographer of Dahl is Donald Sturrock, who once made a film about the writer, so knew the man and his family very well. His book charts Dahl's rich and varied life as fighter pilot, intelligence operative, and the adult writer who then wrote for children in such an impactful way that he remains hugely popular with today's young readers. He was truly on their wavelength. He spoke to them through books such as Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, The BFG and Danny, Champion of The World. Sturrock investigates Dahl's eternal popularity as a writer. And of course the man behind the books... 5. Even close to death Dahl was in mischievous mood, and his appeal to children will never fade. Reader Julian Rhind Tutt and the voice of Dahl is Ian McDiarmid. Producer Duncan Minshull. Charting Dahl's final years, and how his extraordinary spell on children has endured. |