The Unfortunates [Drama On 3]

Title

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

The Unfortunates, By Bs Johnson

20101017

20181125 (R3)

'But I know this city...Tony. This town. His town. Their town.'

Adaptation of BS Johnson's 'forgotten masterpiece' in which a sports journalist's memories of an old friend are triggered when he travels to a strange city to cover a football match.

The novel was published in unbound sections loose in a box and intended to be read in any order, so as well as a meditation on friendship and loss, The Unfortunates becomes an inquiry into memory and the act of writing, as our hero struggles to recall everything in order to 'get it all down' as he promised his dying friend.

In a first for the BBC, this audio drama is now available on smart speakers, using the latest technology to create an experience which captures the spirit of the original avant-garde novel. Just as BS Johnson intended the sections of the novel to be read in any order, the smart speaker gives you any number of randomised versions of the drama. The story changes every time, giving you endless permutations, shaped using spoken commands.

How do you enjoy The Unfortunates on smart speakers? It's free to download and can be found either by asking your device to enable The Unfortunates, via the skill store or via BBC R&D's website at BBC.co.uk/taster.

Bryan - Martin Freeman

Tony - Patrick Kennedy

Wendy - Claire Rushbrook

June - Jacqueline Defferary

Tony's Father - Sean Baker

First Aid Woman/Tony's Mother - Christine Kavanagh

Sation Announcer/Reporter - Tony Bell

Landlady/Clerk - Sally Orrock

Guest House owner/Reporter - Jude Akuwudike

Clerk/Newspaper Voice - Lloyd Thomas

Grocer/Clerk - Sam Dale

Passing Child - Joseph Dudgeon

Tony's son - Greta Dudgeon

Director - Mary Peate

Dramatist - Graham White

Writer - BS Johnson

Martin Freeman stars in a dramatisation of BS Johnson's 1960s 'novel in a box'.

Episodes

Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
The Unfortunates, By Bs Johnson
	20101017	20181125 (R3)	'But I know this city...Tony. This town. His town. Their town.' Adaptation of BS Johnson's 'forgotten masterpiece' in which a sports journalist's memories of an old friend are triggered when he travels to a strange city to cover a football match. The novel was published in unbound sections loose in a box and intended to be read in any order, so as well as a meditation on friendship and loss, The Unfortunates becomes an inquiry into memory and the act of writing, as our hero struggles to recall everything in order to 'get it all down' as he promised his dying friend. In a first for the BBC, this audio drama is now available on smart speakers, using the latest technology to create an experience which captures the spirit of the original avant-garde novel. Just as BS Johnson intended the sections of the novel to be read in any order, the smart speaker gives you any number of randomised versions of the drama. The story changes every time, giving you endless permutations, shaped using spoken commands. How do you enjoy The Unfortunates on smart speakers? It's free to download and can be found either by asking your device to enable The Unfortunates, via the skill store or via BBC R&D's website at BBC.co.uk/taster. Bryan - Martin Freeman Tony - Patrick Kennedy Wendy - Claire Rushbrook June - Jacqueline Defferary Tony's Father - Sean Baker First Aid Woman/Tony's Mother - Christine Kavanagh Sation Announcer/Reporter - Tony Bell Landlady/Clerk - Sally Orrock Guest House owner/Reporter - Jude Akuwudike Clerk/Newspaper Voice - Lloyd Thomas Grocer/Clerk - Sam Dale Passing Child - Joseph Dudgeon Tony's son - Greta Dudgeon Director - Mary Peate Dramatist - Graham White Writer - BS Johnson Martin Freeman stars in a dramatisation of BS Johnson's 1960s 'novel in a box'.