The Hobbit (Dramatised) cover art

The Hobbit (Dramatised)

The Classic BBC Radio Production

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £8.99

Buy Now for £8.99

About this listen

 Dwarves, elves, goblins, trolls, dragons and wizards - these are the ingredients of J.R.R. Tolkien's wonderful fantasy, the prelude to The Lord of The Rings, now the subject of a major feature film series. The hero of the tale is Bilbo Baggins, a home-loving unambitious hobbit who is suddenly thrust into what turns out to be the biggest adventure of his life. Guided by Gandalf the wizard, Bilbo and a company of dwarves set out to destroy Smaug the Magnificent, a ferocious dragon who guards a treasure hoard. Their journey contains many dangers, and in facing them the reluctant Bilbo's great resourcefulness and courage surprises everyone - not least himself! Since it was first broadcast in 1968, this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation has become a classic in its own right, perfectly evoking Tolkien's magical other world and its enchanting, fantastic inhabitants.© and (P)1988, 1994, 1997, 2002 BBC Audiobooks Ltd Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction Funny Feel-Good Adventure Adaptation

Critic reviews

The Hobbit delivers a classic adventure. If you’re travelling with children and have a three-hour-42-minute journey to fill, the 1968 BBC dramatisation starring Paul Daneman and Anthony Jackson will keep everyone on the edge of their car seats.
anyone who wishes to get an idea of what The Hobbit might be like as one faithful film... should seek this out. It might lack the dynamism of the cinematic adaptation, but the world it creates feels more dangerous and real - www.denofgeek.com, Andrew Blair, 13/12/2013 (Andrew Blair)
The BBC adaptation is well structured and Paul Daneman is incredibly well cast as Bilbo. If you don't already own this, then now is the perfect time to add this wonderful radio play to your collection. (Nick Smithson)
All stars
Most relevant
Excellent as would be expected from Tolkein as an author. Well adapted and presented! Read!

The Hobbit

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I kind of struggled with the music they used, it was very loud and I found it a bit disruptive, but I loved how it was read.

mixed feelings

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Tolkien at his best. Such a fabulous book at bed time. Well worth listening too

Simple and brilliant

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fine tale, and a good introduction to the world of Middle Earth. This BBC dramatisation suffers a bit from the somewhat old-school BBC Sound Workshop effects by comparison with more recent versions, but the coming of age and adventures of a simple hobbit are told well, and, although heavily abridged, the story is well told and is great company on a journey of one's own!

A bit dated, but still strong

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
brilliant but is now showing its age. however. It's as good as I remember

1960's hobbit

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews