Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Coming Alive: The Complete Series 1-3 cover art

Coming Alive: The Complete Series 1-3

By: Jim Eldridge
Narrated by: full cast, Phyliss Logan, Karl Howman
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

Reluctant Persuaders: The Complete Series 1-4 cover art
King Street Junior cover art
Clare in the Community: The Complete Series 1-6 cover art
Albert and Me: The Complete Series 1 & 2 cover art
Second Thoughts cover art
King Street Junior Revisited cover art
Life, Death & Sex with Mike and Sue cover art
Clare in the Community: The Complete Series 7-12 cover art
Old Harry’s Game cover art
The Party Line: Complete Series 1-3 cover art
McLevy: The Collected Series 1-6 cover art
Smelling of Roses: The Complete Series 1-4 cover art
Sergeant Cribb cover art
Robin and Wendy’s Wet Weekends: The Complete Series 1-4 cover art
The Good Life: The Complete Collection cover art
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete BBC Collection cover art

Summary

Karl Howman stars in Jim Eldridge's sitcom about a likeable ex-convict trying to turn over a new leaf.

Released from prison early, chirpy Cockney conman Terry King is given a chance to find his feet again. His challenge is to breathe new life into a run-down community centre - with the support of Sandra Gaines, a social worker with a warm heart but an unhappy past. If he succeeds, he'll prove that rehabilitation is possible. But if he fails, he'll be sent back to jail....

Situated in the middle of a rough council estate, Grove Hill Farm needs a lot of work. The windows are broken, the plumbing's out of action and part of the centre was burned down during a riot. But it's not just the buildings that could use some TLC - the community's pride needs restoring, too. Can Terry get the locals to come together and make the centre a neighbourhood hub again? He's got big plans - concerts, dances, bingo - but first he must raise the funds and win over the residents.... 

As he uses his charm and his con artist skills to start turning the place around, he finds himself growing closer to Sandra and love slowly blossoms between the two of them. But will Terry be able to stay out of trouble - and out of prison? And as the end of his sentence approaches, will he and Sandra finally get together?

Created by Jim Eldridge, whose numerous radio credits include King Street Junior and Albert & Me, this feel-good comedy drama stars Karl Howman (Brush Strokes, EastEnders) as Terry and Phyllis Logan (Lovejoy, Downton Abbey) as Sandra.

Production credits:

Written by Jim Eldridge

Directed by Marilyn Imrie and David Hitchinson

Music: Jacqueline Dankworth and Harvey Brough

First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 26 January-2 March 1999 (Series 1), 26 July-30 August 2000 (Series 2), 12 October-16 November 2001 (Series 3)

Cast

Terry King - Karl Howman

Sandra Gaines - Phyllis Logan

Steve Addison - Ben Crowe

Mr Wade/Harry Howard/Bert Higgs/Mr Addison - Geoffrey Whitehead

Mr Preston - David Holt

George - Chris Pavlo

Whizzer/Sam Stone/Police officer/Don Gaines - Giles Fagan

Hobb/Ed Bayliss - Harry Myers

Ellie Higgs - Priyanga Elan

Woman on the estate - Frances Jeater

Supt. Anne Robinson - Rachel Atkins

Gail Gaines - Victoria O'Donnell/Jennifer Wheelan

Mrs Watson - Ann Beach

Mrs Barnes - Jillie Meers

Mick/Mr Evans - Gavin Muir

Keith/Jerry - David Thorpe

Annie - Alison Pettitt

Mavis - Tilly Vosburgh

Warren/Scaggs - Clinton Mullings-Dodson

Mrs Wilson - Maggie McCarthy

Ernie/Mr Marsden - Roger Walker

Miss Graham/Mrs Baxter - Richenda Carey

Marlene - Hetty Baynes

Andrew - Tom George

Pianist at concert - Peter Ringrose

Mrs McKendrick - Sandra Voe

Drunk man/Barman - Ewan Bailey

Netball player - Helen Longworth

Girl at club - Sarah Paul

Matt - Ray Lonnen

David - Sean Baker

Wendy Wilson - Clare Corbett

Matthew - George Allonby

Mary - Elaine Claxton

Mrs Barnes/Pauline - Carolyn Pickles

Wally - Carl Prekopp

©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

What listeners say about Coming Alive: The Complete Series 1-3

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    26
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    27
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    23
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!

Brilliantly written and acted!! Well done cast and crew 🎉😃❤️

A gem that will never fade 💎💎💎

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • N
  • 26-01-23

Blast From The Past

Always been a fan of Karl Howman since his Brush Strokes TV show. Remember hearing this on the radio when it first came out. Still stands the test of time fairly well and good to hear it again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great audio must listen

Can’t fault anything. Would highly recommend. Great actors playing pivotal rolls. And Karl Howman as amazing as ever

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Easy listening very entertaining

Really enjoyable full of warmth and humour. Highly recommended, nothing much else to say great.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Innocent Comedy

Ah, a better age when wokeness wasn't the issue and you could focus on a plot where ordinary folk did ordinary things with a sweet sense of humor about it. This is a lovely listen because it is not polluted with an agenda - except for decency. The voice actors are all amazing (as you might expect really) and the plot is pleasant and enjoyable. Thoroughly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliantly acted, very funny and very emotional drama

I thought this audio drama was very easy listening and very gripping from the very first episode to the last. This shows that anything is possible to turn your life around. Unmissable sitcom.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!