Detective cover art

Detective

The Complete BBC Radio 4 Crime Drama

Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Detective

By: Robert Barr
Narrated by: full cast, Ray Brooks
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £14.51

Buy Now for £14.51

Season's Savings | £0.99/mo for 3 months

£5.99/mo after 3 months - terms apply. Cancel monthly

All four radio series of Robert Barr’s gripping London-based police drama.

Originally broadcast as Detective: Stories of Crime and Detection in London, this BBC radio drama ran for four series between 1980 and 1985. Written by the award-winning creator of Z Cars and Softly Softly, Robert Barr, it comprised 39 thrilling stories set in London’s criminal underworld, all of which are collected here for the first time.

DS Dave Brook is a long-serving, ducking-and-diving police officer who takes armed robberies and violent crime in his stride. But then he is teamed up with young 'grammar school boy' DC Blair Maxton from sleepy Epsom. How will Max cope with the mean streets of his new patch?

Among the thrilling cases in these four series, the detectives tackle an armed gang, confront a notorious crime family, search for a missing wife, investigate a gruesome ax murder and the death of a reclusive young woman, and assist ‘The Sweeney’ flying squad. It’s all in a day’s work for Brook and his team....

Ray Brooks stars as DS Brook, with Christopher Blake as DC Maxton, David Daker as Chief Inspector Roach, Peter Cleall as DC Harrison, Jacqueline Tong as Judy and Stephen Garlick as DC Tully.

Written by Robert Barr

Produced and directed by Martin Fisher

First broadcast 3 January-27 March 1980, BBC Radio 4 (Series 1), 16 March-18 May 1982, BBC Radio 4, (Series 2), 27 June-15 August 1984, BBC Radio 2 (Series 3), 24 June-12 August 1985, BBC Radio 2 (Series 4)

©2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Mystery Exciting Funny British Detective Mysteries British Crime
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
All stars
Most relevant
Enjoyable series that is well written and acted. I highly recommend giving this series a listen.

Detective

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

thoroughly enjoyed this dramatisation. Ray Brooks excellent in title role. thoroughly recommend. wish there were more episodes.

wish there were more.

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

Whilst paling in comparison to productions of the modern day, this must have been a marvel way back when. In fact, the first series is older than I am.

I mostly enjoyed it for its nostalgia - police officers drinking pints on a lunch break before the pub shut for the afternoon, and simplicity - not relying on DNA results coming back from the lab.

Each episode is under 30 minutes. One is a minute or two shorter than the others which leads me to think that an attitude of the era really has not aged well, and had to have a scene chopped out perhaps.

Saying that, as I have seen in another review, there are still some slightly uncomfortable moments which I think we have improved upon as a nation.

I tanked through it in no time.

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

I really enjoyed listening to these. The BBC do these sorts of drama so well. Somewhat dated now of course but all the better for that!

BBC at her best.

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

Absolutely lovely one of the best I've listened too. Mr brooks has such a nice voice really good listen highly recommend

Brilliant

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

See more reviews