Lord of the Radio

Once you've read the book and seen the film, what's next? Well if it's The Lord of the Rings, you'll soon be able to listen to the radio version. A few weeks after Peter Jackson's version of Tolkien's classic hits the big screens next month, Britain's Radio 4 will re-broadcast their version of the book. The 13-hour drama was adapted 20 years ago by British writer Brian Sibley whose Middle-earth credentials are impeccable - he's the author of two movie tie-in books to the upcoming films. And while the radio version's cast weren't as easy on the eye as Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett, they were equally impressive, including Sir Michael Hordern as Gandalf, John Le Mesurier as Bilbo and Bill Nighy as Sam Gamgee. One voice in particular will be familiar to fans of both the film and the radio series - Sir Ian Holm - who takes on the role of Frodo in the radio version. Such is the reputation of the BBC version of LOTR that as filming began in New Zealand on the film version, actors who hadn't read the books were given the BBC tapes as part of their preparation. You can catch The Lord of the Rings on Radio 4 in the New Year.