BBC Radio 4's new audio drama series includes “Central Intelligence”, commissioned as part of the station's Limelight podcast feed.
Produced by Goldhawk Productions, Thoroughbred Studios and Rainfall Creations, the film tells the true inside story of the CIA from the perspective of Eloise Page, who joined the agency on its first day in 1947 and became one of the agency's most influential women.
The 10-part series, featuring Kim Cattrall, Ed Harris and Jonny Flynn, will air on Radio 4 and BBC Sounds from 13 September, offering listeners an up-close look at the heated debates and decisions that shaped world history and continue to influence the present.
Kim Cattrall said: “I was delighted to be asked to present Central Intelligence on BBC Radio 4 – a fantastically well-written, factual and entertaining history of the Central Intelligence Agency from its uncertain beginnings.”
“A human story full of missteps, blunders, debacles and, thankfully, triumphs on the world stage. A thrilling tale of Russian roulette. I was engrossed in learning the true story of how this vital institution grew and thrived before and during the Cold War.”
Director John Scott Dryden added: “Goldhawk has built a reputation on dramas based on real, world-changing events such as the collapse of Lehman Brothers Bank and the Greek debt crisis. This is something even bigger. A CIA story told from insider testimony and declassified documents, it is epic and important, and sheds light on the world we live in today.”
Other new commissions include a Brill Productions production of King Lear starring Richard Wilson, with further Shakespeare commissions to come.New original drama for Radio 4 includes a season of Breaking the Rules, a one-off series about breaking the rules.
This autumn, new adaptations of Charles Dickens' “Hard Times,” “Little Dorrit” and “Our Mutual Friend” are scheduled to open.
Alison Hindel, Radio 4's commissioning editor for drama and fiction, said: “Radio 4's commitment to audio drama is unparalleled, bringing to our audiences over 250 hours of world-class productions every year, broadcast every day on Radio 4, reaching around five million listeners every week, and many more listening on BBC Sounds.”
“Radio 4 and Limelight listeners will be delighted with Central Intelligence and it's incredibly exciting to have a world-class cast of this calibre to complement the bold ambition of this powerful serial drama.”
“Audio dramas are unique in the way they transport us to different places and time periods, and this ambitious series will provide an intimate insider's perspective on some of the most remarkable events of the last century.”
