1998 Roverandom (Neil Pearson)

Release Date: 1998.08.10
Reader: Neil Pearson
Language: English
Translator: n/a
Organisation: BBC Radio 4
ISBN: n/a
Duration: ~75 minutes
Unabridged: No
Country: UK
Licenced: Yes
Formats: Radio Broadcast

In 1998, Neil Pearson was at the height of his fame in the UK, primarily known for his role as Dave Charnley in the newsroom sitcom Drop the Dead Donkey and his lead role in the police drama Between the Lines.

The reading was broadcast as part of the BBC Radio 4 programming, specifically in a slot usually reserved for Storytime. There were 5 episodes, each lasting approximately 15 minutes, abridged and produced by Pete Atkin.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s Roverandom had been edited by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond and published for the first time in January 1998. The BBC broadcast was part of the media wave surrounding the “discovery” of a lost Tolkien manuscript. Because the book had just been published, this 5-part reading served as a high-profile introduction to the story for a general audience. The abridgment focused on the core narrative: Rover being turned into a toy, his flight to the Moon, and his undersea adventure.

This production has never officially released on either physical media (CD/Tape) or digital download. It exists in the BBC archives but the BBC was licensed for broadcast only. The Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins prefer a single “definitive” unabridged audio version (Jacobi) for the retail market.