The Penny Dreadfuls Present...

The Penny Dreadfuls Present...

Maximillian Faversham, horror writer and the sixth born of the Faversham Brothers.
Other names	The Penny Dreadfuls Present... The Brothers Faversham The Penny Dreadfuls Present: More Brothers Faversham
Genre	Comedy
Running time	30 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Home station	BBC Radio 7 BBC Radio 4
Starring	Humphrey Ker David Reed Thom Tuck Ingrid Oliver
Created by	Humphrey Ker David Reed Thom Tuck
Produced by	Julia McKenzie
Narrated by	Miles Jupp
Recording studio	Broadcasting House, London (Series 1) BBC Radio Theatre, London (Series 2)
Air dates	11 January 2008 to 5 November 2009
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	8

The Penny Dreadfuls Present... is a British radio comedy programme, written and performed by comedy troupe the Penny Dreadfuls, with each episode looking at a different member of The Brothers Faversham, a collection of heroes of Victorian Britain. The first series was produced and broadcast by the BBC for BBC Radio 7 and aired between January and February 2008. The second series was broadcast in October 2008, and was repeated on BBC Radio 4 in December 2008 and January 2009.^[1] An episode on Guy Fawkes was broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play slot on 5 November 2009.

Summary

The series is set in Britain during the Victorian Era and chronicles the lives of the Faversham family; specifically the offspring of Sir Digby and Lady Alexandra Faversham, an aristocratic couple of some standing. Sir Digby is a wealthy Kentish landowner, and Lady Alexandra (played by Ingrid Oliver) is the British Empire's greatest, sexiest and most pregnant spy. Their progeny without fail lead exceptional and exemplary lives, with each episode following one of the brothers from eventful birth through to untimely death.

Other than the stories of the brothers, other sketches appear in the show, including the early exploits of Lady Alexandra's spying, and adverts which either advertise products seen as modern at the time such as tarmac, or parody the adverts of today, such as those for compensation lawyers.

Production

The Penny Dreadfuls Present... is made by the BBC. The second series was commissioned before the first series was broadcast.^[2]

Episodes

Series 1: The Brothers Faversham

#	Title	Original airdate
1.1	"Horatius"	11 January 2008
The series begins with the story of Horatius, the first born of the Faversham Brothers and the most decorated soldier in Victorian Britain.[3]
1.2	"Theseus"	18 January 2008
The story of the second born of the Faversham Brothers looks at Theseus, the era's greatest crime solver and detective.[3]
1.3	"Leonidas"	25 January 2008
The third born of the Faversham Brothers tells the tale of a great explorer who left no corner of the British Empire unturned.[3]
1.4	"Augustus"	1 February 2008
The fourth born of the Faversham Brothers is the tragic Augustus, a great illusionist who was made an outcast and became a megalomaniac.[3]

Series 2: More Brothers Faversham

#	Title	Original airdate
2.1	"Titus"	5 October 2008
The second series starts with the story of the fifth born of the Faversham Brothers, Titus, a sportsman who shunned turning professional.[3]
2.2	"Maximillian"	12 October 2008
The sixth born of the Faversham Brothers is Maximillian, the period's greatest horror writer and author of such books as The Sinster Tale of the Voice in the Darkness and The House That Was a Scary House.[3]
2.3	"Marcus"	19 October 2008
The seventh born of the Faversham Brothers is Marcus, Victorian Britain's finest actor who performed for the Queen and worked with working class playwright Arthur Chuck Norris.[3]
2.4	"Perseus and Lucius"	26 October 2008
The eighth and ninth born of the Faversham Brothers are industrialist twin brothers: the kind humanitarian Perseus and the vile and cruel Lucius.[3]

Afternoon Play Special

#	Title	Original airdate
S.1	"Guy Fawkes"	5 November 2009
Broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play slot, this Bonfire Night special covers of the life of Guy Fawkes, his failed attempt to blow up Parliament and his subsequent interrogation in the Tower of London. Guest starring Kevin Eldon as Guy Fawkes, and also featuring Miles Jupp and Andrew Pugsley.[3]

Saturday Play Special

#	Title	Original airdate
S.2	"Revolution"	9 July 2011
Broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Saturday Play slot, this special takes place during the French Revolution and covered an imagined meeting in prison between Maximilien Robespierre and Marie-Therese, the imprisoned 16-year-old daughter of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Guest starring Richard E. Grant as Robespierre and Sally Hawkins as Marie-Therese, and also featuring Margaret Cabourn-Smith.

Afternoon Play Special

#	Title	Original airdate
S.3	"Hereward the Wake"	26 December 2012
Broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play slot, this Boxing Day special covers of the life of Hereward the Wake. Why has this Englishman responsible for leading the fight against the occupation of William The Conqueror, been so readily forgotten? The story didn't end when they ran out of embroidery cotton on the Bayeux Tapestry. Guest starring Marek Larwood, Margaret Cabourn-Smith and Justin Edwards as The Narrator.[3]

References

1. Wolf, Ian. "The Penny Dreadfuls Present...". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2008-11-28.
2. "Comedy triple for BBC radio". Chortle.co.uk. 2008-01-11. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
3. "Episode Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 2008-10-10.

External links

• The Penny Dreadfuls Present... at BBC Programmes
• The Penny Dreadfuls Present... at British Comedy Guide
• Afternoon Play – "The Penny Dreadfuls Present: Guy Fawkes" at BBC Programmes
• Saturday Play - "The Penny Dreadfuls Present: Revolution" at BBC Programmes
• Animated deleted scene from the series