Who is Jonathan?
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Listen to the opening few minutes of this popular BBC radio serial from the 1960s and your attention will be claimed. Paul Temple and his adorable wife Steve chat amiably to fellow passengers on a plane flying from New York to London. With the arrival at their destination, however, comes news of a murder. The subsequent investigation into the murder relocates Paul and Steve from their London flat to a hotel in Oxford where they remain until the expected cocktail party "denouement" after they return to London.
By the time this serial aired tape recording had brought major advances in sound quality, storage convenience and duplication. Thus it is that although almost all the earliest "recording to disc" Paul Temple radio cases have not been kept, all but one of the tape recorded productions of the 1950s and 1960s survive in almost pristine condition. Sadly, it was after being broadcast in Australia that the only known copy of one of the 1950s productions disappeared in the post.
The "Jonathan" case has its strengths, but several weaknesses lower its overall quality. One is the excessive amount of explaining and reporting that occupies so much of the eight episodes. The other is the dearth of memorable performances from the minor cast members. How often have bit players turned a few lines of dross in this series into pure gold? It rarely happens here. Marjorie Westbury, of course, works her magic throughout.
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