Listen free for 30 days
-
Charles Paris: The Dead Side of the Mic
- A BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation
- Narrated by: Bill Nighy, Suzanne Burden, Charlotte Green, full cast
- Length: 1 hr and 52 mins
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Charles Paris: The Dead Side of the Mic
Buy Now for £15.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
Summary
Actor and reluctant sleuth Charles Paris is facing chaos on the domestic front. He’s lodging with his ex-wife Frances, and now their pregnant daughter has moved in as well. It’s all a bit much....
So he is over the moon when he lands a job on the BBC Radio Rep - but the ink is barely dry on his contract when a murder takes place in Broadcasting House. A young female studio manager is found dead in an editing suite, and Charles steps in to investigate.
With a distinguished cast including Bill Nighy as Charles Paris, Suzanne Burden as Frances, and featuring Charlotte Green as herself, this four-part drama, adapted by Jeremy Front, is sheer listening pleasure.
Written by Jeremy Front, based on the novel by Simon Brett.
More from the same
What listeners say about Charles Paris: The Dead Side of the Mic
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Helen
- 07-10-11
Great fun
I will never know why Simon Brett stopped writing his wonderful books starring Charles Paris. I find his other books unreadable. The plots of this series are reasonable, but the world of theatre and the comedy element are wonderfully realised, especially when voiced by Bill Nighy who was born to play Charles Paris.
9 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Morganrandg
- 26-04-15
Smooth, witty delivery.
A fantastic narration of a light-weight but totally enjoyable mystery. I have listened to the book 3 times in as many months and still love hearing Bill Nighy sing and slur his way through this tale that intertwines a mystery with anecdotes from his daily life, the latter being the most engaging.
I intend to read more as I am sure that the cast will live up to my expectations.
5 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Suz
- 10-10-17
light listening
As usual. Good for background noise.
It would be nice if the Mrs got a bit of a social life though, women over 40 are allowed a sex life now - just saying!!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Julia
- 24-12-17
Good read
Enjoyable but all to short will be looking for more short stories in the same vein
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- NixW
- 07-01-15
Enjoyable listening 👂
Another enjoyable Charles Paris story. Charles again finds himself investigating a murder that he has come across in his job as an actor.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall3 out of 5 stars
- Diane
- 05-05-10
Not impressed...
The 25% off this audio-book was a real attraction, as it is less than two hours long. I'm guessing that it was originally a BBC broadcast as it is divided into four episodes, with an annoying cast list at the end of each one. The storyline is not bad, but I found the domestic intrusions to be tiresome verging on irritating, and soon lost interest in Charles Parris' shrill daughter - small wonder he left home!
The performance seemed crowded with noise of one kind or another, and that, coupled with the actors' tendency to speak their lines really fast, rather spoiled it for me, even though all the cast gave good performances. The plotline was fair to middling; not one of Simon Brett's best in my opinion, but maybe that was due to changes made during the adaptation (one particular scene with Bill Nighy had me cringing).
All in all, not one of my better buys from Audible.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Janice
- 19-09-10
Bill Nighy definitely on the right side of the mic
Never having read or listened to any of Simon Brett's work, I took a chance on this based on someone else's positive review. I am very glad that I did so. It introduced me to a new amateur 'sleuth', Charles Paris, splendidly portrayed by Bill Nighy. Enjoyed the whole experience and have to say, I've since treated myself to several early nights, with the naughty but sublimely sexy voice of Bill Nighy, (sorry, Charles Paris) murmuring in my ear!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- D Viner
- 24-01-23
funny and entertaining
another great dramatisation..and i didn't guess whodunnit until the end
great casting as usual
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- MightyOak
- 28-02-22
Brilliant and as wry as ever
Brilliant performances, excellent cast and fantastic story. Charles Paris is one of my all time favourites.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. Slm Drumm
- 01-01-22
Amazing production
Amazing production with Bill Nighy, hilarious and entertaining throughout! Full cast as well as production very impressive! Highly recommended!
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Stacy
- 05-02-11
Radio drama
I love these audiobooks that are like the old-time radio shows with different readers for each role. It's much more absorbing than a single reader. The Charles Paris character seems a little dated, but the story moved along quickly and the dialog was witty. I wish there was a greater variety of BBC Radio Crimes.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- AD
- 19-01-11
Bill Nighy on tip, top form
There's an excellent cast in this audio drama, which helps whisk you along the nearly two hours of drama in and out of BBC Broadcasting House. The plot loses quite a bit from the novel, as often happens with radio dramatisations but Bill Nighy is really perfectly cast as Simon Brett's morose amateur sleuth - and there's a wonderful cameo by Charlotte Green which will bring a smile to the most intense Radio 4 listener!
Although based on a novel written in 1980, this Charles Paris outing has production values, a soundtrack and pace that ensure you're whisked through the two hours of old-fashioned sleuthing with a wonderful modern twist.
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Patricia
- 14-01-13
We need more of this type of radio drama!
I'm greatly enjoying the Charles Paris BBC dramas - the music alone is a blast from the past; the actors are pitch-perfect; and the stories a lot of fun. I know Charles would not be much fun to know or live with, in reality, but he is such a wonderful scoundrel to hear from as he continues to live in a state of scotch-fueled non-divorce with his long-suffering wife Frances. The scene where he's a stand-in in his daughter's prenatal class is particularly memorable; as is the anniversary scene in "A Reconstructed Corpse." If you like radio drama with a sense of humor, these are for you.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- CHRISTINE
- 21-02-16
Loved it.
Bill Nighy is a delight to listen to. I laughed so many times. The story is uncomplicated, but because of the great writing this does not matter at all.
I have all the dramatisations and hope there will be more, with Bill acting as Charles of course.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lazlo Shaw
- 28-11-21
Great listen
I have been a fan of Charles Pairs. I'm looking forward to the Next BBC radio series.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- M. Giorgi
- 21-08-20
Trouble Keeps Finding Him
Charles has the worst luck. Just lay back and listen to a really great series. Truly wish there were more. Enjoy!!
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Crazy for good stories
- 21-09-16
Funny and Bill Nigh is great
Loved it. Bill Nigh is wonderful as the lead character. Great fun to listen about the main character trying to make it as an actor.
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew
- 16-04-16
I like it, I like it, I like it!
I love the timing, the verbage, and how the story is delivered. I find myself looking up phrases that are used. Highly Recommended