Simon Brett: Difference between revisions - Wikipedia


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====Charles Paris====

{{Main article|A Charles Paris Mystery}}

To date Brett has written 20 books about Charles Paris, an unhappily separated (but not divorced, more than 30 years on), moderately successful character<ref>In ''Not Dead, Only Resting'' it is established that Charles Paris is in the character section of the Spotlights Directory (now defunct).</ref> actor with a slight drinking problem, who getsinvestigates entangled in various crimes, andthe findsmurders himselfhe unwillinglyencounters in the rolecourse of amateurhis detectivecareer.

#''Cast, In Order of Disappearance'' (1975)

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#''A Deadly Habit'' (2018)

They have been adapted for [[BBC Radio]], mostly by Jeremy Front and starring Bill Nighy.

''Cast, In Order of Disappearance'' and ''So Much Blood'' were both adapted as serials for [[BBC Radio 2]] with [[Francis Matthews (actor)|Francis Matthews]] in the lead role in the 1980s.

[[Bill Nighy]] has played Paris in a series of BBC Radio productions. The first, an adaptation of ''So Much Blood'' for ''[[The Saturday Play]]'' in 1999, was recorded on location at its Edinburgh Fringe setting. ''A Series of Murders'' followed as another ''Saturday Play'' in 2004, leading into a number of half-hour serials which began with ''Sicken and So Die'' (2006) and continued with ''Murder Unprompted'' (2007) and ''The Dead Side of the Mike'' (2008), with ''So Much Blood'' apparently happening between the last two serials. These serials have all been updated from the novels, and adapted to deal with continuity problems caused by the adaptations being made out of order in relation to the books, with later adaptations featuring more far-reaching changes to the central mysteries.

''Cast, In Order of Disappearance'', this time starring Francis Matthews as Paris, began airing on Friday 29 January 2010 on [[BBC Radio 4]]. From 26 February, its slot was taken for three weeks by an original series from Brett. A three-hour ''I Did It My Way'' programme featuring Brett's work was rebroadcast by BBC Radio 7 on Saturday 20 February 2010, including a repeat of ''A Series of Murders''.

This was followed by ''Murder in the Title'' (2010) which aired weekly from 22 November to 13 December 2010. Nighy returned to the role in ''A Reconstructed Corpse'' (2012). Other recurring cast members include [[Jon Glover]] as Charles's agent Maurice, and [[Suzanne Burden]] as his estranged wife Frances. On 5 December 2012 a 4-part adaptation of ''An Amateur Corpse'' began on Radio 4; Nighy and Burden again played Charles and Frances. A tenth story starring Bill Nighy as Charles began broadcast on 25 June 2014; this 4-part adaptation of ''Corporate Bodies'' also stars Suzanne Burden as Frances.

List of radio adaptations with Bill Nighy as Charles:

Saturday plays

* ''So Much Blood'' (recorded on location at Edinburgh Fringe), 1999

* ''A Series of Murders'', 2004

Half-hour 4-part serials

* ''Sicken and So Die'', 2006

* ''Murder Unprompted'', 2007

* ''The Dead Side of the Mic'' (''So Much Blood'' set between last 2 serials), 2008

* ''Cast in Order of Disappearance'', began 29 January 2010

* ''Murder in the Title'', began 22 November 2010

* ''A Reconstructed Corpse'', 2012

* ''An Amateur Corpse'', began 5 December 2012

* ''Corporate Bodies'', began 25 June 2014

* ''A Decent Interval'', 9–30 March 2016

* ''The Cinderella Killer'', began 2 December 2016

* ''Dead Room Farce'', 23 February to 16 March 2018

* ''Star Trap'', 6 March 2019

* ''A Doubtful Death'', 22 May to 12 June 2020

* ''A Deadly Habit'', 3 to 24 September 2021

====Mrs Pargeter====