21st Precinct
Drama
Drama
Dick Barton - Special Agent.
Dick Barton - Special Agent moves quickly from a suspicious development to another dangerous situation. Dick’s experience and his companions’ loyalty give the listener a team to follow, even when the latest turn leaves them with very little room to manoeuvre. The BBC Light Programme’s popular approach to action adventure.
OFFICIAL HERITAGE RADIO VAULT RECORDING
Listen to Dick Barton - Special Agent.
Press Play in the official Spreaker player.
Open on Spreaker ↗The player connects to Spreaker, which may use cookies and serve advertising. Audio starts when you press Play. Spreaker privacy
Dick Barton - Special Agent: Programme Guide.
A former commando and two loyal companions face one more impossible escape. Dick Barton’s short instalments make the next revelation part of the pleasure, with team loyalty holding the adventure together.
Broadcast history.
The BBC Light Programme launched Dick Barton in 1946. Later Australian re-recordings used the BBC material with a local cast, and a 1972 remake revisited the first story. The programme name alone does not identify the edition.
Cast and creative team.
Noel Johnson was the first British Barton, with John Mann as Snowey and Alex McCrindle as Jock. Douglas Kelly starred in the Australian adaptation. Different versions should be credited individually rather than assigning Johnson to all surviving audio.
Where to begin.
The Secret Weapon, Part 1 · The Paris Adventure, Part 1
These available recordings offer an introduction to this collection. Their current publication dates are separate from historical broadcast dates.
An interesting detail.
The Australian archive preserved a substantial body of re-recorded material. The survival of a script or a story in that form does not establish survival of its original British performance.
Listening appeal.
Start with Part 1 of an available sequence and keep the numbered instalments together. The serial’s cliffhangers make a story opening more useful than a late middle chapter.
Collection and date notes.
HRV lists 62 public recordings. The 62 records include numbered selections from several stories. Their edition and original transmission dates require individual identification. Current podcast dates describe later archive publication, separately from original broadcast dates.
Sources.
Choose your next episode.
62 public recordings in this programme. Catalogue order is not a verified original broadcast chronology.
62 episodes available.
Questions about Dick Barton - Special Agent.
Does Noel Johnson play every surviving recording?
No. Australian versions star Douglas Kelly, and other British performers also played Barton.
Should I follow part numbers?
Yes. These are continuing adventure sequences.
