Part of Series
From 1938 to 1969 crime novelist and detective Paul Temple and his journalist wife Steve solved case after case in one of BBC Radio's most popular serials. Paul and Steve inhabit a sophisticated, well-dressed world of chilled cocktails and fast cars, where the women are chic and the men still wear cravats. The setting in this episode is London. There are dipsomaniac vamps, amnesiac millionaires, circus knife throwers, snake hipped gigolos, bombs in suitcases, daring burglars, undercover policemen and - of course - sinister foreigners. There is also an object that contains a mysterious secret: in this case a penny on the end of a watch chain. 1/8 A Penny for Your Thoughts - A mysterious watch-chain sends Paul and Steve in pursuit of a gang of counterfeiters. 2/8 The Manilla - When warned not to interfere, our hero becomes even more determined to investigate. 3/8 Eileen - Paul is making progress in the counterfeiting case, but then the killer strikes again. 4/8 Hubert Greene Entertains - Paul's unexpected invitation to the country exposes raw emotions amongst fellow guests. 5/8 Steve Takes Over - Steve's acting ability is called for as a notorious counterfeiter heads for London. 6/8 Just a Red Herring - The hunt for the counterfeiters leads Paul to a high-speed powerboat on the Thames. 7/8 The Four Suspects - The sleuth gets a shock on his own doorstep, then baits a discreet trap to gather evidence 8/8 Introducing Madison - Paul springs his trap, and the secret of the watch-chain is finally revealed.
Author
Francis Henry Durbridge was an English playwright and author born in Hull. In 1938, he created the character Paul Temple for the BBC radio serial Send for Paul Temple. A crime novelist and detective, the gentlemanly Temple solved numerous crimes with the help of Steve Trent, a Fleet Street journalist who later became his wife. The character proved enormously popular and appeared in 16 radio serials and later spawned a 64-part big-budget television series (1969-71) and radio productions, as well as a number of comic strips, four feature films and various foreign radio productions. Francis Durbridge also had a successful career as a writer for the stage and screen. His most successful play, Suddenly at Home, ran in London’s West End for over a year.
