During 1955 and 1956, a condensed radio dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings was broadcast in twelve episodes on BBC Radio's the Third Programme. These radio broadcasts were among the first dramatisations of The Lord of the Rings, a book by J. R. R. Tolkien, the final volume of which, The Return of the King, had been published in October 1955. No recordings of these radio broadcasts are known to have survived. BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. ... The BBC Third Programme was the third national radio network broadcast by the BBC, has since become Radio 3, but was originally known (at least within the BBC) as C. The other two were the Home Service (mainly speech based) and the Light Programme, dedicated to light music, usually cover... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into theatre. ... Cover design for the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien For the movie trilogy by Peter Jackson, see The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. ... Wiktionary has related dictionary definitions, such as: book A book is a collection of sheets of paper, parchment or other material, bound together along one edge within covers. ... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1972, in his study at Merton Street (from by H. Carpenter) John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... ROTK redirects here, for the Three Kingdoms game series see Sangokushi The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. ...

The first part of the story, The Fellowship of the Ring, was broadcast in six episodes in 1955. The final two volumes, The Two Towers and The Return of the King were covered in six episodes broadcast in 1956. Both series of broadcasts were adapted and produced by Terence Tiller, who corresponded with Tolkien for advice concerning the second series. The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J.R.R. Tolkien. ... The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings. ... ROTK redirects here, for the Three Kingdoms game series see Sangokushi The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. ... Terence Rogers Tiller (September 19, 1916 - December 24, 1987) was an English poet and radio producer. ...

Radio was the dominant broadcast medium in the UK at the time, and the broadcasts helped to publicise the books. The broadcasts were discussed on the BBC programme The Critics, and discussion of the broadcasts brought them to the attention of a Mr Sam Gamgee, who subsequently wrote to Tolkien to ask about the origin of the name of the character Sam Gamgee. Samwise Gamgee (T.A. 2983-F.A. 62; S.R. 1383-1482), a fictional character featured in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy world Middle-earth, is Frodo Baggins servant who proves to be the most loyal of the Fellowship of the Ring. ...

The cast included the actor Norman Shelley, who played the parts of Gandalf and Tom Bombadil. The author's opinion on these broadcasts were revealed in several letters he wrote, which were published in 1981 in The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. Norman Shelley (February 16, 1903 - August 22, 1980) was an English actor, best known for his work in radio, in particular for the BBCs Childrens Hour. ... Gandalf is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, where he appears as an archetypal wizard, taking a leading role in the War of the Ring. ... Tom Bombadil (also Iarwain Ben-adar in Sindarin) is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien (ISBN 0-618-05699-8) is a selection of J. R. R. Tolkiens letters published in 1981, edited by his son Christopher Tolkien and the biographer Humphrey Carpenter. ...

Quotes from J. R. R. Tolkien

"I think the book quite unsuitable for 'dramatization', and have not enjoyed the broadcasts - though they have improved. I thought Tom Bombadil dreadful - but worse still was the announcer's preliminary remarks that Goldberry was his daughter(!), and that Willowman was an ally of Mordor(!!)." (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 175, 30 November 1955)

"I think poorly of the broadcast adaptations. Except for a few details I think they are not well done, even granted the script and the legitimacy of the enterprise (which I do not grant). But they took some trouble with the names. I thought that the dwarf (Gloin not Gimli [...]) was not too bad, if a bit exaggerated." (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 176, 8 December 1955)

[To Terence Tiller, concerning accents]: "I paid great attention to such linguistic differentiation as was possible: in diction, idiom and so on; and I doubt if much more can be imported, except in so far as the individual actor represents his feeling for the character in tone and style." (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 193, 2 November 1956)

[To Terence Tiller, concerning scripts for three of the episodes]: "Here is a book very unsuitable for dramatic or semi-dramatic representation. If that is attempted, it needs more space, a lot of space. [...] Personally, I think it requires rather the older art of the reading 'mime', than the more nearly dramatic, which results in too great an emphasis on dialogue (mostly with its setting removed). [...] I feel you have had a very hard task." (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 194, 6 November 1956)

[Replying to his publisher concerning an enquiry about the possibility of making a cartoon of The Lord of the Rings]: "I think I should find vulgarization less painful than the sillification achieved by the B.B.C." (The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 198, 19 June 1957)

Cover design for the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien For the movie trilogy by Peter Jackson, see The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. ... J. R. R. Tolkien in 1972, in his study at Merton Street (from by H. Carpenter) John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3, 1892 – September 2, 1973) is best known as the author of The Hobbit and its sequel The Lord of the Rings. ... The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J.R.R. Tolkien. ... The Two Towers is the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings. ... ROTK redirects here, for the Three Kingdoms game series see Sangokushi The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. ... The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie poster (2001) The Lord of the Rings film trilogy comprises three live action films, directed by Peter Jackson and released by New Line Cinema. ... J.R.R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings is the title of an animated film produced and directed by Ralph Bakshi, and released to theaters in 1978. ... DVD cover The Return of the King is an animated adaptation of the novel by J. R. R. Tolkien which was released by Rankin/Bass as a TV special in 1980. ... The History of The Lord of the Rings is a 4-volume work by Christopher Tolkien that documents the process of J. R. R. Tolkiens writing of his masterwork The Lord of the Rings (LotR). ... In 1981 BBC Radio 4 broadcast a dramatisation of J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings in 26 half-hour stereo instalments. ... Frodo Baggins (September 22, 2968 T.A. – ?) is the main character of J. R. R. Tolkiens monumental and mythological novel, The Lord of the Rings. ... Samwise Gamgee (T.A. 2983-F.A. 62; S.R. 1383-1482), a fictional character featured in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy world Middle-earth, is Frodo Baggins servant who proves to be the most loyal of the Fellowship of the Ring. ... Meriadoc Brandybuck, usually referred to as Merry, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth, featured as a central character throughout Tolkiens most famous work, The Lord of the Rings. ... Peregrin Took (T.A. 2990-?), better known to his friends as Pippin, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth; a Hobbit, and one of Frodo Bagginss youngest but best friends. ... Bilbo Baggins is the central character in the J. R. R. Tolkien novel The Hobbit, and a minor character in its sequel, The Lord of the Rings. ... Gandalf is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens masterwork, The Lord of the Rings, where he appears as an archetypal wizard, taking a leading role in the War of the Ring. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens legendarium, Aragorn II was the 16th Chieftain of the Dúnedain of the North (T.A. 2931 – F.A. 120) who was later crowned King Elessar Telcontar, 26th King of Arnor, 35th King of Gondor and First High King of the Reunited Kingdom. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, Legolas is an Elf, a Sinda prince who becomes a member of the Fellowship of the Ring. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, Gimli is a Dwarf of Durins Folk who is chosen to accompany Frodo Baggins as a member of the Fellowship of the Ring on the quest to destroy the One Ring. ... Boromir (T.A. 2978 – 3019), a character from J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy universe of Middle-earth, was the eldest son of Denethor II, (the last ruling Steward of Gondor), and Finduilas. ... For other uses, see Sauron (disambiguation). ... Saruman (1000 T.A. – 3019 T.A in Middle-earth) is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe, Middle-earth. ... Lady Arwen Undómiel (usually called Arwen Evenstar, Undómiel being the form in Quenya), (T.A. 241–F.A. 121), is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... Elrond the Half-elven (F.A. 525 - ?) is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by fantasy author J. R. R. Tolkien. ... Galadriel is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens The Lord of the Rings, Théoden was the seventeenth King of Rohan, and last of the Second Line. ... –Háma Éowyn (T.A. 2995 – ?), the Shield-maiden of Rohan, is a character in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy universe of Middle-earth. ... For the Mercian figure, see Eomer In J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth legendarium, Éomer was the eighteenth King of Rohan, and first of the Third Line. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens novel The Lord of the Rings, Gríma (Wormtongue) is the chief advisor to King Théoden of Rohan. ... Treebeard or (Sindarin) Fangorn is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens Middle-earth. ... Spoiler warning: Faramir, Steward of Gondor and Prince of Ithilien (T.A. 2983 – F.A. 82) is a wise man of nobility and the second of Denethors two sons in J. R. R. Tolkiens fantasy universe of Middle-earth. ... In J. R. R. Tolkiens fictional universe of Middle-earth, Denethor II is the twenty-sixth and last Ruling Steward of Gondor. ... Gollum is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkiens universe of Middle-earth. ... The Witch-king of Angmar, aka Lord of the Nazgûl or the Black Captain, is the chief of the Ringwraiths of Middle-earth. ...

References

• The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
• Lord of the Rings Movie Forum