There was a time when the most frightening thing in the house was the radio.
A creaking door. Footsteps in the fog. A telephone ringing in an empty room. And somewhere in the darkness, a murderer waiting to be discovered.
Today on Daybreak, we’re returning to the golden age of British radio mysteries, when BBC Saturday Night Theatre brought some of the finest detective stories ever written into living rooms across Britain.
Our featured listening includes four mysteries:
A Murder of Quality — John le Carré’s George Smiley investigates a murder at an English boarding school, where respectable appearances conceal dangerous secrets.
Murder as Art — A forgotten BBC Saturday Night Theatre mystery from 1977.
The Red Telephone Box — Ken Whitmore’s wonderfully eccentric British murder mystery.
Father Brown: A Study in Scarlet — Our newest original Father Brown adventure, bringing Chesterton’s beloved priest-detective into a the first mystery inspired by Sherlock Holmes.
We’ll explore the writers, the characters, and the peculiar magic of radio drama—where the most important scenery is supplied by your own imagination.
And don’t worry. We won’t give away the endings.
Keep the stories coming
Chesterton Radio is an independent station devoted to great stories, classic radio drama, literature, faith, and the things that make life worth living.
Daybreak is sponsored by Chesterton Radio subscribers. Their support helps keep the station on the air and makes new original productions possible.
If you enjoy what we’re doing, please consider becoming a paid subscriber or founding supporter.
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The Open Door — Live 24 Hours a Day
The stories don’t stop when Daybreak ends.
Tune in to The Open Door, Chesterton Radio’s 24-hour live stream, featuring classic radio mysteries, comedies, literary adaptations, music, and original Chesterton Radio productions.
From The Little Station on Commercial Street, broadcasting to listeners on both sides of the Atlantic.
Chesterton Radio — Stories. Ideas. Wonder.
Murder of Quality
Murder as Art
The Red Telephone Box
Father Brown: A Study in Scarlet
FATHER BROWN: A STUDY IN SCARLET
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Nov 3
