The Penny Dreadfuls present...The Brothers Faversham
Encyclopedia
The Penny Dreadfuls Present... is a British
radio comedy
programme, written and performed by comedy troupe The Penny Dreadfuls
, with each episode looking at a different member of The Brothers Faversham, a collection of heroes of Victorian Britain. The first series was produced and broadcast by the BBC
for BBC Radio 7 and aired between January and February 2008. The second series was broadcast in October 2008, and was repeated on BBC Radio 4
in December 2008 and January 2009. An episode on Guy Fawkes
was broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play
slot on 5 November 2009.
during the Victorian Era
and chronicles the lives of the Faversham family; specifically the offspring of Sir Digby and Lady Alexandra Faversham, an aristocratic couple of some standing. Sir Digby is a wealthy Kent
ish landowner, and Lady Alexandra (played by Ingrid Oliver
) is the British Empire's greatest, sexiest and most pregnant spy
. Their progeny without fail lead exceptional and exemplary lives, with each episode following one of the brothers from eventful birth through to untimely death.
Other than the stories of the brothers, other sketches appear in the show, including the early exploits of Lady Alexandra's spying, and adverts which either advertise products seen as modern at the time such as tarmac
, or parody the adverts of today, such as those for compensation lawyers.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
radio comedy
Radio comedy
Radio comedy, or comedic radio programming, is a radio broadcast that may involve sitcom elements, sketches and various types of comedy found on other media. It may also include more surreal or fantastic elements, as these can be conveyed on a small budget with just a few sound effects or some...
programme, written and performed by comedy troupe The Penny Dreadfuls
The Penny Dreadfuls
The Penny Dreadfuls are a British sketch-comedy troupe consisting of comedians Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck. The sketch team perform regularly on the London comedy circuit.-History:...
, with each episode looking at a different member of The Brothers Faversham, a collection of heroes of Victorian Britain. The first series was produced and broadcast by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
for BBC Radio 7 and aired between January and February 2008. The second series was broadcast in October 2008, and was repeated on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
in December 2008 and January 2009. An episode on Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
was broadcast in BBC Radio 4's Afternoon Play
Afternoon Play
The Afternoon Play is a long-running drama programming strand, broadcast every weekday at 2.15pm on BBC Radio 4. Each play lasts for 45 minutes, and roughly 190 new Afternoon Plays are broadcast each year....
slot on 5 November 2009.
Summary
The series is set in BritainUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
during the Victorian Era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
and chronicles the lives of the Faversham family; specifically the offspring of Sir Digby and Lady Alexandra Faversham, an aristocratic couple of some standing. Sir Digby is a wealthy Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
ish landowner, and Lady Alexandra (played by Ingrid Oliver
Ingrid Oliver
Ingrid Oliver is a British actress and comedian, and one half of comedic double act Watson and Oliver.-Career:In September 2005, Ingrid Oliver and Lorna Watson performed their first show together at The Canal Cafe Theatre in London...
) is the British Empire's greatest, sexiest and most pregnant spy
SPY
SPY is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* SPY , ticker symbol for Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts* SPY , a satirical monthly, trademarked all-caps* SPY , airport code for San Pédro, Côte d'Ivoire...
. Their progeny without fail lead exceptional and exemplary lives, with each episode following one of the brothers from eventful birth through to untimely death.
Other than the stories of the brothers, other sketches appear in the show, including the early exploits of Lady Alexandra's spying, and adverts which either advertise products seen as modern at the time such as tarmac
Tarmac
Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...
, or parody the adverts of today, such as those for compensation lawyers.
Production
The Penny Dreadfuls Present... is made by the BBC. The second series was commissioned before the first series was broadcast.Series 1: The Brothers Faversham
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Series 2: More Brothers Faversham
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Afternoon Play Special
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Saturday Play Special
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