Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future

Crash land with Dan Dare, the world’s Number One space hero!

Decades after he first appeared in the comic Eagle, Dan Dare hits the airwaves and embarks on a mission to Venus to save the world. Classic comic-book fans and adventure lovers alike will relish this vintage production as Dan Dare, British science fiction comic hero, created by illustrator Frank Hampson, fires up his spaceship and launches into the future - the distant future - the 1990s…
Nicknamed The ‘Biggles of Space’ and the ‘British Buck Rogers’, this superhero’s manner is more reminiscent of British war films of the 1950s. Dominating the comic-book scene in the 1950 and 60s, the dashing and daring pilot is back in this brilliant, four-part radio dramatisation. Enjoy listening to a full-cast recording as they take on the adventure with Dan Dare and his crew battling to save the world.
And in a bonus documentary, listen as Sir Tim Rice explores the lasting appeal of the British magazine Eagle and the impact of Dan Dare in Eagle: The Space Age Weekly. Charting the influences behind the comic, and exploring the life of its creator, Marcus Morris, this fascinating programme features contributions from author Philip Pullman, the daughter of Eagle creator Sally Morris and Eagle Society member David Britton.


Cast and credits

Reproduced with kind permission of the Dan Dare Corporation Ltd
Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future
Written by Frank Hampson
Dramatised by Nick McCarty
Directed by Glyn Dearman
Music by Wilfredo Acost
Dan Dare - Mick Ford
Sir Hubert - Terence Alexander
Digby - Donald Gee
Professor Peabody - Zelah Clarke
Hank - William Roberts
The Mekon - Richard Pearce
Sondar - David Goudge
Aunt Anastasia - Margaret Courtenay
Mrs Digby - Shirley Dixon
Volstar - Ben Onwukwe
Kalon - John Moffatt
Pierre - Sean Barrett
Dapon - David King
Ur Tag - Brian Miller
Other parts played by Vincent Brimble, Paul Downing, Stephen Garlick, Dale Rapley, Danny Schiller, Charles Simpson, Simon Treves and Christopher Good
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4, 19 Apr - 10 May 1990
Eagle: The Space Age Weekly
Written and Presented by Sir Tim Rice
First Broadcast BBC Radio 4Extra, 23 Dec 2010
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