THE MAN IN BLACK

Written by Tony Lang

APPOINTMENT WITH FEAR | MAN IN BLACK | FEAR ON FOUR

Back in what many regard as the golden age of radio, before TV and films had started to produce the spine-chilling programmes for which they are now well known, BBC Radio produced one of its most famous horror series, Appointment With Fear. A weekly half hour show introduced by Valentine Dyall, Old Harrovian actor who had made his radio debut in 1936, as The Man In Black, a sinister character who has been recently described by Edward de Souza as "a sort of darker Somerset Maughham, a creepy raconteur who picks up news of the spooky bits of life". He introduced the story, made comments afterwards and sometimes provided short narrative links.

Many of the plays were originally written for American radio by John Dickson Carr, but the series also dramatised stories by such authors as Edgar Allan Poe, Robert Louis Stevenson and W. W. Jacobs.

Appointment With Fear ran for a total of ten series between 1943 and 1955, with Valentine Dyall introducing nine of them. He was unavailable for the second series, and was replaced by his Father, Franklin Dyall.

In 1949 The Man In Black was awarded a series of his own, called The Man In Black, with a very similar format to Appointment With Fear.

The man came out of retirement in 1988 for a series of twelve shows under the title Fear on Four. Valentine Dyall had died in 1985, aged 77, so his role was taken over by Edward de Souza. The programme returned for a second series in January 1989, a third series in December 1990 and a fourth series in December 1992.

Unfortunately very few shows of Appointment With Fear have survived. Only four shows are known to exist, namely 1/2, 3/1, 3/6 and 6/4. No shows from The Man In Black series have survived. However all of Fear On Four still exists.

All of the stories from the first two series of Fear On Four have been published in: The Man In Black, BBC Books, 1990

APPOINTMENT WITH FEAR

The first four series were broadcast on the Home Service. The other series were broadcast on the Light Programme.

Series 1

Ep Title, B/cast date

1/1 Cabin B13, 11/9/43

1/2 The Pit and the Pendulum, 18/9/43

Series 2

Ep Title, B/cast date

2/1 Vex Not His Ghost, 6/1/44

2/2 The Tell Tale Heart, 13/1/44

2/3 The Room of the Suicides, 27/1/44

2/4 The Sire de Maletroit's Door, 27/1/44

2/5 Dragon in the Pool, 3/2/44

2/6 The Man Who Was Affraid of Dentists, 10/2/44

Series3

Ep Title, B/cast date

3/1 The Speaking Clock, 13/4/44

3/2 Death Flies Blind, 20/4/44

3/3 A Watcher by the Dead, 27/4/44

3/4 The Pit and the Pendulum, 4/5/44

3/5 Vampire Tower, 11/5/44

3/6 The Clock Strikes Eight, 18/5/44

Series 4

Ep Title, B/cast date

4/1 I Never Suspected, 5/10/44

4/2 The Devil's Manuscript, 12/10/44

4/3 Death Has Four Faces, 19/10/44

4/4 The Purple Wig, 26/10/44

4/5 He Who Whispers, 2/11/44

4/6 The Curse of the Bronze Lamp, 9/11/44

4/7 The Great Cipher, 16/11/44

4/8 Vex Not His Ghost, 14/12/44

4/9 The Curse of the Bronze Lamp, 7/12/44

4/10 The Gong Cried Murder, 14/12/44

4/11 Lair of the Devil Fish, 21/12/44

4/12 The Oath of Rolling Thunder, 28/12/44

Series 5

Ep Title, B/cast date

5/1 Into Thin Air, 11/9/45

5/2 Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble, 18/9/45

5/3 The Man Who Died Twice, 25/9/45

5/4 The Clock Strikes Eight, 2/10/45

5/5 Cabin B13, 9/10/45

5/6 Will You Make a Bet With Death, 16/10/45

Series 6

Ep Title, B/cast date

6/1 He Wasn't Superstitious, 23/10/45

6/2 The Man With Two Heads, 6/11/45

6/3 The Case of the Five Canaries, 13/11/45

6/4 And The Deep Shuddered, 20/11/45

6/5 The Case, 27/11/45

6/6 Death at Midnight, 4/12/45

Series 7

Ep Title, B/cast date

7/1 The Nutcracker Suite, 26/3/46

7/2 Black Mamba, 2/4/46

7/3 The Cask of Amontillado, 9/4/46

7/4 A Watcher by the Dead, 16/4/46

7/5 The Man Who Knew How, 23/4/46

7/6 Dead Mans Teeth, 30/4/46

7/7 Experiment With Death, 7/5/46

7/8 Death Takes a Honeymoon, 14/5/46

7/9 Renovations at Merrets, 21/5/46

7/10 The Monkey's Paw, 28/5/46

7/11 Cottage For Sale, 4/6/46

7/12 A Mind in Shadow, 11/6/46

Series 8

Ep Title, B/cast date

8/1 Mrs. Amworth, 25/2/47

8/2 Sink Or Swim Together, 4/3/47

8/3 The Last Pilgrimage, 11/3/47

8/4 The Bell Room, 25/3/47

8/5 The Diary of William Carpenter, 1/4/47

8/6 The Treasures, 8/4/47

8/7 The Hands of Nekamen, 22/4/47

8/8 All Cats May Snarl, 29/4/47

Series 9

Ep Title, B/cast date

9/1 The Clock Strikes Eight, 14/1/48

Series 10

Ep Title, B/cast date

10/1 The Man Who Couldn't Be Photographed, 26/7/55

10/2 White Tiger Passage, 2/8/55

10/3 The Dead Man's Knock, 9/8/55

10/4 The Slueth of Seven Dials, 16/8/55

10/5 The Villa of the Damned, 23/8/55

10/6 Till the Great Armados Come, 30/8/55

MAN IN BLACK

Broadcast on the Light Programme.

Series 1

Ep Title, B/cast date

1/1 Markheim , 31/1/49

1/2 Oh Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad, 7/2/49

1/3 The Middle Toe Of The Right Foot, 14/2/49

1/4 Our Feathered Friends / Thus I Refute Beelzy, 21/2/49

1/5 The Judge's House, 28/2/49

1/6 The Yellow Wallpaper, 7/3/49

1/7 The Beast With Five Fingers, 14/3/49

1/8 The Little House, 21/3/49

FEAR ON FOUR

All series broadcast on Radio Four.

Series 1

Ep Title, B/cast date

1/1 The Snowman Killing, 3/1/88

1/2 William and Mary, 10/1/88

1/3 The Monkey's Paw, 17/1/88

1/4 Music Lovers, 24/1/88

1/5 The Beast With Five Fingers, 31/1/88

1/6 Every Detail But One, 7/2/88

1/7 By The River, Fontainebleau, 14/2/88

1/8 The Face, 21/2/88

1/9 Mind Well The Tree, 28/2/88

1/10 Fat Andy, 6/3/88

1/11 A Day At The Dentist's, 13/3/88

1/12 The Speciality Of The House, 20/3/88

Series 2

Ep Title, B/cast date

2/1 Snipe 3909, 15/1/89

2/2 The Dead Drummer, 22/1/89

2/3 The Dispossessed Daughter, 29/1/89

2/4 St. Austin Friars, 5/2/89

2/5 Dreaming Of Thee, 12/2/89

2/6 The Horn, 19/2/89

2/7 The Journey Home, 26/2/89

2/8 Hand In Glove, 5/3/89

2/9 His Last Card, 12/3/89

2/10 Survival, 19/3/89

2/11 Soul Searching, 26/3/89

2/12 A Child Crying, 2/4/89

2/13 The Judge' House, 9/4/89

Series 3

Ep Title, B/cast date

3/1 The Yellow Wallpaper, 27/12/90

3/2 Green And Pleasant, 3/1/91

3/3 The Monkey's Revenge, 10/1/91

3/4 Invitation To The Vaults, 21/2/91

3/5 The Edge, 24/1/91

3/6 Dead Man's Boots, 31/1/91

3/7 A Routine Operation?, 7/2/91

3/8 Dance In The Underworld, 14/2/91

Series 4

Ep Title, B/cast date

4/1 Gobble, Gobble, 24/12/92

4/2 The Next In Line, 31/12/92

4/3 Dark Feathers, 7/1/93

4/4 Playing God, 14/1/93

4/5 Vicious Fish, 21/1/93

4/6 Hellhound On My Trail, 28/1/93

4/7 Hearing Is Believing, 4/2/93

4/8 Life Line, 11/2/93

Series 5

5/1 Net Suicide, 4/9/97

5/2 Tapping, 24/9/97

5/3 The Chimes Of Midnight, 2/3/97

5/4 Making Sacrifices, 9/10/97

5/5 Tissue memory, 16/10/9

Ep	Title, B/cast date
2/1	Vex Not His Ghost, 6/1/44
2/2	The Tell Tale Heart, 13/1/44
2/3	The Room of the Suicides, 27/1/44
2/4	The Sire de Maletroit's Door, 27/1/44
2/5	Dragon in the Pool, 3/2/44
2/6	The Man Who Was Affraid of Dentists, 10/2/44

Ep	Title, B/cast date
3/1	The Speaking Clock, 13/4/44
3/2	Death Flies Blind, 20/4/44
3/3	A Watcher by the Dead, 27/4/44
3/4	The Pit and the Pendulum, 4/5/44
3/5	Vampire Tower, 11/5/44
3/6	The Clock Strikes Eight, 18/5/44

Ep	Title, B/cast date
4/1	I Never Suspected, 5/10/44
4/2	The Devil's Manuscript, 12/10/44
4/3	Death Has Four Faces, 19/10/44
4/4	The Purple Wig, 26/10/44
4/5	He Who Whispers, 2/11/44
4/6	The Curse of the Bronze Lamp, 9/11/44
4/7	The Great Cipher, 16/11/44
4/8	Vex Not His Ghost, 14/12/44
4/9	The Curse of the Bronze Lamp, 7/12/44
4/10	The Gong Cried Murder, 14/12/44
4/11	Lair of the Devil Fish, 21/12/44
4/12	The Oath of Rolling Thunder, 28/12/44

Ep	Title, B/cast date
5/1	Into Thin Air, 11/9/45
5/2	Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble, 18/9/45
5/3	The Man Who Died Twice, 25/9/45
5/4	The Clock Strikes Eight, 2/10/45
5/5	Cabin B13, 9/10/45
5/6	Will You Make a Bet With Death, 16/10/45

Ep	Title, B/cast date
6/1	He Wasn't Superstitious, 23/10/45
6/2	The Man With Two Heads, 6/11/45
6/3	The Case of the Five Canaries, 13/11/45
6/4	And The Deep Shuddered, 20/11/45
6/5	The Case, 27/11/45
6/6	Death at Midnight, 4/12/45

Ep	Title, B/cast date
7/1	The Nutcracker Suite, 26/3/46
7/2	Black Mamba, 2/4/46
7/3	The Cask of Amontillado, 9/4/46
7/4	A Watcher by the Dead, 16/4/46
7/5	The Man Who Knew How, 23/4/46
7/6	Dead Mans Teeth, 30/4/46
7/7	Experiment With Death, 7/5/46
7/8	Death Takes a Honeymoon, 14/5/46
7/9	Renovations at Merrets, 21/5/46
7/10	The Monkey's Paw, 28/5/46
7/11	Cottage For Sale, 4/6/46
7/12	A Mind in Shadow, 11/6/46

Ep	Title, B/cast date
8/1	Mrs. Amworth, 25/2/47
8/2	Sink Or Swim Together, 4/3/47
8/3	The Last Pilgrimage, 11/3/47
8/4	The Bell Room, 25/3/47
8/5	The Diary of William Carpenter, 1/4/47
8/6	The Treasures, 8/4/47
8/7	The Hands of Nekamen, 22/4/47
8/8	All Cats May Snarl, 29/4/47

Ep	Title, B/cast date
10/1	The Man Who Couldn't Be Photographed, 26/7/55
10/2	White Tiger Passage, 2/8/55
10/3	The Dead Man's Knock, 9/8/55
10/4	The Slueth of Seven Dials, 16/8/55
10/5	The Villa of the Damned, 23/8/55
10/6	Till the Great Armados Come, 30/8/55

Ep	Title, B/cast date
1/1	Markheim , 31/1/49
1/2	Oh Whistle, And I'll Come To You, My Lad, 7/2/49
1/3	The Middle Toe Of The Right Foot, 14/2/49
1/4	Our Feathered Friends / Thus I Refute Beelzy, 21/2/49
1/5	The Judge's House, 28/2/49
1/6	The Yellow Wallpaper, 7/3/49
1/7	The Beast With Five Fingers, 14/3/49
1/8	The Little House, 21/3/49

Ep	Title, B/cast date
1/1	The Snowman Killing, 3/1/88
1/2	William and Mary, 10/1/88
1/3	The Monkey's Paw, 17/1/88
1/4	Music Lovers, 24/1/88
1/5	The Beast With Five Fingers, 31/1/88
1/6	Every Detail But One, 7/2/88
1/7	By The River, Fontainebleau, 14/2/88
1/8	The Face, 21/2/88
1/9	Mind Well The Tree, 28/2/88
1/10	Fat Andy, 6/3/88
1/11	A Day At The Dentist's, 13/3/88
1/12	The Speciality Of The House, 20/3/88

Ep	Title, B/cast date
2/1	Snipe 3909, 15/1/89
2/2	The Dead Drummer, 22/1/89
2/3	The Dispossessed Daughter, 29/1/89
2/4	St. Austin Friars, 5/2/89
2/5	Dreaming Of Thee, 12/2/89
2/6	The Horn, 19/2/89
2/7	The Journey Home, 26/2/89
2/8	Hand In Glove, 5/3/89
2/9	His Last Card, 12/3/89
2/10	Survival, 19/3/89
2/11	Soul Searching, 26/3/89
2/12	A Child Crying, 2/4/89
2/13	The Judge' House, 9/4/89

Ep	Title, B/cast date
3/1	The Yellow Wallpaper, 27/12/90
3/2	Green And Pleasant, 3/1/91
3/3	The Monkey's Revenge, 10/1/91
3/4	Invitation To The Vaults, 21/2/91
3/5	The Edge, 24/1/91
3/6	Dead Man's Boots, 31/1/91
3/7	A Routine Operation?, 7/2/91
3/8	Dance In The Underworld, 14/2/91

Ep	Title, B/cast date
4/1	Gobble, Gobble, 24/12/92
4/2	The Next In Line, 31/12/92
4/3	Dark Feathers, 7/1/93
4/4	Playing God, 14/1/93
4/5	Vicious Fish, 21/1/93
4/6	Hellhound On My Trail, 28/1/93
4/7	Hearing Is Believing, 4/2/93
4/8	Life Line, 11/2/93

5/1	Net Suicide, 4/9/97
5/2	Tapping, 24/9/97
5/3	The Chimes Of Midnight, 2/3/97
5/4	Making Sacrifices, 9/10/97
5/5	Tissue memory, 16/10/9