Peeler

A six-part BBC Radio 4 crime drama set in nineteenth-century London It is 1830, a year after Sir Robert Peel’s creation of the Metropolitan Police, known as the 'Peelers'. As the brand new bobbies patrol the beat in their smart blue uniforms, armed only with truncheons and rattles, they form the first line of defence against crime. But as this thrilling series opens, the fledgling detective force is proving unpopular, sparking deep political unrest and public protests. Rioters take to the streets of London, and the police struggle to contain the violence. The threat posed by the mob is not the only problem for young Martin Quin, onetime hero of Waterloo and now a police constable. First his fiancée, Maria Staples, breaks off their engagement due to her tyrannical father’s disapproval. Then Quin is involved in an altercation with Lord Trowle’s coachman, and the arrogant aristocrat insists he is charged with assault. Forced to defend himself in court, Martin finds himself facing imprisonment and ruin. Meanwhile, Bow Street runner Jeremiah Morley investigates shady printer Peter the Screever, and uncovers a heinous blackmail plot... Written by Patrick Carroll, this atmospheric series stars Richard E Grant as Lord Trowle, Norman Jones as Sir Robert Peel, Mick Ford as PC Martin Quin and James Booth as Jeremiah Morley. Written by Patrick Carroll Directed by Janet Whitaker Singer: Martin Carthy Cast PC Martin Quin……………………Mick Ford Jeremiah Morley……………………James Booth Sir Robert Peel……………………Norman Jones Lord Trowle……………………Richard E Grant Colonel Rowan……………………Peter Jeffrey Richard Mayne……………………Killian McKenna Maria Staples……………………Joanna Myers Sergeant Dutton……………………Ronald Herdman Inspector Beale/Frederick Roe……………………Timothy Bateson PC Atkinson/Sergeant Cazalet/Mr Evans……………………Alan Barker PC Smythe/Francis Place/Turnkey/Mr Luke……………………Mark Straker Lord Laverton/PC Rourke……………………James Greene Mr Yardley……………………Richard Pearce Arthur Jenkins/John Staples……………………Ian Lindsay Rev Charles Lyton……………………Timothy Carlton Mrs Gascoygne……………………Elizabeth Bell Peter the Screever……………………Fraser Kerr Beth/Florrie……………………Susan Sheridan Lucy/Mrs Gregory……………………Elizabeth Kelly First broadcast BBC Radio 4, 18 July-22 August 1991