The Penguin Podcast is back! Listen Now
Only The Good Die Young

Only The Good Die Young

A BBC Radio 4 Thriller

Summary

A tense six-part techno-thriller, set during the era of George Bush and Boris Yeltsin

Mike Fisher has everything to live for: a stunning model girlfriend, who has just accepted his proposal, and a successful career as a computer programmer. So why would he suddenly resign, dress up in women's underwear and crash his car into a tree? And if he wanted to kill himself, why do it on his wedding day?

His death is ruled as suicide, but his fiancée Kim Drake is sure there's more to it than meets the eye. Determined to find out what really happened, she retraces Mike's footsteps across Europe, where she learns he'd been keeping crucial secrets relating to his highly sensitive job at Peregrine Communications Systems and his involvement with certain disaffected members of the European intelligence community.

Aided by ex-Stasi agent Otto, rock producer Charles Causley and Mike's brother, disabled cyperpunk genius Todd Fisher, she travels across Germany, Denmark and France in search of answers. But Kim's every move is being watched by the sinister Mr Stone, and her dogged investigations are putting her in terrible danger...

First broadcast in 1992, this hard-hitting, electrifying drama was created by award-winning writer and actor Shaun Prendergast, who plays Otto. It stars Siriol Jenkins as Kim, Kenneth Cranham as Stone, Neil Roberts as Mike, Okon Jones as Charles and Jack Klaff as Todd.

Production credits
Written by Shaun Prendergast
Produced and directed by Adrian Bean
Technical presentation by Wilfredo Acosta, Michael Atherton and Ian Pratt

Cast
Kim Drake - Siriol Jenkins
Mike Fisher - Neil Roberts
Anne/Optician's receptionist/Jean/Clearwater - Kate Binchy
Frank/Otto/Burns - Shaun Prendergast
Miss Gee - Ann Davies
Stone - Kenneth Cranham
Todd - Jack Klaff
DI Dear - Eric Alan
DS Love - Jonathan Tafler
John Maschler - Terence Edmond
Emma/Nurse Lewis - Caroline Strong
Mary/WPC - Nicola Boyce
Charles - Okon Jones
Wilson - Peter Gunn
Doris Meyer/Computer/Hotel receptionist - Joanna Wake
Helga/Prostitute - Melanie Hudson
DI Dear - Eric Allen
DS Love/Victor - Jonathan Tafler
Seeta Kumar - Mamta Kaash
Welkin/Journalist - William Roberts
Jill Noone - Alice Arnold
Nelson - Kenneth McClellan
Doctor - Teresa Streatfield

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 23 April-28 May 1992


©2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

About the author

Shaun Prendergast

Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more