Martin Beck comnig to Radio 4

[Acekicker]

I'm very excited - they're going to do all 10 books apparently.

I know it's a while off until they start but for any of you Scandi-detective fans these are very much 'the original and still the best'.

I agree. Can't wait.

"Radio 4 to shed its cosy image"

What, again? [hmm[ Do you think that those that go on about changing Radio 4 ever actually listen to the station's output? They are so hell-bent on chasing new listeners (who aren't interested) that they are in danger of alienating the existing audience.
This isn't a dig at Martin Beck (I don't know the series) but you only have to look at the threads on pepping up The Archers to see what I mean.

I love the idea that they think that they are being really rad by dramatising books written nearly 50 years ago.

at R4, to be honest I'm surprised no-one has tried to capitalise on the books already given the vogue for all things bleak and Scandinavian. The books are fab: well plotted police procedurals with an ongoing theme of social change in Sweden in the 60s/70s (am not really selling it here I know - you kind of have to read them to 'get it'). There is also a bit of an arc plot which works its way in and out across all 10 books although some more than others.

I'm a big detective novel fan and just stumbled across the first one when I was on ML (having read pretty much everything else), I was hooked from the first book and the library had to keep requesting the next ones from the county archives so I could keep going!