Our good friends at B7 Media are looking for help to fund a series of new audio adventures for the iconic Dan Dare. The company launched some time back with a wonderful series of adventures, which updated Dan Dare and his crew for the 21st Century and these adventures have recently aired through BBC Radio.
But the company is looking for support to get the third series of adventures up and running and to that end, they’ve started a crowdfunding campaign. You can read further details in the official press release, which we’ve reproduced below:
B7 Media launch Indiegogo campaign to help Dan Dare fly for his 70th anniversary.
Last weekend this icon of British science fiction, DAN DARE, dramatically concluded its second series of all-new audio adventures on BBC Radio 4 Extra, featuring acclaimed performances from Ed Stoppard (Dan Dare), Geoff McGivern (Digby), Heida Reed (Professor Peabody), Michael Cochrane (Sir Hurbert) and Raad Rawi (The Mekon) along with many notable guest stars including Hugh Fraser, Noof McEwan, Bijan Daneshmand and Jonathan Rhodes.
Inspired by the original Eagle comic strip (1950-1967), B7 Media’s audio reboot of comic-book space hero DAN DARE has been hailed by fans and critics alike – and the first season was also nominated for several radio awards. Most notably Vol 2 won the prestigious NYC International Radio Program Gold Award for ‘Best Digital Drama’ (2018).
“We’re very proud of what we accomplished and the amazing response the series got from listeners; for me it was the fulfilment of a twenty-five-year old ambition. Since the series release we’ve been delighted to receive many, many requests for further adventures – which is why we’ve launched this crowdfunding campaign,” says Series Director, Andrew Mark Sewell.
“We want DAN DARE’s audio adventure to continue. Our writers, cast and production team have more brilliant Dan Dare stories to tell, but to make this happen we also need everyone’s support to help fund production. This year also makes the 70th anniversary of the ‘Pilot of the Future’ so releasing a new season of three feature-length stories, would be a fitting tribute to complete the Dan Dare story arc we set in motion with Season 1.”
B7 Media’s initial plan is to fund and produce the first episode ‘All Treens Must Die’ and release it digitally. If there’s sufficient demand and interest, they then plan to crowdfund subsequent episodes and as the stakes increase, so will the perks!
“Our ultimate goal is to fund the development, scripting, production and post-production of Volume Three in its entirety, boasting 3 x 75-minute adventures,” explains Series Producer, Helen Quigley. “The total budget for this is £45,000 (which includes the cost of fulfilling all the perks). Reaching further goals will allow us to commission scripts for Volume Four, commission more episodes and produce a special full-cast drama revealing the astonishing ‘true’ story behind the creation of ‘Dan Dare’ by Frank Hampson and the Reverend Marcus Morris.”
Series Script Editor, Colin Brake, has ambitious plans for the next set of stories and explains why he feels DAN DARE holds such enduring appeal; “Dan Dare is the exemplary British adventure hero. Like his aviator predecessor Biggles, he represents the best of British qualities: courage, determination, stoicism and a wry sense of humour. At our first writers’ meeting for the new Dan Dare audio adventures we had a fantastic time talking through the first six adaptations that would make up Volumes One and Two, but that was just part of our discussion. We also spent hours talking through the details of the wider Dan Dare fictional universe, about ambitious plans for future episodes and new challenges for Dare and his friends.”
He adds; “In these dark and uncertain times, we need heroes like Dan Dare more than ever, to inspire hope for the future. In 2020 we celebrate seventy years since Dan’s first appearance in the pages of the Eagle. Surely now is the time for Dan, Digby and Peabody to continue their new audio adventures? Time for the Anastasia to launch again into the unknown? Time for Dan Dare to venture to the edge of our solar system – and beyond…”
- DAN DARE: The Audio Adventures For more information about the Indiegogo campaign and how you can support it, click here.
As someone who was fortunate enough to listen to these adventures. I fully endorse and recommend that you strongly consider contributing to the cause. The stories I listened to were fantastic fan and felt very modern and in step with our times.
