Philip Odell

Philip Odell

Genre	Radio serial
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Language	English
Home station	BBC Light Programme
Starring	Robert Beatty Brenda Bruce Joy Shelton Joyce Heron Sheila Manahan Diana Olsson
Created by	Lester Powell
Original release	6 October 1947 – 24 July 1961
No. of episodes	62

Philip Odell was the protagonist of a number of serialised radio mysteries broadcast on the BBC Light Programme between 1947 and 1961. Created by Lester Powell, Odell was an Irish private investigator played by Canadian actor Robert Beatty.

Premise

Originally from Dublin, Odell was employed as a secret service agent in America during World War II. At the start of the first serial Lady in a Fog, he is in London, preparing to depart back home to Ireland. He stops off to share a drink with his old friend Heather McMara who beseeches him to investigate her brother's mysterious death. Following this investigation, he sets up shop as a private detective in London, with Heather becoming his assistant. ^{[1] [2]}

Episodes

Beatty appeared across all the episodes, whilst Heather was played by five different actresses. A majority of the programmes are missing from the BBC archives. The sole serving serials are the 1958 version of Lady in a Fog and Test Room Eight, ^{[3] [4]} both of which have since been rebroadcast and released on BBC home media.

• Lady in a Fog (October 6 – November 24, 1947 ^{[5] [6]} ) (eight episodes, Brenda Bruce as Heather)
• An Assassin for Christmas (25 December 1947 ^[7] ) (40 minute Christmas special, Brenda Bruce as Heather)
• The Odd Story of Simon Ode (June 7 – July 26, 1948 ^{[8] [9]} ) (eight episodes, Joy Shelton as Heather)
• Spot the Lady (April 25 – June 13, 1949 ^{[10] [11]} ) (eight episodes, Brenda Bruce as Heather)
• The Night of the Twenty Seventh (December 27, 1949) (Christmas special written by Edward J. Mason, featuring numerous popular BBC Radio characters including Odell, Paul and Steve Temple, Dick Barton, PC 49, the Man in Black and Dr. and Mrs Dale)
• Love from Leighton Buzzard (April 4 – May 23, 1950 ^{[12] [13]} ) (eight episodes, Joyce Heron as Heather)
• The Lady on the Screen (February 16 – April 5, 1952 ^{[14] [15]} ) (eight episodes, Joyce Heron as Heather)
• Lady in a Fog (remake of the first serial) (April 29 – June 17, 1958 ^{[16] [17]} ) (eight episodes, Sheila Manahan as Heather)
• Test Room Eight (December 22, 1958 – January 26, 1959 ^{[18] [19]} ) (six episodes, Sheila Manahan as Heather)
• Tea on the Island (June 19 – July 24, 1961 ^{[20] [21]} ) (six episodes, Diana Olsson as Heather)

Novels

Powell penned a set of Odell novels. ^[22] Some were novelisations of the serials, others were original stories.

• A Count of Six (1948) (Depicts Odell in his secret service days, foiling a Nazi plot ^{[23] [24]} )
• Shadow Play (1949)
• Spot the Lady (1950)
• Still of Night (1952)
• The Black Casket (1953)

Film

Main article: Lady in the Fog

In 1952, Odell and Heather were brought to the silver screen in Lady in the Fog (Scotland Yard Inspector in the US), an adaptation of the original radio serial. Here, Odell (spelled O'Dell in the film) is depicted as an American writer. Cesar Romero played O'Dell, and Bernadette O'Farrell was Heather.

References

1. "Lady in a Fog, 1. Presenting Philip Odell". BBC Radio 4 Extra. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
2. "Philip Odell". The Thrilling Detective Web Site. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
3. "Lady in a Fog". BBC Radio 4 Extra. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
4. "Test Room Eight". BBC Radio 4 Extra. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
5. "Robert Beatty in ' LADY IN A FOG'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
6. "Robert Beatty in 'LADY IN A FOG'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
7. "Mystery Playhouse presents Robert Beatty in 'AN ASSASSIN FOR CHRISTMAS'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
8. "Robert Beatty in ' THE ODD STORY OF SIMON ODE'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
9. "Robert Beatty in 'THE ODD STORY OF SIMON ODE'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
10. "Spot the Lady: 1: The Golden Gate of Samarkand". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
11. "Robert Beatty, Brenda Bruce in ' SPOT THE LADY'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
12. "Robert Beatty in ' LOVE FROM LEIGHTON BUZZARD'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
13. "Robert Beatty in 'LOVE FROM LEIGHTON BUZZARD'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
14. "Robert Beatty in ' THE LADY ON THE SCREEN'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
15. "Robert Beatty in 'THE LADY ON THE SCREEN'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
16. "News Summary Robert Beatty in a new production of 'LADY IN A FOG'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
17. "News Summary Robert Beatty in a new production of 'LADY IN A FOG'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
18. "News Summary Robert Beatty in 'TEST ROOM EIGHT'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
19. "News Summary Robert Beatty in 'TEST ROOM EIGHT'". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
20. "TEA ON THE ISLAND". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
21. "TEA ON THE ISLAND". BBC Genome. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
22. "Lester Powell Bibliography of First Edition Books". classiccrimefiction.com. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
23. "A Count of Six by Powell, Lester: Very Good Hard Cover (1948) First Edition". AbeBooks. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
24. "A Count of Six by Lester Powell: Very Good Hardcover (1948) 1st Edition". AbeBooks. Retrieved 3 December 2025.