B7 Media has been producing/publishing full-cast audio dramas and audio books since 2007 and is a preferred supplier to BBC Radio and Audible.
Audio dramas produced for BBC Radio 4 include the critically acclaimed dramatisation of Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles starring Sir Derek Jacobi and Hayley Atwell, Isaac Asimov’s seminal science fiction novel I, Robot starring Hermione Norris and Brendan Coyleand Sumia Sukkar’s moving story set during the Syrian conflict The Boy from Aleppo who Painted the War, all dramatised by Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle (Jungle Book, Going Postal,Kidnapped).
Sci-Fi Bulletin said of The Martian Chronicles: “Kurti, Doyle and director Andrew Mark Sewell don’t hesitate to alter events, genders, characters (and especially nationalities) to suit their story needs, giving Hayley Atwell a strong role as Spender; Bradbury purists may moan, but this version has smoothed out the bittiness of the original.”
Starburst Magazine praised the production as: “… an admirable rendition of a classic.”The Radio Times made The Martian Chroniclesits ‘Pick of the Week’ and had particular praise for Derek Jacobi’s performance, describing it as: “… a subtle, nuanced but incredibly powerful performance as Captain Wilder.”
B7’s recent dramatisation of Isaac Asimov’s seminal science fiction novel I, Robot won company founder Andrew Mark Sewell the prestigious NYC International Radio Program ‘Best Director’ Award (2017) and was reviewed by Rich Cross of Starburst Magazine as “… just the kind of quality audio that gives hard sci-fi a good name.”
B7 also produced the critically acclaimed Dan Dare series (BBC Radio 4 Extra) based on the classic Eagle comics of the 1950s. Hailed by Alasdair Stuart of SciFiBulletin.com as; “One of the best collections of audio fiction I’ve heard in a long time.”Dan Darewon the prestigious NYC International Radio Program ‘Best Digital Drama’ Award (2018).
Ian McArdell of IndieMacUser was equally impressed; “For me, this audio revival of Dan Dare is a triumph. Each of the three episodes have the feel of an audio movie and it is easy to get pulled into their world. I cannot wait for the Anastasia to get back out there and explore this universe, and gladly give it square-jawed, generation gap busting 10/10.”
The company is also known for the audio reboot of the cult BBC sci-fi series Blake’s 7featuring Derek Riddell, Colin Salmon and Daniela Nardini (for BBC Radio 4 Extra), now released by Big Finish as a collectible box set. B7 also co-produced, in association with Big Finish, the very successful Blake’s 7audio drama series reuniting the original television cast in all-new adventures.
The re-imagined BLAKE’S 7 audio adventures, were described by news-stand magazine SciFiNow as “… a bold and revitalising addition to the Blake’s 7 story” and by SFFAudio.com as “… morally complex, deeply noir” and “… a polished audio drama gem – Essential listening!”
Upcoming B7 productions include a landmark documentary-drama series for Audible fusing original archive, interviews and dramatic reconstruction to tell the untold story of The Space Race; and an extraordinary true storyof an 18th century ship and its cargo of women convicts destined to begin a new and perilous life in Australia.
Future dramas includethe continuing adventures of Dan Dare, along with a slate of original one-off dramas by upcoming writers including Max Hochrad’s near future thriller Dilation. Also, following her mesmerising final stage performance at Tara Theatre, B7 Media has teamed up with Tara Arts to produce exclusively for audio Eileen Page’s tour-de-force performance as Eleanor of Aquitaine: Mother of the Pride.
In 2019, B7 Media announced its audiobook division, working with up and coming and independent authors, established publishers and producing collections of out of copyright work. Future releases include The Victorian Anthologies, featuring curated volumes of ghosts, horror and gothic romance by well known authors and some whose stories have never been recorded for audio before.
Other books currently in production include The Afterlives of Doctor Gachet, a dramatised history of the man in Van Gogh’s famous painting written by Sam Meekings and read by Sam Devereaux; a young woman’s sexual awakening in the erotic novel The Shape of Veronica by Stephanie Bull, and biographies of tennis legend Roger Federer, comic book publisher Tim Pilcher and EastEnders baddie, John Altman. Future projects being developed include erotica and biographies, mystery and crime and romantic fiction.