Show Notes
Mars, 2048. The first settlers, a mix of international workers and the super-rich. And the first unexplained death. When a body turns up in the corridor between a scrappy warehouse and a half-built luxury hotel, no-nonsense Harbourmaster Rita Siddiqui finds herself in charge. With Earth temporarily out of contact and no official law enforcement on Mars, she ropes in Vice Captain Jaz Hickson, a wide-eyed young pilot who’s only just landed. But murder’s not their only problem. Atmospheric tests have triggered a dangerous storm. Paranoia grows as the power fails. Lights, gravity, oxygen: everything is at risk. Rita and Jaz must navigate a growing list of suspects, a dwindling supply of patience, and a killer who’s not finished yet. Because even 140 million miles from Earth, people still have secrets. And someone’s willing to kill to keep them. Reeling from disaster, Rita’s secrets are revealed. Written by Tim Foley CAST RITA SIDDIQUI ..... NISHA NAYAR JAZ HICKSON ..... LUKE NEWBERRY DAN ..... JOANA BORJA POWELL ..... JASON BARNETT DR LI ..... CRYSTAL YU WARD ..... STEFFAN RHODRI NILS ..... DAVID MENKIN GRACE ….. ELIZABETH AYODELE MAX ..... SIDHANT ANAND Sound: Sharon Hughes, Keith Graham and Neva Missirian Production Co-ordinator: Luke MacGregor Director: Anne Isger Casting Manager: Alex Curran A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4
More from Limelight
Following an Arctic storm, the crew of the research vessel Coralith Epsilon find themselves stranded in thick pack ice. Cut off from the outside world and running low on supplies, hope arrives in the form of a mysterious Morse code message. But the ship that comes to the rescue is not what they expected. Trapped together in a frozen limbo, two crews separated by a century must survive starvation, the elements, and paranoia to get home. A chilling five-part supernatural thriller that blends claustrophobic survivalism, cosmic sci-fi and environmental geopolitics, set in one of the most hostile places on Earth - the Arctic tundra. Written by the writers of the award-winning drama podcast 'Up In Smoke', Cambria Bailey-Jones and Guy Larsen. MARIA.....Raffey Cassidy TIMOTHY.....Sacha Dhawan FRED.....Tanya Moodie LAURA.....Tiffany Smith Writers: Cambria Bailey-Jones and Guy Larsen Director: Nadia Molinari Sound Designer and Technical Producer: Sharon Hughes Technical Producer: Sam Dickinson Production Co-ordinator : Pippa Day Series Script Editor: Lorna Newman Casting Manager: Alex Curran Series Scientific Consultant: Prof. James Lea from the University of Liverpool Weather Consultant: Andy Cutcher Arctic Historian Consultant: Peter Martin Army Consultant: Alec Heron Ship Navigation Consultants: Martha Armitage & James Butters A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4.
When a stranded Arctic research vessel transmits a call for help, the ship that comes to the rescue is not what they expected. Trapped together in a frozen limbo, two crews separated by a century must survive starvation, the elements, and paranoia to get home. A chilling five-part supernatural thriller that blends claustrophobic survivalism, cosmic sci-fi and environmental geopolitics, set in one of the most hostile places on Earth - the Arctic tundra. Written by the writers of the award-winning drama podcast 'Up In Smoke', Cambria Bailey-Jones and Guy Larsen. Listen to the whole series on BBC Sounds from 23 October, 2026. A BBC Studios production for BBC Radio 4.
After the devastating revelation about Edward's wife, Thornfield is burning. But Axel has an offer for Charly. In a near-future world on the brink of societal collapse, the wealthiest 0.01% have retreated into luxury bunkers. These high-tech fortresses boast swimming pools, cinemas, and hydroponic farms, but their inhabitants live in a bubble of paranoia and control. Charly takes a job tutoring the children of reclusive billionaire Edward in his doomsday bunker. But when strange things start happening, it seems dark secrets are buried in this vast bunker too. In the real world, the super-rich are already building bunkers ready to provide sanctuary from the apocalypse. In Chloë Myerson claustrophobic thriller, we ask: what happens next? CAST Charly ..... Ava Hinds-Jones, Edward ..... Jacob Fortune-Lloyd Axel ..... Alexander Arnold, Obi ..... Joshua-Alexander Williams, Popo ..... Liz Sutherland-Lim Mei ..... India Moon Huxley ..... Ayrton English Esther ..... Kerry Gooderson Dmitry ..... Tom Kiteley Other parts are played by David Holt. Written by Chloë Myerson Production Co-ordinator: Ben Hollands Sound Design: Peter Ringrose, Keith Graham, Andy Garratt Director: Anne Isger A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4
What secret is hidden in Thornfield's forbidden East Wing? And what lengths will Charly go to, to find out? In a near-future world on the brink of societal collapse, the wealthiest 0.01% have retreated into luxury bunkers. These high-tech fortresses boast swimming pools, cinemas, and hydroponic farms, but their inhabitants live in a bubble of paranoia and control. Charly takes a job tutoring the children of reclusive billionaire Edward in his doomsday bunker. But when strange things start happening, it seems dark secrets are buried in this vast bunker too. In the real world, the super-rich are already building bunkers ready to provide sanctuary from the apocalypse. In Chloë Myerson claustrophobic thriller, we ask: what happens next? CAST Charly ..... Ava Hinds-Jones Edward ..... Jacob Fortune-Lloyd Obi ..... Joshua-Alexander Williams Popo ..... Liz Sutherland-Lim Dev ..... Danny Ashok Axel ..... Alexander Arnold Kal ..... Tom Kiteley Huxley ..... Ayrton English Mei ..... India Moon Other parts are played by David Holt Written by Chloë Myerson Production Co-ordinator: Ben Hollands Sound Design: Peter Ringrose, Keith Graham, Andy Garratt Director: Anne Isger A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4
Guests arrive at Thornfield. But what is Edward hiding from Charly? In a near-future world on the brink of societal collapse, the wealthiest 0.01% have retreated into luxury bunkers. These high-tech fortresses boast swimming pools, cinemas, and hydroponic farms, but their inhabitants live in a bubble of paranoia and control. Charly takes a job tutoring the children of reclusive billionaire Edward in his doomsday bunker. But when strange things start happening, it seems dark secrets are buried in this vast bunker too. In the real world, the super-rich are already building bunkers ready to provide sanctuary from the apocalypse. In Chloë Myerson claustrophobic thriller, we ask: what happens next? CAST Charly .... Ava Hinds-Jones Edward ..... Jacob Fortune-Lloyd Obi ..... Joshua-Alexander Williams Dev ..... Danny Ashok Axel ..... Alexander Arnold Popo ..... Liz Sutherland-Lim Mei ..... India Moon Huxley ..... Ayrton English Zack ..... Waj Ali Brett ..... Kerry Gooderson Other parts are played by David Holt Written by Chloë Myerson Production Co-ordinator: Ben Hollands Sound Design: Peter Ringrose, Keith Graham, Andy Garratt Director: Anne Isger A BBC Studios Production for BBC Radio 4