Tuor son of Huor wrote:

Is there any indication of what is meant by "limited edition"? Is there a known number of how many will only be available? Or they will only fulfill pre-orders? I've already pre-ordered, but it might be helpful to know for folks who intend to wait to buy this as a Christmas present, if it will already be sold-out based on pre-order demand.

Don't know that at the moment, but I think it would be quite a large number, more likely to be 10,000 than 500 as an example. We will add the real number when it is announced.

Trotter wrote:

Don't know that at the moment, but I think it would be quite a large number, more likely to be 10,000 than 500 as an example. We will add the real number when it is announced.

Excellent, thanks very much!

Gerontius Took wrote:

Recently got this, has Radio Times clippings for most episodes :)

That is really cool.

You should add it to the BBC thread:
https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=51311#forumpost51311

AndyBirdUK wrote:

Gerontius Took wrote:

Recently got this, has Radio Times clippings for most episodes :)

That is really cool.

You should add it to the BBC thread:
https://www.tolkienguide.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=51311#forumpost51311

I could scan the clippings :)

I could definitely be interested in getting the physical CDs.

Do you think they will be all sold-out on release? Or can I realistically wait until release day and not pre-order?

Worth saying, there isn't really anything missing in the 60 minute episode variant. I first listened to it on 30 minute episodes, then the second time on 60 minute episodes. I think I prefer the 60s, really, though either way is awesome. The marketing here is giving the impression that cliffhangers are missing. That's not really true - they just don't function as cliffhangers (and obviously don't flow into the rousing title music).

I think the original CD set was my first introduction to numbered limited editions that aren't really limited. It is lovely packaging (far better than later releases), but they just kept making them without a number after the first "limited" set sold through. After a while, they switched to much crappier packaging. I still remember going to the counter at WH-Smiths in Reading with the outer cardboard box and the shop assistant fetching the contents from behind the counter. Very exciting getting it on CD back then!

EmilK wrote:

I could definitely be interested in getting the physical CDs.

Do you think they will be all sold-out on release? Or can I realistically wait until release day and not pre-order?

If you are after the CDs and are not bothered about the 30 min / 60 min variation, the original BBC CD release is very cheap (a lot less than it cost new). It comes in a black cloth folder with 14 pockets and gold CDs. Initial 5000 were numbered, then unnumbered for who-knows-how many? After that it shifted to crappy generic CD packaging.

The late Stu wrote:

Worth saying, there isn't really anything missing in the 60 minute episode variant. I first listened to it on 30 minute episodes, then the second time on 60 minute episodes. I think I prefer the 60s, really, though either way is awesome. The marketing here is giving the impression that cliffhangers are missing. That's not really true - they just don't function as cliffhangers (and obviously don't flow into the rousing title music).

There are three distinct versions of the series.

1 - The original 30-minute episodes (broadcast twice each on BBC Radio 4) in 1981.
2 - A repeat the following year as 13 60-minute episodes, these were then released on Cassette and CD. The Music was additionally released on Vinyl.
3 - A remixed 60-minute version with new introductions and endings additionally added by Ian Holm.

I much prefer the 30-minute versions to either of the 60-minute episodes as each episode was written with care to end on a cliffhanger and then the excellent music.

Trotter wrote:

The late Stu wrote:

Worth saying, there isn't really anything missing in the 60 minute episode variant. I first listened to it on 30 minute episodes, then the second time on 60 minute episodes. I think I prefer the 60s, really, though either way is awesome. The marketing here is giving the impression that cliffhangers are missing. That's not really true - they just don't function as cliffhangers (and obviously don't flow into the rousing title music).

There are three distinct versions of the series.

1 - The original 30-minute episodes (broadcast twice each on BBC Radio 4) in 1981.
2 - A repeat the following year as 13 60-minute episodes, these were then released on Cassette and CD. The Music was additionally released on Vinyl.
3 - A remixed 60-minute version with new introductions and endings additionally added by Ian Holm.

I much prefer the 30-minute versions to either of the 60-minute episodes as each episode was written with care to end on a cliffhanger and then the excellent music.

I don't think I have heard version 3. Is that the version that the BBC currently publishes on CD? I'm generally very dubious about these kinds of changes/additions...