The Doomed Oasis

Synopsis

A fight to save an oasis and find a missing man: Hammond Innes’ classic adventure novel dramatized with a full-castWhen a newspaper article and an almost-forgotten client propels young English lawyer George Grant to delve into the affairs of an elusive oilman he embarks on a mystery trip to the Arabian peninsula. But what begins as an innocent search, leads Grant into a maze of political intrigue and family secrets in the deserts of Arabia. Accompanying Grant is the illegitimate son of the missing man, and from Bahrain to Dubai to the mountains of Jebel Al-Akhbar, the great desert of the Empty Quarter provides a backdrop to the friction, drama and tragedy that develops between Grant and his companion. Can the pair save the oasis from the encroaching sands? Will missing David Whittaker be found alive? And will the men be able to battle the politics and practicalities in a final confrontation with the Emir as new oil is discovered?The Doomed Oasis is the story of how two ordinary men find themselves in extraordinary circumstances and must use all their ingenuity to not only save an oasis and find a missing man, but also keep themselves alive. This is an absolute archive gem, a full-cast adaptation of a great novel packed with intrigue, suspense, thrills and revelations, starring Tim Munro.Cast and creditsWritten by Hammond InnesDramatised by Rene BasilicoProduced by John Fawcett WilsonGeorge Grant - Tim MunroHenry Grant - Robert JamesAlexander Erkhard - John MalcolmRuffini - Robert RiettyBetty - Jill LidstoneTessa - Nadia HammamTaxi Driver/Waiter - Nadim SawalhaHotel receptionist - Neville RofailaAkhmed/Sheikh’s Messenger/Yousif/Ali - Ali RefaieOtto Smith - George RoubicekCaptain Chuck Berry - David McAlisterSir Philip Gorde - Garard GreenSusan Whittaker - Helena BreckDriver/Palace Guard/Trucial Oman Scout - Mohammad SultanColonel Whittaker - Bernard HorsfallSheikh Makhmud - Farouk El-DemerdashPrince Khalid - Raad RawiJack Entwistle - Geoffrey HinsliffSheikh Abdullah - Adam HusseinSalim - George MasriDavid Whittaker- Christopher GuardHamid - Mamdouh AshourBoy - Yasmin Abdul RahmanColonel Goodge - Nicholas CourtneyCaptain Chuck Berry - David McAlisterSergeant Rashid - Adam HusseinAbdul Zaid Emir of Hadd - Renu SetnaFirst Broadcast BBC Radio 2, 22nd Aug - 26th Sep 1984©2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2025 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd