History Main / SoundToScreenAdaptation

* This was one step taken by the ''Doctor in the House'' series of stories; originally a collection of books by Richard Gordon, they were adapted into a [[Film/DoctorSeries series of films]] starring Creator/DirkBogarde, Creator/JamesRobertsonJustice, and Creator/LesliePhillips and directed by Ralph Thomas from 1954 to 1970. In the late 1960s, some of the stories were adapted for radio in two thirteen-episode series, ''Doctor in the House'' and ''Doctor at Large'', starring Creator/RichardBriers and Ray Cooney (Cooney also wrote the scripts). Between 1969 and 1979, the stories were adapted for television, with the characters re-named, in the series ''Series/DoctorInTheHouse'', ''Doctor at Large'', ''Doctor in Charge'', ''Doctor at Sea'', ''Doctor on the Go'', the Australian transplant ''Doctor Down Under'', and the short-lived early 1990s revival ''Doctor at the Top''. The television series is perhaps more notable for its writing staff and its guest cast than for its primary cast (which at various times included Creator/MartinShaw (''Series/TheProfessionals''), Jonathan Lynn (co-writer of ''Series/YesMinister''), George Layton (successful comedy writer and initial star of ''Series/ItAintHalfHotMum''), and Richard O'Sullivan (''Series/ManAboutTheHouse'')). Graeme Garden (himself a qualified doctor) and Bill Oddie wrote many episodes together before ''Series/TheGoodies'' became successful enough to demand their full attention, and Creator/GrahamChapman (also a qualified doctor) and Creator/JohnCleese wrote many more scripts, both together and with other co-writers, during breaks in the writing schedule for ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. (An episode of ''Doctor at Large'' written by Cleese and featuring a brusque hotelier with a domineering wife later provided the blueprint for ''Series/FawltyTowers''.) Creator/DavidJason was a guest star in various episodes of both the radio and the television series.

* This was one step taken by the ''Doctor in the House'' series of stories; originally a collection of books by Richard Gordon, they were adapted into a series of films starring Dirk Bogarde and directed by Ralph Thomas in the 1950s and early 1960s. In the late 1960s, some of the stories were adapted for radio in two thirteen-episode series, ''Doctor in the House'' and ''Doctor at Large'', starring Creator/RichardBriers and Ray Cooney (Cooney also wrote the scripts). Between 1969 and 1979, the stories were adapted for television, with the characters re-named, in the series ''Doctor in the House'', ''Doctor at Large'', ''Doctor in Charge'', ''Doctor at Sea'', ''Doctor on the Go'', the Australian transplant ''Doctor Down Under'', and the short lived early 1990s revival ''Doctor at the Top''. The television series is perhaps more notable for its writing staff and its guest cast than for its primary cast (which at various times included Creator/MartinShaw (''Series/TheProfessionals''), Jonathan Lynn (co-writer of ''Series/YesMinister''), George Layton (successful comedy writer and initial star of ''Series/ItAintHalfHotMum''), and Richard O'Sullivan (''Series/ManAboutTheHouse'')). Graeme Garden (himself a qualified doctor) and Bill Oddie wrote many episodes together before ''Series/TheGoodies'' became successful enough to demand their full attention, and Creator/GrahamChapman (also a qualified doctor) and Creator/JohnCleese wrote many more scripts, both together and with other co-writers, during breaks in the writing schedule for ''Series/MontyPythonsFlyingCircus''. (An episode of ''Doctor at Large'' written by Cleese and featuring a brusque hotelier with a domineering wife later provided the blueprint for ''Series/FawltyTowers''.) Creator/DavidJason was a guest star in various episodes of both the radio and the television series.

Although it may seem cynical, there are two fairly sensible reasons for adapting from radio to television. First of all, it shows that there is an existing audience for the progamme, something which is important given the cost of modern TV productions. Secondly, it allows access to a pool of writing talent that is new to television but nevertheless has prior experience of putting together a weekly show. In Britain, many comedians see radio as the middle stage of career advancement, coming before TV but after stand-up and stage work (film being a fourth step, though not accessible to most).

* ''Radio/AbsolutePower''

One method that's particularly popular in Britain is adapting radio series - usually {{Sit Com}}s or [[SketchShow Sketch Shows]] - for television. They generally retain the cast and writers (who, in the case of comedies, [[CastFullOfWriters are usually the same people]]) and it's fairly common for them to reuse swathes of material for their TV series. After all, if only a tiny chunk of the potential audience heard it the first time around then there's not much harm in recycling is there?

* ''Series/{{Miranda}}'' started off as ''Miranda Hart's Joke Shop'' on radio.

* The latest (well, as of March 2009) seems to be ''I've Never Seen StarWars''. (In which celebrity guests try things they've never tried before. This may make more sense on television since, for instance, Sandi Toskvig trying on her first set of high-heels on radio lacks a certain impact.)