The 1955 radio series is gone. No copies exist in the BBC archives. Scholars believe it might have featured early performances by then-unknown actors. The "Bilbo vs. BBC" settlement led to one of the greatest losses of British radio drama.
Herein lies the conflict: He is not Father Brown solving a mystery in a Cotswold village. He is not a jolly postman from Open All Hours . The BBC’s Bilbo would have been a fussy, endearing chap who accidentally stumbled into heroism, winking at the camera when Smaug wasn’t looking. He would have returned to Bag End with a quip and a moral lesson about sharing your spoons. bilbo vs bbc