E4
4. A Vision of Loveliness
Performance reading of A Vision of Loveliness by Louise Levene. A darkly comic novel that reveals the seedy underbelly of London in the 1960s, rich with period detail.
Still airing
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TV series
The Read
Latest episode
S4 E4 · The Picture of Dorian Gray with Luke Thompson
About The Read
The Read is a TV series that premiered on BBC Four on April 10, 2022. It has 4 seasons and 16 episodes so far and is still airing new episodes. The latest episode, Season 4 Episode 4 "The Picture of Dorian Gray with Luke Thompson", aired on March 22, 2026.
Creative performance readings of iconic British novels.
Last updated
Episodes
16 episodes · 4 seasons
Series 1
2022 · 4 episodes · Last episode: 3 years ago
A series of four creative performance readings of iconic British novels. Each episode is directed by exciting emerging talent.
The Read Series 1 release dates →-
E4
E3
3. The Day of the Sardine
A creative performance reading of a powerful novel of disaffection that charts a young man's uneasy passage into adulthood.
E2
2. On the Black Hill
A performance reading of the abridged novel On the Black Hill, by Bruce Chatwin. Identical twin brothers grow up on a farm in rural Wales and never leave home.
E1
1. The Lonely Londoners
A creative performance reading of The Lonely Londoners that juxtaposes modern imagery and fascinating archive footage to reflect on how Sam Selvon's novel shaped the London of today.
Series 2
2023 · 4 episodes · Last episode: 2 years ago
Outstanding performance readings of iconic British novels.
The Read Series 2 release dates →
E4
4. The Remains of the Day: The Read with Steve Pemberton
Heartbreak and longing are centre stage as BAFTA-winning actor Steve Pemberton narrates Kazuo Ishiguro’s contemporary classic.
E3
3. Frankenstein
Alex Kingston breathes life into Mary Shelley’s timeless gothic horror story. Young, gifted scientist Victor Frankenstein unwittingly creates a monster. Written more than 200 years ago, the classic masterpiece still resonates today as a tragic romance that examines the battle between ambition and morality.
E2
2. Shakespeare Sonnets: A Modern Love Story
Some of the best-known love poems are weaved together to create a fresh contemporary story told by four lovers.
E1
1. A Kestrel for a Knave
Christopher Eccleston narrates Barry Hines’s heartbreaking coming-of-age tale in this fresh take on a classic British novel.
Series 3
2024 · 4 episodes · Last episode: 1 year ago
Rediscover the books you thought you knew. Acclaimed actors combine with classic literature, breathing new life into iconic stories.
The Read Series 3 release dates →
E4
4. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with Reece Shearsmith
Who is the real monster? Robert Louis Stevenson’s defining gothic horror explores alter egos in this captivating narration that reimagines the 19th-century classic.
E3
3. Wuthering Heights
Emily Brontë’s timeless classic set against the haunting backdrop of the Yorkshire Moors and narrated by award-winning actor Vinette Robinson.
E2
2. A Christmas Carol
Anne-Marie Duff performs an intimate reading of Charles Dickens’s timeless classic. Can the ghostly interventions salvage Scrooge’s soul?
E1
1. 1984
A bleak dystopian future plays out before us as Royal Television Society award-winning actor Sacha Dhawan narrates George Orwell’s profoundly impactful and thought-provoking classic.
Series 4
2025 · 4 episodes · Last episode: 7 months ago
Acclaimed actors combine with classic literature, breathing new life into iconic stories.
The Read Series 4 release dates →
E4
4. The Picture of Dorian Gray with Luke Thompson
Oscar Wilde’s haunting tale of beauty, vanity and moral corruption, where eternal youth comes at a terrible price. Luke Thompson delivers a spellbinding performance of Wilde’s only novel.
E3
3. The 39 Steps: The Read with John Hannah
Murder, conspiracy and espionage are the themes of John Buchan’s gripping novel, set against the backdrop of WWI, that sees Richard Hannay, a bored adventurer, become embroiled in a plot to assassinate a political figure.
E2
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Steffan Rhodri (Gavin and Stacey, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) gives an enchanting reading performance of CS Lewis’s timeless classic, as we step into the magical world of Narnia, filled with adventure, courage and Turkish Delight.
E1
1. Persuasion
Bafta and Olivier Award-winning actor Monica Dolan gives a captivating reading of Jane Austen’s much-loved novel.
Cast & crew
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Alex Kingston
Narrator
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Christopher Eccleston
Narrator
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Danielle Vitalis
Narrator
-
Callum Scott Howells
Narrator
-
Mark Benton
Narrator
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Liv Hill
Narrator
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Sacha Dhawan
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Anne-Marie Duff
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John Hannah
The Read FAQ
When is the next episode of The Read?
A date for the next episode of The Read hasn't been announced yet. Follow The Read in the Streambay app and you'll be notified as soon as a new episode airs.
When did the latest episode of The Read come out?
The most recent episode of The Read, Season 4 Episode 4 "The Picture of Dorian Gray with Luke Thompson", aired on March 22, 2026.
How many seasons of The Read are there?
The Read has 4 seasons with 16 episodes in total.
When did The Read first air?
The Read first aired on BBC Four on April 10, 2022.
How do I get notified when new episodes of The Read are released?
Download the Streambay app, follow The Read, and you'll get a push notification the moment each new episode is released.
Never miss The Read.
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