Joe’s aged mother’s a strong character - but now frail, going blind, and incapable of looking after herself properly. The solution is for her to leave her home of 50 years and move into care, but in truth she wants to die now, with dignity - and she wants Joe to help her do this.

Joe is wracked by indecision. What's more important - Bella’s security and happiness, or doing what is the morally right thing? Meanwhile Hermione faces a challenge in the care of her elderly demanding Dad.

The Ferryhill Philosophers is about how we live our lives. A rather unlikely duo, Joe Snowball and the Hon. Hermione Pink inhabit two very different worlds, albeit only seven miles apart. He's an unemployed ex-miner living in Ferryhill, a small town forgotten by the world, and she's a slightly disenchanted philosophy lecturer at Durham University. Between them they wrestle with the collision between moral philosophy and the vexing dilemmas encountered by the not-always-good people of Ferryhill, deprived of jobs, opportunities and the kind of ethical guidance once offered by the Church and the Miners Unions.

The series stars Alun Armstrong (of TV’s popular series New Tricks) and Deborah Findlay, currently starring in Caryl Churchill’s new play at The Royal Court. Award winning writer Michael Chaplin works in consultation with philosopher and presenter of R4’s The Philosopher’s Arms, David Edmonds.

Cast:
Joe Snowball..................Alun Armstrong
Hermione Pink................Deborah Findlay
George ..........................Geoffrey Palmer
Bella...............................Anne Reid
Dr. Dainty.......................Jonathan Keeble
Mrs Cornish....................Tracy Gillman

Written by Michael Chaplin
Directed by Marilyn Imrie

A Catherine Bailey production for BBC Radio 4 Show less