The Blackboard Jungle: A Solo-pod, Daddy-O

 Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast special solo-pod.

Coming much too late to celebrate the 70th anniversary of either the book or the film, Paul is taking a look at the story behind the book The Blackboard Jungle and the film. 

How did Evan Hunter get it published? What obstacles did the film face in production and what were some of the critical reactions to both?

Special thanks go to Jake Ward for taking on the role of the Voice of American Censorship. 

If you'd like any more deep dives into non-87th Precinct novels, do get in touch on Bluesky, Instagram, Facebook or at ⁠hark87podcast@gmail.com⁠ and drop a suggestion. And now, over to you, Vic Morrow...

LISTEN HERE (podlink)

Spike Lee's Highest 2 Lowest: Thomas Underground

 Hark! It's an 87th Precinct podcast.

Well, it's been a while (42 months or so, as of release of this) so we thought it high (not low) time we got back together. Luckily Spike Lee thought to adapt Kurosawa's High and Low into his 2025 film Highest 2 Lowest and so how could we resist this opportunity?

Remember, we're Hark87Podcast on most social things, but particularly ⁠Bluesky⁠ now. Please do rate, review and share the episodes. If you'd like to email us, please use ⁠hark87podcast@gmail.com⁠ to do so and check out our ⁠blog pages⁠ for previous episodes, scores and so forth.

Why not listen to Paul's song ⁠High To Low⁠ (by Good Grief) on Bandcamp to accompany this episode?

Social Media Sites

 The conversation continues for us over on https://bsky.app/profile/hark87podcast.bsky.social 

We're also available on Instagram (www.instagram.com/hark87podcast) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/hark87podcast) but we're hoping that Bluesky will be the real home of the Ed McBain chat going forward. 

Whilst we're currently not podcasting, Paul is still sharing McBain/Hunter/87th Precinct facts and info and is there to respond to any thoughts, queries or questions you might have.

Hope you'll join us!

Evan Hunter / Ed McBain Collector's Guide - Now Online

 Hark!

Some of you will have previously downloaded my #EvanHunter / #EdMcBain reading checklist/short biography. Now you can access it without downloading, as an online flipbook and (technology willing) embedded below!

Link (open in separate browser window): https://heyzine.com/flip-book/f368f75a78.html

Ed McBain's Fiddlers - Book 55, Bonus: Celebration Train

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode!

In fact, it's the last ever bonus episode. And everything went fine, yessir, no technical hitches or anything (*nervously runs finger around collar, eyes darting about the room*). 

 

We explore as always the original UK and US covers of the books and those of our own editions and some international versions before getting into the films, television and music from the year of release - in this case, 2005. Paul, Morgan and Stevo have made their picks from the year as well. Sort of. 

 

See you soon for a concluding episode looking back at our scores and reflecting on the series - thanks for sticking with us.

 

Fare thee well!

Ed McBain's Fiddlers - Book 55: A Very Long Pope

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast. In fact, it's the last (except our bonus episode) of the main series of this podcast as we arrive at the final book in the saga of the boys of Grover Avenue. It's Fiddlers. The corpses are piling up and the squad have to figure out what links the killings, whilst navigating their own matters of love, loss and family.

Does McBain leave us on a high? Find out within as we investigate not only the book itself, but the other things released by McBain/Hunter during the final year of his life and after that. 

 

Thank you so much for sticking with us and keeping us motivated to do this project. We truly appreciate it. So, until the bonus episode arrives, we'll merely say...

 

Fare Thee Well!

Ed McBain's Merely Hate - Book 54a: FIFTY-SIX?

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct bonus extra minipod!

Before we approach the final book in the official series of the 87th Precinct, we need to divert down a side-track to look at the book TRANSGRESSIONS - ten novellas selected and edited by Ed McBain. The book includes a novella from the author, set in the 87th Precinct, called Merely Hate, so we can't ignore it.

 

In this brief episode Paul will outline the other authors in the book and a little about this short(-ish) story, whilst you wait for us to bring you our last official episodes! 

 

Until then, 

 

Fare Thee Well.

 

Ed McBain's Hark! - Episode 54, bonus: Stars In Your Mouths

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode!

This is the bonus for our show all about the 54th (of 55!) novel in the series, Hark!

 

As usual we take a look at the cover designs for the book then settle back into the usual nonsense from the year of publication - in this case it's 2004. Prepare yourself for the Dave Mathews Band, Look and Read and some sequels. 

 

See you soon for the concluding story in the series - FIDDLERS.

 

Fare thee well.

 

Ed McBain's Hark! - Book 54: Violins All Round

 Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast.

It's 2004 and we're finally examining the book that we named the podcast after... HARK! Our old frenemy, The Deaf Man, is back and this time his scheme is more baffling than ever. We dig into this, the penultimate entry in the canon. Nearly there, folks!

 

We outline some of the events in 2004 and you can, of course, join us in the bonus episode for more from that year. Join us soon for the FINAL book in the series, Fiddlers.

 

Fare thee well.

 

Ed McBain's Love Or Money - Book 53a: Air Vent Temptation

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct bonus mini-episode.

In 2003 the BBC ran a writing competition and amongst the eight 'famous' authors taking part was Mr McBain himself. After generating a short-story for the competition entrants to complete, the authors also wrote their own end to the tale and so we get an extra little slice of the 87th Precinct to enjoy.

Click on the links here for the archived BBC website and the PDF of the complete tale.

 

See you soon for Book 54 - Hark!

 

Fare thee well.

Ed McBain's The Frumious Bandersnatch - Book 53, Bonus: The Anti-Palm

 Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast Bonus episode!

This is the bonus episode accompanying our look at The Frumious Bandersnatch. You know the drill by now... we look at the book cover designs from the States, the UK and around the world then dig into the music, film and TV of the period of the book's writing/publication. 

 

We've not got many more of these to do as we're onto Book 54 of 55 soon. Thanks for listening!

 

Fare thee well.

 

Ed McBain's The Frumious Bandersnatch - Book 53: Heist-Lights

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast.

This is our show all about 2004's book, The Frumious Bandersnatch. McBain once again takes on the creative industries and the squad's first kidnapping since King's Ransom. Is the author eating his cake and having it too, with how he discusses the difficult topics in the book?

Featuring our first ever live Musical Illustration, we try and get across our feelings over this entry to the canon. We'll back soon for book number 54 - our namesake: Hark!

Fare thee well. 

Ed McBain's Fat Ollie's Book - Book 52, Bonus: Residual Swamp Musk

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode!

Merry christmas and happy holidays to you all. This is the bonus episode to accompany our look at McBain's comic tour-de-force Fat Ollie's Book. We go through some contemporary reviews (forgot to do them in the main episode - sorry!), then take the opportunity to explore the year 2002, even the book was published in '03, and in particular the Christmas music charts. It's our Christmas Office Party!

 

Thanks for keeping along on the journey with us this year. Only three more books to go!

 

Fare Thee Well.

Ed McBain's Fat Ollie's Book - Book 52: NINETY MINUTES?

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct podcast.

 
It's 2002/03 and Ed McBain has written probably the most overtly comic novel in the entire series of the 87th Precinct. Follow us as we tag along with Fat Ollie Weeks to see if he can find (a) a murderer, (b) his book and (c) love and redemption?

Oh, we forgot to look at the contemporary reviews of the book in this episode, so watch out for them in our Christmassy Bonus Episode coming soon. Then it's onto book 53, The Frumious Bandersnatch.
Fare Thee Well.

 

Ed McBain's Money Money Money - Book 51, Bonus: Howitts Made

 Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast bonus episode.

Having slogged through the grim world of 2001's terrorism, money laundering and drugs in the 51st book of the series, we retire to our safe space of the bonus episode to take a look at the book cover designs and then our usual run down of the charts, movies and television of the period.

What were your favourite things of 2001? Let us know on the usual social media places.

Until next time - Fat Ollie's Book - we will say simply,

Fare Thee Well.

Ed McBain's Money Money Money - Book 51: Harmless Corruption

 Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast.

It's 2001 and, shortly before everything changed, McBain publishes his 51st novel in the series, which takes in drugs, money and international terrorism. It's strange to read back this story which feels so relevant to the period. A dense tome, populated by assassins, burglars, the secret service and much, much more - we try our best to tackle everything that goes on in this story.

Paul also offers up some info on another attempt to make the 87th Precinct into a TV series and we look at some contemporary reviews. Pop along for the bonus episode soon, then we'll be back with 2002's FAT OLLIE'S BOOK.

Fare thee well.

Ed McBain's The Last Dance - Book 50, Bonus: Dutch Silly Pop

Hark! It's an 87th Precinct podcast bonus episode.

The year is 2000. The millenium has ticked over and we're still not flying in personal rockets to the moon. However, we have finished reading the 50th novel in McBain's series, The Last Dance. As usual we look at the book covers of the UK and US editions, as well as some other international versions, then delve into the charts, movies and TV of the year to recall what life was like for us as we entered the future space year 2000!

We'll be back soon with our main episode on Book 51 - Money, Money, Money.

Fare thee well.

Ed McBain's The Last Dance - Book 50: Rotor Quota

 Hark! It's an 87th Precinct podcast

It's the 21st century and Ed McBain has just released the 50th book in the 87th Precinct series. It's The Last Dance and we're back to the theatre again for a tangled tale of drugs, murders, intellectual property rights and homonyms.

Is it a worthy celebration for the 50th tale or a mess of bits and pieces? Find out what we think here. As usual our bonus episode looking at the year in more context will be along soon.

Fare Thee Well.

Ed McBain's The Big Bad City - Book 49, Bonus: A Hint Of Airport

 Hark! It's an 87th Precinct Podcast Bonus Episode.

We've looked into the 49th novel of the series, The Big Bad City, in our main episode so now it's time for our usual examination of the book covers of the original editions in the US and UK, as well as some other overseas versions. Then it's time to trawl through the music, movies and television of 1999 for some context of the period.

See you soon for Book 50 - The Last Dance.

Fare thee well. 

Ed McBain'sThe Big Bad City - Book 49: Tired Snakes Painted Yellow

 Hark! It's the 87th Precinct Podcast!

We're back, after a slightly longer than usual break, with a look at the 49th book of the series - the last of the Twentieth Century - The Big Bad City. Otherwise known as Nuns and Cookies? We speculate on the relevance of the title, McBain's approach to writing about popular music as well as looking what the author was up to and what was going on in the world in 1999.

Join us soon for the bonus episode, then it's onto the year 2000 and book number 50 - THE LAST DANCE! Thanks for listening.

Fare thee well.