NHP Audio Universe

Introduction by Mark Newbold

Delving back into the mists of time, to the 1980's, here's some background about the history of Newbold-Hicks Productions (NHP) and what it did during the mid-late 1980’s.

Beginning in February 1984 as primarily a humour-based endeavour, NHP soon grew beyond just humour to encompass other genres. Starting out with the Young Ones influenced Brownihills Cop series which ended with ` BHC 32 in 1989, NHP made many various series including the What a Big series, The F.B’s, The 2000 Series, Fartacus and the Ex-directory stories. Running for just under seven years, the comedy arm of NHP almost constantly made audio stories and humour tapes, some starring just Jonathan Hicks or Mark Newbold but the majority starring both.

August 1986 saw the start of the latest arm of NHP. Just prior to the NHP New Universe, which expanded the humour universe with new characters such as Supersquid and `The Lone Harry, and the Star Trek – Beyond the Final Frontier stories, the NHP Star Wars Universe was begun with the first audio story, Trouble on Tantum V. Initially set to be a 1985 cine film by the NHP Movie Division (who had already made a number of short films including Brownihills Cops – The Chase and F.B. ‘86) the TOTV script found its way to the audio world, and from there the Audio adventures began. Over the course of the next eighteen months NHP produced nineteen audio stories and NHP Books began short stories such as Diary of Galante, The Main Attraction and `Wrong Side of Hell. Taking many of the initial characters and locations from the Search Continues Trilogy of 1982/1983 and driven mainly by the stories of Jonathan Hicks, NHP swiftly expanded that universe, adding ideas through the New Universe expansion and the Chatroot and the Howlrunners stories.

1988 saw the beginning of the RPG era and an end to the NHP Star Wars Universe as an audio endeavour. Many audio stories were left unproduced, including The Lydon Legacy, The Search Continues and Quest for Freedom, which was begun but was never completed.

Sadly, a house move in 1990 resulted in the loss of the entire NHP Star Wars Audio Universe apart from twenty minutes of First Deal with Jabba the Hutt and some brief clips on the NHP Hits Album.

NHP Star Wars Audio Stories - Story Chronology

Jan Lomona: The Solo Runs - Second Son - Recorded on 2^nd/5^th/6^th November 1987 Story - Mark Newbold

Jan Lomona: The Solo Runs - With Friends Like That - Recorded on 9 ^th/13^th/16^th November 1987 Story - Mark Newbold

Goah Galletti Story Part One - First Deal with Jabba the Hutt - Recorded on 12^th/13^th August 1986 Story - Jonathan Hicks

Goah Galletti Story Part Two - Death Star Chronicles - Recorded on 13^th October 1986 Story - Jonathan Hicks

Land of Life and Death - Recorded on 30^th July 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks

Goah Galletti Story Part Three - Jewel of Janos - Recorded on 12 ^th/13^th/14^th November 1986 Story - Jonathan Hicks

Goah Galletti Story Part Four - The Spice Run - Recorded on 17^th/28^th August 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks

The Tatooine Effect - Recorded on 9^th/10^th/12^th/13^th August 1986 Story - Mark Newbold

Tatooine Effect II - The Last Deal with Jabba the Hutt - Recorded on 14 ^th August 1986 Story - Mark Newbold and Jonathan Hicks

Trouble on Tantum V - Recorded on 5^th August 1986 Story - Jonathan Hicks and Mark Newbold

What Lies Within - Recorded on 12 ^th/14^th May 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks and Mark Newbold

Jan Lomona and the Creditors of Luronsa IV - Recorded during November 1986 and completed on 30^th April 1987 Story - Mark Newbold

Tantalum Connection - Recorded on 23^rd January 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks

The Diary of Galante - Recorded on 6^th/9^th February 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks

A Matter of Trust - Recorded on 28^th August 1987 Story - Mark Newbold

City Beneath the Soil - Recorded on 26^th March 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks

The Regal Files - Recorded on 28^th February 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks

Facts Behind the Files - Recorded on 26^th March 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks

Challenge of the Stars - Recorded on 26^th May 1987 Story - Jonathan Hicks and Mark Newbold

Ferrerean Warriors - Recorded on 3^rd December 1987 and completed on 13^th January 1988 Story - Jonathan Hicks and Mark Newbold

NHP Star Wars Audio - Recording Chronology 

Trouble on Tantum V - Recorded on 5^th August 1986

The Tatooine Effect 0^th/12^th/13^th August 1986

Goah Galletti Story Part One - First Deal with Jabba the Hutt - Recorded on 12^th/13^th August 1986

Tatooine Effect II: Last Deal with Jabba the Hutt - Recorded on 14^th August 1986

Goah Galletti Story Part Two - Death Star Chronicles - Recorded on 13^th October 1986

Jan Lomona and the Creditors of Luronsa IV - Recorded during November 1986 and completed 30^th April 1987

Goah Galletti Story Part Three - Jewel of Janos - Recorded 12^th/13^th/14^th November 1986

Tantalum Connection - Recorded on 23^rd January 1987

The Diary of Galante - Recorded on 6^th/9^th February 1987

The Regal Files - Recorded on 28^th February 1987

Facts Behind the Files - Recorded on 26^th March 1987

City Beneath the Soil - Recorded on 26^th March 1987

What Lies Within - Recorded on 12^th/14^th May 1987

Challenge of the Stars - Recorded on 26^th May 1987

Land of Life and Death - Recorded on 30^th July 1987

Goah Galletti Story Part Four - The Spice Run - Recorded on 17^th/28^th August 1987

A Matter of Trust - Recorded on 28^th August 1987

Jan Lomona: The Solo Runs - Second Son - Recorded on 2^nd/5^th/6^th November 1987

Jan Lomona: The Solo Runs - With Friends Like That - Recorded on 9^th/13^th/16^th November 1987

Ferrerean Warriors - Recorded on 3^rd December 1987 and completed on 13^th January 1988

NHP Star Wars Audio - Recording Scripts

Presented here for the first time, some of the recording scripts from the 1980's NHP audio recordings, partially revised to fit current continuity.

Trouble on Tantum V - Recorded on 5^th August 1986

The Tatooine Effect^th/12^th/13^th August 1986

Tantalum Connection - Recorded on 23^rd January 1987