Harold Pinter's extraordinary catalogue of work is currently being celebrated by the BBC, who kicked off a Pinter season with a two-part Arena profile on Saturday, Oct. 26, followed by a screening of his No Man's Land (starring John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson) which, in a newer production starring Corin Redgrave and John Wood, was seen at the National Theatre earlier this year.

Sunday, Oct. 27 saw a screening of The Homecoming, while Oct. 28 sees a Radio 3 profile with interviews from many of Pinter's colleagues and a showing (on BBC4, where most of the programs appear) of a 1975 television adaptation of Old Times.

Highlights of the rest of the Pinter season, which continues until Nov. 15, include a 1963 adaptation of The Caretaker (Oct. 29), a Radio 4 version of The Birthday Party (Nov. 2), the film "Accident" (screenplay by Pinter, stars Dirk Bogarde, Michael York and Stanley Baker, shown on BBC4, Nov. 6) and "The Servant" (screenplay by Pinter, stars James Fox, Dirk Bogarde and Wendy Craig, BBC4, Nov. 9).

"The Servant," based on the novel by Robin Maugham, formed the basis of Matthew Bourne's very well-received Play Without Words at the National this summer.

Harold Pinter, who was seen on the stage of the National Theatre early this year acting in a series of his early Sketches, has battled with cancer — a battle he seems, fortunately, to be winning — and remains one of the most powerful voices in post-war British theatre, as well as an accomplished writer of screenplays.

—By Paul Webb Theatrenow