Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

The clues...
Requests for help should normally include the clue itself, the number of letters in the answer, and details of any you already have. Listener puzzles often have special instructions or additional information, so those should be included too.
Hints only, please, no answers.

The theme...
Help with the theme may also be sought here. The 'help' should be a nudge, a pointer in the right direction - not anything that would spoil the puzzle for others. Any queries or replies that, even inadvertently, reveal too much of the theme are likely to be removed.

The Listener is a unique puzzle and should be treated with respect.

I thought this was straightforward until I could only find 47 cells to highlight.

The fact that I have just spent a pleasant afternoon with the same setters "Footsteps" in the EV will certainly help with this one. Just hope that I don't find it as straightforward as Throck!

Throck - I could only get to 45, then I twigged that more than one of each entity was involved. Beware the rising red herring though.

Oh, I see. I think it would have been more fair to highlight four tangentially related characters for 51 cells. Any prizes for finding any more?

I think I've answered my own question: most of 3 down if you include video game characters.

Nice clues and a light touch thematically,I enjoyed it (and I didn't look beyond the obvious for the highlighting).

Pretty much all done. I've highlighted more than 48 cells (I'm up to 53) so will have to wind that back a bit. A couple of parsing queries to resolve but the big problem is 18a. It's the only one that I haven't solved. I have all the crossers which I'm convinced are correct. I know the extra/misprint letter (I won't say which) but neither Chambers nor other dictionaries seem to offer a word that fits. I'm totally bemused. Any vague hint would be appreciated.

Your antepenultimate letter in 18a is probably wrong. I suggest you look again, as the correct answer is in Chambers

Cockie - I think your rising red herring is in fact the correct answer; the preamble requires the highlighting of three *characters* (i.e. named things or people), not just thematic synonyms.

Re: 18A - the answer is definitely unambiguous, as well as being a ridiculously specific term. The parsing is straightforward (3-5 split).