Saruman than in their equivalent books, and he appears in several scenes that are not depicted in Tolkien's work. In the films, Saruman is depicted presenting himself outright as a servant of Sauron. Smith and Matthews suggest that Saruman's role is built up as a substitute for Sauron—the story's main antagonist—who never appears directly in the book. Jackson confirms this view in the commentary to the DVD. They also suggest that having secured veteran British horror actor Christopher Lee to play Saruman, it made sense to make greater use of his star status. Despite this increased role in the first two
The Lord of the Rings been adapted for radio four times. In 1955 and 1956, the BBC broadcast "The Lord of the Rings", a 13-part radio adaptation of the story. In the 1960s radio station WBAI produced a short radio adaptation. A 1979 dramatization of "The Lord of the Rings" was broadcast in the United States and subsequently issued on tape and CD. In 1981, the BBC broadcast "The Lord of the Rings", a new dramatization in 26 half-hour instalments. This dramatization of "The Lord of the Rings" has subsequently been made available on both tape and CD both by the BBC and other publishers.