[3] Bilbo is approached by the wizard Gandalf to undertake a dangerous adventure, and despite his initial reluctance he soon finds himself accompanying Thorin Oakenshield and his party of dwarves on a long and difficult quest to recover the dwarves' treasure from Smaug the dragon.
On the way, he encounters trolls, goblins and giant spiders, and finds a magic ring with the power of invisibility.
[citation needed] The scholar of English literature Nick Groom writes that the 1968 radio series, "deemed a 'classic'", was repeated in that year and broadcast again in 1991.
Groom suggests that the discussion between Bilbo and Gollum "about being eaten" influenced the actor Martin Freeman's approach to the same scene in Peter Jackson's 2012 film The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
[4] The tracks include:[4] The 1997 set contains a "Personal Memoir" by the series producer John Powell.