In the wake of Dragnet's success for NBC (after having been rejected by CBS), radio audiences more and more craved authenticity from their crime dramas. Programs like Gang Busters (1936-1957) and This is Your FBI (1945-1953) claimed to be based on authentic cases, but were less realistic and adult in tone than the true crime … Continue reading Somebody Knows and Wanted — Golden Age Radio’s Great Unsolved Mysteries
Tag: old time radio
Dragnet – The greatest police procedural and realest of the real
DUMMMย DAH-DUM DUM Though nowadays the Dragnet franchise is bestย ย emembered today as aย TV series (or two TV series), it began existence as was most exceptional as a radioย drama.ย Dragnetย starredย Jack Webbย asย Sergeant Joe Friday,ย anย LAPDย detective who, when the series began, lived at home with his mother and later on his own in aย Silver Lakeย bachelor pad.ย It first aired on 3 June, … Continue reading Dragnet – The greatest police procedural and realest of the real
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Happy Birthday, Johnny Madero, Pier 23
On this date (23 April) back in 1947, the radio drama Johnny Madero, Pier 23 made its debut. It was the secondย detective drama that resulted from the collaboration of Jack Webb and Richard L. Breen.ย St. Regis Hotel in 1904 Jack Webb was born 2 April, 1920, in Santa Monica, California, the son of Margaret … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Johnny Madero, Pier 23
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A happy birthday, of sorts, to radio
As regular readers of my blog (if there is such a thing) probably know, Iโm a bit of a radio junkie โ spending many hours every day listening to Old Time Radio dramas, public radio, AM radio and podcasts. Therefore it shouldnโt come as a surprise that 20 August is a pretty big deal to … Continue reading A happy birthday, of sorts, to radio
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Happy Birthday, The Whistler! – rated by independent research the most popular West Coast Program in radio history
My introduction toย old time radioย was listening to a 1957ย Deccaย 12โย The Adventures of the Lone Rangerย that my dad presumably procured as a child. As a kid growing up in the 1980s, I donโt think I ever made the connection that the albumโs tracks were old radio episodesโฆ I donโt think I even knew about radio dramas until … Continue reading Happy Birthday, The Whistler! – rated by independent research the most popular West Coast Program in radio history
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Happy Birthday, X Minus One – radio’s greatest sci-fi anthology!
Today is the 57th birthday of X Minus One, a science fiction anthology that debuted on NBC radio on 24 April 1955. It began as a sort-of revival of pioneering sci-fi program, Dimension X and the first fifteen episodes were remakes from that series. The remainder of the episodes were originals from staff writers Ernest … Continue reading Happy Birthday, X Minus One – radio’s greatest sci-fi anthology!
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Happy Birthday to Night Watch – radio’s first reality show
With a few, shining exceptions (Blind Date, COPS, ElimiDate, Jersey Shore, Joe Millionaire, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares, Shahs of Sunset, The Bachelor, The Real World seasons 1 and 2 (true stor-ay!),ย and maybe a couple dozen others, tops) I hate reality television. To me, most reality shows are endurance-defying and totally … Continue reading Happy Birthday to Night Watch – radio’s first reality show
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Happy Birthday, The Life of Riley! – or – What a revoltin’ development this is!
On 16 January1944, The Life of Riley, premiered on the Blue Network (later ABC). The Life of Riley began with an audition taping on 25 July 1943 after its creation by Irving Brecher. Over the course of roughly 320 episodes, it established itself as one of the most enduringly funny sitcoms on Old Time Radio. … Continue reading Happy Birthday, The Life of Riley! – or – What a revoltin’ development this is!
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Broadway is My Beat
Broadway Is My Beat, was a dark, gritty radio drama that began airing 62 years ago today on CBS, debuting 27 February 1949. The series revolved around Times Square homicide detective Danny Clover. NEW YORK ERA When the program debuted, it was produced in New York City. Clover was portrayed by actor Anthony Ross, a … Continue reading Broadway is My Beat
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Confession: Old Time Radio Drama
Confession is a crime drama anthology that originally aired on NBC from July 5 to September 14 in 1953,Sunday nights at 9:30. Each episode featured Paul Frees as Richard McGee -- then the director ofย California Department of Corrections. John Wald was the announcer. ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The rest of the cast changed from episode to episode and … Continue reading Confession: Old Time Radio Drama
Eric Brightwell 