Backstage Wife (the title character was so identified with the program that the show’s name is often erroneosly remembered as Mary Noble, Backstage Wife)
Indeed it was. (Is the radio pictured on that page similar to your old floor model? I was born in 1959, and thus don’t remember the heyday of these shows, but my parents both listened avidly. My brother bought my dad a stand-up radio – with tubes! – at a flea market a few years ago. For a time, a station in Cleveland was playing old-time radio, but switched to Morton Downey Jr.'s program after a call-in vote determined more listeners preferred Mort.)
Were you living in New York City in 1945? If so, you apparently remember Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia reading the Sunday comics over the air during a newspaper strike. Of course, this act may have inspired imitators in other cities, or could have followed an example set by other broadcasters.
Well, if you ever meet my mother, you’ll be able to bond with her instantly…
BBC’s *I’m Sorry, I’ll Read That Again * from the 60’s and early 70’s still has an active fan base, and for good reason. It was absolutely freakin’ hilarious. It starred John Cleese (among others) and all you Monty Python fans out there have absolutely got to check out this screamingly funny show. I get the giggles just thinking aboutg their *Star Trek * parody. Get yourself some MP3’s of this series as fast as you can so that you, too, may know the glory of the Angus Prune Tune and some of the most astonishingly bad puns you’ve ever heard in your life.
All in all, you probably can’t go too badly wrong with an anthology series like *Suspense, Escape, Lights Out, * or Inner Sanctum. For comedy, try Our Miss Brook, Duffy’s Tavern and The Great Gildersleeve.
And of course, don’t forget Dragnet and Gunsmoke. The episodes here all tend to be self-contained, and it shouldn’t be hard to get into the series.
Fair warning, though. You will at least sometimes encounter racial stereotypes that weren’t even noticed back then but are considered insensitive and offensive today. They may make you uncomfortable. On the other hand, cultural contrasts between then and now can add a certain fascination. It always feels a bit strange to hear Jack Webb explaining how 4 out of 5 doctors recommend Chesterfields cigarettes and touting the health benefits of tobacco.
I remember a 15-minute serial program carried in the early-mid 1950’s by St. Louis’ KFUO, a PBS-type religious station owed, I believe, by Eden Seminary. I don’t know if the show was syndicated or not.
It was a children’s show, and took place at a veternarian’s office. Anytime after a musical theme was played, we (the audience) would be privy to the animals conversing (in English). The animals, of course, could hear and understand the humans, but not vice versa.
It was clever, at least for a kid. I can’t remember any names. Anyone recognize this one?
I even recall one continuing story line, where the humans discover oil oozing up in the back yard, and talk about how they are going to get rich. Then they notice their heating oil tank is getting low, and…
Radio Australia broadcasts it once a week on Tuesday (currently at 12:30 PM on Monday in Chicago). http://www.abc.net.au/rn/schedule/tue.htm. You can also listen online. In the past I’ve heard a few episodes here that BBC7 hasn’t played.
And if you like old BBC quiz shows, check out “My Word!” and “My Music” on Radio Australia on Wednesdays and Thursdays (Tuesdays and Thursdays in the US). A selection of about 70 programs is being syndicated on some NPR stations, and some of them have webcasts. Check this site for times: http://www.publicradiofan.com/
My favorite radioa advertisement is from one of the earlier sponsors of “Suspense”:
Roma wines, yes Roma Wines. That’s R-O-M-A. Those excellent California wines that add so much pleasure to the way you live. Yes, right now a glassful would be very pleasant as you listen to…SUSPENSE.
You’d never see a Coke add saying “Right now a glass of coke would be very pleasant, as you watch Seinfeld.”
Sure, they sell it on at least some of the OTR links above – otrcat.com definitely has it.
Which brings us to the big taboo of radio – Amos and Andy. Anybody listened to it? I’ll admit I’ve listened, first out of curiosity, then because it made me laugh. Still not sure if that’s a good thing to admit in polite society. Talk about a guilty pleasure!
Yes, you are correct (both about it being a must for MP fans—though ISIRTA relies more on silly puns for its humor—and about Idle and Chapman writing for it).
From the few episodes I’ve heard, it’s a good sitcom and not offensive or racist unless you find the very idea of white actors portraying black characters offensive.
Although if you watch sports, you can hear the annoucer say something like, “Grab an ice cold Budweiser; it’s game time.”
Yes! OTR is the greatest! When I was going through a bit of a low point, I became a huge fan of old comedies, and radio is pretty much the perfect form for that. I was lucky enough to find some cheap CDs with artists like Mel Blanc, WC Fields, Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, etc. The last few months I’ve made it a habit of listening to downloaded Jack Benny shows pretty much every couple of nights.
To me, there’s something that’s been lost for the world, in that the humour that was popular then, and that still cracks me up today, will probably never be produced again. When I have a bit more time, I’d love to write up some of my favourite routines/gags here, and see whether I’m the only person who still finds that sort of thing funny.
Every Saturday for four hours the public radio station out of the local community college plays OTR. You can listen to last Saturday’s show here . The hosts of the show are a bit corny, but they are old enough to remember when OTR was just Radio.
OMG! This freakin great! I’ve been a fan of radio mysteries and SciFi since highschool. I never thought to look for them on CD. I’m making a list, I figure I’ll pick 5 a month and I already know the first 2 are going to be X minus 1 and Lights Out.
