# Radio Dramas: old enough to remember them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2003, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696 "2003-07-11T13:03:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/21 "2003-07-13T01:14:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Frankd6 \* > \*\*Why is this a lost art? > > If we can support countless blowhard political talkshows, godknowshowmany a.m. drivetime comedy teams and fergodssake Dr. Laura, why can’t radio support the theater of the mind? People would listen.\*\* The reason those shows are successful is that you can tune into and out of them at any time and still get exactly what they are about. For radio drama you have to be there from the beginning to the ending or it just doesn’t have much of a point. Even people with very long commutes couldn’t guarantee their drives would coincide exactly with these shows. Admittedly radio was pretty tired by the late 1940s, with the same stars having been in the top ten for twenty years. But even with these stars (most of whom moved to television with large ratings) and these top shows and a tradition of listening to them, the radio audience dumped them in 30 seconds once early tv - really bad early tv - came along. If real radio listeners didn’t prefer radio, why would anyone else want to bring it back? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/22 "2003-07-13T02:37:39Z")
Oh man, I lived for “The Lone Ranger”. There was something about the voices of Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels that was very comforting and reassuring. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/23 "2003-07-13T03:02:27Z")
About 15 years ago WCAU-AM in Philadelphia had these on around 11 pm. The announcer always began with something like, “Fluff up your pillow on the davenport, and return to the days when Radio Was King!” I miss that. Listening to those old shows on the radio - and not no tape or CD - was quite a treat. I bought Fibber McGee and Molly and The Shadow at Cracker Barrel. ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/24 "2003-07-13T04:17:40Z")
**Everton** : To quote the immortal StrongBad with respect to things British. “Screw all y’all!” Just kidding, of course – and venting my considerable envy. **Exapno** : > [@](#): > > The reason those shows are successful is that you can tune into and out of them at any time and still get exactly what they are about. God knows that’s true of radio today. However, I would submit the soaps on the TV. They’ve run forever, yet you can come and go as you please anytime. They’re consistently able to hook viewers who tune in midstream into the latest plot development. Why couldn’t radio drama be written in a similar style and do the same? > [@](#): > > For radio drama you have to be there from the beginning to the ending or it just doesn’t have much of a point. Even people with very long commutes couldn’t guarantee their drives would coincide exactly with these shows. Excellent point. What if serials were produced in shorter chunks e.g. 10 to 15 minutes? Weren’t many of the old shows 15 minutes? > [@](#): > > Admittedly radio was pretty tired by the late 1940s, with the same stars having been in the top ten for twenty years. But even with these stars (most of whom moved to television with large ratings) and these top shows and a tradition of listening to them, the radio audience dumped them in 30 seconds once early tv - really bad early tv - came along. If real radio listeners didn’t prefer radio, why would anyone else want to bring it back? Granted media can become moribund after long periods of sucess. Look at the network sitcom today… But I think there are a couple of problems with this argument. First, how much of the mass exodus to TV was related to TV’s novelty? Was it so much a repudiation of the old media or rather an embrace of new and exciting technology. Second, I don’t see radio and TV as direct competitors. I would submit (solely as a WAG) that the vast majority of radio listening hours take place in vehicles. We watch TV in the home. Radio drama would have to compete with Rush, not American Idol. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/25 "2003-08-24T10:56:27Z")
I don’t know whether this is of use to you, **Frankd6** , but I remembered that you can listen to BBC radio drama online. You can see what’s available [here](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/). They also archive programmes for seven days, and if you click on the Listen Again link you can see a full archive listing. Obviously it’s no use if you’re away from your computer, but at least it’s something. They’re currently running _On the Banks of Plum Creek_ by Laura Ingalls Wilder in 15 minute episodes. Episodes 6 to 10 are being broadcast from Monday 25 to Friday 29 August, but an archive of all episodes can be found [here](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/drama/index.shtml), so you can listen to them one after the other. This week’s Saturday Play was _The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents_ by Terry Pratchett and the _Book of the Week_ strand has a series of readings commemorating the life of Martin Luther King, so it’s worth digging around under the generic sounding programme names to see what you like the look of. There’s more drama on the [Radio 3](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/) site too. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/26 "2003-08-24T12:00:40Z")
FYI…XM satellite radio has a channel devoted to old time radio. [http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel\_guide.jsp?ch=164](http://www.xmradio.com/programming/channel_guide.jsp?ch=164) ---
**Author:** ![Nefertiti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nefertiti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefertiti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/27 "2003-08-24T14:36:02Z")
I can remember listening to the Lone Ranger and one other series, but can’t remember the name of it. This was back in 1953, but when we bought a TV, in 1954, it took the place of the radio. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/28 "2003-08-24T15:20:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nefertiti \* > \*\*I can remember listening to the Lone Ranger and one other series, but can’t remember the name of it. This was back in 1953, but when we bought a TV, in 1954, it took the place of the radio. \*\* Your date range is in direct parallel with mine, except our TV didn’t come along until 1955. Any clues on that other show? Setting? Time period? Could it have been “Sergeant Preston”? (many similarities to the Lone Ranger, including the show’s producers IIRC). BTW, welcome to SDMB, **Nefertiti**. Nice handle! ---
**Author:** ![Nefertiti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nefertiti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefertiti)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/29 "2003-08-24T15:38:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zeldar \* > \*\*Your date range is in direct parallel with mine, except our TV didn’t come along until 1955. > > Any clues on that other show? Setting? Time period? > > Could it have been “Sergeant Preston”? (many similarities to the Lone Ranger, including the show’s producers IIRC). > > BTW, welcome to SDMB, **Nefertiti**. Nice handle! \*\* Thank you, Zeldar!! No, I don’t think it was Sergeant Preston. I want to say it was “The Life Of Riley”???, but I am just not sure. There is one other that I remember: Amos and Andy I was only 5 yrs. old or so back then. “The Lone Ranger” was far more interesting to me, at that age, of course. I have better memories of early TV shows: Sky King Lone Ranger Hopalong Cassidy Annie Oaklie (spelling may be wrong) Flash Gordon Wild Bill Hickock (with Guy Madison) Cisco Kid Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Gene Autry ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/30 "2003-08-24T15:59:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nefertiti \* > \*\*Thank you, Zeldar!! > > No, I don’t think it was Sergeant Preston. I want to say it was “The Life Of Riley”???, but I am just not sure. > > There is one other that I remember: Amos and Andy > > I was only 5 yrs. old or so back then. “The Lone Ranger” was far more interesting to me, at that age, of course. > > I have better memories of early TV shows: > Sky King > Lone Ranger > Hopalong Cassidy > Annie Oaklie (spelling may be wrong) > Flash Gordon > Wild Bill Hickock (with Guy Madison) > Cisco Kid > Roy Rogers & Dale Evans > Gene Autry \*\* I believe Riley was on radio. I know it was [on TV](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0045406) and was among the first TV shows I saw. **Nefertiti** , you might get a kick out of [Remembering the B Westerns](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=205932) where some of the old TV westerns are also mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/31 "2003-08-24T18:40:21Z")
Many if not most of the old radio shows that are still available have been converted to MP3. There are many Old Time Radio groups on yahoo devoted to trading OTR. Do a search. You can also find them on ebay. I have many shows myself. I like the horror…like Inner Sanctum and detectives like Johnny Dollar. Here’s a good site to just outright purcase the shows in MP3… [http://www.otrcat.com/](http://www.otrcat.com/) Randy ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2003, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696/32 "2003-08-24T19:41:26Z")
I also grew up with the KNX Drama Hour. It was great, they had two different radio shows ever night. Saturdays was Jack Benny and George and Gracie, as I recall. One night was X Minus One and Lights Out, both of which creeped me out sometimes. 🙂 Some of those theme songs have really stuck with me. The other day I was going somewhere in the car with my dad when a familiar piece of music came on the classical music station. I puzzled for a moment, then realized where I remembered it from and shouted, “It’s Sergeant Preston and his dog, King!” My dad looked at me like I was nuts. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/radio-dramas-old-enough-to-remember-them/187696.md?page=1)