Radio Mystery Shows
From nearly the dawn of broadcast radio came scripted shows, and the biggest genre outside of soap operas were radio mysteries. Remarkably, these not only thrived across dozens and dozens of shows during radio’s heyday, but for decades beyond, into the 1980s. And podcasting has offered some new life, from Thrilling Adventure Hour to…The Incomparable Radio Theater. We discuss our favorite shows, some great episodes, how we grew up with radio mysteries, and where to find them, old and new.
Listen to this episode (59 minutes)
Show Notes
We mentioned a lot of programs, and here are the links to all of them in order of appearance in the episode, if you’re trying to find your spot.
Gunsmoke
Have Gun, Will Travel
The Lives of Harry Lime
Broadway Is My Beat
The Edge of Night
The Perry Mason Expanded Universe: full TV episodes at CBS, radio show
Hamilton “Ham” Burger’s losing streak
The Library of Congress Audio-Visual Conservation Packard Campus, Glenn’s article about his visit, and a photo selection from his visit
NBC radio archives at LOC
Fibber McGee and Molly shellac disks
Green Hornet
Glenn cannot remember that it’s Broadway Is My Beat, not My Beat Is Broadway
The Adventures of Philip Marlowe
The Thrilling Adventure Hour (Into Darkness, the pregnancy episode referenced by Monty)
Nero Wolfe
The Saint
The Thin Man (on radio)
Doll Tearsheet on the Incomparable Radio Theater
Welcome to Night Vale radio show
Welcome to Night Vale novel
The Whistler
The Shadow (Glenn mentioned the episode “Deaths Coils to Strike”)
Candy Matson
Dudley Manlove
The Dudley Manlove Quartet
CBS Mystery Theater
Dr. Demento (not really mystery, we know)
Nick Danger, part of the Firesign Theater repertoire
Quiet Please (Glenn discuses “Thing on the Fourble Board”)
Escape (Glenn mentions “Earth Abides”)
Ellery Queen radio: Circus Train
Ellery Queen TV series
Monty’s Thrilling Adventure Hour Quotes Tumblr
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar
The Amazing Mr. Malone
