Amos and Andy Set in Harlem, Amos 'n' Andy centered around the activities of George Stevens, a conniving character who was always looking for a way to make a fast buck. As head of the Mystic Knights of the Sea Lodge, where he held the position of "Kingfish," he got most of the lodge brothers involved in his schemes. That put him at odds not only with them, but with his wife, Sapphire, and her mother. Mama, in particular, didn't trust him at all. Andy Brown was the most gullible of the lodge members, a husky, well-meaning, but rather simple soul. The Kingfish was constantly trying to swindle him in one way or another, but the "big dummy" (as Kingfish called him) kept coming back for more. More often than not, Kingfish would get them both into trouble, but win Andy's cooperation with an appeal to fraternal spirit--"Holy mackerel, Andy! We's all got to stick together in dis heah thing...remember, we is brothers in that great fraternity, the Mystic Knights of the Sea."

The impact of the show was phenomenal. At its peak, it is said cities literally came to a halt while the show was being broadcast. Everyone wanted to hear their favorite two characters and their daily misfortunes. While the peak of their popularity came during the thirties, the series remained on the air for nearly 30 years.

The Bikersons The Bickersons started as a skit on The Charlie McCarthy Show, but was so popular it became a show all its own. Don Ameche plays John Bickerson and Francis Langford plays his wife Blanche.

The show starts with John's snoring waking up Blanche, who then wakes up John to argue with him over one matter or another. The banter between the two is a rapid-fire series of setups and punchlines. Classic comedy you are sure to enjoy!

Boston Blackie Boston Blackie, played by Richard Kollmar, is an ex-jewel thief who turns his talents to being a private detective. Maurice Tarplin plays Inspector Faraday, who despises Blackie. The feeling is mutual, and the sarcastic exchanges between the two is what makes the show so fun to listen to. The animosity is understandable, considering that Blackie always solves that crimes that the police are unable to solve.

Box 13 "Adventure Wanted -- Will go anywhere, do anything - Box 13"

This is the ad Dan Holiday, played by Alan Ladd, has put in the Star-Times. Dan is a writer in search of ideas, so he uses this device to experience a variety of adventures. Susy is his not-too-bright assistant. He frequently gets more than he bargains for with his ad. What makes the series so interesting is the fact that Dan is rarely given any details about his assignments, so he must think on his feet as he tries to determine his respondents' motives. In turn, the program's listeners are left in the dark as to what turns the plot will take.

After solving whatever mystery needs to be solved, or escaping whatever danger he's been placed in, his final duty is to explain any loose ends to Susy.

Broadway is My Beat A very off-beat police series. The narration often becomes poetic, and the show has some unhappy endings. Normally OTR provides us with detectives who compete with the police, but here we have a beat cop who walks "the lonesomest mile in the world."

Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8208 Candy Matson was the private eye star of Candy Matson, YUkon 2-8208, an NBC West Coast show which first aired in March 1949 and was created by Monty Masters. He cast his wife, Natalie Parks, in the title role of this sassy, sexy PI. Her understated love interest, Lt. Ray Mallard, was played by Henry Leff while her assistant and best pal, aptly named Rembrandt Watson, was the voice of Jack Thomas.

Every show opened with a ringing telephone and our lady PI answering it with "Candy Matson, YU 2-8209" and then the organ swung into the theme song, "Candy". Each job took Candy from her apartment on Telegraph Hill into some actual location in San Francisco. The writers, overseen by Monty, worked plenty of real Bay Area locations into every plot.

Candy was bright, tough, and fearless. She used her pistol infrequently, but was unintimidated by bad guys, regardless of circumstances. Threats, assaults, and even bullets would usually produce a caustic, but clever, response for this blonde sleuth. She and Mallard were frequently working the same case, but she usually solved it first.

OTR experts generally agree that this show was the finest of all the female PIs. Although the show ran until May 1951, it never attracted a sponsor (although the first season's final episode ended with the announcement that "Candy Matson Is San Francisco's Most Popular Program").

A total of 15 episodes (including the audition show and a revival) are currently in trading currency.

Captain Midnight The ending gong of midnight...the roar of the airplane engine, at first in the distance...then stronger as it sounds in a dive...This was Captain Midnight!

The Captain Midnight radio series had its beginnings in 1938 on Chicago radio station, WGN. Created by Robert M. Burtt and Willfred G. Moore, the creators of The Air Adventures of Jimmie Allen, the series was sponsored by the Skelly Oil Company. In the beginning, "Captain Midnight" was simply an undercover name for Jim "Red" Albright, who regularly piloted cargo and passengers. As an undercover agent, Albright was trying to gather information on a gang of criminals. However, by the end of the first run, ending in a summer hiatus, the Captain Midnight persona was beginning to stick and many knew him only by that name. Captain Midnight was constantly trying to stop the plans of the evil Ivan Shark and his daughter Fury. Shark remained as Midnight's evil nemesis throughout the length of the radio run. Captain Midnight was helped in his efforts by Chuck Ramsey and Patsy Donovan (later, Joyce Ryan) who were members of his Secret Squadron. In the national versions, there was also Ichabod Mudd, Midnight's mechanic. There were a number of different actors playing the various roles over the long run. The series grew in popularity and was broadcast over the Mutual Network beginning in 1940 sponsored by Ovaltine.

Casey Crime Photographer Casey was a photographer for the Morning Express, but he spent most of his time solving murder mysteries with reporter Annie Williams at his side. He enjoyed great rapport with long-suffering Inspector Logan of homicide and the entire group commiscerated with Ethelbert, the bartender at the Blue Note Café. The program was first heard under the title of Flashgun Casey in 1943 and remained on the air until 1955.

The Cavalcade of America The Cavalcade of America featured events from American history and dramatizations from literature. Throughout the years, actors and actresses from Broadway and Hollywood were featured.

The program ran from October 9, 1935 to March 31, 1953. It was through Cavalcade that America became familiar with sponsor Dupont's slogan "Better things for better living through chemistry".

Cinnamon Bear Paddy O'Cinnamon welcomes you to join in the adventures of The Cinnamon Bear.

This fanciful tale takes place just before Christmas as Judy and Jimmy search for the lost star from their Christmas tree. Listen and find out for yourself what happens with them on their way to retrieve the silver star from the Crazy Quilt Dragon. Listen to one episode each day beginning on the last day of November and you will finish the story on Christmas Day!

Broadcast Day: September 21. 1939 On September 21, 1939, radio station WJSV in Washington, D.C. transcribed an entire day of broadcasting. If you are curious as to what radio was actually like in those days, there is no better way than by listening to this set.

Here is the itinerary of the broadcast:

     6:30 Sundial with Arthur Godfrey (music) 
     8:30 Certified Magic Carpet (quiz show) 
     8:45 Bachelor's Children (soap) 
     9:00 Pretty Kitty Kelly (soap) 
     9:15 The Story of Myrt & Marge (soap) 
     9:30 Hilltop House (soap) 
     9:45 Stepmother (soap) 
     10:00 Mary Lee Taylor (soap) 
     10:15 Brenda Curtis (soap, featuring Agnes Moorehead) 
     10:30 Big Sister (soap) 
     10:45 Aunt Jenny's True Life Stories (soap that Bob & Ray loved to parody) 
     11:00 Jean Abbey (news for women) 
     11:15 When a Girl Marries (soap) 
     11:30 The Romance of Helen Trent (soap) 
     11:45 Our Gal Sunday (with all this soap, you could blow a lot of bubbles!) 
     12:00 The Goldbergs (comedy) 
     12:15 Life Can Be Beautiful (soap) 
     12:30 Road of Life (soap) 
     12:45 This Day Is Ours (soap) 
     1:00 Sunshine Report (news) 
     1:15 The Life & Love of Dr. Susan (soap) 
     1:30 Your Family and Mine (soap) 
     1:45 News (news) 
     2:00 President Roosevelt's Address to Congress (speech) 
     2:40 Premier Edouard Daladier 
     3:00 Address Commentary (news) 
     3:15 The Career of Alice Blair (soap) 
     3:30 News (news) 
     3:42 Rhythm & Romance 
     3:45 Scattergood Baines 
     4:00 Baseball: Cleveland Indians at Washington Senators (sports) 
     5:15 The World Dances (music) 
     5:30 News (news) 
     5:45 Sports News (news) 
     6:00 Amos and Andy (comedy) 
     6:15 The Parker Family (comedy) 
     6:30 Joe E. Brown (comedy) 
     7:00 Ask-It Basket (quiz) 
     7:30 Strange as it Seems (true stories) 
     8:00 Major Bowes' Original Amateur Hour (variety) 
     9:00 The Columbia Workshop - "Now It's Summer" (drama) 
     9:30 Americans at Work (true stories) 
     10:00 News (news) 
     10:15 Music (music) 
     10:30 Albert Warner (news) 
     11:30 Teddy Powell Band (music) 
     12:00 Louis Prima Orchestra (music) 
     12:30 Bob Chester Orchestra (music)

Dangerous Assignment "Starring Brian Donlevy in the role of Steve Mitchell: colorful, two-fisted government agent. At all those places in the world where danger and intrigue walk hand in hand, there you will find Steve Mitchell on another Dangerous Assignment."

Dimension X (1950 to 1951) Many of SF's most popular authors got mass exposure through this series.

Doc Savage To the world at large, Doc Savage is a strange, mysterious figure of glistening bronze skin and golden eyes. To his amazing co-adventurers -- the five greatest brains ever assembled in one group -- he is a man of superhuman strength and protean genius, whose life is dedicated to the destruction of evil-doers. To his fans he is the greatest adventure hero of all time, whose fantastic exploits are unequaled for hair-raising thrills, breathtaking escapes and bloodcurdling excitement.

Doc Savage Magazines were originally published as pulp magazines by Street & Smith from March 1933 until the summer of 1949, then reprinted in paperback format by Bantam Books from October 1964 to November 1993.

Dragnet "The story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed, to protect the innocent."

Dum-dee-DUM-DUM! It doesn't get any more realistic than Dragnet, folks. No wonder, since the stories are based on actual police cases. Jack Webb is perfect as detective Joe Friday, who packs all the excitement of melting snow. The show is meticulous in its attention to detail, and you're presented with every lead, piece of evidence, and dead end that a real police detective would run into during an actual investigation. This attempt to make the show dull actually contributes to the excitement, since you no longer have any of the standard crime-fighting clichés normally standard in other programs to rely on. Dragnet also became a popular television series.

Easy Aces Husband-and-wife situation comedies were popular during radio's hey-day: Fibber McGee and Molly, Vic and Sade, George and Gracie, Ethel and Albert, the Bickersons, and, perhaps the wittiest of the lot, Easy Aces. Not all of these radio couples were real-life marital duos. Mr. Ace (a first name was never used on the show) and Jane most certainly were!

The plots for the earlier Easy Aces episodes ranged from single incidents of an evening in their bungalow (Jane -- writing a letter to her mother -- can't understand why there is more than one spelling for the word "right/write/rite") to extended incidents requiring two weeks or more to play out the chain of events. Jane and Goodman Ace are the pivotal characters throughout the series.

Escape "Tired of the everyday grind? Ever dream of romantic adventure. We offer you: escape! A half-hour of high adventure."

Escape was broadcast on CBS between July 1947 and September 1954. The theme music was Moussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain". Early intros typically reminded the listener of various boring or tiring things happening in their lives, and offered them a chance to escape, at least for a while, to a more exciting scenario. Narrators were William Conrad and Paul Frees.

Father Knows Best Robert Young originated the role of Jim Anderson on the radio in 1949, and he was the only member of the radio cast that was retained when the show was transformed into a television program. Jim was an insurance salesman who lived with his family at 607 South Maple Street in Springfield, Ohio. Margaret was his wife and the family homemaker. Betty was the eldest daughter, who was referred to as 'Princess' by her father. Bud was the early-teenage son, and Kathy (nicknamed 'Kitten') was the youngest daughter.

Every night, Jim would come home from work, don a comfortable sweater, and find out what the rest of his family had done during the day. There were always day-to-day problems for the members of the family, but Jim always faced them down with a smile. Even for an insignificant dilemma, Jim would summon up the strength to see the situation through to a resolution. For example, when Kitten lost a prized doll (certainly not insignificant to her), Jim took out his umbrella and searched tirelessly through the rainy night until he found it.

Father Knows Best continues to charm listeners both new and old. Both Jim and Margaret were sensible, mature adults who could take care of a problem with a mixture of compassion and good advice. Their children occasionally disagreed with their parents, but were always polite and well-mannered. The problems they faced were always solved by the end of the episode, and the family truly loved one another. As long as listeners have families of their own, the love the Anderson family shared will continue to inspire them.

Fibber McGee & Molly Jim and Marion Jordon, who were husband and wife in real life, brought their vaudeville act to radio and created one of OTR's most fondly remembered series. Fibber McGee is a stubborn man who is as handy with a tongue twister as he is in making up stories. Molly McGee is his loving wife who puts up with Fibber's nonsense. The thing that made this series famous is the hall closet. It isn't featured in most of the episodes, but when it is the audience goes wild. At some point in the show one of the characters will head for the closet door by mistake, causing Fibber or Molly to exclaim something like, "No, don't open that door!" This will always be too late and is the cue for the sound effects department to make an endlessly long racket to signify all the junk pouring out.

The Great Gildersleeve The Great Gildersleeve is probably the first spin-off series on radio. Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, played by Harold Peary, was a popular character on Fibber McGee & Molly McGee & Molly who always got into arguments with Fibber. In the premiere episode, we find Gildersleeve leaving Wistful Vista for the town of Summerfield in order to care for his niece Marjorie and his nephew Leroy.

Gildersleeve becomes the water commissioner for Summerfield. His main foil on the show is Judge Hooker, with whom he competes for the attention of the lovely Leila. Birdie is Gildersleeve's maid. Peavey is the town's druggist, whose catch-phrase "Now I wouldn't say that" was popular.

The series is famous for Harold Peary's booming voice and his hilarious laughter. This series is also a must listen if you're interested in how World War II was reflected in the entertainment industry, because ration books and war bonds are frequently cited on the program.

The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is an action/adventure series in the same spirit as The Shadow or the Lone Ranger. Brit Reid is a newspaper publisher who spends his off hours fighting crime in disguise as the Green Hornet. His valet Kato is the only one who knows that Brit Reid is the real identity of the Green Hornet, and drives him to his various adventures in his super-fast limo called the Black Beauty. The Green Hornet can knock out criminals with his nifty gas gun, and always leaves his trademark seal behind to let both the police and the criminal underworld know of his presence. An interesting feature of this series is that the police actually considers the Green Hornet to be one of the criminals, and the Green Hornet doesn't seem to do anything to try to change that misperception. If anything, he seems to use that to his advantage on occasions.

Gunsmoke Gunsmoke is not just a western, but one of the most well produced and acted dramatic productions on radio.

William Conrad stars at marshal Matt Dillon. Matt isn't your typical knight-in-shining-armor hero; but a cynical, world-weary man who frequently feels overwhelmed by the responsibilities of his profession. While some episodes have lighter moments, the series is primarily somber and packs the kind of tension you can cut with a knife.

Jack Benny This was the funniest show on radio.

Jack Benny shared the spotlight with a talented cast, which includes his wife in real life, Mary Livingston; the sarcastic valet Rochester, played by Eddie Anderson; the shy and naïve tenor Dennis Day; the obese announcer Don Wilson; and the hip band leader with a fondness for liquor, Phil Harris. As you can see, the supporting cast were given their own unique personality, which serves as the basis for many of the jokes. Jack Benny's personality traits include being an extreme miser (so much so that he keeps his money secure in a vault located a looooong way under his house), always being 39 years old, owning a dilapidated automobile called the Maxwell, being mildly egotistical, and desperately wanting to win an Oscar. Mel Blanc, who provided the many voices for the Warner Brothers' cartoons (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, etc.), also appeared on the show to provide the sounds of the Maxwell, the train station announcer, and whatever other supporting characters were needed.

The show tends to follow one of two formats, and there may or may not be a celebrity guest star in either one. One format begins with some introductory banter between Jack and his regulars. This is followed by a song sung by Dennis Day. The obligatory commercial follows. Finally, the show concludes with a skit, which usually spoofs some popular radio program or movie.

The second format simply follows the adventures of the cast, supposedly during the period when their show isn't on. This is usually set at Jack's home, although they do venture to train stations and other places. Dennis Day still sings, but in the context of practicing for the upcoming show. This format gives the show the feel of a sitcom instead of a variety show.

As you can see, the Jack Benny Program wasn't just a show, but an entire, comic, imaginary world that is delightful to visit, even in today's times.

Life of Riley Chester Riley, played by William Bendix, is a riveter in an airplane factory with the typical family makeup of wife, son, and daughter. Riley tries to reign supreme as ruler of his own castle and manages to make a mess of everything. William Bendix is perfect in the role, with a boyish but commanding voice. Riley's wife is Peg, who tries to put up with Riley's nonsense. Riley's son, Junior, and his daughter, Babs, also serve in the series in order to provoke Riley's various schemes or misunderstandings. Riley is frequently egged on by his neighbor Gillis, who works at the plant where Riley works.

Lights Out Lights Out was billed as "the ultimate in horror." Great sound effects put fear into the listener's very heart, especially when the lights were out!

From it's first show on January 1, 1934 to it's last on April 10, 1935, Lights Out was billed "The ultimate in horror." Never had such sounds been heard on the air. Heads rolled, bones were crushed, people fell from great heights and splattered wetly on pavement. Few shows had ever combined the talents of actors and imaginative writers so well with the graphic art of the sound technician. Lights Out was created, written and produced by Wyllis Cooper and was heard for 15 minutes weekly until April 1934, then 30 minutes weekly; Mondays, then Wednesdays, usually heard around midnight.

Lone Ranger "With his faithful indian companion Tonto, the masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. The stories of his strength and courage, his daring and resourcefulness have come down to us through the generations. And nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again!"

"Hiyo, Silver! Away!"

In case you missed this series from your own childhood, the Lone Ranger wears a mask to conceal his identity, rides a horse called Silver, and leaves behind a silver bullet as his trademark.

Lux Radio Theater In October of 1934, "Lux Radio Theater" debuted in New York on NBC's Blue radio network. Presenting audio versions of popular Broadway plays, the show failed to garner an audience and soon ran out of material.

After switching networks to CBS and moving to Hollywood, Lux found its true market. The show began featuring adaptations of popular films, performed by as many of the original stars as possible. With an endless supply of hit films scripts and an audience of more than 40 million, Lux enjoyed a prosperous run until the curtain fell in 1956.

My Favorite Husband Starring Lucille Ball. What more can you want?!

Long before Lucy met Ricky American audiences fell in love with Lucy's crazy antics -- on the radio. Her character's name was Liz, not Lucy. And her husband George (played by (Richard Denning) was a smalltown banker, not an entertainer. But between 1948 and 1951 My Favorite Husband delighted Lucy's loyal listeners each week with many of the same scatterbrained schemes that would later come to be TV classics on "I Love Lucy."

Our Miss Brooks Eve Arden stars as single English teacher Connie Brooks in this delightful comedy series. Her landlady Mrs. Davis, played by Jane Morgan, is absent-minded and famous for her bizarre breakfasts. Gale Gordon, whom some may remember as Mr. Mooney on "The Lucy Show" on television, portrays the irritable principal Osgood Conklin. Jeff Chandler (and later Robert Rockwell) portrays the Biology teacher Phillip Boynton. Miss Brooks has a crush on Mr. Boynton, but Mr. Boynton is so shy that he seems to prefer the company of his lab frog MacDougal more than that of Miss Brooks. The principle students in the show include Harriet Conklin, daughter of Principal Conklin; Stretch, the rather dense athlete; and Walter Denton (played by Richard Crenna), who is Miss Brooks fawning admirer.

This series is consistently funny, so one show is as good as another!

Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet was the real-life Nelson family on the air, with all the little adventures that an active and interesting middle-class American family might have, and two young boys growing up before their parents' eyes. Ozzie had no defined source of income, and always seemed to be hanging around the house. (However, Ozzie once referred to his former life as orchestra leader, with Harriet as his vocalist.) In real life Ozzie Nelson was a hard worker indeed, having been the nation's youngest Eagle Scout at age 13, an honor student and star quarterback at Rutgers, and a nationally known bandleader in the 1930s. His wife, Harriet, had once been his band's vocalist.

This is a very enjoyable program featuring an ideal American family.

Funny and very enjoyable comedy program.

Phil Harris and Alice Faye Phil Harris (the egotistical bandleader) and his real-life wife Alice Faye (glamorous movie star) play themselves.Others in the cast are Sheldon Leonard, Gale Gordon and Elliot Lewis.

Richard Diamond Starring Dick Powell as Richard Diamond. A lighthearted wisecracking detective show that helped change Powell's image from singer to actor.

"Hello, there. This is Diamond. "If you happen to wake up some morning and you spot something walking in front of your house and it looks like Santa Clause with jaundice don't turn the hose on him - he's not on fire, he's just wearing the newest thing in men's fashion. They call it the "bold look" and it's supposed to be the masculine answer to Dior's new look for women. It's an answer alright, like walking up to your best girl and slicing her down the middle with a broadsword. Now, if you haven't seen it yet, just close your eyes and try to picture yourself in the "bold look". Imagine: walking down fifth avenue, decked out in a new bright purple non-shrinking suit, pastel shirt - yellow, maybe, hand painted tie and argyle socks. Got it? What do you think? Pretty bad. "About the only thing I can think of that's more gruesome is that little murder I got mixed up in last week. It started in a house on Long Island. A guy named Harry Baker was getting involved with his private secretary:" -- intro to 49/9/3 Mrs. William Baker, Klepto

The Shadow "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay. The Shadow knows! Hahahahahahaha!"

This is my favorite radio program and the one that got me hooked on old time radio.

Now, a new thrilling adventure of The Shadow, and his relentless fight against the forces of evil, demonstrating to young and old alike that crime does not pay. The Shadow, mysterious character who aids the forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, wealthy man about town. Years ago, in the Orient, Cranston learned a strange and mysterious secret; the hypnotic power to cloud men's minds so they cannot see him. Cranston's friend and companion, the lovely Margot Lane, is the only person who knows to whom the voice of the shadow belongs.

Adventures of Superman "Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!"

"Look! Up in the sky!"
"It's a bird!"
"It's a plane!"
"It's Superman!"

"Yes, it's Superman - strange visitor from another planet who came to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. Superman - defender of law and order. champion of equal rights, valiant, courageous fighter against the forces of hate and prejudice, who disguised as Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper, fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice and the American way."

Suspense Suspense is old time radio's cream of the crop. Most of the episodes are well above average, and there is a long list of episodes that are genuinely great. Hollywood recognized this as well, since some of the biggest names in show business made themselves available to act in the series. Suspense is a perfect blend of expert writing, acting, and production. The types of stories vary widely. Most were suspenseful mysteries, but there are some extremely effective horror episodes and nail-biting adventure series as well.

Tarzan "We bring you Tarzan, that immortal fictional character of Edgar Rice Burroughs, in a new and exciting serial entitled TARZAN AND THE DIAMOND OF ASHER, which is adapted from the novel, 'Tarzan And The Forbidden City.' Deep in the heart of Africa rises a mighty cone-shaped mountain, an extinct volcano, in the huge crater of which lies The Forbidden City of Asher... To reach this stronghold two safaris endure hardships and perils that bring death to some and high adventure to all... One safari is bent on the rescue of the son of its leader... the other, headed by a wily and unscrupulous Oriental, seeks only the Father of Diamonds... And through the intrigue and mystery and the danger moves the majestic figure of Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle."

(Originally a 39-episode serial of 15 minute installments) The Whistler "I am the Whistler, and I know many things for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak."

One of Radio's longest running crime dramas. A voice of fate baiting the guilty with his malevolence.

Although the radio series The Shadow promises to "demonstrate to young and old alike that crime does not pay," it is this series that really makes you want to walk the straight and narrow. The Whistler is an anthology series with different actors each week, except for the narrator, Bill Forman.

The show's opening, consisting of an odd tune being whistled and the introduction which begins "I am the Whistler," is another famous radio show opening. The plots deal with characters who consider and then carry out some sort of crime, and the narrator (or Whistler) serves as the character's conscience. Bill Forman's raspy voice, combined with the show's superb writing, is so effective that you as a listener soon experience the same doubts and anxieties as the criminal in the story. The story usually ends with some strange and unexpected twist, with the criminal getting what he or she deserves. It is this unpredictability that makes the show fun.

X Minus One (1955 to 1958) Most of the stories for X Minus One were culled directly from the pages of Galaxy, or remakes of stories produced for Dimension X (for which X Minus One was originally a revival series). Many of SF's most popular authors got mass exposure through this series, and even today X Minus One is still generally considered a cornerstone of radio drama.

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar "This is another in the adventures of America's fabulous free-lance insurance investigator, Johnny Dollar! At insurance investigation Johnny Dollar is only an expert. At making out his expense account, he's an absolute genious!"

If someone were to tell you that there was a show about an insurance investigator who builds his various stories around his expense reports, you'd probably think that person was nuts. No, that person is just a fan of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar. You'd think that this premise would make for the most boring show in the world, you'd be mistaken. This is actually a delightful mystery series at its heart. Johnny Dollar, played by Bob Baily, Mandell Kramer as well as others, is hired by various insurance companies to investigate suspicious insurance claims. This might involve all sorts of criminal activity, mostly murder. The gimmick of the series is that the story is narrated around Johnny Dollars' expense report. At the end of each episode, after Johnny Dollar successfully solves the mystery, Johnny announces the total of the report and signs it "Yours truly, Johnny Dollar."

The 30 minute episodes have a light-hearted, humorous quality to them, while the 5-part episodes (15 minutes per episode) are more serious.