Hello, all! Today, I'm sharing one of my favorite pastimes while cooking, cleaning, or just bumbling round the house: radio dramas!
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Radio dramas were a prime source of entertainment before television, and many shows ran for years. There is an absolute treasure trove of these programs available online, at websites such as Old Time Radio Theater, and many of them are available to download as podcasts to your computer or iPod.
Probably the most famous radio play of all, Orson Welles' adaptation of War of the Worlds, is available to listen to online in many places (here's just one of many). The broadcast which incited mass hysteria may seem a bit quaint now, but it still features great effects and an interesting monologue that I wasn't expecting.
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My favorite program so far is the long running mystery and horror series, 'Suspense' (!). It featured many guest stars over the years (Peter Lorre, Cary Grant, Orson Welles, Lucille Ball, etc.) and usually featured a twist ending. This radio archive has many seasons available to stream for free, and other sites feature logs of the guest stars and plots, so you won't have to spend all day hunting for that Cary Grant episode (which is called A Country Road, by the way, and was quite good!)
You can find many more shows to listen to here, and each episode usually only runs about 30 minutes. So, next time you're busy doing the washing up, or relaxing with a cup of tea, turn on a radio drama. It's the perfect way to experience a classic form of storytelling.
Listen to...
- The Internet Archive: Old Time Radio
- Suspense
- War of the Worlds
- Philo Vance detective stories
- The Molle Mystery Theatre
- Radio Lovers
- Old Time Radio Network Library
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Do you have a favorite radio drama or play? Let me know in the comments!
I like this post. I can't live without music, I have my vintage radio and gramophone and I adore it.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog, I m following you now, follow back if you want :)
Wonderful! Very nice to meet you.
DeleteI have an antique radio and I'm looking to set up a speaker system to listen to radio dramas, as if from inside it. I hope it works!
Wonderful post and ode to radio dramas. It always strikes me as sad just how quickly they were (by and large) replaced by television.
ReplyDeleteI grew up listening to cassette tapes of classic 30s-50s radio shows that my parents had when I was a little girl (I'd put a tape into my Walkman and fall asleep listing to it most nights when I was quite young). Most were more of comedy and variety programs, which I love (such as Our Miss Brooks and Jack Benny), but there were a few of the more serious dramas, and all of these programs combined to instill a deeply rooted love of classic radio in my from a very early age onward.
♥ Jessica
They indeed use more imagination than most television shows, and I think everyone imagines different visuals while listening to the same story (just like books). I'm all for bringing back this lost art form!
DeleteI enjoyed this post, Sabrina. It reminded me of the stories on records that mom would get for me from the library.
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