Line #99 Main/RadioDrama


1	[[quoteright:350:[[Manga/WaveListenToMe https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wltm_mrs_crew_radio_drama.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:Despite seeing Minare's [[SarcasmMode amazing face]], she's doing a radio drama gig with the other people in MRS Radio.]]
3
4	Of all the influences on the early days of television, none were so direct and widespread as Golden Age {{radio}}.
5
6	The dawn of commercial radio began in 1920, with the first commercial stations, but little can be confirmed before 1926 since few authenticated recordings exist. It was in 1926 that Creator/{{NBC}} made its first broadcast, initially as the separate "Red" and "Blue" networks. Early broadcasts were primarily news or sports-related, but ''The Happiness Boys'', a vaudeville duo, began a show in 1921 which continued until 1940. The "Golden Age" proper began around 1929. NBC was soon joined by Creator/{{CBS}}.
7
8	Probably the most notable single event to happen during MediaNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfRadio was the episode of ''Radio/TheMercuryTheatreOnTheAir'' which aired on October 30, 1938. Director Orson Welles headed production of Howard Koch's adaptation of ''Radio/{{The War of the Worlds\|1938}}''. At the time, newspapers claimed the faux-newscast format (of the first two-thirds of the show) caused nation-wide panic. The resulting chaos is probably the reason that all subsequent US [[{{Mockumentary}} mockumentaries]] carry numerous disclaimers. It also prompted one of the first serious studies of mass media, ''The Invasion From Mars: A Study In The Psychology Of Panic'' by Princeton professor Hadley Cantril; Ironically, both the news reports of the time and much of Cantril's resulting conclusions have been called into question in recent years; still, the event was key in the launch of mass communication studies as an academic field.
9
10	Many of the Golden Age radio dramas eventually [[SoundToScreenAdaptation made the move to television]], and several co-existed on TV and radio. But by the mid-1950s, televisions were becoming commonplace, and radio went into a decline. Most authorities agree that the "Golden Age" ended on September 30, 1962, with the final episodes of ''Radio/{{Suspense}}'' and ''Radio/YoursTrulyJohnnyDollar''.
11
12	Most Golden Age radio dramas suffer from some percentage of [[MissingEpisode missing episodes]], but, at least after the earliest days, these are surprisingly uncommon: Audio recording was cheap and the technology highly available, so recordings of the 1930s and 1940s RadioDrama are available in much greater supply than their television contemporaries.
13
14	The advertising structure for Golden Age radio differed greatly from modern television. Shows typically had a single sponsor, which provided all the advertisements for the show. Actors would occasionally [[EnforcedPlug deliver in-character endorsements of the sponsor's product]]. As a result, an account could dry up, leaving the show commercial-free while the network "sustained" it. A perfect example of both items was again ''Radio/TheMercuryTheatreOnTheAir'' which ran for a period on the network's own expense until the "Radio/{{The War of the Worlds\|1938}}", made such a sensation that the Campbell's Soup Company jumped at the chance to sponsor the series, which led to it being renamed ''The Campbell Playhouse''. Economic forces being what they were, advertisements were almost always for consumable products (that is, automakers and long-distance carriers need not apply), such as gum, wine, and soap (which was mostly advertised during daytime dramas, leading to the term "SoapOpera"). One side effect is that almost all recordings of Golden Age radio drama available today still include the original commercials.
15
16	Another memorable feature of radio dramas was [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_premium premium merchandising]], usually a tie-in to both the show and the sponsor's product. An entire plot thread could be built around the use of the premium. One sent in three box tops and a dime, or the seal from under the Ovaltine lid, etc. ''ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie'''s Ovaltine shake-up mugs and ''Franchise/CaptainMidnight'' Code-O-Graph badges are some of the best known.[[note]]While there were plenty of rings being offered, most "Secret Decoder Rings" were actually badges with cipher disks. An actual decoder ring ''was'' offered on ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuest'' in the 1960s. [[/note]] Premiums weren't limited to kids; soap operas offered Helen Trent Friendship Necklaces and Ma Perkins Cookbooks.
17
18	It may also be worth noting that Golden Age radio shows tended to run much longer than television shows. The longest-running radio show was ''Radio/AmosAndAndy'', which began life in 1926 on NBC Blue under the title ''Sam and Henry''. It ran until 1960. The comparative ease and cheapness of production may have been a contributing factor (not to mention the fact that, lacking precedent, no one knew that 20 years was a long time for a show to run). However, since the audience didn't have to see the actors, it was easy and common to pull off a TheOtherDarrin (''Radio/YoursTrulyJohnnyDollar'' went through ''six'' actors in the title role plus two more in audition episodes).
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20	RadioDrama persists to this day, but only as a shadow of its former glory, mostly for nostalgia purposes. A brief revival in the 1970s led to shows such as ''Zero Hour'', ''General Mills Radio Adventure Theater'', a ''Radio/FantasticFour'' radio show, ''National Lampoon Radio Hour'' (which was a predecessor to ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''), the Creator/{{NPR}} production of ''Franchise/StarWars'', and the best known series of that era, ''Radio/CBSRadioMysteryTheater''. In the 21st Century {{Podcast}}s that do fictional stories fill much of the same niche as Radio Drama.
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22	Today, in the United States, most radio dramas are one-off or miniseries events. The few exceptions may be found in one of two broadcasting niches. The first is public radio; of these, by far the best-known example is ''Radio/APrairieHomeCompanion'' (now known as ''LiveFromHere''), a long-running variety show formerly hosted by Garrison Keillor. The other place on the dial to find radio drama is Christian radio. Two notable examples are ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'', which has been telling its stories of life in Odyssey (a prime example of EverytownAmerica) since 1987, and ''Unshackled!'', an anthology/docudrama produced by the Pacific Garden Mission (the oldest Christian rescue mission in the US) which has been on the air since 1950. Both are thriving in the new millennium.
23
24	Creator/TheBBC also produces a number of these on the other side of the pond, the best known of which is the original incarnation of ''[[Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1978 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy]]''. Free from the financial constraints of commercial networks, Creator/TheBBC continues to broadcast regular dramas on two of its national networks (which have included adaptations of ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'', ''Literature/HisDarkMaterials'' and ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels), and has also set up a digital channel, [=BBC7=] (later BBC Radio 7; as of 2012 known as BBC Radio 4 Extra), as an outlet for archive radio drama and comedy. They also continue to broadcast one of the [[LongRunners longest-running]] {{Soap Opera}}s in the world, in the form of ''Radio/TheArchers'', which began as a thinly disguised farming advice broadcast, and has been running continuously 5 days per week since 1955. [=SiriusXM=] Radio has a channel dedicated to reruns of classic radio Dramas, mostly from 1938-1960, though they also get some of the Harry Nile adventures.
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26	For non-{{Radio}} audio dramas, see AudioPlay.
27
28	Most of the {{Formats}} and [[ShowGenres genres]], as well as many {{Tropes}} that are OlderThanTelevision, originated on radio, especially:
29	* TheCoconutEffect
30	* DramaticHalfHour
31	* NarratingTheObvious
32	* OpeningNarration
33	* TheOtherDarrin
34	* TheSummation
35	* VarietyShow
36	----
37	!!Radio Dramas:
38	[[index]]
39	* ''Creator/AbbottAndCostello''
40	* ''Radio/TheAdventuresOfHarryNile''
41	* ''The Adventures of ComicStrip/JungleJim''
42	* ''Radio/TheAdventuresOfSuperman''
43	* ''Series/TheAdventuresOfOzzieAndHarriet''
44	* ''Adventure Time with ComicStrip/LittleOrphanAnnie''
45	* ''Radio/{{Afghanada}}'': Canada's ''Series/TourOfDuty'' about Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan.
46	* ''Radio/TheAldrichFamily''
47	* ''Radio/AlienWorlds''
48	* ''Radio/AmosAndAndy''
49	* ''Radio/TheArchers''
50	* ''Radio/{{Backbencher}}'': The misadventures of a rookie backbencher Member of Parliament serving in Canada's federal parliament in Ottawa.
51	* ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho''
52	* ''AudioPlay/BlakesSeven''
53	* ''Radio/BobAndRay''
54	* ''Radio/BoldVenture''
55	* ''ComicStrip/BuckRogers''
56	* ''Radio/TheBurnsAndAllenShow''
57	* ''Radio/CabinPressure''
58	* ''Radio/CBSRadioMysteryTheater''
59	* ''Radio/TheCharlieMcCarthyShow''
60	* ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cinnamon_Bear The Cinnamon Bear]]''
61	* ''[[Literature/TheDeerKing The Deer King I: Survivors]]''
62	* ''Radio/DickieDickDickens''
63	* ''Radio/DimensionX''
64	* ''AudioPlay/DoctorWhoAudioVisuals''
65	* ''Radio/DrJekyllAndMrHyde''
66	* ''Radio/{{Dragnet}}''
67	* ''Radio/{{Earplay}}''
68	* ''Radio/{{Escape}}''
69	* ''Radio/FantasticFour''
70	* ''Series/FatherKnowsBest''
71	* ''Radio/FibberMcGeeAndMolly''
72	* ''Literature/FuManchu''
73	* ''Radio/{{Gangbusters}}''
74	* ''Radio/GeneralMillsRadioAdventureTheater''
75	* ''Radio/TheGoldbergs''
76	* ''Radio/TheGreatGildersleeve''
77	* ''Radio/TheGreenHornet''
78	* ''The Series/GuidingLight''
79	* ''Radio/{{Gunsmoke}}''
80	* ''Series/HaveGunWillTravel''
81	* ''Radio/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1978''
82	* ''Radio/InnerSanctum''
83	* ''Radio/TheJackBennyProgram''
84	* ''Franchise/JamesBond''
85	** ''Radio/{{You Only Live Twice\|1990}}'' (BBC Radio 4, UK, 1990)
86	** [[Radio/JamesBondJarvisAndAyres Jarvis and Ayres Productions' BBC Radio 4 radio dramas]] based on the Fleming books, with Creator/TobyStephens as James Bond:
87	*** ''[[Radio/DrNo2008 Dr. No]]'' (2008)
88	*** ''[[Radio/Goldfinger2010 Goldfinger]]'' (2010)
89	*** ''[[Radio/FromRussiaWithLove2012 From Russia With Love]]'' (2012)
90	*** ''[[Radio/OnHerMajestysSecretService2014 On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]'' (2014)
91	*** ''[[Radio/DiamondsAreForever2015 Diamonds Are Forever]]'' (2015)
92	*** ''[[Radio/Thunderball2016 Thunderball]]'' (2016)
93	*** ''[[Radio/Moonraker2018 Moonraker]]'' (2018)
94	*** ''[[Radio/LiveAndLetDie2019 Live and Let Die]]'' (2019)
95	*** ''[[Radio/TheManWithTheGoldenGun2020 The Man with the Golden Gun]]'' (2020)
96	* ''Radio/JackFlanders''
97	* ''Radio/JourneyIntoSpace''
98	* ''Radio/{{Lights Out\|1936To1947}}''
99	* ''Radio/TheLifeOfRiley''
100	* ''Literature/TheLittleWitch''
101	* ''Radio/TheLivesOfHarryLime''
102	* ''Radio/TheLoneRanger''
103	* ''Radio/LumAndAbner''
104	* ''Radio/LuxRadioTheatre''
105	* ''Radio/TheMercuryTheatreOnTheAir''
106	** ''Radio/{{The War of the Worlds\|1938}}''
107	* ''Radio/TheManBornToBeKing''
108	* ''Radio/MonsoonHouse'': A series starring Creator/RussellPeters about the misadventures of an Indo-Canadian family and their small book publishing business.
109	* ''Literature/{{Moribito}}''
110	** ''Literature/MoribitoGuardianOfTheSpirit''
111	** ''Literature/MoribitoIIGuardianOfTheDarkness''
112	* ''Radio/MrDistrictAttorney''
113	* ''Radio/NationalLampoonRadioHour''
114	* ''Radio/TheNewAdventuresOfSherlockHolmes''
115	* ''Radio/{{Nightfall}}''
116	* ''Radio/NPRPlayhouse''
117	* ''Radio/OurMissBrooks''
118	* ''Radio/ThePeoriaPlague''
119	* ''Franchise/PerryMason''
120	* ''Radio/ThePhilHarrisAliceFayeShow''
121	* ''Manga/Phoenix1954''
122	* ''Radio/PleasantGreenUniverse''
123	* ''Radio/ThePriceOfFear''
124	* ''Manga/PrincessKnight''
125	* ''[[Radio/QuietPlease1947 Quiet, Please]]''
126	* ''Radio/RadioTheatre'', from one of the creators of [[LongRunners long-running]] radio drama ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'', does classic book series in dramatic format including ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'', the works of Creator/CharlesDickens, and Creator/GeorgeMacDonald. It is a joint American and British production.
127	* ''Radio/RedRyder''
128	* ''Radio/RubyTheGalacticGumshoe''
129	* ''Radio/TheScarifyers''
130	* ''Radio/SearsRadioTheater[=/=]Radio/MutualRadioTheater''
131	* ''Radio/TheShadow''
132	* ''DerivativeWorks/SherlockHolmes''
133	* ''Radio/TheSixShooter''
134	* ''Radio/TheStanFrebergShow''
135	* ''Radio/StarWarsRadioDramas''
136	* ''Radio/{{Suspense}}''
137	* ''Radio/ThisIsYourFBI''
138	* ''Radio/TorchwoodTheLostFiles''
139	* ''Radio/TrustInc'': The misadventures of a Toronto public relations firm.
140	* ''Radio/TheWhistler''
141	* ''Radio/XMinusOne''
142	* ''Radio/YourHitParade''
143	* ''Radio/YoursTrulyJohnnyDollar''
144	* ''Radio/ZeroHour''
145	[[/index]]

Context Main / RadioDrama