Radio Classics (Ch. 148): Old Time Radio Comedies & Dramas

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Radio Classics

Classic radio dramas & comedy

Channel 148Radio Classics is the home for the quality programs from The Golden Age Of Radio. Before television, before audio books, before podcasts, great storytelling dominated the realm of radio. It's where imagination ruled. Superman, Dragnet, Gunsmoke, plus comedies from Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, George Burns & Gracie Allen all originated on radio. Those ageless shows (and so much more) can be found on Radio Classics. Timeless stories and laughs from the past for today's SiriusXM listeners.Connect with

Shows, Schedules & Info

Featured Show

When Radio Was

Radio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell.

All times listed EDT
Life of Riley

Life of Riley

Next Airs Sunday at 6 am
1 hr

The Life of Riley featured the comic misadventures of riveter Chester A. Riley. Riley was a devoted family man with a talent

The Life of Riley featured the comic misadventures of riveter Chester A. Riley. Riley was a devoted family man with a talent for flying off the handle and a penchant for being worse. Movie star William Bendix played the title role of the lovable hardhat throughout the series.

Red Skelton Show

Red Skelton Show

Now Playing
30 mins

The Red Skelton Show came to NBC on October 7, 1941 after years as a mainstay on Cincinnati's powerhouse station WLW. Red sc

The Red Skelton Show came to NBC on October 7, 1941 after years as a mainstay on Cincinnati's powerhouse station WLW. Red scored with radio audiences as Junior, "the mean widdle kid," a character he originated in vaudeville. Some of his other memorable characters included Deadeye, J. Newton Numbskull, Willie Lump-Lump, Bolivar Shagnasty and Clem Kadiddlehopper.

The Abbott and Costello Show

The Abbott and Costello Show

Next Airs Today at 7:30 am
30 mins

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made their radio debut on CBS’ The Kate Smith Show as replacements for Hollywood-bound Henny You

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made their radio debut on CBS’ The Kate Smith Show as replacements for Hollywood-bound Henny Youngman. The former burlesque comics reintroduced and preserved the classic comedy sketches of vaudeville in their films and radio and television series. The Abbott and Costello Show debuted as a 1940 summer replacement for Fred Allen and later aired from October 8, 1942 through June 29, 1949.

Dark Fantasy

Dark Fantasy

Next Airs Today at 8 am
1 hr

Dark Fantasy originated from the Oklahoma City studios of WKY and ran from November 14, 1941 through June 19, 1942. The fina

Dark Fantasy originated from the Oklahoma City studios of WKY and ran from November 14, 1941 through June 19, 1942. The final 25 episodes of the series were aired on a sustaining basis over the NBC network.

Pat Novak for Hire

Pat Novak for Hire

Next Airs Today at 9 am
30 mins

Pat Novak for Hire was broadcast from San Francisco and debuted in 1946 as an ABC Sunday night West Coast series. Ben Murphy

Pat Novak for Hire was broadcast from San Francisco and debuted in 1946 as an ABC Sunday night West Coast series. Ben Murphy starred as the hard-boiled Novak during the West Coast run, but Jack Webb made the role his own when series was revived on February 13, 1949 over the entire ABC national network.

Broadway is My Beat

Broadway is My Beat

Next Airs Today at 9:30 am
30 mins

Broadway Is My Beat debuted over CBS on February 27, 1949 and continued through August 1, 1954. Anthony Ross starred as Clov

Broadway Is My Beat debuted over CBS on February 27, 1949 and continued through August 1, 1954. Anthony Ross starred as Clover during the first two seasons, with Thor taking over the role on July 3, 1950. Homicide detective Clover pounded the Broadway beat for five years in one of radio's last great detective series.

The Line-Up

The Line-Up

Next Airs Today at 10 am
30 mins

This CBS cop procedural pulls back the curtain on crime fighting in San Francisco. The Shadow's Bill Johnstone starred as co

This CBS cop procedural pulls back the curtain on crime fighting in San Francisco. The Shadow's Bill Johnstone starred as cool-mannered Lt. Ben Guthrie, foil to hot-tempered Sgt. Matt Grebb. Director Elliot Lewis was one of the busiest men in radio, having a hand in the Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show, Suspense, Broadway Is My Beat, and many more.

CBS Radio Workshop

CBS Radio Workshop

Next Airs Today at 11 am
1 hr

The CBS Radio Workshop aired from January 27, 1956 through September 22, 1957 and was a revival of the prestigious Columbia

The CBS Radio Workshop aired from January 27, 1956 through September 22, 1957 and was a revival of the prestigious Columbia Workshop from the 1930s and 1940s. The CBS Workshop regularly featured the works of the world’s greatest writers. including Ray Bradbury, Archibald MacLeish, William Saroyan, Lord Dunsany and Ambrose Bierce.

I Was A Communist for the FBI

I Was A Communist for the FBI

Next Airs Today at 12 pm
30 mins

The 1952 syndicated series starred Dana Andrews as real-life undercover agent Matt Cvetic, whose book of the same title prov

The 1952 syndicated series starred Dana Andrews as real-life undercover agent Matt Cvetic, whose book of the same title provided the inspiration for the radio series and a Hollywood film. Growing out of the communist paranoia of the McCarthy era, the Cold War drama featured red spies portrayed in the same stereotypical manner of the Nazis during World Ward II propaganda programs.

FBI in Peace and War

FBI in Peace and War

Next Airs Today at 12:30 pm
30 mins

This is Your FBI was created by director-producer Jerry Devine, who began his radio career as a comedy writer for personalit

This is Your FBI was created by director-producer Jerry Devine, who began his radio career as a comedy writer for personalities like Kate Smith and Tommy Riggs before turning to radio dramas like Mr. District Attorney. Devine was given carte blanche by J. Edgar to access closed case files from the Bureau as material for This is Your FBI’s scripts. In return Hoover used the show as both publicity and a recruiting tool for future Feds (he raved about the show as “the finest dramatic program on the air”). Using the Hoover-approved material gave FBI a true air of authenticity, though each weekly broadcast had that now-familiar disclaimer: “All names used are fictitious and any similarity thereof to the names of persons or places, living or dead, is accidental.” (Author Jim Cox, in his book Radio Crime Fighters, mused in his write-up on FBI: “Some listeners must have pondered that for a while—‘So did these events happen or not?’”)

Casey, Crime Photographer

Casey, Crime Photographer

Next Airs Today at 1 pm
30 mins

Jack "Flashgun" Casey was first introduced in the March 1934 issue of Black Mask, the classic pulp fiction magazine. Created

Jack "Flashgun" Casey was first introduced in the March 1934 issue of Black Mask, the classic pulp fiction magazine. Created by pulp wordsmith George Harmon Coxe, Casey appeared in dozens of stories in Black Mask, which were later collected into six books. Flashgun Casey came to radio as a CBS sustaining series on July 7, 1943. The series was renamed Casey, Press Photographer in 1944 and became Casey, Crime Photographer on September 12, 1945.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Next Airs Today at 1:30 pm
30 mins

Based on the popular characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes began on coast-to-coast

Based on the popular characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes began on coast-to-coast CBS radio in 1930. By the late 1930s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes had moved to the Mutual Broadcasting Network and the series was forced to rely on invented new adventures, having run out of Doyle stories to adapt.

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

Next Airs Today at 2 pm
1 hr

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar told the story of the freelance insurance investigator with the "action-packed expense account."

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar told the story of the freelance insurance investigator with the "action-packed expense account." Radio’s last great detective series, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ended its run September 30, 1962 during the final week of network radio drama.

Great Gildersleeve

Great Gildersleeve

Next Airs Today at 3 pm
30 mins

The Great Gildersleeve featured one of radio’s greatest casts of comedic players. The Great Gildersleeve aired until March 2

The Great Gildersleeve featured one of radio’s greatest casts of comedic players. The Great Gildersleeve aired until March 21, 1957, with Willard Waterman taking over the title role for the final seven radio season and three television seasons.

Vic & Sade

Vic & Sade

Next Airs Today at 3:30 pm
30 mins

Vic and Sade aired from June 29, 1932 through December 7, 1945 and was briefly revived in a half-hour sitcom format in 1946.

Vic and Sade aired from June 29, 1932 through December 7, 1945 and was briefly revived in a half-hour sitcom format in 1946. "Radio’s home folks" were featured in slice-of-life situations that painted a rich portrait of small-town life. Starring Art Van Harvey and Bernardine Flynn.

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

Next Airs Today at 4 pm
1 hr

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered over the NBC network on April 24, 1949 and ran through 1952 starring Dick Powel

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered over the NBC network on April 24, 1949 and ran through 1952 starring Dick Powell as "radio's singing detective." Powell had first achieved movie stardom as a baby-faced crooner, and later matured to hardboiled roles, including Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe in the 1944 film Murder My Sweet.

Jack Benny Program

Jack Benny Program

Next Airs Today at 5 pm
30 mins

For more than 20 years, Jack Benny reigned as the king of radio comedy. His show ran on nearly every network from 1932 to th

For more than 20 years, Jack Benny reigned as the king of radio comedy. His show ran on nearly every network from 1932 to the mid 1950s. How he turned a miserable, self-absorbed cheapskate into a beloved icon ranks among the great achievements in entertainment history. Benny revolutionized the way humor was played on radio by introducing the situation comedy and by giving most of the best lines to his supporting cast.

Duffy's Tavern

Duffy's Tavern

Next Airs Today at 5:30 pm
30 mins

Millions of radio listeners visited Duffy's Tavern each week, but Duffy himself was nowhere to be found. Although he dutiful

Millions of radio listeners visited Duffy's Tavern each week, but Duffy himself was nowhere to be found. Although he dutifully phoned Archie the manager each week, he never once dropped by. Duffy's Tavern first opened its doors to radio listeners on the CBS audition series Forecast on July 29, 1940, and then opened for regular business on March 1, 1941.

When Radio Was

When Radio Was

Next Airs Today at 6 pm
1 hr

Radio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell.

Radio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell.

Let George Do It

Let George Do It

Next Airs Today at 7 pm
30 mins

Let George Do It, stars Bob Bailey, who plays George Valentine who was a detective whose cases came from the newspaper.

Let George Do It, stars Bob Bailey, who plays George Valentine who was a detective whose cases came from the newspaper.

Suspense

Suspense

Next Airs Today at 7:30 pm
30 mins

Suspense debuted on June 17, 1942 as a sustaining summer replacement, returned that fall and continued in the CBS lineup Sep

Suspense debuted on June 17, 1942 as a sustaining summer replacement, returned that fall and continued in the CBS lineup September 30, 1962. "Radio's outstanding theatre of thrills" is recognized as one of the finest dramatic series in the history of broadcasting.

The Whistler

The Whistler

Next Airs Today at 8 pm
30 mins

The Whistler whistled its way onto the airwaves beginning May 16, 1942 and its eerie 13-note theme set the tone for West Coa

The Whistler whistled its way onto the airwaves beginning May 16, 1942 and its eerie 13-note theme set the tone for West Coast radio mystery for the next decade. "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."

Escape - Radio Classics

Escape - Radio Classics

Next Airs Today at 8:30 pm
30 mins

Radio's greatest series of high adventure debuted over the CBS network on July 7,1947. Escape's protagonists faced life-and-

Radio's greatest series of high adventure debuted over the CBS network on July 7,1947. Escape's protagonists faced life-and-death situations each week, as the show careened from classic adventure to Western drama to science fiction. The program was broadcast as a sustainer (unsponsored) series during most of its seven-year run.

Hawk Larabee

Hawk Larabee

Next Airs Today at 9 pm
30 mins

This Western adventures series told the tales of Hawk Larabee, a do-gooder cowboy in 1840s Texas. It aired for two seasons o

This Western adventures series told the tales of Hawk Larabee, a do-gooder cowboy in 1840s Texas. It aired for two seasons on CBS, first known as "Hawk Durango" for six weeks. Elliot Lewis and Barton Yarborough repeatedly switched roles between the lead and his sidekick, which troubled the series in its attempt to be the first Western show for an adult audience. Gunsmoke would pick up the torch a few years later.

Gunsmoke

Gunsmoke

Next Airs Today at 9:30 pm
30 mins

Radio’s greatest adult western told the story of Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal, "the first man they look for and the last they w

Radio’s greatest adult western told the story of Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal, "the first man they look for and the last they want to meet." Gunsmoke grew out of a request from CBS founder William Paley for a "Philip Marlowe in the Old West," and featured grimly realistic stories set in the vicinity of Dodge City, the "Gommorrah of the West," with William Conrad as Dillon.

The Green Lama

The Green Lama

Next Airs Today at 10 pm
30 mins

The Green Lama radio program was adapted from the pulp comic book series of the same name, created by Kendell Foster Crossen

The Green Lama radio program was adapted from the pulp comic book series of the same name, created by Kendell Foster Crossen. The Green Lama, a Buddhist crime-fighting superhero, was voiced by Paul Frees. The show ran on CBS for only a dozen episodes in the summer of 1949.

The Black Book

The Black Book

Next Airs Today at 11:30 pm
30 mins

Paul Frees, as The Man In Black, narrates. Each week, as a different character, he commits the perfect crime, But each week

Paul Frees, as The Man In Black, narrates. Each week, as a different character, he commits the perfect crime, But each week he makes one fatal mistake. Can you discover it before the mistake is revealed?

Family Theater Classic Radio

Family Theater Classic Radio

Next Airs Tomorrow at 12 am
30 mins

The Family Theater radio series, which featured hundreds of famous actors, was broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System f

The Family Theater radio series, which featured hundreds of famous actors, was broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System from 1947 to 1969, making it one of the longest running weekly dramatic radio programs in history.

The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet

Next Airs Tomorrow at 1 am
30 mins

The Green Hornet debuted over the Detroit station on January 31, 1936. The Green Hornet was well-served by his valet Kato an

The Green Hornet debuted over the Detroit station on January 31, 1936. The Green Hornet was well-served by his valet Kato and a supercharged roadster, the Black Beauty. Al Hodge portrayed The Green Hornet during the series' first seven seasons, followed by Donovan Faust, Robert Hall and Jack McCarthy. The show ran on radio through December 5, 1952.

Inner Sanctum Mysteries

Inner Sanctum Mysteries

Next Airs Tomorrow at 3 am
30 mins

Inner Sanctum's sinister host welcomed listeners "through the squeaking door to another night of horror." The show’s "squea

Inner Sanctum's sinister host welcomed listeners "through the squeaking door to another night of horror." The show’s "squeaking door" was one of radio’s most-remembered openings and was inspired by the creaking hinges on a sound effects door at the radio studio.

The Weird Circle

The Weird Circle

Next Airs Tomorrow at 3:30 am
30 mins

This horror series consisted mostly of adapted supernatural tales from greats like Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Louis Stevenso

This horror series consisted mostly of adapted supernatural tales from greats like Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Louis Stevenson. It aired for two seasons from 1943-1945, first on Mutual and then on NBC's Red network.

Screen Director's Playhouse

Screen Director's Playhouse

Next Airs Tomorrow at 4 am
1 hr

The Screen Director's Playhouse featured adaptations of famous movies and called upon the screen directors to introduce and

The Screen Director's Playhouse featured adaptations of famous movies and called upon the screen directors to introduce and highlight their work. After each show, the director and stars gathered around the microphones to reminisce about the actual making of the film.

Molle Mystery Theatre

Molle Mystery Theatre

Next Airs Tomorrow at 5 am
30 mins

This frightening thriller series aired for about 10 years in various forms starting in 1943- on NBC, CBS and ABC. The show's

This frightening thriller series aired for about 10 years in various forms starting in 1943- on NBC, CBS and ABC. The show's "annotater", criminologist character Geoffrey Barnes, filled in the blanks of the stories and provided analysis for the listener.

Frontier Fighters

Frontier Fighters

Next Airs Tomorrow at 7:30 am
30 mins

This series consisted of 15-minute episodes about true historical adventures in the American West. Some of the stories inclu

This series consisted of 15-minute episodes about true historical adventures in the American West. Some of the stories include Lewis & Clark, the Oregon boundary dispute, and the purchase of Alaska. The original broadcast dates for Frontier Fighters are still unclear; the series ran sometime during the 1930s.

Six Shooter

Six Shooter

Next Airs Tomorrow at 8 am
30 mins

The Six Shooter aired started movie star James Stewart rode the radio range from September 20, 1953 through June 24, 1954 as

The Six Shooter aired started movie star James Stewart rode the radio range from September 20, 1953 through June 24, 1954 as Britt Ponset, "the Texas plainsman who wandered through the western territories, leaving behind a trail of still-remembered legends."

Adventures of Sam Spade

Adventures of Sam Spade

Next Airs Tomorrow at 9 am
30 mins

Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade walked out of the pages of Black Mask and into his own CBS radio series of July 12, 1946. Howar

Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade walked out of the pages of Black Mask and into his own CBS radio series of July 12, 1946. Howard Duff starred as the hardboiled detective for the first three seasons. Lurene Tuttle was Sam's secretary Effie Perrine and Jerry Hausner was his lawyer Sid Weiss. CBS dropped the series in 1950 when Hammett ran afoul of Congress' Un-American Activities investigators, but the show was quickly revived by NBC.

Boston Blackie

Boston Blackie

Next Airs Tomorrow at 9:30 am
30 mins

Boston Blackie was created by Jack Boyle, a hard-drinking opium addict who served three prison terms. While in prison, Boyle

Boston Blackie was created by Jack Boyle, a hard-drinking opium addict who served three prison terms. While in prison, Boyle began writing true-crime confession stories that were published in The American Magazine under the byline 6006, his convict number. Boyle's stories were collected in his 1919 book, Boston Blackie, and inspired a popular series of B-films, the radio series and a 1951 video version.

The Saint

The Saint

Next Airs Tomorrow at 11:30 am
30 mins

Leslie Charteris' famous character first came to radio on January 6, 1945 with Edgar Barrier heard as the debonair Simon Tem

Leslie Charteris' famous character first came to radio on January 6, 1945 with Edgar Barrier heard as the debonair Simon Templar. The "Robin Hood of modern crime" returned to the airwaves on July 9, 1947 with Vincent Price in the title role in a short-lived CBS summer series. Price returned to the role in 1949 over Mutual and became radio's most remembered Simon Templar.

Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator

Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator

Next Airs Tomorrow at 1 pm
30 mins

Film star William Gargan came to the NBC airwaves in 1951 as the star of Barrie Crane, Confidential Investigator, a reworkin

Film star William Gargan came to the NBC airwaves in 1951 as the star of Barrie Crane, Confidential Investigator, a reworking of his earlier Mutual radio series (and NBC television program) Martin Kane, Private Investigator. When the producers of the earlier program objected to the many similarities between the two series, changes were made in Gargan's new series, which was quickly retitled Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator. The series aired on NBC from October 3, 1951 through June 30, 1955.

The Quiz Kids

The Quiz Kids

Next Airs Tomorrow at 4 pm
30 mins

As the children's version of Information, Please; Quiz Kids became one of the best known juvenile shows of its era. The Quiz

As the children's version of Information, Please; Quiz Kids became one of the best known juvenile shows of its era. The Quiz Kids radio game show panel consisted of five extremely bright children giving entertaining answers. The children contestants were usually age six through sixteen.

Can You Top This?

Can You Top This?

Next Airs Tomorrow at 5 pm
30 mins

Can You Top This? was a hilarious audience-participation show, created by veteran vaudeville comedian "Senator" Edward Ford.

Can You Top This? was a hilarious audience-participation show, created by veteran vaudeville comedian "Senator" Edward Ford. Audience members sent in jokes and funny men "Senator Ed Ford", Harry Hershfield, and Joe Laurie Jr. tried to top them. Jokes could be sent in about any subject except religion, politics, or arson.

Charlie McCarthy Show

Charlie McCarthy Show

Next Airs Tomorrow at 5:30 pm
30 mins

Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen developed his Charlie McCarthy character in high school. Bergen performed with the newsboy dummy

Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen developed his Charlie McCarthy character in high school. Bergen performed with the newsboy dummy while attending Northwestern University and eventually left college to tour vaudeville. With the decline of vaudeville during the Great Depression, Bergen moved into night spots like New York’s trendy Rainbow Room but feared his friend wouldn’t be appreciated by high society. So he gave Charlie a monocle and top hat and a "man about town" was born. Following a three-month guest stint on Rudy Vallee’s show, Edgar Bergen was signed as headliner of The Chase and Sanborn Hour. The series premiered May 9, 1937 and ended the next three seasons as radio’s top-rated series.

Dragnet

Dragnet

Next Airs Tomorrow at 6 pm
1 hr

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. One

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. One of the most popular police dramas in the history of broadcasting, Dragnet aired on NBC Radio from June 10, 1949 through February 7, 1957 and on television from 1952-59 and 1967-72. Dragnet introduced a new era of documentary-style realism.

This Is Your F.B.I

This Is Your F.B.I

Next Airs Tomorrow at 7 pm
1 hr

This Is Your F.B.I. came to the Blue Network on April 6, 1945, created, produced and directed by Jerry Devine, a former chil

This Is Your F.B.I. came to the Blue Network on April 6, 1945, created, produced and directed by Jerry Devine, a former child actor. Like Philips H. Lord before him, Devine got special permission from bureau head J. Edgar Hoover to dramatize older cases using fictitious names and locales. Frank Lovejoy was the program's first narrator, followed by Dean Carlton and later William Woodson.

Lux Radio Theatre

Lux Radio Theatre

Next Airs Tomorrow at 8 pm
1 hr

The Lux Radio Theatre was one of radio's most popular series attracting Hollywood's top stars and boasting a lavish budget.

The Lux Radio Theatre was one of radio's most popular series attracting Hollywood's top stars and boasting a lavish budget. The Lux Radio Theatre began in 1934 featuring dramas from Broadway, but there was not enough material to support the show. In an attempt to reverse the slipping ratings, the show was moved to Hollywood in 1936, where there was plenty of material and talent.

Dimension X

Dimension X

Next Airs Tomorrow at 10 pm
30 mins

Dimension X aired over NBC from April 8, 1950 through September 29, 1951 featuring "adventures in time and space told in fu

Dimension X aired over NBC from April 8, 1950 through September 29, 1951 featuring "adventures in time and space told in future tense." The series adapted stories by the modern masters of science fiction adapting works by Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, Clifford Simak, Theodore Sturgeon and many others.

X Minus One

X Minus One

Next Airs Tomorrow at 10:30 pm
30 mins

X-Minus One premiered on April 24, 195 and was a revival of Dimension X, NBC's earlier science fiction anthology series. X-M

X-Minus One premiered on April 24, 195 and was a revival of Dimension X, NBC's earlier science fiction anthology series. X-Minus One ran until January 9, 1958 and was rerun during the 1970s as part of NBC's Omnibus series.

Our Miss Brooks

Our Miss Brooks

Next Airs Tomorrow at 11 pm
30 mins

Eve Arden portrays Miss Connie Brooks, an overworked and underpaid teacher of 10th grade English at Madison High School. Our

Eve Arden portrays Miss Connie Brooks, an overworked and underpaid teacher of 10th grade English at Madison High School. Our Miss Brooks called her radio classroom to order beginning July 19, 1948. The final bell rang for Our Miss Brooks on July 7, 1957.

Fred Allen Show

Fred Allen Show

Next Airs Tuesday at 2 am
30 mins

John Steinbeck recognized Fred Allen as "unquestionably the best humorist of our time, a brilliant critic of manners and mor

John Steinbeck recognized Fred Allen as "unquestionably the best humorist of our time, a brilliant critic of manners and morals." Following in the footsteps of Will Rogers, Fred reintroduced topical political humor to radio. Fred introduced his classic "Allen’s Alley" segment December 13, 1942.

Rocky Jordan

Rocky Jordan

Next Airs Tuesday at 4:30 am
1 hr

Rocky Jordan operated a café in exotic Cairo, a city filled with danger and intrigue, and spent much of his time solving cri

Rocky Jordan operated a café in exotic Cairo, a city filled with danger and intrigue, and spent much of his time solving crimes. The detective show was based on an earlier program called A Man Named Jordan.

Mystery In The Air

Mystery In The Air

Next Airs Tuesday at 6 am
1 hr

This 1947 NBC crime series dramatized literary mysteries and suspenseful classics, starring Peter Lorre. Mystery in the Air

This 1947 NBC crime series dramatized literary mysteries and suspenseful classics, starring Peter Lorre. Mystery in the Air was a summer replacement series for Abbott & Costello. Lorre was often supported by Hollywood greats like Agnes Moorehead and Peggy Webber. NBC aired a similar series with by same name in 1945.

The Couple Next Door

The Couple Next Door

Next Airs Tuesday at 8 am
30 mins

This serialized comedy-drama aired first in the mid 1930s and was later revived in 1957 with Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce playin

This serialized comedy-drama aired first in the mid 1930s and was later revived in 1957 with Peg Lynch and Alan Bunce playing their characters from Ethel & Albert. Peg Lynch wrote every episode of this 15-minute CBS series from 1957-1960.

Fibber McGee & Molly

Fibber McGee & Molly

Next Airs Tuesday at 8:30 am
30 mins

The husband-and-wife vaudeville team of Jim and Marian Jordan began their radio careers in Peoria on a bet from Jim’s brothe

The husband-and-wife vaudeville team of Jim and Marian Jordan began their radio careers in Peoria on a bet from Jim’s brother. The Jordans were heard as The O’Henry Twins and The Air Scouts before Don Quinn created Smackout in 1931. Quinn revamped the show as Fibber McGee and Molly in 1935 when Johnson’s Wax signed on as sponsor.

Words At War

Words At War

Next Airs Tuesday at 9:30 am
30 mins

Words at War was a 30 minute dramatic anthology series dealing with stories condensed from books written about World War II.

Words at War was a 30 minute dramatic anthology series dealing with stories condensed from books written about World War II.

Have Gun, Will Travel

Have Gun, Will Travel

Next Airs Tuesday at 11 am
30 mins

Have Gun, Will Travel debuted on television on September 14, 1957 and moved to radio November 23, 1958. The program was an

Have Gun, Will Travel debuted on television on September 14, 1957 and moved to radio November 23, 1958. The program was an oddity, a western that began on television and moved to radio, featuring an ethical anti-hero whose mysterious origins were left untold until the fifth and final TV season.

Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show

Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show

Next Airs Tuesday at 2 pm
1 hr 30 mins

The Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show grew out of the popular Fitch Bandwagon series. Phil Harris played himself, continuing the

The Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show grew out of the popular Fitch Bandwagon series. Phil Harris played himself, continuing the egotistical, smart-alec characterization he had perfected during his years as Jack Bennys' bandleader. Alice Faye, Phil's movie star wife, recreated her real-life role as a film star turn devoted housewife.

Dunninger The Mentalist

Dunninger The Mentalist

Next Airs Tuesday at 4 pm
30 mins

Joseph Dunninger was a well-known mentalist, using his extra-sensory perception to read people's minds. On the old time radi

Joseph Dunninger was a well-known mentalist, using his extra-sensory perception to read people's minds. On the old time radio show, he would read the minds of the audience members guessing social security numbers, birthdates, and even serial numbers on dollar bill.

Bill Stern Sports Newsreel

Bill Stern Sports Newsreel

Next Airs Tuesday at 4:30 pm
30 mins

The Bill Stern Sports Newsreel aired for nearly two decades: from December 5, 1937 through June 22, 1956. Stern began his c

The Bill Stern Sports Newsreel aired for nearly two decades: from December 5, 1937 through June 22, 1956. Stern began his career in vaudeville and worked for several years as assistant stage manager of New York’s famed Roxy Theater and Radio City Music Hall before moving into network broadcasting in 1934.

Judy Canova Show

Judy Canova Show

Next Airs Tuesday at 5 pm
30 mins

Judy Canova's career began in a family vaudeville group alongside her sister and brother. After several years of popular gue

Judy Canova's career began in a family vaudeville group alongside her sister and brother. After several years of popular guest apperances and guest hosting gigs in the 30s and 40s, Judy Canova's own radio show debuted in 1943. The show ran for twelve years: first on CBS and then on NBC. She played an exagerrated version of herself, a country bumpkin transplanted in Hollywood.

My Friend Irma

My Friend Irma

Next Airs Tuesday at 5:30 pm
30 mins

Marie Wilson created and starred as Irma Peterson, a loopy but lovable secretary. Irma's best friend and roommate was Jane S

Marie Wilson created and starred as Irma Peterson, a loopy but lovable secretary. Irma's best friend and roommate was Jane Stacy, played by Cathy Lewis. The sitcom aired from April 11, 1947 - August 23, 1954.

Adventure Of The Scarlet Cloak

Adventure Of The Scarlet Cloak

Next Airs Tuesday at 6 pm
30 mins

The Avenger

The Avenger

Next Airs Tuesday at 6:30 pm
30 mins

Jim Brandon is a biochemist, a scientific marvel, a master of the Black Light of Invisibility. He's The Avenger! This classi

Jim Brandon is a biochemist, a scientific marvel, a master of the Black Light of Invisibility. He's The Avenger! This classic pulp hero was adapted for radio, continuing to fight evil-doers with the help of the Telepathic Indicator and the Diffusion Capsule. James Monks and Richard Janaver portray the inimitable scientist, with Helene Adamson as his lovely assistant Fern Collier (his only confidant). James LaCurto and Lawson Zerbe are heard as the gruff Inspector White.

Mystery Is My Hobby

Mystery Is My Hobby

Next Airs Tuesday at 7 pm
30 mins

Glen Langan starred as the lead character Barton Drake in this detective series that aired on Mutual Radio from 1947 to 1948

Glen Langan starred as the lead character Barton Drake in this detective series that aired on Mutual Radio from 1947 to 1948. Drake is an author and amateur crime solver fascinated by the minds of criminals. This series is full of good ole "whodunnit" storylines.

Rocky Fortune

Rocky Fortune

Next Airs Tuesday at 7:30 pm
30 mins

Rocky Fortune aired on NBC from October 6, 1953 through March 30, 1954 with Frank Sinatra starring as "that footloose and fa

Rocky Fortune aired on NBC from October 6, 1953 through March 30, 1954 with Frank Sinatra starring as "that footloose and fancy-free young gentleman" whose fortune was as rocky as his name. The unsponsored "sustainer" series was broadcast during the low point in Sinatra’s career and aired for only 26 weeks.

Rogue's Gallery

Rogue's Gallery

Next Airs Tuesday at 10 pm
1 hr

Rogue's Gallery came to the Mutual network on September 27, 1945 with Dick Powell portraying Richard Rogue, a private detect

Rogue's Gallery came to the Mutual network on September 27, 1945 with Dick Powell portraying Richard Rogue, a private detective who invariably ended up getting knocked out each week and spending his dream time in acerbic conversation with his subconscious self Eugor (Rogue spelled backwards). The series was revived as a 1947 summer season with Barry Sullivan in the lead and returned in 1950 for two sustaining seasons starring Chester Morris, the original Boston Blackie.

Frontier Gentleman

Frontier Gentleman

Next Airs Wednesday at 12 am
30 mins

This excellent Western series, created by Antony Ellis, aired for several months on CBS in 1958. John Dehner starred as Brit

This excellent Western series, created by Antony Ellis, aired for several months on CBS in 1958. John Dehner starred as British reporter J.B. Kendall, who traveled the Wild West in search of stories of adventure. Versatile radio stars like Virginia Gregg, Jospeh Kearns, Stacy Harris and more were featured throughout.

Command Performance

Command Performance

Next Airs Wednesday at 1 am
30 mins

Command Performance aired between 1942 and 1949 on the Armed Forces Radio Network, which meant it was transmitted exclusivel

Command Performance aired between 1942 and 1949 on the Armed Forces Radio Network, which meant it was transmitted exclusively to American troops overseas. Though produced in California, troops abroad sent requests and ideas for performers, music, and sketches. The show featured some of the biggest stars of the day like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Judy Garland and more. CBS created a spinoff series called Request Performance, which aired from 1945-46.

The Alan Young Show

The Alan Young Show

Next Airs Wednesday at 1:30 am
30 mins

This sitcom aired from 1944-1949, first as a summer replacement series for Eddie Cantor's show. Then, after signing on as a

This sitcom aired from 1944-1949, first as a summer replacement series for Eddie Cantor's show. Then, after signing on as a regular on the Jimmy Durante show, young scored his own show with Tums as a sponsor. Today he is best known as TV's Wilbur Post, who talked with Mr. Ed the horse.

Crime & Peter Chambers

Crime & Peter Chambers

Next Airs Wednesday at 3 am
30 mins

Dane Clark stars as Peter Chambers, a tough private eye that plays nice with the NYPD. The series is based on "Peter Chamber

Dane Clark stars as Peter Chambers, a tough private eye that plays nice with the NYPD. The series is based on "Peter Chambers" novels, written by Henry Kane.

Gangbusters

Gangbusters

Next Airs Wednesday at 3:30 am
30 mins

Gangbusters first came to radio under the title G-Men beginning July 20, 1935. The long-running series was created by Philip

Gangbusters first came to radio under the title G-Men beginning July 20, 1935. The long-running series was created by Philip H. Lord and produced "in cooperation with police and federal law enforcement departments throughout the U.S. Gangbusters was one of radio's longest-running dramatic series, running from January 15, 1936 through November 27, 1957, and its classic opening gave rise to the expression "coming on like gangbusters."

Chase & Sanborn Hour

Chase & Sanborn Hour

Next Airs Wednesday at 6 am
1 hr

This was a long-running comedy and variety show on NBC - it ran in several formats from 1929-1948. Some seasons featured mus

This was a long-running comedy and variety show on NBC - it ran in several formats from 1929-1948. Some seasons featured musical variety broadcasts, comedic skits and big-name hosts like Eddie Cantor and Haven MacQuarrie. Between 1937-1948, Edgar Bergan starred and hosted with his dummy Charlie McCarthy and the show was known as the Charlie McCarthy Show.

Your Hit Parade

Your Hit Parade

Next Airs Wednesday at 7 am
30 mins

This weekly survey of popular American music was a staple of Saturday nights from the 1930s into the late 1940s. The drama o

This weekly survey of popular American music was a staple of Saturday nights from the 1930s into the late 1940s. The drama of a countdown to each week's number one song is still a widely used structure. For the first few years of the show, the top 15 songs were played in random order before the countdown structure took listeners by stormSlots were determined based on radio requests, sheet music sales, jukebox statistics and song requests at dance clubs (allegedly). Radio historians note 52 singers or musical groups and 19 different orchestra leaders throughout the show's two-decade run.

The Mysterious Traveler

The Mysterious Traveler

Next Airs Wednesday at 2 pm
30 mins

The Mysterious Traveler was one of radio's greatest omniscient storytellers, introducing tales of mystery, science fiction a

The Mysterious Traveler was one of radio's greatest omniscient storytellers, introducing tales of mystery, science fiction and horror from the typewriters of writers/producers Robert A. Arthur and David Kogan. The Mysterious Traveler rode the Mutual rails from December 5, 1943 through September 23, 1952.

Columbia Workshop

Columbia Workshop

Next Airs Wednesday at 3 pm
30 mins

Also known as the CBS Radio Workshop, this was an experimental anthology series that pushed the envelope of defining art wit

Also known as the CBS Radio Workshop, this was an experimental anthology series that pushed the envelope of defining art with its creative use of sound. It featured many New York actors and scripts by some of the country's best writers. It aired in various forms on CBS from 1936 - 1957.

Police Headquarters

Police Headquarters

Next Airs Wednesday at 3:30 pm
30 mins

This police procedural series was syndicated on NBC stations in 1932. It features quarter-hour stories typically based on tr

This police procedural series was syndicated on NBC stations in 1932. It features quarter-hour stories typically based on true crimes.

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Greg Bell

From his native Illinois to a number of Rocky Mountain years in Colorado and Idaho, Greg Bell has done it all in radio—program director, news director, sports director, anchor, and reporter. Bell’s goal with Radio Classics is to take you back to the time when the family gathered around the radio.

All times listed EDT
6 am

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Life of RileyThe Life of Riley featured the comic misadventures of riveter Chester A. Riley. Riley was a devoted family man with a talent for flying off the handle and a penchant for being worse. Movie star William Bendix played the title role of the lovable hardhat throughout the series.
7 am

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Red Skelton ShowThe Red Skelton Show came to NBC on October 7, 1941 after years as a mainstay on Cincinnati's powerhouse station WLW. Red scored with radio audiences as Junior, "the mean widdle kid," a character he originated in vaudeville. Some of his other memorable characters included Deadeye, J. Newton Numbskull, Willie Lump-Lump, Bolivar Shagnasty and Clem Kadiddlehopper.
7:30 am

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The Abbott and Costello ShowBud Abbott and Lou Costello made their radio debut on CBS’ The Kate Smith Show as replacements for Hollywood-bound Henny Youngman. The former burlesque comics reintroduced and preserved the classic comedy sketches of vaudeville in their films and radio and television series. The Abbott and Costello Show debuted as a 1940 summer replacement for Fred Allen and later aired from October 8, 1942 through June 29, 1949.
8 am

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Dark FantasyDark Fantasy originated from the Oklahoma City studios of WKY and ran from November 14, 1941 through June 19, 1942. The final 25 episodes of the series were aired on a sustaining basis over the NBC network.
9 am

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Pat Novak for HirePat Novak for Hire was broadcast from San Francisco and debuted in 1946 as an ABC Sunday night West Coast series. Ben Murphy starred as the hard-boiled Novak during the West Coast run, but Jack Webb made the role his own when series was revived on February 13, 1949 over the entire ABC national network.
9:30 am

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Broadway is My BeatBroadway Is My Beat debuted over CBS on February 27, 1949 and continued through August 1, 1954. Anthony Ross starred as Clover during the first two seasons, with Thor taking over the role on July 3, 1950. Homicide detective Clover pounded the Broadway beat for five years in one of radio's last great detective series.
10 am

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The Line-UpThis CBS cop procedural pulls back the curtain on crime fighting in San Francisco. The Shadow's Bill Johnstone starred as cool-mannered Lt. Ben Guthrie, foil to hot-tempered Sgt. Matt Grebb. Director Elliot Lewis was one of the busiest men in radio, having a hand in the Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show, Suspense, Broadway Is My Beat, and many more.
10:30 am

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Broadway is My BeatBroadway Is My Beat debuted over CBS on February 27, 1949 and continued through August 1, 1954. Anthony Ross starred as Clover during the first two seasons, with Thor taking over the role on July 3, 1950. Homicide detective Clover pounded the Broadway beat for five years in one of radio's last great detective series.
11 am

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CBS Radio WorkshopThe CBS Radio Workshop aired from January 27, 1956 through September 22, 1957 and was a revival of the prestigious Columbia Workshop from the 1930s and 1940s. The CBS Workshop regularly featured the works of the world’s greatest writers. including Ray Bradbury, Archibald MacLeish, William Saroyan, Lord Dunsany and Ambrose Bierce.
12 pm

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I Was A Communist for the FBIThe 1952 syndicated series starred Dana Andrews as real-life undercover agent Matt Cvetic, whose book of the same title provided the inspiration for the radio series and a Hollywood film. Growing out of the communist paranoia of the McCarthy era, the Cold War drama featured red spies portrayed in the same stereotypical manner of the Nazis during World Ward II propaganda programs.
12:30 pm

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FBI in Peace and WarThis is Your FBI was created by director-producer Jerry Devine, who began his radio career as a comedy writer for personalities like Kate Smith and Tommy Riggs before turning to radio dramas like Mr. District Attorney. Devine was given carte blanche by J. Edgar to access closed case files from the Bureau as material for This is Your FBI’s scripts. In return Hoover used the show as both publicity and a recruiting tool for future Feds (he raved about the show as “the finest dramatic program on the air”). Using the Hoover-approved material gave FBI a true air of authenticity, though each weekly broadcast had that now-familiar disclaimer: “All names used are fictitious and any similarity thereof to the names of persons or places, living or dead, is accidental.” (Author Jim Cox, in his book Radio Crime Fighters, mused in his write-up on FBI: “Some listeners must have pondered that for a while—‘So did these events happen or not?’”)
1 pm

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Casey, Crime PhotographerJack "Flashgun" Casey was first introduced in the March 1934 issue of Black Mask, the classic pulp fiction magazine. Created by pulp wordsmith George Harmon Coxe, Casey appeared in dozens of stories in Black Mask, which were later collected into six books. Flashgun Casey came to radio as a CBS sustaining series on July 7, 1943. The series was renamed Casey, Press Photographer in 1944 and became Casey, Crime Photographer on September 12, 1945.
1:30 pm

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Sherlock HolmesBased on the popular characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes began on coast-to-coast CBS radio in 1930. By the late 1930s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes had moved to the Mutual Broadcasting Network and the series was forced to rely on invented new adventures, having run out of Doyle stories to adapt.
2 pm

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Yours Truly, Johnny DollarYours Truly, Johnny Dollar told the story of the freelance insurance investigator with the "action-packed expense account." Radio’s last great detective series, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ended its run September 30, 1962 during the final week of network radio drama.
3 pm

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Great GildersleeveThe Great Gildersleeve featured one of radio’s greatest casts of comedic players. The Great Gildersleeve aired until March 21, 1957, with Willard Waterman taking over the title role for the final seven radio season and three television seasons.
3:30 pm

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Vic & SadeVic and Sade aired from June 29, 1932 through December 7, 1945 and was briefly revived in a half-hour sitcom format in 1946. "Radio’s home folks" were featured in slice-of-life situations that painted a rich portrait of small-town life. Starring Art Van Harvey and Bernardine Flynn.
4 pm

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Richard Diamond, Private DetectiveRichard Diamond, Private Detective premiered over the NBC network on April 24, 1949 and ran through 1952 starring Dick Powell as "radio's singing detective." Powell had first achieved movie stardom as a baby-faced crooner, and later matured to hardboiled roles, including Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe in the 1944 film Murder My Sweet.
5 pm

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Jack Benny ProgramFor more than 20 years, Jack Benny reigned as the king of radio comedy. His show ran on nearly every network from 1932 to the mid 1950s. How he turned a miserable, self-absorbed cheapskate into a beloved icon ranks among the great achievements in entertainment history. Benny revolutionized the way humor was played on radio by introducing the situation comedy and by giving most of the best lines to his supporting cast.
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When Radio WasRadio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell.
7 pm

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Let George Do ItLet George Do It, stars Bob Bailey, who plays George Valentine who was a detective whose cases came from the newspaper.
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SuspenseSuspense debuted on June 17, 1942 as a sustaining summer replacement, returned that fall and continued in the CBS lineup September 30, 1962. "Radio's outstanding theatre of thrills" is recognized as one of the finest dramatic series in the history of broadcasting.
8 pm

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The WhistlerThe Whistler whistled its way onto the airwaves beginning May 16, 1942 and its eerie 13-note theme set the tone for West Coast radio mystery for the next decade. "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."
8:30 pm

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The Green LamaThe Green Lama radio program was adapted from the pulp comic book series of the same name, created by Kendell Foster Crossen. The Green Lama, a Buddhist crime-fighting superhero, was voiced by Paul Frees. The show ran on CBS for only a dozen episodes in the summer of 1949.
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Escape - Radio ClassicsRadio's greatest series of high adventure debuted over the CBS network on July 7,1947. Escape's protagonists faced life-and-death situations each week, as the show careened from classic adventure to Western drama to science fiction. The program was broadcast as a sustainer (unsponsored) series during most of its seven-year run.
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The Black BookPaul Frees, as The Man In Black, narrates. Each week, as a different character, he commits the perfect crime, But each week he makes one fatal mistake. Can you discover it before the mistake is revealed?

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