CBS Radio Mystery Theater

[Zeta]

Any children of the 70’s remember this radio anthology? Hosted by E.G Marshall, the series produced 2969 episodes over 8 years (from 1974 to 1982). The episodes focused mostly on traditional murder mystery stories but included some horror and sci-fi, as well as classic adaptations (such as Poe classics).

I remember as a kid in the 70’s listening to the episodes on the radio at night, in the dark, under the covers. Many of the episodes scared the crap out of me at the time. I recently purchased the anthology from Amazon to listen in my car during my long commute and found the episodes aren’t as dated as I feared. Sure, there are references to such 70’s trends as ESP and the energy crisis, but most are classic mystery stories. Anyone else remember this radio series??? I'd love to hear your thoughts about it!

 

[Cutter John]

I wasn't a regular listener, but I heard it often enough as a kid to have fond memories. Even back then I was a night person and it usually came on around 11PM wher ei lived. Great stuff!

"Until next time. Pleasant...dreams."

 

[RJDiogenes]

I loved that show! When it first came on, it was on past my bedtime, so I had to sneak my transistor radio () into bed. I had had a fascination with old-timey stuff like the old radio shows since I was a little kid, so I was ecstatic when it started. Great stuff.

I had no idea it was out on CD. Thanks for the tip. Off I go to Amazon....

 

[Zeta]

Hey RJDiogenes,
I'm a Boston boy as well - grew up in Allston/Brighton. Live in Metro West now. I'm sure we listened to the same AM station in the 70's.

The 4 DVD series on Amazon is super cheap - $34.00 for 4 DVD's . I've loaded them on my iPod and have been listening to them on the pike in and out of Boston. Definitely worth the price - where else can you get over 1000 stories for 35.00 dollars!

Zeta

 

[RJDiogenes]

Yeah, MP3s on DVD. That's a pretty amazing collection.

Was it WEEI that had Mystery Theater? I'm not sure. These were the days when WRKO was Top 40 and WBCN still had that "underground" mystique.

 

[Zeta]

I think it was broadcast on WRKO - that was the big Boston AM station in the 70's. I think it was also a CBS affiliate. It was so long ago it's hard to remember.

Enjoy the MP3's - they've definitely made my commute much better!

 

[Cutter John]

I believe it was WSB that carried it in Atlanta.

 

[RJDiogenes]

It wasn't WRKO, I'm sure of that much. They played Top 40 all day and night (except maybe Sunday morning), and I know I had to change the station for Mystery Theater. I think it was WEEI, but I can't remember....

 

[beneldon]

Oh yes! I loved listening! I was 12 or so but I'd much rather hear the broadcasts than watch TV as they were so good!
Mecedes Mcambridge (sp) and E. G. Marshall were the only names I knew but the actors did such a good job opening up a whole new world for me. I remember some of the stories (or at least parts of them) to this day.
One particular one: a crook does a job and needs to hide out and he gets this powder that will Rip Van Winkle him out of trouble. "Once a jailbird, always a jailbird." says the fellow that gives him the powder and sure enough...
Another story involved a man kidknapped and held in a dark room for no determinable reason finds comfort in a tiny mouse and just a little sliver of light. He survives the ordeal and is asked to tell the world how he did.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I remember "Berenice's Teeth."

 

[Zeta]

I've listened to about 30 episodes from season 1 in my daily commute and can't tell you how much fun they are. I'm finding the sci-fi and horror episodes are a little wooden - I listened to one episode about the first woman astronaut to "SkyLab" that was a little too 70's for my taste - but the traditional murder-mystery stories are great.

I heard a great story the other day about a man who is being blackmailed by a photographer. The photographer threatens to give pictures of the man's affair to his wife unless he pays the photographer money every month. The man is later approached by someone who says the photographer is blackmailing about a dozen people. The dozen people decide to band together to kill the photographer and have the best alibi - there is nothing to connect the dozen people except that they are all being blackmailed by the photographer (which the police don't know).

One of dozen people ends up killing the photographer with his car and has a great alibi because the dozen people appear to be random people on the street who attest the photographer stepped in front of the car. The original man doesn't feel good about the murder and considers going to the police. At the end, the original man is gunned down by one of the 12 people and they all vouch for the killer. It was a great story with a sharp ending.

Again, I highly recommend the anthology on Amazon!

 

[Valin]

I was about ten when it first started airing. I was very fond of it. I was already into radio dramas; when I was about six I started picking up some of the old radio shows (The Shadow, Ellery Queen, Sherlock Holmes, War of the Worlds, The Inner Sanctum) at the library.

I wonder if they would get much of an audience nowadays if broadcast on the radio?

 

[RJDiogenes]

I don't know. I wonder if XM has any radio drama stations among their programming spectrum.

 

[Davros]

I was a regular listener.

 

[Captain Dago]

Great stuff! Played on KMOX in St. Louis, often after Cardinal Baseball games. Very spooky. I also listened on my transistor under the covers.