1,403
classic broadcasts of CBS Radio Mystery Theater
114 more bonus classic Old Time
Radio Shows
ALL KNOWN EPISODES TO EXIST.
Don't be fooled by other
collections that claim to contain more episodes. Many of these shows
were aired on multiple dates in reruns, so you have plenty of
sellers out there padding their collections with reruns!
We feature all known episodes in existence and do not add
"fluff" to our collections to increase our claimed episode count
like many others.
NOTICE: This
collection is all in MP3 format supplied on DVD. You play
this in your computer and then can copy all the MP3 files to
your MP3 player of choice. This DVD will NOT play in a
regular CD player in your car, or your TV's DVD player, it is
intended for your computer only which will allow you to transfer
the MP3 files to any device that can play MP3's. This collection remains the
largest most original collection on ebay.
CBS Radio
Mystery Theater:
CBS Radio Mystery
Theater (a.k.a. Radio Mystery Theater and Mystery
Theater, sometimes abbreviated as CBSRMT) was a radio
drama series created by Himan Brown that was broadcast
on CBS Radio Network affiliates from 1974 to 1982, and
later in the early 2000s was carried by the NPR
satellite feed.
The format was similar to that of classic old time radio
shows like The Mysterious Traveler and The Whistler, in
that the episodes were introduced by a host (E. G.
Marshall) who provided pithy wisdom and commentary
throughout. Unlike the hosts of those earlier programs,
Marshall is fully mortal, merely someone whose
heightened insight and erudition plunge the listener
into the world of the macabre (in a manner similar to
that of "The Man in Black" on yet another old time radio
program, Suspense).
As with Himan Brown's prior Inner Sanctum Mysteries,
each episode of CBS Radio Mystery Theater opened and
closed with the ominous sound of a creaking crypt door,
accompanied by Marshall's disturbing utterance, "Come
in!… Welcome. I'm E. G. Marshall." This was followed by
one of Marshall's other catchphrases, usually either
"The sound of suspense" or "The fear you can hear." At
the conclusion, the door would swing shut, preceded by
Marshall's classic sign off, "Until next time, pleasant…
dreams?" Marshall hosted the program from January 1974
until February 1982, when actress Tammy Grimes took over
for the series' last season, maintaining the format.
CBSRMT was broadcast each weeknight, at first with a new
program each night. Later in the run three or four
episodes were new originals each week, and the remainder
repeats. There were 1,403 original episodes, all of
which are included in this 2 DVD set. The total number
of broadcasts, including reruns, was 2,969. Each episode
was allotted a full hour of airtime, but after
commercials and news, episodes typically ran for about
45 minutes.
In repeats of the show broadcast in the early 2000s,
Himan Brown replaced E.G. Marshall's original host
segments.
The program was pitched, at least initially, to an
audience old enough to remember classic radio; Brown was
a legend amongst radio drama enthusiasts for his work on
Inner Sanctum Mysteries, The Adventures of Nero Wolfe
and other shows dating back to the 1930s. Even young
characters in early episodes of CBSRMT tended to have
names popular a generation earlier, such as Jack,
George, Phyllis and Mary. Many scripts, especially those
by Ian Martin, showed a tin ear for 1970s youth slang
("Don't let her give you no run-around, dad!"; "I think
bein' around here's gonna be kicks!"; "I dig a man who's
far out!"). As late as 1981, Sam Dann's scripts included
nervous or skeptical references to "women's lib", a term
that was by then a decade out of date. In short, Brown
made no attempt to broaden the program's appeal beyond
the generation that had been raised on radio.
The debut of CBSRMT, only a few months after the
American Graffiti phenomenon, coincided with the 1950s
nostalgia fad that swept young America between 1972 and
1978. The program quickly developed a fan base among
young listeners in addition to its target audience.
And more
Bonus Radio Shows:
As a sampler of our old
time radio library, we are including these
classic old time radio shows on this DVD-ROM at no extra charge:
|
The History of Old Radio, |
Juvenile Jury |
Kay Fairchild Stepmother |
|
Humphrey Bogart Broadcasts |
Kathryn Kuhlman |
Keep Em Rolling |
|
Kenny Baker Show |
KEX Scrapbook of Sounds |
|
