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Halloween Heads Up and Next Week's Schedule

by gregbell 10/14/2009 7:47:00 AM

First ,as usual, for the folks who haven't already visited the schedule page this week, here are the links for the schedule for the week of:

October 18th to the 24th, 2009

Sirius 118 XM 164 PDF Version and the Excel Version or the direct link to the page HERE

As to the week of Halloween (Oct 25th to Oct 31st) - First the bad news; due to licensing and royalty rights issues we are not going to be able to play the original Mercury Theatre On The Air - "War of the Worlds". It is a true shame but is controlled by folks connected to the estate of the writer who adapted the H.G. Wells script for radio back then and without their permission, we can't play it.

On the positive side, we have tons of other Halloween appropriate shows, including Mercury Theatre's version of Bram Stoker's Dracula also from 1938 with Orson Welles leading the way.

We also have a return of The Hermit's Cave special from 2004; a version of "Donovan's Brain", "Frankenstein", "The Werewolf", "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde"; multiple scary ones from Lights Out and plenty of Halloween Humor as well. More about all that next week.

As for the week of the 18th through the 25th;

We celebrate Joan Fontaine's 92nd birthday; feature Jimmy Cagney (with Sylvia Sidney) in another Lux Radio episode ("Blood On The Sun") and mark the Major League playoffs with a two-hour baseball themed special including William Bendix in "The Babe Ruth Story".

New ones from Suspense (with Dana Andrews); Frank Race, The Chase, Our Miss Brooks, Behind The Mike, Sherlock Holmes, Duffy's Tavern, Phil & Alice, This Is Your FBI and more.

Greg.

PHOTOS: Joan Fontaine; James Cagney; Sylvia Sidney (Blood On The Sun)

PHOTOS: William Bendix as Babe Ruth; Dana Andrews.

Photos(Courtesy of Jim In San Diego):

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Comments

10/15/2009 2:15:14 PM

The behind the scenes shots are GREAT! It's too bad someone didn't have a little moving camera AND we could find the film.

Thanks Greg!

Michael

10/15/2009 9:43:53 PM

That's the pit's about "War of the Worlds". I'm sure you have something almost as good scheduled.

Ray

Ray Little

10/15/2009 10:13:43 PM

I guess it's all about power with the people who own "War of the Worlds". It's funny to me why they don't let XM/Surius play it. They get royalties (sp?) don't they?

Bob Irish

10/17/2009 11:18:30 AM

Yes Bob, you are right. XM now tacks a fee onto our bill to cover royalty costs. So what is the "BIG PROBLEM" with those people?? If they don't want to share it with us, I say, just let them keep it to themselves. They probably have thrown it into a box somewhere. Let them deal with their own selfishness... See what that will get them.

Sorry I sound mad, but I am tired of people's greed.

Lana

10/17/2009 8:57:06 PM

The royalty fee is for the music, and it applies not only to XM/Sirius, but to all who stream music. Those who are looking for the money (the artists) are also going after the over-the-air broadcasters, in addition to the BMI/ASCAP/SESAC fees they already pay to the writers. You'll see more broadcasters moving to talk, or going away altogether if this passes Congress.

Bill

10/19/2009 3:47:59 PM

It's a crying shame that after all these years of non use, these people want to make big bucks off of music and programs that were mostly forgotten. I can understand a reasonable fee, but these people make me sick trying to get rich quick. I really enjoy the Old Time Radio classics, often thinking my parents and grandparents heard these same programs live back in the day. And to think just a few want to keep us from enjoying them by charging insane royalty fees. At least I got to hear War of the Worlds and the Lone Ranger before they got stupid.

Bobby A

10/19/2009 4:33:04 PM

I can understand that everybody needs to make a living. I'm not saying there greedy or anything. What I'm saying it's a shame that they don't let everyone enjoy this entertainment of the past.

Bob Irish

10/19/2009 4:34:30 PM

Forgot to mention. I saw my 55th Jimmy Stewart movie today. No Highway in the Sky!

Bob Irish

10/20/2009 5:17:48 AM

One of the best movies I have watched till today is Sylvia Sidney's "Blood On The Sun". Those who have not watched must watch it.

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10/20/2009 6:07:04 AM

Thank you Bill for the info. It sounds like a no win situation, so let them keep those precious programs. See if it makes them rich. It would not surprise me if this passes Congress.

We are headed for a socialistic government anyway. Think about it!!

Lana

10/20/2009 6:17:44 AM

Hi, Gang/Greg! I'm shocked and disappointed RE: "War of the Worlds." I have it on cassette and CD and I've heard it plenty of times - that's not the point. Hearing it during Halloween when it caused such a sensation 71 years ago is what makes it so terrific. And now the writer powers-that-be are saying "NO" to us? It's as disappointing as the "Lone Ranger/Sgt. Preston" and "CBS Radio Mystery Theater" kerfuffles.
Sorry I can't write as much --- I'm working at a job I love but it is tiring to my poor old bones so when I come home at 4 PM, I fix and eat dinner, take care of Miss Daisy May-Rose (my 13-year-old greyhound), come up to my room, turn on my radio and CRASH. I'm on the computer only on my days off now.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN, everyone. Am I dressing up for the day? Nope -- beauty like this should not be hidden behind a costume! I could also dress up as a saint but no one on Earth would believe that!
THANK YOU, GREG, for PUTTING THE 10/25-10/31 sked up so early sand thanks for the terrific pix, especially of Dana Andrews, Bette Davis and Joan Fontaine.

Rosemary

10/21/2009 4:25:20 AM

I hate the fact they hur this channel and people who care meanwhile they allow people with internet stations who don't have the name or listeners probibally walk free. Greg you're doing a great job.

Joe

10/21/2009 4:33:55 AM

Is anyone else like me, and thinks that the release of a new schedule is about one notch under the release of the Sears Wishbook Christmas catalog of years ago? It's like you wait and wait and wait, knowing it's too early, but you still keep checking and checking. Then it comes out and you pour through it like a kid, planing what you want to hear, checking out what's new, what's different, and how the old stuff compares to the new stuff, just like the toy section of the Wishbook catalog.

Thanks for the schedule, Greg. Now to plan my wish-list for next week. BTW, any thoughts about how you will recognize African American Heritage month this coming February? Think you can dig up some Amos/Andy shows, perhaps a Beulah with Hattie McDaniel and some Jack Benny shows that highlight Rochester?

George

10/21/2009 6:33:57 AM

I've stayed away from channel 164 for the last couple of weeks because I am sick and tired of nothing playing but comedies every time I get into my vehicle. yesterday I decided to give it another shot and what do I hear when I head to work...Bob Hope (and what a wretched show that was) followed by flabber mackgee and the absent molly. Today it was Jack freakin Haley...are you kidding me?? Go to lunch and its burns and allen (which by the by was quite possibly the worst show in the golden era) or even better the jimmy durante show, ha cha cha cha cha into my barf bag. Ever since XM decided to merge with that other piece of .... satellite service all of my favorite channels have systematically been either flushed down the toilet or reformatted into something unbearable. Channel 164 used to be my favorite of all time, it got me interested into old time radio so much it has become a hobby, but not anymore, I realize Greg has a ton of new stuff this year to broadcast, too bad its all junk, thank you for nailing the coffin shut on my decision of whether to renew my subscription this year. It's a no brainer, I'll stick my own mp3 files and the ipod. P.S. Please don't bother to tell me the schedule gets shuffled, I already know that, the comedies each week have got to out number the other shows easily 2-1.

Luke

10/21/2009 8:07:27 AM

Luke, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What you like pobably isn't what I like. Thank God we have different tastes and opinions or the World would be a bland place in which to live. Given what Greg has to work with I think he does a terrific job. He keeps it interesting and diverse. I think the objective is to have the listeners experience Radio as it was back then. Some of it was outstanding, some of it was good, some of it was not-so-good. You're thinking about not renewing your subscription? I've changed mine to a "Lifetime" subscription and have 2 radios. I couldn't be happier. No, I don't care for every program but I'm sure 90% of it is well worth my listening time. Yes, it's unfortunate that the royalty issue is impacting what we hear but that's life. The cross-section of programs that is being offered is like a snapshot in time. I often imagine what people were thinking back then. Knowing that WWII was raging during much of the time that these shows were originally aired, I think of the GI's sitting by the radios in their respective theater of War and losing themselves in the programming if just for a few precious minutes. I think of how life was back then and how times have changed. While some of the humor was a bit corny, as it was called back then, isn't it interesting that people packed the studios just to see it performed? There's plenty of programs to choose from and Greg does his best to see that they're repeated so all can listen to them. Perhaps what you need is a radio that will record the shows when they're played so you can listen to the programs at a time that you choose. I have an XMp3 that allows me to do whatever I want. It didn't cost much and gives me the freedom to do whatever I want.

10/21/2009 8:59:22 AM

Luke,

While it bums me out a little, I guess I understand that you don't like the comedies, but I do want to make one clarification. The schedule each week contains about 2/3rds non-comedy versus 1/3rd comedy - not the other way around as you stated. And every time I reduce the comedies more than that, I get significant complaints from fans of the humor. So while not the perfect solution the 1/3 comedy to 2/3 non-comedy seems to work best.

Greg.

gregbell

10/21/2009 9:33:14 AM

On the earlier Jack Benny Show his tenor singer was Kenny Baker. Is he still alive?

Rocky Parkhurst

10/21/2009 9:46:02 AM

Rocky,

No.

He died in 1985.

Greg

gregbell

10/21/2009 3:33:57 PM

Luke,

You can probably tell by my user name that I'm not a comedy fan either but I have learned to appreciate them. As you say, the humour of that day is a little insulting to our sophisticated minds, but then they were meant to amuse the audience of the day.

Think of them as a snapshot of how far we've come. For example, as a woman of her time, Gracie's whole focus in life was how to get a mink coat out of George! My Mom's focus was how to feed four kids on Dad's salary. My focus is how to juggle my ten-hour days and run a household at the same time. What's that say about the women of 25 years from now?! Just think of the comedies as a humourous history lesson.

And when it comes to the ones I can't tolerate like Red Skelton, The Bickersons, Our Miss Brooks, and Amos and Andy, my radio just finds a good hockey game! And, unlike the Canadian version of XM, you guys have way more channels to choose from so count your lucky stars and stripes!

Margo Lane

10/22/2009 7:06:13 AM

That is too bad about "The War of The Worlds" show. You played it last year and it is always a treat to hear that show. Please keep trying to get the permission.

Mike N

10/22/2009 10:04:58 AM

Hi Greg. I really enjoyed listening to "The Birds" last week. The radio version was different from the television version and scarier too. I'm inspired to read the original story. I'm looking forward to next week's shows. Looks like you have a lot of good ones. Have a great day.

Carolyn

10/22/2009 12:44:58 PM

Margo,

I agree when you say the humor at that time was different. I am more of a Dragnet or The Whistler those type of show. A couple of years ago I recorded Fibber McGee and Molly because my mother said she listed to it when she was young. I fell in love with the show and look forward to listening to it now. The good thing is there is a little bit for everyone. It's interesting to see what these actors looked like and remember them from certain movies and tv shows.

To change the subject if you don't mind. Listening to Gunsmoke, I don't know if anyone else notices. It reminds me of The Whistler a little bit once in a while. Gunsmoke has some surprise endings once in a while.

Bob Irish

10/23/2009 8:02:39 AM

Hi Bob,

I too have a special reason for listening to Fibber and Molly...When I was a kid, Mom always told me my bedroom looked like "Fibber McGee's hall closet" so I had to listen in to find out what she meant. Now I use that line on my kids, but thanks to XM, they KNOW what I mean ;o)

Margo Lane

10/23/2009 11:52:31 PM

Wow!!!! Seems I am always saying that for one reason or another. Now, Wow! to Luke's post. Agree and disagree because....

There are some programs that I too don't like. Not going to mention them to hurt Greg or anyone else. But I will say the ones I just love. Dragnet, Whistler, Suspense, and especially Novak for Hire. Some comedies I can't take, just too silly. But I like Abbott and Costello, Martin and Lewis, Our Miss Brooks, and Bob Hope. What is unique about Hope is the guests he had on. He was the top show so he had the top entertainers of the day. Plus he made fun of the current issues and politicians of that time.

Think about this. If EVERY show was our favorite, we would be hamstrung about what to do. I also like my 50's Oldies music and certain Talk Shows, like John Gibson and Mark Lavin. Even like to pop onto Playboy Radio occasionally.

So, in my opinion, it's just fine the way it is. Don't make it better or I won't know what to do.

Sevenshooter

10/24/2009 11:25:38 AM

It was really interesting to listen to the "Suspense" episode "The Crowd" with Dana Andrews this week. While a fine, workmanlike piece of radio, It was significantly different than the Ray Bradbury short story. Unfortunately it did not capture the particular and unique horror of Ray's story, which is one of the great horror stories of the 20th century. I always keep an ear out for Ray Bradbury stuff on channel 164, much of it scripted by Bradbury, and much of it spot on in terms of tone and story. A favorite of mine is the version of Kaleidescope with Bill Conrad.

Greg, while I lived in LA in the 80s, along with hearing Bob Bailey hosting and old-time radio show on KPCC, KCRW used to play some BBC radio dramas. I realize that stuff from the BEEB may not fit into the Golden Age format, but are any of these, like Lord Peter Wimsey and others available online or elsewhere?

Love the channel,
Marc

MarcT

10/27/2009 9:27:14 AM

Great shot of the behind-the-scenes radio scenery. This is of real historical importance -- how many times did people say later "Wish I'd had my camera with me." These shots are the result of people actually thinking to take a snap at the moment.

Michael O'Brien

10/28/2009 8:53:21 PM

Greg,

You make me glad to be driving on the road this week. I have enjoyed listening to some of the "scary" shows that you have had on this month. As I listen, I can see the characters in mind and when a wolf howled, I actually jumped in my seat. Thank you for taking such good care of your Radio Classics fans.

Debbie

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