Old Time Radio shows are typically those broadcasts from the creation of radio in the early 1900's till the late 1950's, early 1960's. Most folks say that by the 1960's only a handful of the shows remained on the air.

Just what makes Old Time Radio shows so special is hard to pin down. Often it was the writing, people like Orson Welles, John Housman, Arch Obler, Ray Bradbury and a slew of others all had a hand in making great shows.

Some of these shows ran for decades. Fibber McGee and Molly, Amos and Andy, Lum and Abner were some of the many shows started in the 1930's that stretched well into the 1950's and even into the 1960's. Some shows ran for a few weeks, falling prey to the new media marketing that was forming around radio.

The United States was not the only place for great Old Time Radio. The BBC produced some of the best shows and their Golden Era lasted much longer than in the United States. The Goon Show, I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again, The Navy Lark, Dads Army to name just a few all came from the BBC.

As I said its hard to say exactly what makes a great Old Time Radio Show, but at their best Old Time Radio Shows opened the minds eye, stimulated the imagination and expanded the listeners' horizons.

In recent days Old Time Radio has spread over the net via netcasting streams, distribution clubs like the OTree system, web sites, and other methods.

Most Old Time Radio falls into one of several types

  • mystery
  • comedy
  • drama
  • adventure
  • news/documentary
  • horror
  • science fiction

    Some shows that fall into the Old Time Radio era:
  • A Case For Dr. Morrelle
  • A Day In The Life Of Dennis Day
  • Alex Templeton Time
  • Aliens in the Mind
  • All American All Star Jazz Concert
  • Alvino Rey
  • American Adventure
  • American Composers
  • American Portraits
  • An American Gallery
  • An American in England
  • Ann Of The Airlanes
  • Anthology
  • Arch Oboler's Plays
  • Arthur C. Clarke's World of Science Fiction
  • Arthur Godfrey
  • Arthur Hopkins Presents
  • Ask Eddie Cantor
  • Atlantis
  • Aunt Mary
  • Author's Playhouse
  • Avalon Time
  • Bakers Theater of Stars
  • Barrel Of Fun
  • Battle Stations
  • Before The Screaming Begins
  • Believe It or Not!
  • Best Of All
  • Best Plays
  • Beyond This World
  • Beyond Tomorrow
  • Bill Stern's Sports Newsreel
  • Billy Rose's Jumbo
  • Boston Blackie
  • Box 13
  • Bradbury Thirteen
  • Bright Star
  • Bring `Em Back Alive
  • Broadway Is My Beat
  • Cabin B
  • California Melodies
  • Call For Music
  • Calling All Cars
  • Calling All Detectives
  • Campbell Playhouse
  • Candy Matson, Yukon 2209
  • Cape Cod Radio Mystery Theater
  • Captain Midnight
  • Casey, Crime Photographer
  • Casey, Press Photographer
  • Cavalcade of America
  • CBS Is There
  • CBS Radio Workshop
  • Celebrity Club
  • Chandu, The Magician
  • Chick Carter, Boy Detective
  • Chicken Man
  • Classical Music For People Who Don't Like Classical Music
  • Cloak And Dagger
  • Club Car Special
  • Columbia Presents Corwin
  • Command Performance
  • Compendium Cliche' Productions
  • Coronation of King George IV and Queen Elizabeth
  • Crime And Peter Chambers
  • Crime Classics
  • Crime Club
  • Crime Does Not Pay
  • Crime Photographer
  • Crisis
  • Curtain Time
  • Dameron
  • Damon Runyon Theater
  • Danger, Dr. Danfield
  • Dangerously Yours
  • Dark Fantasy
  • Day of the Triffids
  • Death On The Nile
  • Death Valley Days
  • Democracy In America
  • Destination Freedom
  • Detour
  • Diary Of Fate
  • Did Justice Triumph?
  • Dimension X
  • Doc Savage
  • Don't Cheat Uncle Sam
  • Doorway To Life
  • Dr. Christian
  • Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
  • Dr. Sixgun
  • Dragnet
  • Drop Dead!
  • Easy Aces
  • Ellery Queen's Minute Mysterys
  • Encore Theater
  • Escape
  • Every man's Theater
  • Everything for the Boys
  • Family On Tour
  • Father Knows Best
  • Favorite Story
  • Firefighters
  • Fitch Bandwagon
  • Flashgun Casey
  • Forbidden Cargo
  • Fort Laramie
  • Frances Langford Show
  • Frank Watanabe And The Honorable Archie
  • Frankenstein
  • Freedom USA
  • Front and Center
  • Front and Center
  • Frontier Fighters
  • Frontier Gentleman
  • Frontier Town
  • Future Tense
  • General Electric Theater
  • George Bruce's Air Stories of the World War
  • Grand Marquee
  • Great Moments From Great Plays
  • Great Plays
  • Gulf Screen Guild Theater
  • Gunsmoke
  • Hallmark Hall of Fame
  • Hallmark Playhouse
  • Hallmark Reader's Digest, Radio Edition
  • Harold Peary Show
  • Have Gun, Will Travel
  • Hearthstone Of The Death Squad
  • Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
  • Hello Americans
  • Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
  • Hollywood Hotel
  • Hollywood Radio Theater
  • Hollywood Sound Stage
  • Hollywood Star Playhouse
  • Hollywood Star Time
  • Honest Harold, The Homemaker;
  • Hop Harrigan
  • Hopalong Cassidy
  • Host Planet Earth
  • Hour of Smiles
  • Howard Hughes
  • I Love A Mystery
  • I Love Adventure
  • I Was a Communist for the FBI
  • I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
  • In the Name of the Law
  • Incredible, But True
  • Information Please
  • Inheritance
  • Inner Sanctum Mysteries
  • Inspector Thorne
  • Intimate Revue
  • Intrigue
  • It's Higgins, Sir
  • It's Time For Love
  • It's Time To Smile
  • Jack Armstrong, The All American Boy
  • Jeff Regan, Investigator
  • Jerry at Fair Oaks
  • Jerry of the Circus
  • Jonathan Thomas And His Christmas On The Moon
  • Journey Into Space
  • Journey Through Badlidrempt
  • Journey To The Center Of The Earth
  • Jumbo
  • Jungle Jim
  • KIIS Hall of Horrors
  • Knickerbocker Playhouse
  • Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater
  • Leather Stocking Tales
  • Les Miserables
  • Let George Do It
  • Life With Luigi
  • Lights Out
  • Linit Bath Club Revue
  • Little Old Hollywood
  • Lives Of The Great
  • Living in an Atomic Age
  • Love Story
  • Luke Slaughter of Tombstone
  • Lum & Abner
  • Lux Radio Theater
  • Macabre
  • Magic Island
  • Majestic's Master of Mystery
  • Mama Bloom's Brood
  • Mario Lanza Show
  • Mark Sabre
  • Master's India
  • Matinee Theater
  • Maximum Crucible Accident
  • Maxine Gray Entertains
  • Maxwell House Coffee Time
  • Mayor of the Town
  • Medicine USA
  • Meet The Meeks
  • Meet The Press
  • Mel Blanc Show
  • Melody and Madness
  • Mercury Theater
  • Meredith Wilson's Musical Revue
  • Molle' Mystery Theater
  • Moon Over Africa
  • Moon River
  • Mr. Ace & Jane
  • Mr. Chameleon
  • Mr. President
  • Murder At Midnight
  • Music Depreciation
  • My Favorite Husband
  • My Friend Irma
  • Myrt and Marge
  • Mystery in the Air
  • Mystery Theater
  • Nazi Eyes On Canada
  • NBC Presents Eugene O'Neil
  • NBC Radio Theater
  • NBC Short Story
  • NBC Star Playhouse
  • NBC University Theater
  • Nick Carter, Master Detective
  • Nightbeat
  • Nightfall
  • Nightwatch
  • Notes From Your Soldier's Notebook
  • On Stage
  • Once Upon a Tune
  • One Out of Seven
  • One World Flight
  • Orbit One Zero
  • Orson Welles' Radio Almanac
  • Our Freedom's Blessings
  • Our Miss Brooks
  • Out of the Silent Planet
  • Palmolive Beauty Box Theater
  • Pat Novak for Hire
  • Paul Whiteman Presents
  • Paul Wing And His Magical Typwriter
  • Perry Mason
  • Pet Sematary
  • Phil Harris
  • Philco Radio Playhouse
  • Philo Vance
  • Plays for Americans
  • Police Headquarters
  • Popeye, The Sailor
  • Presenting Boris Karloff
  • Presenting Charles Boyer
  • Quiet Please
  • Radio Almanac
  • Radio City Playhouse
  • Radio Reader's Digest
  • RCA Radio Theater
  • Reader's Digest, Radio Edition
  • Recollections At 30
  • Redbook Dramas
  • Request Performance
  • Results, Incorporated
  • Richard Diamond, Private Detective
  • Riding High
  • Ripplin' Rhythm Revue
  • Rocky Fortune
  • Rogers of the Gazette
  • Romance
  • Romance of the Ranchos
  • Sal Hepatica Revue
  • Salad Bowl Revue
  • Satellite Seven
  • Screen Director's Playhouse
  • Sealtest Variety Theater
  • Sealtest Variety Theater
  • Sears Mutual Radio Theater
  • Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
  • Shirley Temple Time
  • Short Story
  • Show Business Old and New
  • Sleep No More
  • Sleepy Joe
  • Smokey the Bear & The Sons of the Pioneers
  • Somerset Maugham Theater
  • Space Patrol
  • Speed Gibson of the International Secret Police
  • Stage Door Canteen
  • Star For A Night
  • Star Wars
  • Starring Boris Karloff
  • Stars in the Air
  • Stars Over Hollywood
  • Starway To The Stars
  • Stay Tuned for Terror
  • Straight Arrow
  • Straight Arrow: Nabisco's Comanche Warrior
  • Strange Wills
  • Stroke of Fate
  • Strollin' Tom
  • Studio One
  • Suspense
  • Suspicion
  • Tales From The Other Side
  • Tales of Fatima
  • Tales of the Texas Rangers
  • Tales Of Tomorrow
  • Tarzan
  • Tell It Again
  • Terror By Night
  • Texaco Star Theater
  • Texaco Town
  • That Was The Year
  • The Adventures of Danny Marsdon
  • The Adventures Of Ellery Queen
  • The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
  • The Adventures of Frank Race
  • The Adventures of Gracie
  • The Adventures of Harry Nile
  • The Adventures of Horatio Hornblower
  • The Adventures Of Maisie
  • The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
  • The Adventures of Paul Temple & the Gilbert Case
  • The Adventures of Philip Marlowe
  • The Adventures of Red Ryder
  • The Adventures of Rocky Jordan
  • The Adventures of Sam Spade
  • The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes
  • The Adventures of Superman
  • The Air Adventures Of Jimmie Allen
  • The Air Adventures Of Jimmy Allen
  • The Alan Young Show
  • The Amazing Interplanetary Adventures of Flash Gordon
  • The American Story
  • The American Trail
  • The Andrews Sisters
  • The Avenger
  • The Avengers
  • The Bakers Broadcast
  • The Beatrice Kaye Show
  • The Best of Benny
  • The Bickersons
  • The Big Guy
  • The Big Show
  • The Black Book
  • The Black Chapel
  • The Black Flame Of The Amazon
  • The Blackstone The Magic Detective
  • The Blue Beetle
  • The Bob Hope Show
  • The Burns and Allen Show
  • The Camel Comedy Caravan
  • The Camel Screen Guild Theater
  • The Canada Dry Program
  • The Challenge of the Yukon
  • The Charlotte Greenwood Show
  • The Chase
  • The Chase and Sanborn Hour
  • The Chase and Sanborn Hour
  • The Chevrolet Show
  • The Chrysalids
  • The Cinnamon Bear
  • The Cisco Kid
  • The City
  • The Clock
  • The Clyde Beatty Show
  • The Columbia Workshop
  • The Couple Next Door
  • The Cruise Of The Poll Parrot
  • The Dennis Day Show
  • The Devil & Mr. O
  • The Dinah Shore
  • The Eddie Bracken Show
  • The Eddie Cantor Show
  • The Edward Keating Tapes
  • The Eisenhower Years
  • The Electric Hour
  • The Empire Builders
  • The Eternal Light
  • The Family Doctor
  • The Family Hour Of Stars
  • The Family Theater
  • The Fibber McGee and Molly Show
  • The Fifth Horseman
  • The First Man in the Moon
  • The First Nighter Program
  • The Ford Theater
  • The Fred Allen Show
  • The Free Company
  • The Free World Theater
  • The General Tire Show
  • The Gibson
  • The Goldbergs
  • The Grape Nuts Program
  • The Great Gildersleeve
  • The Greatest Story Ever Told
  • The Green Hornet
  • The Green Lama
  • The Green Valley Line
  • The Hall of Fantasy
  • The Halls of Ivy
  • The Harvest Of Stars
  • The Hedda Hopper Show
  • The Hollywood Players
  • The Hour Of Mystery
  • The Hunchback of Notre Dame
  • The Jack Benny Program
  • The Jack Benny Show
  • The Jack Carson Show
  • The Jack Paar Show
  • The Jell
  • The Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore Show
  • The Jimmy Durante Show
  • The Joe Penner Show
  • The Johnson's Wax Program
  • The Judy Canova Show
  • The Jungle Adventures Of Frank Buck
  • The Kingsmen
  • The Kracken Wakes
  • The Kraft Music Hall
  • The Lady In Blue
  • The Last Nighter
  • The Lear Radio Show
  • The Life Of Riley
  • The Little Things In Life
  • The Lives of Harry Lime
  • The Lone Ranger
  • The Lucky Strike Program
  • The Magic Key (Of RCA)
  • The Magnificent Montague
  • The Man Called X
  • The Marriage
  • The MGM Musical Comedy Theater Of The Air
  • The MGM Theater Of The Air
  • The Mickey Mouse Theater Of The Air
  • The Milton Berle Show
  • The Moonstone
  • The Mutual Radio Theater
  • The Mysterious Traveler
  • The Nelson Eddy Show
  • The Old Gold Show
  • The Origin of Superstition
  • The Packard Summer Hour
  • The Park Avenue Penners
  • The Philco Radio Hall Of Fame 1943
  • The Prudential Family Hour Of Stars
  • The Quiz Kids
  • The Radio Hall Of Fame 1943
  • The Railroad Hour
  • The Ray Bradbury Theater
  • The Red Skelton Show
  • The Return of Nick Carter
  • The Romance Of Famous Jewels
  • The Roy Rogers Show
  • The Sad Sack
  • The Saint
  • The Screen Guild Theater
  • The Sealed Book
  • The Secret of Dominion
  • The Shadow
  • The Shadow of Fu Manchu
  • The Silver Theater
  • The Six Shooter
  • The Smiths of Hollywood
  • The Stan Freberg Show
  • The Star And The Story
  • The Story Of Dr. Kildare
  • The Strange Dr. Weird
  • The Third Man
  • The Tip top Show
  • The Tooth Fairy
  • The Weird Circle
  • The Whisperer
  • The Whistler
  • The WOW Show
  • Theater Five
  • Theater Guild On The Air
  • Theater Of Romance
  • Theater Of Romance
  • Theater U.S.A.
  • This Is Hollywood
  • This Is My Best
  • This Is Our America
  • This Is War
  • This Is Your FBI
  • Time For Love
  • Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy
  • Tish
  • To the President
  • Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
  • Top Secret
  • Tower Playhouse
  • Town Hall Tonight
  • Two On A Clue
  • United States Steel Hour
  • Vanishing Point
  • Voyage Of The Scarlet Queen
  • Whitehall
  • WOR Summer Theater
  • Words At War
  • World Security Workshop
  • X Minus One
  • You Are The Jury
  • You Are There
  • You Bet Your Life
  • Young Love
  • Your Hollywood Parade
  • Your Radio Almanac
  • Your Radio Theater
  • Your Story Parade
  • Yours Truly Johnny Dollar
  • Zero Hour
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