The Chronic Rift Network

Part two of our annual Christmas spectacular begins with the holidays coming to "The Jack Benny Program." The whole gang is gathering for big party at Jack's, and there's lots of laughs, despite some faulty tree lights. Then it's a week later on "The Great Gildersleeve," and Gildy doesn't want to go to the town's big New Year's Eve bash if he can't go with his best gal. Episodes The Jack Benny Pro...

"Dance of the Dead" UK Airing: November 17, 1967 US Airing: July 27, 1968 Normally, we include a brief synopsis of the episode to remind folks what it is we are talking about, but John and writer Jim Beard found themselves hard pressed to determine what exactly the plot was of this story. It appears that this is made up of several story threads that never really seem to come together in a satisfyi...

We begin a month of Christmas episodes with America's favorite teen-ager, the titular "Archie Andrews." Archie and Jughead go Christmas shopping. Unbeknownst to them, the rest of the Andrews family and all their friends are also at the department store, resulting in all sorts of predicaments. Then on "Big Town," Edward J. Pawley replaces Edward G. Robinson as Steve Wilson, crusading managing edito...

The radio series "Claudia" was a daily slice-of-life drama centering on the low-stakes problems of the newly-married Claudia and David Naughton. A typical post-war couple, their greatest difficulties involve finding an apartment, Claudia learning to drive, and (eventually) what to name the baby. In these two episodes, Claudia and David host an unorthodox Thanksgiving dinner and attend an auction....

Now we're going to launch a whole month of Thanksgiving-related episodes. We start off with "The Jack Benny Program." Jack and the gang are gathering at Mary's place for a huge Thanksgiving dinner. There's disagreements about Pilgrim history, Jack's ancient tuxedo attracts attention, and the band displays uncouth table etiquette. Then on "The Abbott and Costello Program," there are big plans for B...

On "Let George Do It," freelance detective and problem solver George Valentine is hired to prove that a spooky old house isn't haunted. But is it? Then, it's Election Day in Springfield on "The Great Gildersleeve," and Gildy switches his allegiances back and forth between the two candidates for mayor. Episodes Let George Do It August 16, 1948 "The Ghost on Bliss Terrace" 1:51   The Great Gildersle...

Tonight, we present our first medical show, and it's the classic "The Story of Dr. Kildare." The stars of the popular movie series, Lew Ayres as Dr. James Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as his friend and mentor Dr. Leonard Gillespie, reprised their roles for radio. Together, they interacted with people from all walks of life who had all manner of difficulties, medical and other. Then we return to "L...

"The Judy Canova Show" was one of those radio sitcoms with a stage and radio star playing a heightened version of herself living in Hollywood hoping to made good. In this episode, Judy is eager to become the New Year's Rose Queen. That leads to dream sequence, featuring Mel Blanc handling multiple voices, with Judy in a Queen of the Klondike pageant. Then "The Quiz Kids" amaze with their general b...

"Many Happy Returns" UK Airing: November 10, 1967 US Airing: July 20, 1968   The Prisoner awakens in a Village that is completely empty with all power cut off. After making sure it isn't a trick, he sets out to escape and makes his way back to London where his only ally is the woman who now lives in his home and drives his car. John and writer Jim Beard discuss this unusual episode in detail, incl...

  We start off with the original old-time radio western, "Death Valley Days."  In this episode, a female prospector goes to extraordinary lengths to prevent claim jumpers.  Then on "The Jack Benny Program," Rochester is cleaning Jack's den while Jack travels to the Department of Motor Vehicles to renew his driver's license. Episodes Death Valley Days June 16, 1939 "Shoo Fly"  2:11   The Jack Benny...

Episode 58—Geek Actors Live on Stage Science fiction writer and editor Scott Pearson's cohost Ella Pearson puts the "geek" in "theatre geek," sharing stories of living in London and seeing various plays live on stage which featured actors we all know and love from genre movies and TV. Segments 02:56 English Actors vs. American Actors 04:04 Scott's Adventures at the Theatre, Pt. 1 06:56 Martin Free...

"The General" UK Airing: November 3, 1967 US Airing: July 13, 1968   The Prisoner goes on a quest to find "The General", the force behind a learning method that is being adopted by the entire Village.  But what is the purpose of this learning method and why does it seem more devious than it first appears? John and writer Jim Beard discuss applied learning techniques, the music of the series, and t...

"The Schizoid Man" UK Airing: October 27, 1967 US Airing: July 6, 1968 The Prisoner awakens to find himself in a new home with a new look and everyone calling him Number Twelve.  And who is this Number Six who looks exactly like him? John and writer Jim Beard discuss the appearance of actress Jane Merrow, the use of Rover, and McGoohan's performance as both The Prisoner and Number Twelve.   Take a...

Vincent Price returns as Simon Templar, aka "The Saint," the Robin Hood of Modern Crime, solving tricky problems for all sorts of folks.  Here the case of a kidnapped heiress takes him to an exclusive finishing school where romance has led to danger.  Then on "The Great Gildersleeve," a fishing expedition lands Gildy and Leroy hot water.   Episodes    The Saint November 5, 1950 "Miss Godby's Schoo...

  We start off with the first episode of "Big Town."  Edward G. Robinson creates the role of Steve Wilson, the crusading, yet sometimes muckraking, editor of a big city newspaper.  There's dark humor, drama, and plenty of melodrama.  Then Joan Davis, who would eventually star in the early television classic comedy "I Married Joan," begins her career in radio.  She plays the proprietress of a small...

"Free For All" UK Airing: October 20, 1967 US Airing: June 29, 1968   The Prisoner is thrust into the politics of the Village as he runs for the position of Number Two. John and writer Jim Beard discuss an episode that was produced second and yet aired fourth and that bothers Jim.  They discuss how the episodes actually played out on television regardless of production, how this episode is timeles...

  "Lux Radio Theatre" presents yet another star-studded adaptation of a cinema classic.  This time, it's the 1950 film "All About Eve." Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, and Gary Merrill reprise their roles from the Academy- Award-wining film originally written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.   Lux Radio Theater  October 1, 1951 "All About Eve" 2:14

"A. B. and C." UK Airing: October 13, 1967 US Airing: June 22, 1968   Number Two has only one more chance to get the information they need from The Prisoner.  He turns to a new brain scanning technique of Number Fourteen's for help. John and author Jim Beard discuss the direction of this episode, how it is a much smoother episode than fan favorite, "The Chimes of Big Ben" and continue their discus...

Episode 57—The Immersive War of the Worlds Science fiction writer and editor Scott Pearson's cohost Ella Pearson recounts surviving a Martian invasion with a walkthrough of her visit to Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience. Sets, actors, and VR headsets put her into the middle of a nineteenth-century London swarming with Martian tripods! Warning: spoilers...

We start off with another episode of "The Aldrich Family," that domestic sitcom featuring the adventures of teen-ager Henry Aldrich.  This episode, centering on a neighborhood wedding, is several notches above the usual fare, with some particularly clever lines and funny misunderstandings – all the elements you need for a solid sitcom.  Then let's test our collective brainpower with an episode of...

  "The Chimes of Big Ben" UK Airing: October 6, 1967 US Airing: June 8, 1968   One of the fan favorites, in the second episode of the series, The Prisoner has a chance to escape thanks to meeting a prisoner who a similar background to our hero. John and author Jim Beard discuss the plot choices of this particular story, pose the questions, "Does anyone really ever leave?", and "Is the viewer as mu...

  Groucho Marx kicks things off with an episode of "You Bet Your Life."  He trades barbs with a taxi driver from Vienna, and an Irish-American Texan tells how he met his wife when he ruined her cake at a St. Patrick's Day party.  Then, on "Vic and Sade," their teen-aged son Rush is staying up late hoping to finish off the leftovers from a neighbor's party.  Later, both Rush and Vic have to fight t...

"Arrival" UK Airing: September 29, 1967 US Airing: June 1, 1968   Your Chronic Rift host, John S. Drew, is joined by author/editor Jim Beard to explore this cult limited series in the first of our limited series summer podcasts.  You know Jim from such podcasts as The Batcave Podcast, The Hornet's Sting Podcast, and right here on The Chronic Rift.  Together, as a pair of fans with some knowledge o...

  We start off this week with some clever science fiction in the form of "X Minus One."  In this episode, some hapless humans find themselves at the mercy of an alien lifeboat bent on saving their lives no matter what.  It's an adaptation of Robert Sheckley's "The Lifeboat Mutiny."  Then, on "The Jack Benny Show," Jack obsesses about the $4.75 he lost on a horse race, and the event manifests itsel...

It's National Library Week, from April 19th to 25th of 2020, so we're going to present two transcriptions, one a thriller and the other a comedy, centering on libraries.  First up, in this episode of "Suspense," movie star Myrna Loy, who you probably know as Nora Charles in the "Thin Man" movies, is a librarian whose investigations into a vandalized copy of "Gone With the Wind" seem to point to a...