“The Man Who Heard Voices” is Episode 24 of CBS Radio Mystery Theater, first broadcast on January 29, 1974. The episode tells the unsettling story of a man who begins hearing voices that seem to guide—and manipulate—his actions, raising disturbing questions about sanity, conscience, and unseen influence.
Episode basics
- Series: CBS Radio Mystery Theater
- Episode number: 24
- Original air date: January 29, 1974
- Runtime: Approximately 45 minutes
Plot overview
The drama centers on an ordinary man whose life is quietly upended when he starts hearing disembodied voices. At first, they appear harmless—offering advice, warnings, even reassurance. Gradually, however, the voices grow more insistent and intrusive, steering him toward decisions he might never have made on his own. As their influence deepens, the listener is left to wonder whether the voices are manifestations of guilt, madness, or something far more sinister.
Themes and tone
- Sanity versus control: The episode explores how easily free will can erode when an external—or internal—force claims authority.
- Psychological terror: Fear arises not from violence, but from the slow loss of certainty and self‑trust.
- Moral ambiguity: The story challenges listeners to decide whether the protagonist is victim, accomplice, or both.
Production notes
Airing during the show’s first month, “The Man Who Heard Voices” exemplifies CBS Radio Mystery Theater’s strength in intimate psychological suspense. The tension is driven by voice work and sound design, drawing the audience directly into the protagonist’s fractured perception of reality.
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