Radio Retropolis

A woman hires Novak as a bodyguard, but when she leaves the car to make a phone call, he is carjacked by a thug who seems to know who she is and who he is.  Commentary on how Ben Morris had to replace Jack Webb and the problems the series had going forward.

A recently divorced woman is soon found murdered and stuffed in a trunk.  Commentary on two ironic Star Trek connections with one of our guest stars.

Matt Riggs and other members of the Clan of the Fiery Cross have appeared at the Unity House baseball field with a deadly plan to get their point across.  Commentary on racial slurs and the one used in this episode referring to Chinese people.

A man learns who will win a rigged contest and decides to make a deal with the soon to be winner-a Mr. Smith.  Commentary on what makes for great "suspense". Plus, star Hume Cronyn.

Jimmy shares the horrible news of the burning cross on the Lee front lawn with Kent who says he knows why they are being targeted.  What he and Jimmy don’t know is that Jimmy is also being targeted.  Commentary on why the writers chose the Lees as the racist target and why that even with a positive message, there was a level of hypocrisy in radio at that time.

As Inspector Hellman wraps up a murder investigation in which a bookkeeper is murdered by his landlady, someone approaches Novak about retrieving papers the bookkeeper was holding for him.  Commentary regarding recent news about San Francisco flagship station KGO, the original home of Pat Novak, For Hire.

Assigned to the Business Office, Friday and Smith work this special shift to help curtail the reported 170 crimes that are predicted to occur during the next 24 hours.  Commentary on the reversal in the 'Defunding the Police' campaign in Minneapolis due to the astronomical violent crimes committed following defunding.

Chuck and his Uncle Matt are headed to a big secret meeting in which Matt will use Chuck’s experience with Tommy to his advantage to incite a violent response from his constituents against Tommy and his family.  Commentary on how this story came about and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in America beginning with DW Griffith's Birth of a Nation.

A man wakes up in a hospital bed and finds himself locked away in an asylum for the criminally insane.  Commentary on the tumultuous life of everybody's favorite TV father, Robert Young. Plus , George Zucco and the Mummy movies from Universal.

Superman faces his most critical and dangerous opponent ever. It's his fight against a a white hooded group whose purpose is to eliminate any person or group in America who is of a different race, color and religion in what is considered the most infamous Superman serial of all time.  Commentary on why they chose Jimmy Olsen to be the main protagonist of this serial.