The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

Join us as we return to The Adventures of Ellery Queen for an episode entitled, “Number 31!” Ellery Queen begins working on a case of overseas smuggling, but is interrupted by the seemingly unrelated disappearance of a butler. As Queen investigates the two cases, he finds they both significantly feature the number 31, suggesting that they are connected! If Queen can’t crack the smuggling case, will it cause an international scandal? Will the guest armchair detective find the solution to the crime? What sort of pizza is Ellery Queen most like? Listen for yourself and find out!

This time we’ve been sent down to the Listener Library by a particularly mysterious listener, an individual known only as “S.” Thanks, S! The recommendation is an episode of Price of Fear called “Come as You Are,” featuring the one and only Vincent Price! This story depicts Price begrudgingly attending a costume party at a restored priory in England. He trikes up a conversation with another attendee, who also has no wish to join the festivities. As this other guest tells his story, the narrative takes a dark turn. Is there some supernatural element to this man’s story? What would it take to force Vincent Price to dine in a mediocre restaurant? Will that one guy enjoy this story? Listen for yourself and find out!

We start the new year with eyes on the future! “Junkyard” is an episode of “X Minus One,” in which a starship investigates a mysterious collection of junk on a supposedly uninhabited planet. But they quickly discover they cannot leave as something is stealing one of their most precious resources. Will they be able to recover in time to escape? Why would the crew risk killing one of their own with alcohol poisoning? How do space watermelons affect our brains? Listen for yourself and find out!

Happy New Year! As has become our annual tradition, we are listening to yet another adaptations of Charles Dickens’ other famous ghost story, “The Signal-Man.” This time, we are checking out the most contemporary version on our list, the episode of Nightfall first broadcast on December 17, 1982! As before, this story depicts a curious stranger who encounters a rail worker beset by visions. Why does he seem to be receiving some otherworldly warning? How will this version compare to those we have already heard? Will this version be as bizarre as what we have come to expect from Nightfall? Listen for yourself and find out!

We’re celebrating Christmas with this holiday-themed episode of Suspense! In “Back for Christmas,” Peter Lorre stars as a hen-pecked husband who concocts a fiendish plan to start a new life apart from his spouse. Can his scheme succeed without his wife’s oversight? What might bring him back home for Christmas? Do our faces match our personas? Listen for yourself and find out!

The gauntlet has been thrown! Our mysterious listener Sam claimed we were too afraid to go to the darkest corners of the Listener Library for “Tanglefoot,” an episode of Quiet, Please! The time has come to prove our courage! The story features Buck, a plumber who discovers that he doesn’t know as much about flies as he thought he did. Are Herbie’s wild stories about flies true? Is flypaper effective? Are you brave enough to listen to this with us? Listen for yourself and find out!

“The Man in 206” from Dark Venture was brought to us by our generous Patreon subscriber Greg, who joins us as our guest! In this story, a landlord suspects that one of his tenants is the murderous madman known as “The Executioner!” Can he convince the inspector who lives in the building of his suspicions? What about the reporter who has also taken a room? Does every superhero have an app named after them? Listen for yourself and find out!

We are joined by our Patreon subscriber Ryan as we continue to express our gratitude for our most generous supporters! Ryan has brought us an episode from a series we haven’t listened to before, Rocky Jordon! This story, entitled “The Man from Damascus,” features an ominous offer from a stranger who claims to have once been grievously wronged by Rocky, but Rocky has no memory of the man or alleged harm. Will Rocky accept this offer? Why can he not recall his history with this stranger? How long have we been pretending that we know what Rocky Jordan is about? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our gratitude to our most generous Patreon supporters continues, this time featuring our patron Mark! Mark joins us a for a discussion of an episode of his choosing, “The Shadow Challenged” from The Shadow! This unique installment in the series features Frank Readick, who played the title character back when he was simply the host of Detective Story Hour! An unknown killer threatens to frame the Shadow for a series of murders and unmask his true identity. Why would the Shadow be a suspect in the case? What is the true motivation behind the murders? Is invisible golf better than space golf? Listen for yourself and find out!