The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

Our thanks to Kaj for sending us down to the Listener Library for the debut episode of a show we haven’t checked out yet, “The First Letter” from Box 13! The series features Alan Ladd as Dan Holiday, a writer who has posted an ad seeking adventure! In this first installment, a woman asks for help to rid herself of a blackmailer. How did this woman end up in such a dilemma? Will Holiday’s judgment be better or worse than the characters he writes about? Will Mr. Deus Ex Machina suddenly arrive with a third question? Listen for yourself and find out!

Based on the novels by Frances Crane, The Adventures of the Abbotts featured the mystery-solving husband and wife team, Pat and Jean Abbott! This particular episode, “The Clicking Silver,” tells the story of a visit to a steel factory that results in murder and a reunion with an old flame! (Fair warning, the story includes a reference to a husband “spanking the daylights” out of his wife, ostensibly not “fun” spanking.) What is the clicking silver? Why does Pat treat his suspects so differently than any other detective would? Can we actually lose sponsors if we don’t have any? Listen for yourself and find out!

We’re going deep, deep into the Listener Library for this episode of Suspense, “Deep Deep is My Love,” recommended to us by our mysterious listener Elena! Thanks, Elena! This production features Lloyd Bridges as a diver whose compulsion for solitude has driven him to an undersea grotto where he may have seen a miraculous vision. Or, he may have simply suffered hallucinations as he approached death. What calls to him to return to this dangerous depth? Can his friend or his wife do anything to break the hold this mystery has upon him? What new option are we considering for our end-of-show voting? Listen for yourself and find out!

We’re not too old to pay a visit to “The Playground,” an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s short story from Vanishing Point! The story features Charlie, a young father who wrestles with his own troubled childhood as his own son wants to go play with other children. When Charlie visits the neighborhood playground, it looks sinister and unsafe, but he can’t tell if the danger is real or a product of his anxieties. Is he being over-protective or are his fears well-founded? Why does one of the kids at the playground address Charlie by name? How do playgrounds work in Canada? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our Mysterious Listener Waymon really wanted us to listen to another episode of Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar! So we are paying another visit to the Listener Library for this standalone installment of the iconic series, “The Sidewinder Matter!” This story features Johnny and his action-packed expense account investigating a bitter feud over poisoned cattle. Along the way, he’ll have to contend with gunshots, strange weather phenomena, and an unlikely menagerie of animals. Would this mean-spirited rancher shoot his own son to gratify his spite? What’s in the bag? Where would Columbo fit in this story? Listen for yourself and find out!