The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

This episode of Escape was recommended to us by to our esteemed Patreon supporter, Tim! In “Four Went Home,” a small group of soldiers held in a German POW Camp must weigh their options near the end of World War II. The longer they remain imprisoned, the more likely they are to be executed by their captors. But an escape attempt could be just as fatal! When the stakes are this high, which gamble will these men choose? What sort of small talk do they make when they think they’re all going to die? How will we delineate between Tim and Tim? Listen for yourself and find out!

As a reward for his top-tier Patreon support of the MORLS, Brian joins us this week to discuss an episode of his choosing, “The Fisherman and his Soul!” The script is an adaptation of an Oscar Wilde story, produced for Columbia Workshop. The tale features a fisherman who falls in love with a mermaid, only to discover that his human soul prevents them from ever being together. Who does one ask about separating from one’s soul? What happens to that soul? Is there going to be some actual highfalutin scholarly discussion about Oscar Wilde? Listen for yourself and find out!

Happy Halloween! We found this treat in our Listener Library. Our mysterious listener Ben recommended “Ringing the Changes” from Nightfall. Thanks, Ben! This episode adapts a story by Robert Aikman about a newlywed couple whose plans take them to the small seaside town of Holyhaven on Halloween. But for some reason the town’s bells continue to ring and the locals seem nervous to see the visitors. Will this May-December relationship survive their honeymoon? What happens when the bells stop? Will we be critical of the music again? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our thanks to Paul whose recommendation has sent us to the Listener Library for another episode of Dragnet, “The Big Cast!” Friday and Romero bring in a suspect who may be responsible for several missing persons cases. But once they begin to interrogate him, his peculiar behavior makes the detectives wonder what motive might connect him to the crimes. Does this man’s strange behavior justify accusing him of murder? Why is he so eager to take a lie detector test? Was there ever a time when it was safe for babies to hitchhike? Listen for yourself and find out!

This episode of Crime Classics features a tale of the Old West, told in a style that blends tragedy, wry comedy, and historic documentary. “Death of a Picture Hanger” is a series of a surprising vignettes that lead to the inevitable. Who is the picture hanger mentioned in the title? How should one keep track of one’s bath schedule? What was that thing we couldn’t remember? Listen for yourself and find out!

There’s a big event in the Listener Library this week! Our mysterious listener Jessica recommended we listen to “The Parade” from X Minus One. Thanks, Jessica! An ambitious promoter is hired to tease an impending event with the simple slogan, “The Martians are coming.” As more money gets spent to advertise the big day, the more mysterious what will happen becomes. Did actual Martians hire an advertising agency? Or is this some kind of hoax to convince people that Martians are invading? Will Tim survive the Jack-o-Lantern Spectacular at the Minnesota Zoo? Listen for yourself and find out!

It’s been a while, but this week brings us The Haunting Hour once again! In “The Hands of Mr. Smith,” a pair of criminals get a shot at one big payday. But when the moment comes, Smith can’t control his homicidal impulses. Will their partnership survive this murder? Is this ultimately a ghost story or not? How petty can Joshua possibly get in critiquing a performance? Listen for yourself and find out!

For this trip to the Listener Library, we’re listening to Hume Cronyn in “Too Many Smiths” from Suspense! Our thanks to our Mysterious Listener Kimberly for recommending this tale of a man who believes he can make a fortune from a slogan writing contest for toothpaste. But complications soon demand that he go further than he intended to see the plan through to the end. What sort of person could write a prize-winning slogan for toothpaste? Can liars tell when they are being lied to? Why is there so much talk about poop in the post-show discussion? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week we launch ourselves into the world of Rod Serling’s Zero Hour for an episode entitled “Skylab, Are You There?” William Shatner and Casey Kasem contribute to this story of an astronaut who in desperate need of medical help. What mystery awaits when that help arrives? Why have we never heard the details of these strange events on Skylab? Is this somehow an episode of “What If…?” featuring Captain Kirk and Shaggy? Listen for yourself and find out!

Our Mysterious Listener Keith kindly sent us back into the Lights Out section of our Listener Library for an episode entitled “Bon Voyage!” Two elderly women have bought passage on a ship that departs at midnight, but they soon discover that the sea offers no refuge from the secret that haunts them. Why have these women left their home? What is the ship’s destination? What is Joshua’s new title in regard to Lights Out? Listen for yourself and find out!