The Mysterious Old Radio Listening Society

According to the Society’s clock, it’s time for CBS Radio Mystery Theater! Host E. G. Marshall presents “Hickory Dickory Doom,” the disturbing tale of an antique timepiece that holds a monstrous secret! Why is the air inside the clock always cold? How many psychics and occult specialists can this family fit in their house? What should you do if a random stranger barges into your home and climbs into your furniture? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week, The Mysterious Traveler left the Society squirming with a disturbing tale entitled “The Good Die Young.” A malevolent child takes her jealous attempts to sabotage her new mother to dangerous extremes. Will the girl’s father see what’s happening before it’s too late? How old does a person have to be to use the word “shan’t”? Why would anyone keep carbolic acid in their medicine cabinet? Listen for yourself and find out!

Macabre wasn’t one of the best known series from the golden age of radio, but its odd origins contribute to some remarkable results. This week the Society has a chance to reflect on “The Man in the Mirror,” in which a man strikes a supernatural deal to escape death. Just how the heck are you supposed to pronounce “macabre”? What can an amateur show accomplish that professionals wouldn’t even think to try? How could Tim forget the name of the Tales of Horror podcast, where he often goes to find inspiration from their great variety of classic shows? Listen for yourself and find out!

The Society returns to the Inner Sanctum for an episode requested by one of our listeners! Song of the Slasher features a hard-boiled detective hunting for a killer who whistles a unique tune. How many twist can they cram into this story? Do creepy threats of violence put you in the mood for some Lipton Tea? Are there any actual puns in this episode? Listen for yourself and find out!

Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re feeling a little tingle running through your skin, it could be love. Or it could be ants. This week we are happy to welcome Joshua’s wife, Adrienne English Scrimshaw, as our special guest. She’s brought us an episode of Escape entitled “Leiningen Versus the Ants,” based on the short story by Carl Stephenson. Can the power of William Conrad’s voice withstand an unstoppable army of ants? Can the women and oxen contain their excitement? Would this be better if it were a comic book featuring a character named Von Mohl?

The Arch Oboler Plays show serves up a doozy and the Society has a lot to say about “The Day Sinatra Got Fat”! Obloer’s macabre sense of humor indulges in a truly bizarre tale of aliens, pigs, and a strange green powder. Does the callous rich couple in the story deserve their terrible fate? Is there such a thing as a pig cave? Would you like to visit Utah? Listen for yourself and find out!

Join the Society for a dark, cold night spent with BBC’s Fear on Four story entitled “The Horn”! It’s not the Golden Age of Radio by a long shot, but it’s the perfect story for spending a winter’s night hiding under the covers. What can the English teach us about the etiquette for addressing the dead? Just how many connections to Doctor Who does this episode have? What is that tapping noise that woke you up in the middle of the night? Listen for yourself and find out!

Doctor X brings us The Strange Burial Of Alexander Jordan from the short-lived series Creeps by Night. A wealthy man’s fear of being buried alive leads to a security system to alert the living should he awake. What is the the true history of premature burial? If you’re going to murder someone, why wait until the last minute? Why couldn’t any of us remember the name of Michael Crichton’s novel, Timeline? Listen for yourself and find out!

This week the Society is entertained by The Hostess! The classic sci-fi series X Minus One presents Isaac Asimov’s chilling tale of alien etiquette and intrigue. How comfortable would you be to welcome something truly alien into your life? Would the story benefit from more lasers and car chases? Are aliens compelling us to create a spin off podcast about Dungeons & Dragons? Listen for yourself and find out!