RadioClassics | SiriusXM (2024)

Table of Contents
Featured Show When Radio Was Dr. Kildare The Line-Up Police Headquarters The Aldrich Family Gangbusters Suspense Escape - Radio Classics Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar The Mysterious Traveler Screen Director's Playhouse Academy Award Theatre Charlie McCarthy Show The Green Hornet Box 13 Mr. District Attorney When Radio Was Let George Do It Night Beat Lux Radio Theatre Sherlock Holmes Bill Stern Sports Newsreel Superman The Whistler Inheritance CBS Radio Workshop Screen Guild Players Columbia Presents Corwin An American Gallery The Unexpected Adventures of Philip Marlowe Duffy's Tavern Jack Benny Program Adventures of Harry Nile Mr. & Mrs. North Rocky Fortune Dr. Sixgun Frontier Gentleman Damon Runyon Theatre Gunsmoke Life of Riley Adventures of Sam Spade This Is Your F.B.I Broadway is My Beat Boston Blackie Big Town Burns & Allen Show Lights Out! Philo Vance The Hermit's Cave Fort Laramie Man Called X Tarzan Casey, Crime Photographer Blondie Fibber McGee & Molly X Minus One Inner Sanctum Mysteries Blair Of The Mounties The Abbott and Costello Show Judy Canova Show Richard Diamond, Private Detective The Falcon Great Gildersleeve Jeff Regan, Investigator Father Knows Best Murder at Midnight Six Shooter The Third Man Dragnet Stan Freberg Show Tales of the Texas Rangers Have Gun, Will Travel Candy Matson Mystery Is My Hobby Family Theater Classic Radio Mercury Theatre On The Air Mercury Summer Theatre Vic & Sade Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show Mutual Radio Theater Our Miss Brooks Lum and Abner The Chase Columbia Workshop Michael Shayne Crime Classics Ozzie & Harriet The Sealed Book Discover More You May Also Like All Talk Genres References

Shows, Schedules & Info

Featured Show

When Radio Was

Radio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (1)

All times listed EDT

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Dr. Kildare

Now Playing

1 hr

This medical drama was based on films by the same name. Lews Ayes as Dr. Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie face …

This medical drama was based on films by the same name. Lews Ayes as Dr. Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie face everything from pushy administrators to personal drama and ethical crises in the halls of Blair General Hospital in New York City.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (3)

The Line-Up

Next Airs Tomorrow at 12 am

1 hr 30 mins

This CBS cop procedural pulls back the curtain on crime fighting in San Francisco. The Shadow's Bill Johnstone starred as co …

This CBS cop procedural pulls back the curtain on crime fighting in San Francisco. The Shadow's Bill Johnstone starred as cool-mannered Lt. Ben Guthrie, foil to hot-tempered Sgt. Matt Grebb. Director Elliot Lewis was one of the busiest men in radio, having a hand in the Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show, Suspense, Broadway Is My Beat, and many more.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (4)

Police Headquarters

Next Airs Tomorrow at 1:30 am

30 mins

This police procedural series was syndicated on NBC stations in 1932. It features quarter-hour stories typically based on tr …

This police procedural series was syndicated on NBC stations in 1932. It features quarter-hour stories typically based on true crimes.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (5)

The Aldrich Family

Next Airs Tomorrow at 2 am

1 hr

The character of Henry Aldrich was introduced in Clifford Goldsmith's 1937 play, "What a Life". Ezra Stone originated the ro …

The character of Henry Aldrich was introduced in Clifford Goldsmith's 1937 play, "What a Life". Ezra Stone originated the role of "America's favorite teenager" on Broadway and portrayed the role for nearly a decade on radio. After being featured in short skits on variety shows, The Aldrich Family debuted as Jack Benny's summer replacement on July 2, 1939. The series moved into its own NBC timeslot on October 10, 1939 and continued until April 19, 1953. Stone received his draft notice in the summer of 1941 but continued as Henry for the next season. Norman Tokar replaced Stone the following season, followed by Dickie Jones and Raymond Ives. After completing his military service in 1945, Stone returned to the role he had originated and was heard as Henry though the early 1950s when Bobby Ellis took over the role on both radio and television.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (6)

Gangbusters

Next Airs Tomorrow at 3 am

30 mins

Gangbusters first came to radio under the title G-Men beginning July 20, 1935. The long-running series was created by Philip …

Gangbusters first came to radio under the title G-Men beginning July 20, 1935. The long-running series was created by Philip H. Lord and produced "in cooperation with police and federal law enforcement departments throughout the U.S. Gangbusters was one of radio's longest-running dramatic series, running from January 15, 1936 through November 27, 1957, and its classic opening gave rise to the expression "coming on like gangbusters."

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (7)

Suspense

Next Airs Tomorrow at 3:30 am

30 mins

Suspense debuted on June 17, 1942 as a sustaining summer replacement, returned that fall and continued in the CBS lineup Sep …

Suspense debuted on June 17, 1942 as a sustaining summer replacement, returned that fall and continued in the CBS lineup September 30, 1962. "Radio's outstanding theatre of thrills" is recognized as one of the finest dramatic series in the history of broadcasting.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (8)

Escape - Radio Classics

Next Airs Tomorrow at 4 am

1 hr

Radio's greatest series of high adventure debuted over the CBS network on July 7,1947. Escape's protagonists faced life-and- …

Radio's greatest series of high adventure debuted over the CBS network on July 7,1947. Escape's protagonists faced life-and-death situations each week, as the show careened from classic adventure to Western drama to science fiction. The program was broadcast as a sustainer (unsponsored) series during most of its seven-year run.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (9)

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar

Next Airs Tomorrow at 5 am

30 mins

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar told the story of the freelance insurance investigator with the "action-packed expense account." …

Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar told the story of the freelance insurance investigator with the "action-packed expense account." Radio’s last great detective series, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar ended its run September 30, 1962 during the final week of network radio drama.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (10)

The Mysterious Traveler

Next Airs Tomorrow at 5:30 am

30 mins

The Mysterious Traveler was one of radio's greatest omniscient storytellers, introducing tales of mystery, science fiction a …

The Mysterious Traveler was one of radio's greatest omniscient storytellers, introducing tales of mystery, science fiction and horror from the typewriters of writers/producers Robert A. Arthur and David Kogan. The Mysterious Traveler rode the Mutual rails from December 5, 1943 through September 23, 1952.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (11)

Screen Director's Playhouse

Next Airs Tomorrow at 6 am

30 mins

The Screen Director's Playhouse featured adaptations of famous movies and called upon the screen directors to introduce and …

The Screen Director's Playhouse featured adaptations of famous movies and called upon the screen directors to introduce and highlight their work. After each show, the director and stars gathered around the microphones to reminisce about the actual making of the film.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (12)

Academy Award Theatre

Next Airs Tomorrow at 6:30 am

1 hr

Academy Award Theater was a half-hour dramatic anthology series presenting radio adaptations of movies that had been nominat …

Academy Award Theater was a half-hour dramatic anthology series presenting radio adaptations of movies that had been nominated for or had won Academy Awards. While the show was a success with critics and audiences alike, it went off the air after only nine months and 39 episodes.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (13)

Charlie McCarthy Show

Next Airs Tomorrow at 7:30 am

30 mins

Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen developed his Charlie McCarthy character in high school. Bergen performed with the newsboy dummy …

Ventriloquist Edgar Bergen developed his Charlie McCarthy character in high school. Bergen performed with the newsboy dummy while attending Northwestern University and eventually left college to tour vaudeville. With the decline of vaudeville during the Great Depression, Bergen moved into night spots like New York’s trendy Rainbow Room but feared his friend wouldn’t be appreciated by high society. So he gave Charlie a monocle and top hat and a "man about town" was born. Following a three-month guest stint on Rudy Vallee’s show, Edgar Bergen was signed as headliner of The Chase and Sanborn Hour. The series premiered May 9, 1937 and ended the next three seasons as radio’s top-rated series.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (14)

The Green Hornet

Next Airs Tomorrow at 8 am

1 hr 30 mins

The Green Hornet debuted over the Detroit station on January 31, 1936. The Green Hornet was well-served by his valet Kato an …

The Green Hornet debuted over the Detroit station on January 31, 1936. The Green Hornet was well-served by his valet Kato and a supercharged roadster, the Black Beauty. Al Hodge portrayed The Green Hornet during the series' first seven seasons, followed by Donovan Faust, Robert Hall and Jack McCarthy. The show ran on radio through December 5, 1952.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (15)

Box 13

Next Airs Tomorrow at 9:30 am

30 mins

Alan Ladd stars as Dan Holiday, a fiction writer and retired reporter with a taste for adventure. The show was also produced …

Alan Ladd stars as Dan Holiday, a fiction writer and retired reporter with a taste for adventure. The show was also produced by Alan Ladd's company, Mayfair Productions. Sylvia Picker portrayed Suzy, his scatterbrained office manager.

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Mr. District Attorney

Next Airs Tomorrow at 11:30 am

30 mins

Phillips H. Lord, creator ofGang Busters, worked with creator/writer/director Ed Byron to develop this series, which is ins …

Phillips H. Lord, creator ofGang Busters, worked with creator/writer/director Ed Byron to develop this series, which is inspired by the early years of New York Governor Thomas E. Dewey. It aired on NBC and ABC from April 3, 1939 to June 13, 1952. The nameless title role was played by several actors throughout the run: Raymond Edward Johnson, Jay Jostyn, and David Brian. A key figure in the show was the D.A.'s secretary, Edith Miller (played by Vicki Vola).

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (17)

When Radio Was

Next Airs Tomorrow at 12 pm

1 hr

Radio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell

Radio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (18)

Let George Do It

Next Airs Tomorrow at 1 pm

30 mins

Let George Do It, stars Bob Bailey, who plays George Valentine who was a detective whose cases came from the newspaper.

Let George Do It, stars Bob Bailey, who plays George Valentine who was a detective whose cases came from the newspaper.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (19)

Night Beat

Next Airs Tomorrow at 1:30 pm

30 mins

Frank Lovejoy is heard as Randy "Lucky" Stone, a hardboiled reporter who covers the "nightbeat" for the Chicago Star. Randy …

Frank Lovejoy is heard as Randy "Lucky" Stone, a hardboiled reporter who covers the "nightbeat" for the Chicago Star. Randy Stone wandered the back alleys and bars of Chicago, searching for both crime and human-interest stories. Nightbeat premiered on February 6, 1950 and ran until September 25, 1952.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (20)

Lux Radio Theatre

Next Airs Tomorrow at 2 pm

1 hr

The Lux Radio Theatre was one of radio's most popular series attracting Hollywood's top stars and boasting a lavish budget. …

The Lux Radio Theatre was one of radio's most popular series attracting Hollywood's top stars and boasting a lavish budget. The Lux Radio Theatre began in 1934 featuring dramas from Broadway, but there was not enough material to support the show. In an attempt to reverse the slipping ratings, the show was moved to Hollywood in 1936, where there was plenty of material and talent.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (21)

Sherlock Holmes

Next Airs Tomorrow at 3 pm

30 mins

Based on the popular characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes began on coast-to-coast …

Based on the popular characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes began on coast-to-coast CBS radio in 1930. By the late 1930s The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes had moved to the Mutual Broadcasting Network and the series was forced to rely on invented new adventures, having run out of Doyle stories to adapt.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (22)

Bill Stern Sports Newsreel

Next Airs Tomorrow at 3:30 pm

30 mins

The Bill Stern Sports Newsreel aired for nearly two decades: from December 5, 1937 through June 22, 1956. Stern began his c …

The Bill Stern Sports Newsreel aired for nearly two decades: from December 5, 1937 through June 22, 1956. Stern began his career in vaudeville and worked for several years as assistant stage manager of New York’s famed Roxy Theater and Radio City Music Hall before moving into network broadcasting in 1934.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (23)

Superman

Next Airs Tomorrow at 4 pm

2 hrs

Superman debuted in 1938 in the first issue of Action Comics and quickly took America by storm. The Man of Steel rocketed fr …

Superman debuted in 1938 in the first issue of Action Comics and quickly took America by storm. The Man of Steel rocketed from comic books into newspapers, film, and radio. Actor Bud Collyer flew "up, up and away" in a syndicated series that debuted February 12, 1940 and soared into his long-running Mutual daily serial on August 31, 1942. Much of Superman’s legendary mythology originated not in his four-color adventures but on his famous radio series. The Daily Planet newspaper was introduced on the radio program, and the Man of Steel first encountered Batman, Robin and kryptonite on the air. Superman flew off the radio airwaves on March 1, 1951 but landed in a successful syndicated television series the following year.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (24)

The Whistler

The Whistler whistled its way onto the airwaves beginning May 16, 1942 and its eerie 13-note theme set the tone for West Coa …

The Whistler whistled its way onto the airwaves beginning May 16, 1942 and its eerie 13-note theme set the tone for West Coast radio mystery for the next decade. "I am the Whistler and I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. Yes, I know the nameless terrors of which they dare not speak."

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Inheritance

Next Airs Tomorrow at 8 pm

30 mins

Inheritance

Inheritance

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CBS Radio Workshop

Next Airs Tomorrow at 8:30 pm

30 mins

The CBS Radio Workshop aired from January 27, 1956 through September 22, 1957 and was a revival of the prestigious Columbia …

The CBS Radio Workshop aired from January 27, 1956 through September 22, 1957 and was a revival of the prestigious Columbia Workshop from the 1930s and 1940s. The CBS Workshop regularly featured the works of the world’s greatest writers. including Ray Bradbury, Archibald MacLeish, William Saroyan, Lord Dunsany and Ambrose Bierce.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (27)

Screen Guild Players

Next Airs Tomorrow at 9 pm

30 mins

Screen Guild Players

Screen Guild Players

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Columbia Presents Corwin

Next Airs Tomorrow at 10 pm

30 mins

This CBS series adapted stories penned by Norman Corwin to radio.

This CBS series adapted stories penned by Norman Corwin to radio.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (29)

An American Gallery

Next Airs Tomorrow at 10:30 pm

30 mins

Each episode featured the work of a different American artist, mostly musicians, across all genres. The narrator was often a …

Each episode featured the work of a different American artist, mostly musicians, across all genres. The narrator was often also a celebrity, such as Bing Crosby speaking about Louis Armstrong and jazz.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (30)

The Unexpected

Next Airs Tomorrow at 11:30 pm

30 mins

These frightening 15-minute tales always ended with a - you guessed it - unexpected twist. Barry Sullivan, Virginia Gregg, a …

These frightening 15-minute tales always ended with a - you guessed it - unexpected twist. Barry Sullivan, Virginia Gregg, and Lurene Tuttle appeared in this syndicated series in 1948.

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Adventures of Philip Marlowe

Next Airs Friday at 12:30 am

30 mins

Raymond Chandler introduced readers to Philip Marlowe in his 1939 novel The Big Sleep. Humphrey Bogart, Robert Montgomery an …

Raymond Chandler introduced readers to Philip Marlowe in his 1939 novel The Big Sleep. Humphrey Bogart, Robert Montgomery and George Montgomery portrayed the hardboiled detective in films before Van Heflin took over as Marlowe in NBC’s 1947 summer series.The Adventures of Philip Marlowe returned September 26, 1948, as a CBS series and starred Gerald Mohr. CBS Chairman William S. Paley was a big fan of The Adventures of Philip Marlowe, and his request for a "Philip Marlowe in the West" led to the development of the legendary western Gunsmoke.

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Duffy's Tavern

Next Airs Friday at 1 am

30 mins

Millions of radio listeners visited Duffy's Tavern each week, but Duffy himself was nowhere to be found. Although he dutiful …

Millions of radio listeners visited Duffy's Tavern each week, but Duffy himself was nowhere to be found. Although he dutifully phoned Archie the manager each week, he never once dropped by. Duffy's Tavern first opened its doors to radio listeners on the CBS audition series Forecast on July 29, 1940, and then opened for regular business on March 1, 1941.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (33)

Jack Benny Program

Next Airs Friday at 1:30 am

30 mins

For more than 20 years, Jack Benny reigned as the king of radio comedy. His show ran on nearly every network from 1932 to th …

For more than 20 years, Jack Benny reigned as the king of radio comedy. His show ran on nearly every network from 1932 to the mid 1950s. How he turned a miserable, self-absorbed cheapskate into a beloved icon ranks among the great achievements in entertainment history. Benny revolutionized the way humor was played on radio by introducing the situation comedy and by giving most of the best lines to his supporting cast.

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Adventures of Harry Nile

Next Airs Friday at 4 am

30 mins

This series is one of a few modern series featured by Radio Classics. A creation of writer Jim French, Harry Nile first came …

This series is one of a few modern series featured by Radio Classics. A creation of writer Jim French, Harry Nile first came to radio in 1976 and continued to be adapted into the late '90s as part of the "Imagination Theatre" productions. Harry Nile, a former Chicago cop turned private detective, was played by Phil Harper for more than 20 years.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (35)

Mr. & Mrs. North

Next Airs Friday at 4:30 am

30 mins

This mystery series aired on NBC and CBS from 1942 to 1954, originally starring Alice Frostand Joseph Curtin. The title cha …

This mystery series aired on NBC and CBS from 1942 to 1954, originally starring Alice Frostand Joseph Curtin. The title characters were a married couple of amateur detectives who somehow always managed to solve crimes that stumped professional police and detectives.

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Rocky Fortune

Next Airs Friday at 5 am

30 mins

Rocky Fortune aired on NBC from October 6, 1953 through March 30, 1954 with Frank Sinatra starring as "that footloose and fa …

Rocky Fortune aired on NBC from October 6, 1953 through March 30, 1954 with Frank Sinatra starring as "that footloose and fancy-free young gentleman" whose fortune was as rocky as his name. The unsponsored "sustainer" series was broadcast during the low point in Sinatra’s career and aired for only 26 weeks.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (37)

Dr. Sixgun

Next Airs Friday at 6 am

30 mins

Dr. Sixgun starred Karl Weber as Dr. Ray Matson, "the gun-toting frontier doctor who roamed the length and breadth of the ol …

Dr. Sixgun starred Karl Weber as Dr. Ray Matson, "the gun-toting frontier doctor who roamed the length and breadth of the old Indian territory, friend and physician to white man and Indian alike, the symbol of justice and mercy in the lawless west of the 1870s." His sidekick Pablo, played by Bill Griffis, narrates the stories.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (38)

Frontier Gentleman

Next Airs Friday at 6:30 am

30 mins

This excellent Western series, created by Antony Ellis, aired for several months on CBS in 1958. John Dehner starred as Brit …

This excellent Western series, created by Antony Ellis, aired for several months on CBS in 1958. John Dehner starred as British reporter J.B. Kendall, who traveled the Wild West in search of stories of adventure. Versatile radio stars like Virginia Gregg, Jospeh Kearns, Stacy Harris and more were featured throughout.

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Damon Runyon Theatre

Next Airs Friday at 7 am

1 hr

This anthology series dramatized the stories of fiction author Damon Runyon and aired in various forms from the late 1940s t …

This anthology series dramatized the stories of fiction author Damon Runyon and aired in various forms from the late 1940s to the mid 1950s. John Brown starred as "Broadway," a fluent "Brooklynese" speaker who spun tales of old Manhattan.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (40)

Gunsmoke

Next Airs Friday at 8:30 am

30 mins

Radio’s greatest adult western told the story of Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal, "the first man they look for and the last they w …

Radio’s greatest adult western told the story of Matt Dillon, U.S. Marshal, "the first man they look for and the last they want to meet." Gunsmoke grew out of a request from CBS founder William Paley for a "Philip Marlowe in the Old West," and featured grimly realistic stories set in the vicinity of Dodge City, the "Gommorrah of the West," with William Conrad as Dillon.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (41)

Life of Riley

Next Airs Friday at 9:30 am

30 mins

The Life of Riley featured the comic misadventures of riveter Chester A. Riley. Riley was a devoted family man with a talent …

The Life of Riley featured the comic misadventures of riveter Chester A. Riley. Riley was a devoted family man with a talent for flying off the handle and a penchant for being worse. Movie star William Bendix played the title role of the lovable hardhat throughout the series.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (42)

Adventures of Sam Spade

Next Airs Friday at 10:30 am

30 mins

Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade walked out of the pages of Black Mask and into his own CBS radio series of July 12, 1946. Howar …

Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade walked out of the pages of Black Mask and into his own CBS radio series of July 12, 1946. Howard Duff starred as the hardboiled detective for the first three seasons. Lurene Tuttle was Sam's secretary Effie Perrine and Jerry Hausner was his lawyer Sid Weiss. CBS dropped the series in 1950 when Hammett ran afoul of Congress' Un-American Activities investigators, but the show was quickly revived by NBC.

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This Is Your F.B.I

Next Airs Friday at 11:30 am

30 mins

This Is Your F.B.I. came to the Blue Network on April 6, 1945, created, produced and directed by Jerry Devine, a former chil …

This Is Your F.B.I. came to the Blue Network on April 6, 1945, created, produced and directed by Jerry Devine, a former child actor. Like Philips H. Lord before him, Devine got special permission from bureau head J. Edgar Hoover to dramatize older cases using fictitious names and locales. Frank Lovejoy was the program's first narrator, followed by Dean Carlton and later William Woodson.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (44)

Broadway is My Beat

Next Airs Friday at 1:30 pm

30 mins

Broadway Is My Beat debuted over CBS on February 27, 1949 and continued through August 1, 1954. Anthony Ross starred as Clov …

Broadway Is My Beat debuted over CBS on February 27, 1949 and continued through August 1, 1954. Anthony Ross starred as Clover during the first two seasons, with Thor taking over the role on July 3, 1950. Homicide detective Clover pounded the Broadway beat for five years in one of radio's last great detective series.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (45)

Boston Blackie

Next Airs Friday at 2:30 pm

30 mins

Boston Blackie was created by Jack Boyle, a hard-drinking opium addict who served three prison terms. While in prison, Boyle …

Boston Blackie was created by Jack Boyle, a hard-drinking opium addict who served three prison terms. While in prison, Boyle began writing true-crime confession stories that were published in The American Magazine under the byline 6006, his convict number. Boyle's stories were collected in his 1919 book, Boston Blackie, and inspired a popular series of B-films, the radio series and a 1951 video version.

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Big Town

Next Airs Friday at 3 pm

30 mins

Edward G. Robinson starred as crusading newspaper editor Steve Wilson from October 19, 1937 through July 2, 1942. The Holly …

Edward G. Robinson starred as crusading newspaper editor Steve Wilson from October 19, 1937 through July 2, 1942. The Hollywood great was glad to play an idealistic role in contrast to his many film gangster portrayals. Big Town at its peak was radio’s highest-rated drama and was only eclipsed by The Jack Benny Program in ratings. The series was canceled when Edward G. Robinson quit in 1942 but was resurrected the following year with Edward Pawley (and later Walter Greaza) as Wilson and Fran Carlon as Lorelei. The revived Big Town aired from October 5, 1943 through June 25, 1952.

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Burns & Allen Show

Next Airs Friday at 5:30 pm

30 mins

George and Gracie first performed on air over the BBC while touring England after an NBC executive rejected their act insist …

George and Gracie first performed on air over the BBC while touring England after an NBC executive rejected their act insisting that "Gracie’s voice is unfit for radio." Burns and Allen won a regular spot on The Robert Burns Panatella Program February 22, 1932 and moved into the top spot when Guy Lombardo left the series. The Burns and Allen Show aired through May 17, 1950 on radio and for another decade on television. Jack Benny and George Burns were best friends in real life and often were guests on each other’s programs.

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Lights Out!

Next Airs Friday at 7:30 pm

30 mins

Lights Out debuted January 1, 1934 over Chicago’s WENR and moved onto the NBC airwaves beginning April 17, 1935. Radio’s pr …

Lights Out debuted January 1, 1934 over Chicago’s WENR and moved onto the NBC airwaves beginning April 17, 1935. Radio’s premier horror series was created by writer/ director Wyllis Cooper. Cooper was succeeded by Arch Oboler, one of radio’s greatest dramatic talents.

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Philo Vance

Next Airs Friday at 8 pm

1 hr

Philo Vance was the most popular fictional detective during the late 1920s and early 1930s and influenced the creation of ma …

Philo Vance was the most popular fictional detective during the late 1920s and early 1930s and influenced the creation of many later detectives. S.S. Van Dine's legendary creation was first brought to radio on July 5, 1945 in an NBC summer series starring Jose Ferrar and was also briefly portrayed by John Emery.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (50)

The Hermit's Cave

Next Airs Friday at 9:30 pm

30 mins

This horror series aired in multiple iterations from 1930-1944. It consisted of standalone tales told by "The Hermit," a mys …

This horror series aired in multiple iterations from 1930-1944. It consisted of standalone tales told by "The Hermit," a mysterious, cackling storyteller. It was first broadcast on a Detroit radio station before moving to Los Angeles, where the show would be produced by William Conrad (creator and voice of Gunsmoke's Marshall Matt Dillon)

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (51)

Fort Laramie

Next Airs Friday at 10 pm

30 mins

Specially transcribed tales of the dark and tragic ground of the wild frontier. The saga of fighting men who rode the rim of …

Specially transcribed tales of the dark and tragic ground of the wild frontier. The saga of fighting men who rode the rim of empire and the dramatic story of Lee Quince, Captain of Cavalry. Premiering in January 1956, Raymond Burr starred as Captain Quince-a soldier who followed orders and a leader who lived by his own rules of fairness and honesty.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (52)

Man Called X

Next Airs Friday at 11 pm

30 mins

Wherever there is mystery, adventure, intrigue, in all the strange and dangerous places in the world, there you will find--T …

Wherever there is mystery, adventure, intrigue, in all the strange and dangerous places in the world, there you will find--The Man Called X! Debonair British actor Herbert Marshall stars as FBI agent Ken Thurston, "the man who crosses the ocean as readily as you and I cross town; he is the man who fights today's war in his unique fashion, so that tomorrow's peace will make the world a neighborhood for all of us." The Man Called X debuted over CBS on July 10, 1944, moved to NBC in 1950 and continued through May 20, 1952.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (53)

Tarzan

Next Airs Friday at 11:30 pm

30 mins

From the heart of the jungle comes a savage cry of victory. This is Tarzan, Lord of the jungle! From Africa... land of encha …

From the heart of the jungle comes a savage cry of victory. This is Tarzan, Lord of the jungle! From Africa... land of enchantment, mystery and violence comes one of the most colorful figures of all time. Transcribed from the immortal pen of Edgar Rice Burroughs and starring Lamont Johnson as "the son of the jungle".

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (54)

Casey, Crime Photographer

Next Airs Saturday at 12 am

1 hr

Jack "Flashgun" Casey was first introduced in the March 1934 issue of Black Mask, the classic pulp fiction magazine. Created …

Jack "Flashgun" Casey was first introduced in the March 1934 issue of Black Mask, the classic pulp fiction magazine. Created by pulp wordsmith George Harmon Coxe, Casey appeared in dozens of stories in Black Mask, which were later collected into six books. Flashgun Casey came to radio as a CBS sustaining series on July 7, 1943. The series was renamed Casey, Press Photographer in 1944 and became Casey, Crime Photographer on September 12, 1945.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (55)

Blondie

Next Airs Saturday at 1 am

30 mins

Based on the comic strip by Chic Young, Blondie aired from 1939-1950. Several actresses played the title role: Penny Singlet …

Based on the comic strip by Chic Young, Blondie aired from 1939-1950. Several actresses played the title role: Penny Singleton, Ann rutherford, Alice White and Patricia Van Cleve. Aurthur Lake played husband Dagwood Bumstead.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (56)

Fibber McGee & Molly

Next Airs Saturday at 1:30 am

30 mins

The husband-and-wife vaudeville team of Jim and Marian Jordan began their radio careers in Peoria on a bet from Jim’s brothe …

The husband-and-wife vaudeville team of Jim and Marian Jordan began their radio careers in Peoria on a bet from Jim’s brother. The Jordans were heard as The O’Henry Twins and The Air Scouts before Don Quinn created Smackout in 1931. Quinn revamped the show as Fibber McGee and Molly in 1935 when Johnson’s Wax signed on as sponsor.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (57)

X Minus One

Next Airs Saturday at 2 am

30 mins

X-Minus One premiered on April 24, 195 and was a revival of Dimension X, NBC's earlier science fiction anthology series. X-M …

X-Minus One premiered on April 24, 195 and was a revival of Dimension X, NBC's earlier science fiction anthology series. X-Minus One ran until January 9, 1958 and was rerun during the 1970s as part of NBC's Omnibus series.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (58)

Inner Sanctum Mysteries

Next Airs Saturday at 4:30 am

30 mins

Inner Sanctum's sinister host welcomed listeners "through the squeaking door to another night of horror." The show’s "squea …

Inner Sanctum's sinister host welcomed listeners "through the squeaking door to another night of horror." The show’s "squeaking door" was one of radio’s most-remembered openings and was inspired by the creaking hinges on a sound effects door at the radio studio.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (59)

Blair Of The Mounties

Next Airs Saturday at 5:30 am

30 mins

TBD

TBD

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (60)

The Abbott and Costello Show

Next Airs Saturday at 7 am

1 hr

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made their radio debut on CBS’ The Kate Smith Show as replacements for Hollywood-bound Henny You …

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello made their radio debut on CBS’ The Kate Smith Show as replacements for Hollywood-bound Henny Youngman. The former burlesque comics reintroduced and preserved the classic comedy sketches of vaudeville in their films and radio and television series. The Abbott and Costello Show debuted as a 1940 summer replacement for Fred Allen and later aired from October 8, 1942 through June 29, 1949.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (61)

Judy Canova Show

Next Airs Saturday at 8 pm

1 hr

Judy Canova's career began in a family vaudeville group alongside her sister and brother. After several years of popular gue …

Judy Canova's career began in a family vaudeville group alongside her sister and brother. After several years of popular guest apperances and guest hosting gigs in the '30s and '40s, Judy Canova's own radio show debuted in 1943. The show ran for twelve years— first on CBS and then on NBC. She played an exagerrated version of herself, a country bumpkin transplanted in Hollywood.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (62)

Richard Diamond, Private Detective

Next Airs Saturday at 9 pm

30 mins

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered over the NBC network on April 24, 1949 and ran through 1952 starring Dick Powel …

Richard Diamond, Private Detective premiered over the NBC network on April 24, 1949 and ran through 1952 starring Dick Powell as "radio's singing detective." Powell had first achieved movie stardom as a baby-faced crooner, and later matured to hardboiled roles, including Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe in the 1944 film Murder My Sweet.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (63)

The Falcon

Next Airs Saturday at 9:30 pm

30 mins

Michael Waring was a freelance detective who was also known as the Falcon. Waring's detective techniques were a cross betwee …

Michael Waring was a freelance detective who was also known as the Falcon. Waring's detective techniques were a cross between Ellery Queen and Richard Diamond. He had a certain eye for detail but was frequently on the outs with the police.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (64)

Great Gildersleeve

Next Airs Sunday at 6 am

30 mins

The Great Gildersleeve featured one of radio’s greatest casts of comedic players. The Great Gildersleeve aired until March 2 …

The Great Gildersleeve featured one of radio’s greatest casts of comedic players. The Great Gildersleeve aired until March 21, 1957, with Willard Waterman taking over the title role for the final seven radio season and three television seasons.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (65)

Jeff Regan, Investigator

Next Airs Monday at 12 am

1 hr 30 mins

This crime noir series featured Jack Webb as Jeff Regan, a private eye who always had a bone to pick with his boss. Frank Gr …

This crime noir series featured Jack Webb as Jeff Regan, a private eye who always had a bone to pick with his boss. Frank Graham took over in the second and last season, as Webb moved on to star in and produce Dragnet.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (66)

Father Knows Best

Next Airs Monday at 2 am

1 hr

NBC's Father Knows Best depicted the lives of the Anderson family, an average American family living in an average American …

NBC's Father Knows Best depicted the lives of the Anderson family, an average American family living in an average American town. Robert Young starred as Jim Anderson, the easy-going and sensible father. Young was the only cast member to survive the transition from radio to television.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (67)

Murder at Midnight

Next Airs Monday at 3:30 am

30 mins

This transcribed mystery-horror series was syndicated from WJZ in New York and aired from 1946-1947. The creepy voice in the …

This transcribed mystery-horror series was syndicated from WJZ in New York and aired from 1946-1947. The creepy voice in the opening piece was provided by Raymond Morgan, a New York minister who gave up his ministry to act on the radio. Other actors included Mercedes McCambridge, Berry Kroeger, and Elspeth Eric.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (68)

Six Shooter

Next Airs Monday at 4 am

30 mins

The Six Shooter aired started movie star James Stewart rode the radio range from September 20, 1953 through June 24, 1954 as …

The Six Shooter aired started movie star James Stewart rode the radio range from September 20, 1953 through June 24, 1954 as Britt Ponset, "the Texas plainsman who wandered through the western territories, leaving behind a trail of still-remembered legends."

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (69)

The Third Man

Next Airs Monday at 9 am

30 mins

The Third Man was an adventure series starring Orson Welles as Harry Lime, the character created by author Graham Greene. It …

The Third Man was an adventure series starring Orson Welles as Harry Lime, the character created by author Graham Greene. It first aired on the BBC in 1951 and was then syndicated for American radio in 1952.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (70)

Dragnet

Next Airs Monday at 9:30 am

30 mins

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent... …

Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent... One of the most popular police dramas in the history of broadcasting, Dragnet aired on NBC Radio from June 10, 1949 through February 7, 1957 and on television from 1952-59 and 1967-72. Dragnet introduced a new era of documentary-style realism.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (71)

Stan Freberg Show

Next Airs Monday at 2 pm

2 hrs

Stan Freberg Show

Stan Freberg Show

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (72)

Tales of the Texas Rangers

Next Airs Monday at 6 pm

1 hr 30 mins

Tales of the Texas Rangers was broadcast over NBC from July 8 1950 through September 14, 1952 and was later revived on telev …

Tales of the Texas Rangers was broadcast over NBC from July 8 1950 through September 14, 1952 and was later revived on television. Western film star Joel McCrea portrayed Ranger Jace Pearson in NBC's Tales of the Texas Rangers.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (73)

Have Gun, Will Travel

Next Airs Monday at 7:30 pm

30 mins

Have Gun, Will Travel debuted on television on September 14, 1957 and moved to radio November 23, 1958. The program was an …

Have Gun, Will Travel debuted on television on September 14, 1957 and moved to radio November 23, 1958. The program was an oddity, a western that began on television and moved to radio, featuring an ethical anti-hero whose mysterious origins were left untold until the fifth and final TV season.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (74)

Candy Matson

Next Airs Monday at 9 pm

30 mins

Candy Matson was a hard-as-nails private eye who also happended to be beautiful. The show, set in San Francisco, was on the …

Candy Matson was a hard-as-nails private eye who also happended to be beautiful. The show, set in San Francisco, was on the air from 1941 to 1942. Starring Natalie Masters.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (75)

Mystery Is My Hobby

Next Airs Monday at 10 pm

1 hr

Glen Langan starred as the lead character Barton Drake in this detective series that aired on Mutual Radio from 1947 to 1948 …

Glen Langan starred as the lead character Barton Drake in this detective series that aired on Mutual Radio from 1947 to 1948. Drake is an author and amateur crime solver fascinated by the minds of criminals. This series is full of good ole "whodunnit" storylines.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (76)

Family Theater Classic Radio

Next Airs Monday at 11 pm

30 mins

The Family Theater radio series, which featured hundreds of famous actors, was broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System f …

The Family Theater radio series, which featured hundreds of famous actors, was broadcast on the Mutual Broadcasting System from 1947 to 1969, making it one of the longest running weekly dramatic radio programs in history.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (77)

Mercury Theatre On The Air

Next Airs Tuesday at 2 am

30 mins

Created by Orson Welles, this weekly hour-long show presented classic literary works. The series debuted on CBS on July 11, …

Created by Orson Welles, this weekly hour-long show presented classic literary works. The series debuted on CBS on July 11, 1938. After the renown (and accidental panic) of "The War of the Worlds", which aired about 6 months after the series began, Campbell's Soup signed on as the sponser and the show became the Campbell Playhouse.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (78)

Mercury Summer Theatre

Next Airs Tuesday at 2:30 am

30 mins

Mercury Summer Theatre

Mercury Summer Theatre

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (79)

Vic & Sade

Next Airs Tuesday at 3 am

1 hr

Vic and Sade aired from June 29, 1932 through December 7, 1945 and was briefly revived in a half-hour sitcom format in 1946. …

Vic and Sade aired from June 29, 1932 through December 7, 1945 and was briefly revived in a half-hour sitcom format in 1946. "Radio’s home folks" were featured in slice-of-life situations that painted a rich portrait of small-town life. Starring Art Van Harvey and Bernardine Flynn.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (80)

Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show

Next Airs Tuesday at 5 am

30 mins

The Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show grew out of the popular Fitch Bandwagon series. Phil Harris played himself, continuing the …

The Phil Harris & Alice Faye Show grew out of the popular Fitch Bandwagon series. Phil Harris played himself, continuing the egotistical, smart-alec characterization he had perfected during his years as Jack Bennys' bandleader. Alice Faye, Phil's movie star wife, recreated her real-life role as a film star turn devoted housewife.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (81)

Mutual Radio Theater

Next Airs Tuesday at 7:30 am

30 mins

The Mutual Broadcasting System took over and renamed the Sears Radio Theater in December 1979. Hosts Lorne Greene, Andy Grif …

The Mutual Broadcasting System took over and renamed the Sears Radio Theater in December 1979. Hosts Lorne Greene, Andy Griffith, Vincent Price, Cicely Tyson and Leonard Nimoy shared duties by presenting productions with different themes each night of the week.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (82)

Our Miss Brooks

Next Airs Tuesday at 8 am

1 hr 30 mins

Eve Arden portrays Miss Connie Brooks, an overworked and underpaid teacher of 10th grade English at Madison High School. Our …

Eve Arden portrays Miss Connie Brooks, an overworked and underpaid teacher of 10th grade English at Madison High School. Our Miss Brooks called her radio classroom to order beginning July 19, 1948. The final bell rang for Our Miss Brooks on July 7, 1957.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (83)

Lum and Abner

Next Airs Tuesday at 9:30 am

30 mins

Chester Lauck and Norris Goff were first heard as Lum and Abner on a radio fundraiser for flood victims. Improvising the spo …

Chester Lauck and Norris Goff were first heard as Lum and Abner on a radio fundraiser for flood victims. Improvising the spot, they went on the air as the "fellers from the hills" and won a regular spot on KTHS beginning April 26, 1931. Lum and Abner moved into an NBC summer berth July 27, 1931 and aired nationally from May 22, 1933 through May 7, 1954.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (84)

The Chase

Next Airs Tuesday at 1 pm

30 mins

This NBC thriller ran for about a year from the spring of 1952 to the summer of 1953.Each unique story entails suspense, ac …

This NBC thriller ran for about a year from the spring of 1952 to the summer of 1953.Each unique story entails suspense, action and, of course, a protagonist on the run. The series often featured guest stars who were announcers or actors for other suspenseful series, and many of the scripts were also used in other dramas like The Clock and Inner Sanctum Mysteries.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (85)

Columbia Workshop

Next Airs Tuesday at 2 pm

1 hr 30 mins

Also known as the CBS Radio Workshop, this was an experimental anthology series that pushed the envelope of defining art wit …

Also known as the CBS Radio Workshop, this was an experimental anthology series that pushed the envelope of defining art with its creative use of sound. It featured many New York actors and scripts by some of the country's best writers. It aired in various forms on CBS from 1936 - 1957.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (86)

Michael Shayne

Next Airs Tuesday at 6:30 pm

30 mins

Detective Michael Shayne was created by Davis Dresser (writing under the pen name Brett Halliday). "Dividend of Death," the …

Detective Michael Shayne was created by Davis Dresser (writing under the pen name Brett Halliday). "Dividend of Death," the first of more than 60 novels featuring the Miami-based private detective was published in 1939. The adventures of the "reckless red-headed Irishman," played by Wally Maher, came to radio October 16, 1944 and aired for 3 years.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (87)

Crime Classics

Next Airs Tuesday at 8 pm

30 mins

Crime Classics featured "true crime stories from the records and newspapers of every land from every time" culled from direc …

Crime Classics featured "true crime stories from the records and newspapers of every land from every time" culled from director Elliott Lewis' voluminous personal library of true crime cases. The CBS series ran from June 15, 1953 through June 30, 1954.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (88)

Ozzie & Harriet

Next Airs Tuesday at 9:30 pm

30 mins

Bandleader Ozzie Nelson and his vocalist wife, Harriet Hilliard, debuted in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on October 8 …

Bandleader Ozzie Nelson and his vocalist wife, Harriet Hilliard, debuted in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on October 8, 1944. The show featured the home life of "America's favorite young couple" and their sons, David and Ricky. Initially, David and Ricky were portrayed by two actors, but in March 1949, the kids persuaded their Dad to allow them to appear in the radio series and later on television.

RadioClassics | SiriusXM (89)

The Sealed Book

Next Airs Tuesday at 11 pm

30 mins

This mystery/horror series aired on Mutual from March-September of 1945. Philip Clarke played the cackling "keeper of the bo …

This mystery/horror series aired on Mutual from March-September of 1945. Philip Clarke played the cackling "keeper of the book," who told spooky tales of black magic, not unlike in The Witch's Tale or The Hermit's Cave

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Greg Bell

From his native Illinois to a number of Rocky Mountain years in Colorado and Idaho, Greg Bell has done it all in radio—program director, news director, sports director, anchor, and reporter. Bell’s goal with Radio Classics is to take you back to the time when the family gathered around the radio.

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Dr. Kildare

This medical drama was based on films by the same name. Lews Ayes as Dr. Kildare and Lionel Barrymore as Dr. Gillespie face everything from pushy administrators to personal drama and ethical crises in the halls of Blair General Hospital in New York City.

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