Showing posts with label Counterspy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Counterspy. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Review: Counterspy

One of radio's great innovators was a man named Phillips H. Lord.  Among his many contributions to radio were the crime series, Gang Busters,  Mr. District Attorney and other shows.

Counterspy fits right in there with them all, although it was about the war and espionage.

In the episodes I have listened to, various charcters are in Europe, helping to defeat the Axis powers.  Whether this meant using radio propaganda piped in to interrupt a Hitler speech or a political kidnapping or what-have-you.

It was different characters every week on the show; a group of capable but no-name New York actors taking turns seemingly and doing a pretty good job of it. 

Counterspy took the war espinoage headlines and turned them into compelling radio.  Not historic and missing or adding various details to make the show exciting, the stories weren't as directly from the headlines as they may have you believe.

The radio action also takes place in the Pacific, where espionage is enacted against the then-hated Japanese.

A fine program that stretches history a bit, but then again, doesn't all media?

©Jimbo 2010/2011

Friday, January 14, 2011

Addendum to Billboard vs Jimbo: Counterspy

As you may recall from an article posted here a few days ago, Phillips Lord was also the creator-etc. of Gang Busters.

Billboard vs Jimbo: Counterspy



This is a great, little-known show almost in the vein of This is Your FBI.

The show has some great acting and deals with subjects of subterfuge, murder - even suicide.

The two above entries from Billboard say all that needs to be said and I agree with them.
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