My archive.org Files

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Top three (Part three)

Best dramatic series:

3. Mercury Theater - When Orson Welles plays the lead most every week and the stock company had players like Agnes Moorehead, Joseph Cotten and 15 other names you have heard of, then you realize you have found something.  The only drawback is, there aren't that many surviving shows.

2. Suspense - Almost 700 surviving stories and a cast of thousands, with top-notch direction - but missing something that would put it over the top.

1. Radio Theater (AKA Lux Radio Theater) - Pristinely acted, directed shows with almost an hour's length to them.  Hundreds of existing titles and the sound is generally great.  Barely beats out Suspense.

Best Westerns:

3. Frontier Gentleman - A great show.  John Dehner is at his best here.

2. The Six Shooter - Wonderful stuff; this has slipped in my ratings over the years only because of it's brevity and the fact that Gunsmoke has like 20+ times as many shows.

1. Gunsmoke - Overwhelmingly good stuff with piles of shows to listen to.

Shows you should try, but haven't:

3. 20 Questions - There aren't a lot of surviving shows but you'll like what's left for you.

2. People Are Funny - Enough shows exist that you can't really complain that there aren't enough; but I like it so much that I still complain that there aren't enough.

1. College Quiz Bowl - Allen Ludden hosts this quiz program.  If you like a challenge, this is the one for you.  There are no easy questions.

2 comments:

  1. Regarding the shows you should try: I have listened to People Are Funny and 20 Questions. I stopped listening to them as I listen to OTR at night while in bed and these are not the type of shows that work well for us in that setting. I have no problem with your choice of westerns. Did you consider Escape with your dramatic selections. Is there a particular reason why you left that off?

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  2. I didn't pick Escape because I don't think it's quite on par with those others. A few episodes are fantastic but most I find are not that great. Same goes with Suspense although there are a lot of good Suspense episodes (maybe 100-125?)

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