The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas

Well, this week I received in a terrific radio adaptation of the famous Rod Serling TZ script "Eye of the Beholder" by Barry Richert. Barry has written a few TZ scripts this year and I'm looking forward to producing them as he is a brilliant writer. "Eye of the Beholder" is an especially difficult show to do on radio as it is very visual but Barry nailed it as I knew he would. I'm a firm believer that "anything" can be done on radio. This was taught to me by my close friend Stan Freberg before I had ever met him -- let me explain: When I was a DJ on my college radio station, RRG-Triton College 88.9 FM, I heard a PSA (Public Service Announcement) written, produced and starring Stan Freberg (little did I know that he and I would become close friends years later and he would host my "When Radio Was" radio show and star in several episodes of TZ). In this PSA Stan uses sound effects of heavy industrial equipment to build a gigantic ice-cream sundae, including a crane to put the cherry on top. At the end of the PSA Stan says in his one-of-a-kind "Stan Freberg" voice: "Try doing that on television." His point was, sure, you could build a gigantic sundae on TV but it would cost a fortune and be a monumental task. But on radio, with a few perfectly placed sound effects, the right music for tension, and a narrator, you could do it quickly, easily and cost efficiently. So, in a nutshell -- ANYTHING can be done on radio! And the truth be told, he is right. You can do anything on radio and I can't tell you how many email I get from listeners to our TZ radio show that ask: Are you going to do "The Invaders" and "Eve of the Beholder?" And my answer is always a resounding YES, yes, we are going to do them. I have faith in my writers that they will figure out how to turn extremely visual scripts like these into brilliant radio
adaptations.

On another subject, I am "this" close to announcing who will be the host of MYSTERY THEATER so hang in there with me, I am hopeful that I will be able to announce it on my next blog.

And a correction from my last blog: The Chris Canniff script that he delivered is not called "Back For the Holidays" it is called "Back for the Fourth" and I plan to produce it in time to broadcast it prior to Fourth of July 2009. It's going to be a
riveting show.

Well, that's all for now my friends, join me next time for
more NEWS FROM THE ZONE!