Channel 148RadioClassics is the home for the quality programs from The Golden Age Of Radio. Before television, before audio books, before podcasts, great storytelling dominated the realm of radio. It's where imagination ruled. Superman, Dragnet, Gunsmoke, plus comedies from Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, George Burns & Gracie Allen all originated on radio. Those ageless shows (and so much more) can be found on Radio Classics. Timeless stories and laughs from the past for today's SiriusXM listeners.
Radio Spirits' nationally syndicated radio program hosted by old-time radio expert Greg Bell
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Wonder Show
The Wonder Show
The Red Skelton Show came to NBC on October 7, 1941 after years as a mainstay on Cincinnati's powerhouse station WLW. Red sc …
The Red Skelton Show came to NBC on October 7, 1941 after years as a mainstay on Cincinnati's powerhouse station WLW. Red scored with radio audiences as Junior, "the mean widdle kid," a character he originated in vaudeville. Some of his other memorable characters included Deadeye, J. Newton Numbskull, Willie Lump-Lump, Bolivar Shagnasty and Clem Kadiddlehopper.
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.
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.
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.
AKA "The Harold Peary Show" -- Peary, best known for his role as Gildersleeve on the Fibber McGee & Molly Show (and later on …
AKA "The Harold Peary Show" -- Peary, best known for his role as Gildersleeve on the Fibber McGee & Molly Show (and later on The Great Gildserleeve), starred in this short-lived sitcom. After acting as Gildersleeve on NBC for more than 10 years, Peary switched to CBS for this series, which only ran for one season. However, during the show's run, then-governor Earl Warren awarded Peary for his 10,000th radio broadcast (Warren later became Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court)
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.
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.
My Favorite Husband told the story of George and Liz Cooper, "two people who live together and like it." The radio series wa …
My Favorite Husband told the story of George and Liz Cooper, "two people who live together and like it." The radio series was based on Isabel Rorick's novel Mr. And Mrs. Cugat. The show's audition broadcast featured Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman as her husband.
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.
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.
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
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."
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.
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.
Counterspy, created by Phillips H. Lord, aired on the NBC Blue Network (later known as the ABC) and the Mutual Broadcasting …
Counterspy, created by Phillips H. Lord, aired on the NBC Blue Network (later known as the ABC) and the Mutual Broadcasting System from May of 1942 to November 1957. Don MacLaughlin played David Harding, chief of the "United States Counterspies", a fictional counterintelligence organization. As the series aired during WWII and the Cold War, the plot generally followed real American concerns like the German Gestapo and the Soviet Union.
John Steinbeck recognized Fred Allen as "unquestionably the best humorist of our time, a brilliant critic of manners and mor …
John Steinbeck recognized Fred Allen as "unquestionably the best humorist of our time, a brilliant critic of manners and morals." Following in the footsteps of Will Rogers, Fred reintroduced topical political humor to radio. Fred introduced his classic "Allen’s Alley" segment December 13, 1942.
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.
This sitcom aired from 1944-1949, first as a summer replacement series for Eddie Cantor's show. Then, after signing on as a …
This sitcom aired from 1944-1949, first as a summer replacement series for Eddie Cantor's show. Then, after signing on as a regular on the Jimmy Durante show, young scored his own show with Tums as a sponsor. Today he is best known as TV's Wilbur Post, who talked with Mr. Ed the horse.
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.
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".
Carson, who began his career as a vaudeville actor, got his break in radio with a 1938 performance on The Kraft Music Hall w …
Carson, who began his career as a vaudeville actor, got his break in radio with a 1938 performance on The Kraft Music Hall with Bing Crosby. After a few standout bit roles in movies, Carson landed his own radio show on CBS, which debuted on June 2, 1943. The show centered around the host's hectic Hollywood life, famous friends and strange relatives - Carson's old vaudeville partner Dave Willock even played the part of his nephew Tugwell.
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.
Comedy/variety show starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Comedy/variety show starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
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.
Defense Attorney
Defense Attorney
Inspector Peter Black of Scotland Yard chased bad guys in this CBS detective drama from October of '49-May March '52. Black …
Inspector Peter Black of Scotland Yard chased bad guys in this CBS detective drama from October of '49-May March '52. Black would be portrayed by Ted de Corsia, John Dehner, and Ben Wright in the show's lifetime.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Ford Theater
The Ford Theater
This series consisted of 15-minute episodes about true historical adventures in the American West. Some of the stories inclu …
This series consisted of 15-minute episodes about true historical adventures in the American West. Some of the stories include Lewis & Clark, the Oregon boundary dispute, and the purchase of Alaska. The original broadcast dates for Frontier Fighters are still unclear; the series ran sometime during the 1930s.
Radio adaptations of Broadway plays sponsored by United States Steel
Radio adaptations of Broadway plays sponsored by United States Steel
Nero Wolfe solved crimes with an attention to detail that rivaled the great Sherlock Holmes, although the overweight detecti …
Nero Wolfe solved crimes with an attention to detail that rivaled the great Sherlock Holmes, although the overweight detective physically resembled Holmes' obese older brother Mycroft. The adventures of Rex Stouts's "gargantuan gourmet" first came to radio over the New England Network beginning April 7, 1943. The series moved onto the Blue Network on July 5, 1943 starring Santos Ortega and later Luis Van Rooten.
Hopalong Cassidy's millions of fans got a New Year's Day present in 1950 when William Boyd brought the famous Bar-20 Ranch o …
Hopalong Cassidy's millions of fans got a New Year's Day present in 1950 when William Boyd brought the famous Bar-20 Ranch onto the Mutual radio range. In 1950, Clarence Mulford's classic cowboy was heard on 152 radio stations, seen on 63 television outlets and appeared as a comic strip in 155 newspapers.
This long-running radio anthology comedy-drama series was broadcast from November 27, 1930 to September 27, 1953.
This long-running radio anthology comedy-drama series was broadcast from November 27, 1930 to September 27, 1953.
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.
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.
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."
Dane Clark stars as Peter Chambers, a tough private eye that plays nice with the NYPD. The series is based on "Peter Chamber …
Dane Clark stars as Peter Chambers, a tough private eye that plays nice with the NYPD. The series is based on "Peter Chambers" novels, written by Henry Kane.
This mystery series aired on NBC and CBS from 1942 to 1954, originally starring Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin. The title cha …
This mystery series aired on NBC and CBS from 1942 to 1954, originally starring Alice Frost and 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.
Murder By Experts
Murder By Experts
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.
This series explores the lives and stories behind American historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson and mo …
This series explores the lives and stories behind American historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson and more.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We’ve got plans for every kind of listener
Exclusive channels, sports play-by-play, A-list hosts. The variety you want, where you choose to listen.
