Hello and welcome back to the time machine. As we have been doing all week, we will travel back to the first 100 episodes of Dragnet and pick out my favorites. Dragnet was not only one of the most famous, but also one of the most celebrated series of its time. Between radio and television it won both peabody and emmy awards for outstanding dramatic series.  Today we will join a melancholy episode about several families who have all of their possessions stolen. The first house hit has everything stolen but the rug. The story is strangely led off by a 12 year old girl who is the first one to report a theft. So sit back, relax, and travel back to 1950 to enjoy The Big Pair from Dragnet.

Hello and welcome back to the time machine. Today we are again reviewing my favorite shows from the first 100 episodes of Dragnet. We will join Sgt’s Friday and Romero on a dark case. A patrol officer has gone missing while on duty. His vehicle abandoned, radio still in operation, and no clues as to what happened to him.  The classic intro of dragnet is probably one of the most famous chord progressions in movie and television history. Written by Walter Schumann, it is named “Danger Ahead”. This name is especially fitting for this thrilling episode. So please sit back, try to relax, and travel back to 72 years to August 24th, 1950 with Dragnet and The Big Chace.

Hello and welcome back to the time machine. Today we will travel back 72 years to May 1950 for another episode from the first 100 of arguably the most successful old time radio shows of all time, Dragnet. We will join Jack Webb’s phenomenal portrayal of Sgt Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero for yet another case. Mr. Webb’s portrayal was so convincing at the time he received numerous requests from fans of the show to solve real life cases. This led to Webb having to release a public statement clarifying that he was not a real police officer and was just an actor.  Today we will join them for a different type of case. This week, assigned to the homicide division, it is time for a manhunt. This time against a murderous criminal impersonating a police officer. So sit back as we travel back to May 4th, 1950 and Dragnet with The Big Badge.

Hello and welcome back to the time machine. I apologize for my long absence but I have had a nasty case of laryngitis for the past week. I am happy to return for a special week here on the time machine. As it is my birthday week I have decided to do a special of one of my favorite shows Dragnet. Over the last several months I have listened to the first 100 episodes of the show spanning from June 1949 to July 1951. This week we will cover my top five favorite episodes from the first run. I have featured some episodes in the first 100 already, but we will consider those honorable mentions as this list is in no particular order. Today we will start with our first case of the week as we join Sgt Joe Friday on yet another case from real police files. In this particular case, a woman who was previously paroled after the murder of her husband is on the run. Your job, find her. So please, sit back, relax, and travel back to back to March 9th, 1950 and what I believe to be the 32nd episode of Dragnet with The Big Thank You.

Hello and welcome back to the time machine, although I am still without my voice, I have been listening to a lot of Mysterious Traveler during my sickness and this is another one of my favorites. Although the show is mostly horror and thriller based, some of the episodes lean more into science fiction. This particular episode feels like the beginning of a great science fiction epic with a little touch of War of the Worlds thrown in. Please sit back, relax, and travel back to August 1951 for The Mysterious Traveler and the science fiction original, Fire in The Sky.

Hello and welcome back to the not so daily time machine. I apologize for my absence, but I am quite sick and lost my voice for a few days. For now I will upload filler episodes, today from The Mysterious Traveler. This is a fun romp following a couple committing what could be the perfect crime. So sit back, relax, and travel back to March 29th, 1949 and Death Has a Cold Breath.

Hello and welcome back to the Time Machine. Today, we'll be traveling back in time to the world of 1950s science fiction radio drama, with an episode from the classic series "Dimension X." Our destination is the world of "The Roads Must Roll," a story written by the legendary science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein. Set in a future where society has become dependent on moving roads, this thought-provoking tale explores the themes of technology and the role it plays in our lives. This fast-paced and captivating episode will keep you on the edge of your seat as you follow the engineer's journey and discover the importance of the roads in this futuristic world. Whether you're a fan of science fiction or simply enjoy a good story well told, this is one episode you won't want to miss. So sit back, relax, and join us as we travel back in time to the world of Dimension X and the tale of "The Roads Must Roll."

Hello and welcome back to the time machine. Today we will travel back to 1955 to revisit an old friend, Bob Bailey once again playing the role of Johnny Dollar. Unlike the more recent filler episodes that I have featured from the later, 30 minute single episode era, this is from the nightly serial. Every night Monday to Friday the show would be featured for fifteen minutes, almost always ending on a great cliffhanger. In this particular episode, much like yesterday’s nero wolfe episode where we saw Mr. Wolfe actually leaves his chair, we will also see Bob Bailey act out of character today. In this particular 5 part story, you will enjoy twists and turns leading up to a wonderfully performed finale. If it is your first time listening to Your’s Truly Johnny Dollar, I hope you’ll appreciate the incredible production quality and acting on the show, as this is, in my humble opinion, one of the very best acting performances of Mr. Bailey on radio. So please, sit back, relax, and travel back to the first week in November of 1955 with Your’s Truly Johnny Dollar and The Valentine Matter.

Hello and welcome back to the time machine. Today we will travel back to 1951 for another fantastic episode from The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe. Yes, the world's fattest, laziest, drunkest, smartest, cleverest, and best detective. In this episode we will join Mr. Wolfe where he always resides, in his chair with his assistant archie. This time though, the episode takes a turn away from the usual. Mr. Wolfe may even need to… stand up or god forbid poison himself with that disgusting thing he calls fresh air. So please sit back, relax, and travel back to January 12th, 1951 for Killer Cards from The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe

Hello and welcome back to the time machine. Today we will travel back to our favorite theater this week for another great episode. Sorry I do not have an introduction today and a later upload time but this is a story not to be missed.  On fridays on the time machine we like to do thriller/horror content, so of course you would assume that War of the Worlds would be the choice to end Mercury Radio Theater on the Air with. Instead, today I bring you a much more terrifying tale, a true tale of the first trip to the north pole... or possibly attempt is the correct word.  So please sit back, relax and travel back 83 years to Mercury Radio Theater on the Air and Orson Welles adaptation of Hell on Ice

Hello and welcome back to the time machine. Today, we are taking a journey around the world in just 80 days. That's right, we are heading back to the Mercury Theater on the Air for their adaptation of Jules Verne's classic adventure, "Around the World in 80 Days." Orson Welles, the master of storytelling, once again graces us with his talent and brings to life the journey of Phileas Fogg and his loyal valet, Passepartout, as they race against time to circumnavigate the globe. Whether you're a fan of classic literature or just enjoy a good story, this episode is not one to be missed. So, sit back, relax, and get ready to travel back 85 years to the Mercury Theater on the Air and their take on "Around the World in 80 Days"

Hello and welcome back to the time machine. Today we will travel back for another wonderful adaptation by Orson Welles, this time from The Campbell Playhouse. Running from 1938 to 1940, it was a sponsored version of Mercury Radio Theater continuing the high production values and storytelling seemingly present in anything Mr. Welles touches. Today we will here one of the best murder mysteries ever written, Agatha Christie’s “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.” A tale that needs little to no introduction, we will join the wonderful belgian detective with his little mustache that we have featured previously on this show in Agatha Christie’s Poirot. I’ll let Mr. Welles himself do a proper introduction of the episode, so please sit back, relax, and travel back 85 years to Campbell Playhouse and their adaptation of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

Today on the time machine Orson Welles brings you another literary classic, this time Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo. This is another fantastic adaptation, so I hope you enjoy, and we'll be back tomorrow with one of the greatest mystery stories ever written, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, except adapted by Mr. Welles.

Hello, and welcome back to the time machine. Today we will continue focusing on the career of Orson Welles. Firstly however I would like to take a quick sidebar, if you’d like to just listen to the episode please feel free to skip to 3ish minutes. I would like to apologize for the very interrupted upload schedule here on the time machine. It is a one man operation and this one man has been dealing with a lot in the way of mental health for the last few months. I am lucky to have been surrounded by some very encouraging family and early supporters like Mark and AB. I am also lucky to find solace in these stories and the way that they can take you away to somewhere you’ve never been all while just driving to work. I hope you do too, and that is what will keep the time machine running. Additionally with a full week this week where we will actually cover Orson Welles, I will add a bonus episode made for Patreon that was recorded last week and should show up in your feeds by the time this is published. If you are already a subscriber to the Patrieon or through spotify, you would have already heard this episode before so to Mark that goes to you :) Now enough with all of that.  On this episode we will travel back to 1938 for what Mr. Welles is probably most famous for other than Citizen Kane and War of the Worlds. His role as the writer, director, and star would have broken any other 23 year old man, but by age 23 Orson was already considered one of the greatest broadway writers and directors in the world. In this episode we will go visit the Mercury Radio Theater for the first theatrical adaptation for radio of Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I have struggled for years to get into classic literature, and I am sure I have attempted Dracula numerous times throughout my life. Well leave it to Mr. Welles to finally tell a great tale in a “more modern” way. Keep in mind that this is their very first episode aired, all the way back on July 11th, 1938, so please, sit back, and hear the unabridged version of Mercury Radio Theater On The Air and their version of Dracula.

Hello and welcome back to time time machine. Today we will travel back to 1937 to highlight this week's focus, the career of Orson Welles in Old Time Radio. We will begin with his first starring role in a major radio series, as the mysterious character, The Shadow. And as it is one of his first major roles, we will also use the very first episode of the show that I could find. In 1934, Street and Smith entered into a broadcasting agreement with Blue coal, two scriptwriters joined up to develop the series, now with a backing sponsor. The shadow returned to the airwaves with its very first episode, which we will hear today “The Death House Rescue” on September 26th, 1937 featuring a young 22 year old actor named Orson Welles. Mr. Welles would continue the role for over a year until he moved onto other projects and the program would continue being broadcast until December of 1954. So please, sit back and relax, and join Orson Welles on the very first episode of the show, The Shadow.

Welcome back to the Time Machine, Today, we're taking a trip back to 1942, to experience the iconic episode of "Suspense" - "The Hitchhiker." This episode was written by Lucille Fletcher, who is considered one of the most successful female writers of the Golden Age of Radio. It was widely popular and adapted into several other forms of media, including a television episode and a stage play. It is considered a classic of the suspense genre and still remembered and appreciated by many radio enthusiasts. "Suspense" was a long-running anthology series that specialized in tales of mystery, suspense, and the macabre. The show was on the air from 1942 to 1962 and is considered to be one of the most important and influential programs in the history of radio drama. It's a story that will transport you to a world of darkness and uncertainty, where every twist and turn of the plot is like a flicker of lightning in a stormy night sky. The story is a symphony of suspense, mystery, and terror that will keep you captivated from start to finish. The talented cast of actors, masterful direction, and evocative sound effects will create an immersive experience like you've never heard before, an experience that will be etched in your mind forever. So sit back, relax, and join me as we travel back to 1942 and experience the groundbreaking episode of "The Hitchhiker" from "Suspense" radio program. And as always, thank you for joining me on the Time Machine. Be sure to rate and subscribe to the podcast. If you would like to contact me at any time, please do so at host@dailytimemachine.com and join me tomorrow for more great stories from the past.

Hello and welcome back to the time machine, today we will travel back to May 3rd, 1945 to a broadcast that would be just 4 days before the German armed forces surrendered unconditionally to the Allies. Today we will join a very interesting and mostly unknown broadcast named A Man Called X. The episodes were performed in front of a live crowd as you will hear. Sometimes the commercials if they aren’t too interesting or if the story is too long I will edit out but this one has a particularly interesting commercial about the Lockheed Corporation, now Lockheed-Martin, the P-80 Shooting star, the first US turbojet powered combat aircraft. In 1944 test flights before it was put into action, it exceeded 500 mph in level flight. It is insane that the same company would release the SR-71 Blackbird just 20 years later, whos altitude can be as high as 85,000 feet and has the ground speed record of 2,193.2mph. Anyway enough rambling, now into today's tale. In this particular story you will meet Mr. X, whose real name is Ken Thurston and played by Herbert Marshall. You will also meet Gigi Pearson who plays Mr. X’s wife as they both work for some sort of secret service during the second world war. You will hear about a man named Sweitzer, a man with extremely important information about the 3rd Reich and Hitlers regime. As usual, I do not want to give too much away. So please sit back, relax, and travel back to May 1945 for Herbert Marshall in A Man called X.

Filler episode today, this coming from more Bradbury week overflow. This is another fantastic production by Bradbury 13, the people at NPR and students at BYU university in the 80s. This story comes extremely late in the timeline and relates to Bradbury's collection of short stories telling his history of mars, called The Martian Chronicles. You've heard many stories from that book, including Mars is Heaven, There Will Come Soft Rains, and To the Future. So enjoy the revenge of the planet destroyed by earth men again and again, and join me tomorrow for another exciting episode from the past

Hello and welcome back to a bonus episode of the time machine. Today we will highlight a great episode from suspense called Kaleidoscope. This unsettling tale from July of 1955 is fantastically adapted for radio and starring William Conrad. Mr. Conrad appeared in more than 19 different series and 500 different old time radio shows, in total spending almost five decades working in TV, films, and of course radio. In this short story from Ray Bradbury we will join the voyage of a spaceship, and then men who took that voyage. I cannot give anything away, but as usual, Bradbury’s masterful use of language will keep you enthralled and maybe even a little bit uncomfortable. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy Ray Bradbury’s Kaleidoscope from Escape.

Subscribe on Patreon or Spotify to get extra episodes every month! SPOTIFY:  https://anchor.fm/drpsdailytimemachine/subscribe PATREON https://tinyurl.com/mv95jbhf Hello and welcome back to the time machine. Today we will travel back to 1950 for an episode from the classic show Dragnet. Recently I have listened to the first fifty episodes of the series, and this two part episode was one of my favorites. We will join Sgt Joe Friday and his partner Ben as they hunt for one of their biggest criminal left, a narcotics kingpin known only as The Big Man. We will join Joe as he goes undercover for the first time on the show to see if he can get inside the operation. This is a thrilling tale with all sorts of twists and turns. So join these men as they tell a tale of a true crime where only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Please sit back, relax, and enjoy travel back to January 1950 for the two part story, The Big Man.