h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Old Time Radio - Radio Theatre - A903296
Author: Misk - U211910

This is my first attempt at writing for the guide. I believe that it is ready to be considered for editing, but then again this is my first time and I may be totally wrong.

Many Thanks for your time

Paul

I'm surprised that this has sat in PR without any comment so far, Misk.

America had the Golden Age? Not sure I would agree with that. What about ITMA, Hancock's Half Hour and a whole load of other stuff I could mention. However these are not Radio Theatre, they're radio comedy - a different animal.

As I don't know huge amounts about BBC Radio Theatre, I can't really comment on what should be included as Radio Theatre, however I'm sure there are Researchers out there who can.

And two weeks since your post ZSF!

There's a very nice entry here, which needs just a small amount of tidying and re-working. For instance:

"The true time span for what is commonly called “The Golden Age of Radio can be traced back too the First World War."
Is that really true? The BBC didn't begin broadcasting until the mid twenties, and I thought they were just about the first public broadcaster in the world. Should be 'to' not 'too' btw.

Both America and Britain had their own 'Golden Age', and I'd say that they pretty much ran simultaneously, with the American one ending slightly earlier because of the way that tv overtook America before it got its teeth into the Brits.

"Today there is very little radio produced other than the regular music channels"
That's definately true in America, and it may often seem that way in the UK, but just look at the output of the BBC - Radio 4, Radio 5, the drama on Radio 3, the documentaries and features on both Radio 3 and Radio 2, the non-music output of BBC local stations, and I'm not even sure what's on the new stations like Radio 7, etc. It's not difficult at all to find non-music radio in the UK.

In America, finding non-music radio can be easy or difficult, depending on where you live. Oh sure, you can find crappy talk radio everywhere, but if you're looking for quality speech radio, your NPR station may or may not give it to you full time. My local NPR affiliate is a university station, and this is a music town, so we get the bare minimum of NPR speech programmes - Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Car Talk, Fresh Air, Marketplace. The rest of the time we get locally produced music shows.

I really must apologise for not replying to this thread before now, things got a bot hectic for a while. Many apologies.
Firstly to Zarquons post. My entry is strongly biased towards the American radio as that is where the bulk of my knowledge lies. I do whole heartedly agree about the BBC's output. In many respects the quality far outweighs it's American counterparts, esspecially the comedy. I believe that the American Radio system was geared up much more towards Entertainment in general. Or maybe it seemed that way because of the amount of choice they had. There was far more available to the American listening public that there ever was here.

To Gosho's post.

I think I was too vague about the origins of the Golden age of Radio.
As I said before my knowledge lies pretty much in American Radio, I believe the spark that ignited the flame for America's fascination with radio and all it's possibilities was with the Wilson Speech. I do see where confusion could arise there.

The Time Frame for Radio's Golden Age I mention is the generally agreed period that Regular radio programmes ended... More followed but few caught on untill the 70's with CBS Radio Mystery Theatre. The Uk's Golden age in my reasoning would probably be shorter and shifted slightly too bring it into line with The Goon Show The Navy Lark et al. Having said that I don't think that the UK's golden age really died until Comercial TV arrived here. I think the variety that that offered pretty much sounded the death knell for the already belegured radio shows. But that didn't stop radio from carrying on with more Navy Lark and committing itself to creating great plays and book readings. I just don't think that the style of radio continued such as for example we got to know the charecters more and more each week with The Goons and The Navy Lark. We now see short 6 episode stories that are self contained. The variety show element was lost.
Having spent a couple of years in the States and really getting into OTR through NPR, I think it's a shame thatthe content that is available in America isn't more. Off the top of my head i can only think of 1 company that regularly make new drama for NPR and that would be the Imagination Theater group. As i mentioned the Star Wars trilogy was a prime example of what can still be achieved through the medium of Radio in America.

I am unsure if any of what i have written here could be used as i find it too much of a personal view point to be included in a non biased entry.

Any further thoughts would be gratfully appriciated.

Many apologies for the spelling too

Paul

Can anyone suggest anything that would make this entry more appealing to scouts and editors.

Many Thanks

Paul

Try puting in links to BBC Radio...
Radio 4 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/
Radio 7 http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbc7/
World Service http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/index.shtml

Thanks for the suggestion Duck, I have added the BBC links you mentioned plus links to the CBC in Canada and to NPR in the states.

Many Thanks

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

Thanks for contributing to the Edited Guide!

well done

Thanks, It's been a fun ride. I am looking forward to doing it again in the future. Just have to find that next topic that hasn't been written yet.

Paul