High Adventure

High Adventure was a Mutual Network mystery and detective series, which followed the formula of the popular CBS offering, Escape.

Each story was supposedly based upon an original tale, written and directed for the High Adventure Society by Robert Monroe, a New York radio broadcasting executive who became known for his research into altered consciousness. His 1971 book Journeys Out of the Body is credited with popularizing the term "out-of-body experience".

The tales were realistic and remarkably believable, in contrast to the many stories found on Escape - well - except for the occasional supernatural inclusion!

The outcome of every story hinged upon the 'normal' star of the show, propelled from their normal life into highly unusual circumstances, whose success would be wholly dependent on their own strength of character, as much as their luck or expertise. 

The writing team certainly didn't hide anything in their attempt to appeal to a masculine audience, with a deep-voiced narrator sketching the evening's story in a few sentences, after the introduction to each episode heard as:-

"Here now is the meeting place for those who like stories of hard action, hard men, and smooth women..."

NBC took over the Mutual Network offering in 1949, before dropping it at the end of the 1950 season, but it was then revived by Mutual again in January, 1953, with the newer versions featuring George Sanders as the host and narrator. 

On 1st May 1950, the first commercial radio station in South Africa, Springbok Radio, took to the airwaves broadcasting in both English and Afrikaans, and soon included High Adventure in their regular broadcasts through the 60s, 70s and 80s.

The collection available on RUSC contains both the US and South African broadcasts, and Joy and I will be adding more each week.

Happy listening my friends,