Radio's Outstanding Theater of Thrills

Anyone who is a fan of old-time radio has listened to the series, Suspense. It's perhaps the best known of all radio series, and was loved by Hollywood film stars and listeners alike.

Suspense was produced by CBS and debuted 80 years ago, but the episodes are still as fresh and exciting today as they were back then. 

Its opening was one of radio’s best-remembered classics; “the hushed voice and the prowling step … the stir of nerves at the ticking of the clock … the rescue that might be too late, or the murderer who might get away … we invite you to enjoy stories that keep you in … Suspense…”

And it really lived up to it's name!

It’s often said that what you can’t see is scarier than what you can, and Suspense succeeded in sweeping you up and creating a whole spooky world in your imagination, resulting in goosebumps and shivers down your spine! 

One of the great strengths of the series was its range of stories. When the series was live each week, the listeners were presented with a chilling ghost story one week, then a hardboiled detective tale the next, and maybe a sci-fi the week after.

The episodes were adapted from the works of many of the great authors of their respective genres, with stories by as diverse a range of writers as Edgar Allan Poe, Raymond Chandler, John Buchan and H P Lovecraft.

"Consistent quality writing in the scripts made this a superior radio show. Seldom is an episode a disappointment to listen (or re-listen) to for true entertainment. I consider Suspense and Gunsmoke as the two best adult drama shows in the history of Old Time Radio."

Rick Taylor

One particular tale of Suspense, 'Sorry, Wrong Number', written by Lucille Fletcher, was the series most popular and successful show, eventually being not just re-aired, but re-performed seven times after its original premiere in 1943. If I remember rightly Orson Welles himself once referred to it as the best radio script of all time - which is quite an accolade coming from a man who himself was responsible for several of the most memorable shows of that era! 

You can listen to almost 900 shows on RUSC today.

Happy listening my friends,