it's been a while since this sidecar aired but I have been thinking abiut it quite often since. When I was growing up in W Mass, I discovered a radio station that was airing old episodes of CBS's Mystery Theater late at night. I'd tune in and listen in the dark as I lay in bed, fascinated by the stories. Unfortunately the airings stopped and I soon discovered that nothing was out there to replace them. I hadn't thought much about them until I found Fusion Patrol and began listening to the podcasts.

The first podcast I heard was a review of the Starlost pilot. In that review I heard Eugen and Ben mention a similarity between the shows plot and one of Heinlein's first works, Universe. Afterwards I did some research and I discovered the X-Minus One podcast. These were actually recordings of the orignal radio show of them same name. The first one I listened to was Universe. Afterwards I downloaded every single one and I often listen to them while waiting for the next Fusion Patrol podcast.

While I listen I realize that when I'm done with theses episode there won't be anymore and I often wonder why. A few interesting points were brought up about that fact in this sidecar that I hadn't realized. As Eugene said, after WWII the television began moving in and eventually displaced radio as a source of drama and other shows. But why?

I agree that geography had a role to play,but I offer a different observation. The U.S. was a vast radio market, but so too was the UK, even more so. The U.S. market, up through the war had literllaly thousands of sations serving many small markets. Also, stations wern't limited as much as they are now on there broadcast power. You could listen too some stations broadcasting from just about anywhere in the country. Gradually the broadcast affiliates were born, primarilly NBC and CBS, who provideed news and entertainment programs. As they grew so did there competiton. That compettion led them to seek other mediums, namely television.

In the UK, the geography didn't span a single continent but several as the empire reached out to a population across the globe. In addition, only one entity reigned over this competion free market, the BBC. In addition to econmic factors following the war that stemmed the spread of TV in the UK the same enormous geographic factor played a role as well. It was much cheaper and efficient to broadcast radio across the empire than it was to build the infrastructure to support global televison broadcasts. I believe this last factor played a pivitoal role in the longer life of radio in the UK more than any other.

It's sad that the radio drama is dead in the US. Many science fictions greats found a young audience through radio in the early days. Tonight I listened to an adaption of Rad Bradbury's "Nightfall'. I have never read the book, but on my next trip to the library I'll be sure to look for it.