Old Time Radio (OTR) - X Minus One
X minus one was effectively the return of Dimension X, and although the opening sequence was revamped and the announcer became Fred Collins, the stories were still as bizarre and intriguing as its predecessor. The first X minus one shows used scripts from Dimension X, but soon created new shows, employing the talents of many great sci–fi authors, including staff writers Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts, Asimov, Bradbury and Heinlein. From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future, adventures in which you'll live in a million could–be years on a thousand maybe worlds. The National Broadcasting Company, in co–operation with Street and Smith, publishers of Astounding science fiction magazine, presents....X minus one.....
The series was cancelled after the 126th broadcast on January 9th, 1958. However, the early 1970s brought a wave of nostalgia for old time radio; an experimental new episode was created in 1973, "The Iron Chancellor" by Robert Silverberg, but it failed to revive the series. NBC also tried broadcasting the old recordings, but their irregular once-monthly scheduling kept even devoted listeners from following the broadcasts. All episodes of the show survive Future Tense! was a 1974-76 radio series, produced in Michigan, with local actors performing scripts updated from X Minus One by Professor Eli Segal. The show was a production of WMUK, the college radio station of Western Michigan University.
This was the first Sc-Fi radio show I came across as a teenager - one of the very first shows I recall listening to was 'The Embassy' followed by 'The Veldt' and 'Almost Human' - not only were they unsettling, often frightening and at times unnerving to listen to - they really captured the imagination and made you think. Whilst we have an array of technologies and visual platforms - there is nothing like putting your imagination to work on the back of the spoken word.
X Minus One
The first show was broadcast on the 24/02/1955 and the last show date was 09/01/1958. There were 127 shows in total.
