We’ve reached our 100th episode and as a thank you to those listeners whose support pushed our Patreon page above $100 per month, we’ve prepared a special giant-sized recording for Mercury Theatre on the Air’s legendary version of The War of the Worlds, an adaptation of H.G Wells’ novel about the invasion of Earth by deadly Martians! Does Orson Welles’ mad plan to tell this story via realistic news bulletins still pack a punch? When you strip away the myth and hyperbole surrounding this recording, how good is the actual story? Wait, Orson Welles and H.G. Wells were interviewed together? Listen for yourself and find out! Then vote and let us know what you think!
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1. Here’s some contemporary newspaper coverage of the broadcast:
https://emruf.webs.com/WOTW.htm
2. Also, check out this 1927 “panic broadcast” from Australia:
http://www.mwotrc.com/rr2013_04/invasionpanic.htm
Congrats on hitting 100!!! Woooohoooo!
My father remembers someone in his apartment building (New York, Long Island) running up and down the halls panicking. I’m one of the people Eric pointed out – heard OF it but never HEARD it. It was excellent. Reminded me a bit (format) of the book World War Z.
Totes agree with Eric! The first half is so good and if Orson had bothered to show up before the broadcast, I think he would have chopped or adapted the second bit. It would be fairly easy to do, as you could have survivors hiding in central park with a radio setup, maybe former reporters and they would witness the machines gathering in the park, the debarkation, and then the death of the martians. The whole death thing does add alot of good angles to the story, not just kind of biological science angle, but also going back to HP… Read more »