Old-time radio dramas. Now, you might be wondering why I’m dabbling into nostalgia from an era from so many years ago? I wasn’t around. Heck, neither were my parents really. Nonetheless, old-time radio dramas are timeless. You can liken these productions from 100 years ago to books on tape, Audible, and many of the podcasts around today.

The inspiration for this week’s trip down memory lane was sparked by last Friday evening’s amazing live radio production of Alice in Wonderland. Put on by the awesome folks over at KLRN Radio, the classic story reenacted with their own twist. Great job guys! If you didn’t happen to catch it, you can find it here:

Now, thinking about old-time radio dramas, the first vision that comes to mind is typically one of a happy family from the 1930s. Ma sitting on the couch, knitting. Pa in his rocker, with a pipe rested between his lips. And the kids lying down on their stomachs. Along with the dog, the kids are up close to the ginormous radio in the corner of the living room. Here they listen intently to the latest episode of whichever drama or serial the station is broadcasting.

Radio dramas first began to air in the 1920s and phased out in the age of television. But the nostalgia of listening to old-time radio dramas carried on.

I remember back in high school, there was a radio station in Reno, NV that played a variety of old radio dramas and serials. They had dedicated evenings and weekends to playing these old shows. Some weekends, when there was nothing else going on, my bestie and I would lie on my bedroom floor and tune in. It’s crazy, I can specifically remember listening to The Adventures of Superman, and Have Gun, Will Travel.

But wait, there’s more! Another old-time radio drama piece of nostalgia is portrayed in one of my favorite episodes of Frasier. Season 4, episode 18: “Ham Radio.” In this episode, Frasier becomes excited for the radio station’s 50th anniversary as the radio station wants him to put on a production of the station’s first live radio drama, Nightmare Inn. He gathers his friends to help out. But in good sitcom fashion, anything that could possibly go wrong, does.

So, in keeping the nostalgia alive, you can find some of those old-time radio productions brought back to life, here. From radio airwaves to digital streaming podcasts, we continue to find ourselves engaged in this form of entertainment time and time again. Old-time radio dramas. An art that has lasted 100 years, and counting.