The CBS Radio Mystery Theater: An Episode Guide and Handbook to Nine Years of Broadcasting, 1974-1982 (Library Binding)

by Gordon Payton (Author), Martin, Jr. Grams (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"an extensive look at the radio drama that gave us the fear you can hear in the 70s--Starlog

Product Description
This work offers a detailed log of every Mystery Theater episode ever broadcast-nine years of monsters, murderers and mayhem. Descriptive information includes exact titles, airdates and rebroadcast dates, episode numbers, cast lists, writer and adapter credits, and a storyline synopsis. This material comes directly from CBS press releases in order to insure complete accuracy. Also included wherever possible are information about the actors and actresses, quotes from performers and writers (many from personal interviews), anecdotes about various scripts and sound effects, and other notes of interest.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 475 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (May 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786405597
• ISBN-13: 978-0786405596
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,041,850 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars radio drama at its best, October 15, 1999

By A Customer

This is a good book for fans of the radio series, as it lists all the episodes and brief synopsis's of each one. It also has air dates, and a good index. It suffers only in two areas. It is overpriced for a book its size, and it does not go into the history behind the series in depth. No interviews with stars or photograghs were included,which would have enhanced it value. Still for fans, it is a must buy. Hopefully maybe the authors in a future printing will add the aforementioned information.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well researched, great reference tool for show collectors., June 3, 1999

By A Customer

CBS Radio Mystery Theater fans no longer have to wonder about titles and broadcast dates of their favorite RMT episodes, or how many episodes there actually are. "The CBS Radio Mystery Theater" is meticulously prepared and researched with a complete listing of all original Mystery Theater episodes.

The episodes listed here are in their original broadcast order. The strength of this book is definitely the episode listing. Each episode liner note contains the title, broadcast date, rebroadcast date (if applicable), cast, show synopsis and notes. It works excellent as a research tool for the Mystery Theater tape collector. The book also contains two appendixes. Appendix 1 is a chronological listing of the 1977 CBS/General Mills Radio Adventure Theater episodes. Appendix 2 is the complete broadcast log of the 1998 revival of the CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Curiously, missing from the book are the episodes that aired in 1988/89.

Although the episode portion of the book is outstanding, it is sadly lacking in the history department. I had expected more interviews and photos (there are no photos) describing the history of the show. Some anecdotes would have been nice too. The preface and show history total a mere eight pages! This is unfortunate, seeing that the show ran for more than eight years. It leaves this Mystery Theater buff with many unanswered questions about the show. The quality of the book cover, binding and paper are superb. This is basically a library edition which will last indefinitely in a private collection.

CBS RMT fans, if you are looking for a book with all of the episodes to use as a reference guide, this is the one for you. However, if you want for an in-depth book that details the history of the show with photographs and anecdotes, you may have to wait a while.

4.0 out of 5 stars Decent Book, March 23, 2009

By	Mr.Alarm (New York NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The CBS Radio Mystery Theater: An Episode Guide and Handbook to Nine Years of Broadcasting, 1974-1982 (Paperback)

A decent and helpful book, though lacking in details and especially photos. But, still, there isn't much out there on who performed on these episodes or what they were about, so it's a reliable resource.