THE WIFE OF THE RED-HAIRED MAN (PTS 3-4) ZER0 HOUR W ROD SERLING
Release Date: 10/01/2025
THE CRYSTAL LAKE MATTER JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
Each story of the Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with tit
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THE LOST BY A HAIR MATTER and THE NIGHT IN PARIS MATTER YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
The format best remembered was instituted by writer-director Jack Johnstone. Each case usually started with a phone call from an insurance adjuster, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim: a suspicious death, an attempted fraud, a missing person, or other mysterious circumstances. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. He would compare notes with the police officials who had first investigated each strange...
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THE WILL AND A WAY MATTER and THE BOLT OUT OF THE BLUE MATTER YOURS TRULY JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
The format best remembered was instituted by writer-director Jack Johnstone. Each case usually started with a phone call from an insurance adjuster, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim: a suspicious death, an attempted fraud, a missing person, or other mysterious circumstances. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. He would compare notes with the police officials who had first investigated each strange...
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THE ONLY ONE BUTT MATTER and THE FRANTIC FISHERMAN MATTER YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
The format best remembered was instituted by writer-director Jack Johnstone. Each case usually started with a phone call from an insurance adjuster, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim: a suspicious death, an attempted fraud, a missing person, or other mysterious circumstances. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. He would compare notes with the police officials who had first investigated each strange...
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DRAGNET TRIPLE PLAY: THE BIG TAR, BIG MANNEKIN, BIG HANDSOME BANDIT
1001 RADIO DAYS
Dragnet, the brainchild of Jack Webb, may very well be the most well-remembered, and the best, radio police drama series. From September, 1949 through February 1957, Dragnet's 30 minute shows, broadcast on NBC, brought to radio true police stories in a low-key, documentary style. The origins of Dragnet can be traced to a semi-documentary film, "He Walked by Night" from 1948, in which Webb had a small role. Both employed the same Los Angeles Police Department technical adviser, used actual police cases and presented the case in "just the facts" manner that became a hallmark of Dragnet. It is...
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THE BIG MANNEKIN and THE BIG CANDY JAR DRAGNET
1001 RADIO DAYS
Dragnet, the brainchild of Jack Webb, may very well be the most well-remembered, and the best, radio police drama series. From September, 1949 through February 1957, Dragnet's 30 minute shows, broadcast on NBC, brought to radio true police stories in a low-key, documentary style. The origins of Dragnet can be traced to a semi-documentary film, "He Walked by Night" from 1948, in which Webb had a small role. Both employed the same Los Angeles Police Department technical adviser, used actual police cases and presented the case in "just the facts" manner that became a hallmark of Dragnet. It is...
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THE BIG SWITCH and THE BIG GONE DRAGNET
1001 RADIO DAYS
Dragnet, the brainchild of Jack Webb, may very well be the most well-remembered, and the best, radio police drama series. From September, 1949 through February 1957, Dragnet's 30 minute shows, broadcast on NBC, brought to radio true police stories in a low-key, documentary style. The origins of Dragnet can be traced to a semi-documentary film, "He Walked by Night" from 1948, in which Webb had a small role. Both employed the same Los Angeles Police Department technical adviser, used actual police cases and presented the case in "just the facts" manner that became a hallmark of Dragnet. It is...
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THE FRISCO FIRE MATTER and THE FAIR WEATHER FRIEND MATTER YOURS TRULY JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar is a radio drama that aired on CBS Radio from February 18, 1949 to September 30, 1962.[1][2] The first several seasons imagined protagonist Johnny Dollar as a private investigator drama, with Charles Russell, Edmond O'Brien and John Lund portraying Dollar in succession over the years. In 1955 after a yearlong hiatus, the series came back in its best-known incarnation with Bob Bailey starring in "the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account – America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator." There were 809 episodes (plus two...
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THE SHANKAR DIAMOND MATTER and THE JIMMY CARTER MATTER YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar is a radio drama that aired on CBS Radio from February 18, 1949 to September 30, 1962.[1][2] The first several seasons imagined protagonist Johnny Dollar as a private investigator drama, with Charles Russell, Edmond O'Brien and John Lund portraying Dollar in succession over the years. In 1955 after a yearlong hiatus, the series came back in its best-known incarnation with Bob Bailey starring in "the transcribed adventures of the man with the action-packed expense account – America's fabulous freelance insurance investigator." There were 809 episodes (plus two...
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THE VILLAGE OF VIRTUE MATTER and THE CARSON ARSON MATTER YOURS TRULY, JOHNNY DOLLAR
1001 RADIO DAYS
Each story of the Bailey years started with a phone call from an insurance executive, calling on Johnny to investigate an unusual claim. Each story required Johnny to travel to some distant locale, usually within the United States but sometimes abroad, where he was almost always threatened with personal danger in the course of his investigations. Johnny's file on each case was usually referenced as a "matter," as in "The Silver Blue Matter" or "The Forbes Matter". Later episodes were more fanciful, with tit
info_outlineThe Zero Hour (aka Hollywood Radio Theater) was a 1973–74 American radio drama anthology series hosted by Rod Serling.[1][2] With tales of mystery, adventure and suspense, the program was broadcast for two seasons.
The radio series debuted on September 3, 1973, in syndication, and was picked up by the Mutual Broadcasting System in December. The original format featured five-part dramas broadcast Monday through Friday with the story coming to a conclusion on Friday. Including commercials, each part was approximately 30 minutes long. Mutual affiliates were free to broadcast the series in any available time slot that they wished.[3]
In 1974, still airing five days a week, the program changed to a full story in a single 30-minute installment with the same actor starring throughout the week in all five programs. That format was employed from late April 1974 to the end of the series in July 1974.
Producer J. M. Kholos was a Los Angeles advertising man who acquired the rights to suspense novels, including Tony Hillerman's The Blessing Way, for radio adaptations. In some cases, the titles were changed. For example, the five-part "Desperate Witness" was an adaptation of The Big Clock by Kenneth Fearing. To create a strong package, Kholos followed through by lining up top actors, including John Astin, Edgar Bergen, Joseph Campanella, Richard Crenna, John Dehner, Howard Duff, Keenan Wynn, Richard Deacon, Patty Duke, Nina Foch, George Maharis, Susan Oliver, Brock Peters and Lurene Tuttle.
The opening theme music was by Ferrante & Teicher. Don Hills produced the series for StudioHouse, which also produced the Salvation Army's Heartbeat Theatre. Counting each five-part show as five episodes, there were a total of 130 episodes. Failing to find a large audience due to the initial weekly serial format and lack of promotion, Mutual canceled the program, and the final episode was broadcast on July 26, 1974, though many Mutual affiliates continued broadcasting repeats for several months afterwards. According to director Elliott Lewis, "They wanted as much name value as possible to help with sales. They forgot they had to sell it. Everybody sat in the office and waited for someone to call them up and buy the show."[4]
Highbridge Audio released six of the five-part stories on audiocassettes. "Desperate Witness"; "Face Of The Foe"; "But I Wouldn't Want To Die There"; "Wife Of The Red-Haired Man"; "The Heir Hunters" and "If Two Of Them Are Dead."
Episodes – Series One
Episode Title Written by / based on novel by Airdate
1–5 "Wife of the Red Haired Man (parts 1-5)" Bill S. Ballinger September 3, 1973 to September 7, 1973
"This week Bill S. Ballinger's best selling novel of the pursuit of a damned couple, starring Patty Duke Astin, John Astin, and Howard Duff."