MUTUAL RADIO THEATER

First show: Mar 3, 1980 Original shows: 103 Last show: Dec

10, 1980

Number of programs aired including new and repeats: 210

Hosts: Lorne Greene, Andy Griffith, Vincent Price, Cicely Tyson,

Leonard Nimoy

In December 1979 the Mutual Broadcasting System acquired the Sears

Radio Theater renaming it, the MUTUAL Radio Theater. It retained the

same format as before with the same theme for different nights of the

week. Lorne Greene remained host for Monday's Western night, Andy

Griffith handled Tuesday's Comedy, Vincent Price still was host for

Mystery on Wednesdays, Cicely Tyson did Love on Thursday, while

Leonard Nimoy was now the Friday night Adventure host. As before the

series aired week nights, Monday through Friday.

The Mutual Radio Theater debuted Mar 3, 1980 and was to run for 13

weeks on almost 300 stations. The shows were then to be repeated over

the summer and fall. It proved to be fairly successful and another 8

weeks of original programs were added; this was followed by another 8

weeks of repeats. The series was broadcast in stereo, making it the

only commercial radio network drama program in the nation to use this

technology at the time.

Great writers were employed for this series including Arch Oboler and

Norman Corwin. Good choices were made when it came to cast members.

Old familiar voices and names included Janet Waldo, John Dehner, Vic

Perrin, Mary Jane Croft, Hans Conried, Marvin Miller, Parley Baer,

Elliot Lewis, Jeff Corey, Virginia Gregg, Lesley Woods, Robert

Rockwell and Lurene Tuttle. Then from movies and TV - Eve Arden,

Keith Andes, Harriet Nelson, Aan Young, Tom Bosley and Marian Ross,

Lloyd Bochner, Rick Jason, Frank Campanella, Toni Tennille, Arthur

Hill, Dan O'Herlihy, Jesse White and Frank Nelson.