OTR Tuesday

Well it's Tuesday once again my fellow wanders of dark places. Today's offering is from the well acclaimed radio series Suspense. I haven't spoke much of Suspense thus far so I guess now is as good a time as any.

Suspense aired on the CBS radio network from 1942 through to 1962 unlike other programs like Lights Out, Inner Sanctum or even the Shadow which established an identity and although there may have been a significant change in the host, casting or director, the series maintained that identity. Suspense during it's long run never really strived for that embossed trademark, rather their quality thriller based scripts with numerous Hollywood contemporary actors and actresses, and a revolving door of 10 different directors and as many as 15 different writers, always remained relevant and fresh for their audience. Not to say the show didn't have a feel of it's own with a distinct opening and few of the hosts using the nom de plume "the Man in Black", but its identity was more so marked by the fact it actually maintained a pretty consistent formula in the majority of it's episodes where an average individual such that the audience could relate were suddenly immersed in a bizarre, terrifying or mysterious situation, with the solution remaining obscure until the very end.

The Radio series survived through the novelty of television which all but erased numerous radio programs from existence. Ironically the radio series actually spun of it's own television program which it outlived as the television series only ran from 1949-1954 with a brief revival in 1962.

So here is today's offering:

Suspense: The thing in the window

(Linked from OTR.net)