Wisconsin Public Radio - Old Time Radio Drama

Program Host

Norman Gilliland joined Wisconsin Public Radio in 1983. He's the host of weekday classical music programs and is co-producer of Midday Classics and University of the Air. He also hosts Old Time Radio Drama on Sunday evenings, and is the creator of GraceNotes, nationally broadcast vignettes drawn from the lives of classical music composers and performers. MORE

Program Rundowns \| Audio Archives

Orson Welles broadcasting Old Time Radio brings the best of 1930s, 40s, and 50s entertainment to Wisconsin every Saturday and Sunday night from 8pm to 11pm (CST). Host Norman Gilliland explores some of the best comedy, drama, adventure, mystery, and science fiction of the 20th Century.

Photo of Norman, Annette Kaufman, Norman Corwin, and Amanda Gilliland

Norman Gilliland along with Annette Kaufman, Norman Corwin, and Amanda Gilliland taken in Los Angeles in 2006, shortly after "A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin" won the Oscar for Best Short Documentary. Corwin, "The Poet Laureate of Radio," died on October 18, 2011 at the age of 101.

A Live Performance of "The 39 Steps" on Oct 24, 2010
Forward Theatre Company brought a Luxe Radio Theatre mystery classic to life in our Buck studio. The live performance was directed by Colleen Burns, starring Sarah Day and featuring the entire ensemble of Forward Theatre.
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See a close-up view

A "New" Old Time Radio Drama T-Shirt

WPR board operator and Old Time Radio contest sound effects artist Gabby Pedriani models the latest iteration of our limited edition t-shirt.

Tune in Sunday nights for a chance to win your very own shirt!

Regular Programs

Photo of a Vintage Radio ad While there was a great variety of programs offered during the 30s, 40s, and 50s, some series were exceptional. While we do try to give a wide variety of programming, OTR does come back to many series again and again. Below are some of these series.

The Great Gildersleeve - a comedy about an old curmudgeon and his suburban adventures. More Episodes

Suspense - the name says it all. Every program was a thriller, and you could never tell which side would win. Another strength of the program was how it got the listeners so involved. By the end of the programs the listener is cheering the villain half the time. More Episodes

X Minus 1 - A science fiction program dealing with far-out topics. Involves extraterrestrials in a healthy number of plots, but also has plenty of possessed machinery and other wacky plot devices. More Episodes

Burns & Allen - comedy with attitude. Gracie and George tirelessly rip on each other and their cast in dialogue and skits. More Episodes

Nero Wolfe - This large man and his sidekick, Archie Goodwin, solve mysteries in order to finance Wolfe's obsession with orchids. More Information

Johnny Dollar - the man with the action-packed expense account. Dollar, an insurance claims investigator, goes on adventures, often serialized, to try to get to the bottom of his cases. Romance, murder, and fraud are par for the course. More Episodes

Ever wonder what the OTR theme music is? It's called 14th Street Blues from Leon Redbone's album Sugar released in 1990 and still available.

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