X Minus One

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X Minus One
Universedell.jpg
Cover of Dell paperback (1951) of original Heinlein's story "Universe".
Genre Science fiction
Country of origin US
Language(s) English
Home station NBC
AnnouncerFred Collins
Directed byFred Weihe, Daniel Sutter, George Voutsas
Produced byWilliam Welch
Original releaseApril 24, 1955 (1955-04-24) –
January 9, 1958 (1958-01-09)
No. of episodes126

X Minus One is an American half-hour science fiction radio drama series that was broadcast from April 24, 1955, to January 9, 1958, in various timeslots on NBC. Known for high production values in adapting stories from the leading American authors of the era, X Minus One has been described as one of the finest offerings of American radio drama and one of the best science fiction series in any medium. [1] [2]

Contents

Overview

X Minus One was originally a revival of NBC's Dimension X (1950–51), with the first 15 episodes of X Minus One being new performances of scripts from the older series. Starting with episode 16, the series featured newly-produces episodes by NBC staff writers, mainly Ernest Kinoy and George Lefferts. [1] X Minus One featured adaptations of works by leading American writers in the field, including Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon, Murray Leinster, Frederik Pohl, along with some original scripts by Kinoy and Lefferts.

Included in the series were adaptations of Robert Sheckley's "Skulking Permit", Bradbury's "Mars Is Heaven", Heinlein's "Universe" and "The Green Hills of Earth", Pohl's "The Tunnel under the World", J. T. McIntosh’s "Hallucination Orbit", Fritz Leiber’s "A Pail of Air", and George Lefferts' "The Parade". [3]

The program opened with announcer Fred Collins delivering the countdown, leading into the following introduction (although later shows beginning with Episode 37, were partnered with Galaxy Science Fiction rather than Astounding Science Fiction ):

Countdown for blastoff... X minus five, four, three, two, X minus one... Fire! [Rocket launch SFX] From the far horizons of the unknown come transcribed tales of new dimensions in time and space. These are stories of the future; adventures in which you'll live in a million could-be years on a thousand may-be worlds. The National Broadcasting Company, in cooperation with Street & Smith, publishers of Astounding Science Fiction presents... X Minus One. [3]

The series was canceled after the 126th broadcast on January 9, 1958. However, the early 1970s brought a wave of nostalgia for old-time radio. A new experimental episode, "The Iron Chancellor" by Robert Silverberg, was produced in 1973, but it failed to revive the series. NBC also tried broadcasting the old recordings, but their irregular once-monthly scheduling kept even devoted listeners from following the broadcasts.

The series was re-released in podcast form beginning on June 22, 2007. [4]

In November 2008, Counter-Productions Theatre Company in Rhode, Island, United States adapted three X Minus One Episodes to the stage: "The Parade", "A Logic Named Joe", and "Hallucination Orbit". The theatrical troupe did annual adaptations of X Minus One until 2016. [5]

Episodes based on stories by famous writers

Episodes

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 729–730. ISBN   978-0-19-507678-3 . Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  2. ↑ Peter Nicholls with John Clute. The Science Fiction Encyclopedia (1993), St. Martin's Press
  3. 1 2 OTR Plotspot: X Minus One
  4. ↑ "X Minus One Podcast". Archived from the original on November 1, 2007.
  5. ↑ https://www.broadwayworld.com/rhode-island/article/BWW-Review-THE-FINAL-VOYAGE-OF-X-MINUS-ONE-at-Counter-Productions-Theatre-Company-20161114
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