The past is increasingly easy to mine for entertainment these days, and – for sci-fi fans – one of the best places to head are the old NBC radio shows Dimension X and X Minus One (the latter rehashes some of the former).
Ideas are critical in sci-fi, especially on the radio where there are no visuals to distract you – and both shows mine the stories of Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury etc to great effect. Stories include a desperate search for the Martian embassy in New York, a horrible twist on Groundhog Day, and the apparent revelation that Mars is full of everyone’s dead relatives. That these stories hold up 50 years-odd later is testament to their strength.
Look them up on iTunes (Old Time Radio Sci-Fi) or on the internet, if it sounds like your bag. The production is rather funky, too – but not in a way that dates easily.
News hour, with Jerry Caesar 