The end all be All of radio blogs.

Throughout the course of this semester, I have had a predilection for the episodes of Escape. This last week of listening gave me the chance to listen to a ton more of them. And thats what I did. I know I probably should have listened to a greater variety of shows, but I didn't. What I like so much about these Escape shows is the ease and interest of listening. These shows are not serials, so the episodes don't play off of one another. Each show is a self contatined story, thats what makes it so easy to listen to. You only have to invest a half hour, tops. Even with these simple aspects, these storys on average are very interesting, or at least amusing. The music is cheesily effective in creating suspense. Also, the narration of these episodes has always proved effective. Casting the runes was the episode from this week that I enjoyed especially.

The Earth Abides with Bogart

Iv'e read the Earth Abides a couple time and its one of the most interesting books I've read in a long time. What I like most about it is that it was the first book to predict a massive disease striking the human race. This book isn't as well known as it should be because people like Stephen King ripped-off his idea in books like the Stand. This story is so much more realistic than any of its spinoffs, that's why I like it so much. All of its rip offs have to add stuf and it just cheapens the story in my opinion. The book is methodical and matter of fact in its descriptions of a post apocalyptic world. The dramatization leaves a lot to be desired, but that was only because I was already very familiar with the book. But I definitely think that this condensed version would be very interesting to someone who had no knowledge of the novel and its characters like Ish and Charlie. A part of the book that I always found particularly interesting was only briefly mentioned in the drama. It was the idea that the point at which Ish, Emma, and Ira solidified their community as a state run body was when they unanimously voted to execute Charlie for the good of the many. This was always a very interesting way of thinking about government and I can understand why it was glossed over considering the time period in which it was aired. All in all, I liked this dramatization very much. It is always interesting to here a different rendition of a story that you are already familiar with, even if it is super condensed.

The Queen of Africa is a Great Movie, but the dramatization just seemed rushed. Maybe if they had an extra half hour to develop the story like in the movie it would be more convincing. A lot of what makes Humphrey Bogart a great actor is expression, or more appropriately, his lack of expression. The story works and there are plenty of out dated stereotypes that are amusing, but I just like the movie better. Sorry, I'[m just being a big winer about the listenings this week.

Dorian Gray

These modern radio shows are awesome. They sound almost like books on tape, or audio movies, rather than radio shows. THe quality is so much better and the storylines are less obviously developed. Granted, I've already read the book and am familiar with the story, but even so, the drama and action is less spelled out. In the older shows the characters would talk to themselves and be like, "I better open the closet door," but in these they just use the sounds. That brings me to antother point, the sound effects are a lot more developed than in the older shows. Everything kind of sounds like it is all in the same context rather than varying in intensity and volume depending on how close the person doing the effects is to the micropohone. It seems radio drama is alot easier to pull off with computers and modern recording technology. The music was excellent. It combined the the eerie ghost sounds that are used throughout the drama with a 3/4 tune that created a kind of satanic waltz. It was most effective in setting the mood for someone who sells his soul on account of a painting.

As far as characters go, I thought they were handled pretty well. Basil was meek and a pushover as I remember, Dorian was vain and naive until he met Harry (Sir Henry), who turned him into a morally corrupt and twisted individual. Harry's lines were great in this dramatization. Everything he said was was viciously callous and indifferent to everything and everybody. Like in the book, nothing is sacred to him and he comes off as a huge jerk. I especially liked his slams on America. However, sometimes I thought they took Harry's character a little over the top by having absolutely everthing that comes out of his mouth be some sort of horribly jaded comment.

Dorian Gray

These modern radio shows are awesome. They sound almost like books on tape, or audio movies, rather than radio shows. THe quality is so much better and the storylines are less obviously developed. Granted, I've already read the book and am familiar with the story, but even so, the drama and action is less spelled out. In the older shows the characters would talk to themselves and be like, "I better open the closet door," but in these they just use the sounds. That brings me to antother point, the sound effects are a lot more developed than in the older shows. Everything kind of sounds like it is all in the same context rather than varying in intensity and volume depending on how close the person doing the effects is to the micropohone. It seems radio drama is alot easier to pull off with computers and modern recording technology. The music was excellent. It combined the the eerie ghost sounds that are used throughout the drama with a 3/4 tune that created a kind of satanic waltz. It was most effective in setting the mood for someone who sells his soul on account of a painting.

As far as characters go, I thought they were handled pretty well. Basil was meek and a pushover as I remember, Dorian was vain and naive until he met Harry (Sir Henry), who turned him into a morally corrupt and twisted individual. Harry's lines were great in this dramatization. Everything he said was was viciously callous and indifferent to everything and everybody. Like in the book, nothing is sacred to him and he comes off as a huge jerk. I especially liked his slams on America. However, sometimes I thought they took Harry's character a little over the top by having absolutely everthing that comes out of his mouth be some sort of horribly jaded comment.

Nero Wolfe

First off, i definitely liked the OLD Nero Wolfes that we listened to earlier this year alot better. The voices on these ones seemed real forced and too cheesy. Well maybe not cheesy enough, either way they just didn't sound right for the gumshoe scenario they were trying to portray. I also didn't like how there was a different voice actor playing Archie in each show

What I did like about the new Wolfe episodes were the complete and unreserved deliverance of "fat" jokes. it was flaburghasted the first time I heard the announcer paint the picture of the laziest, fattest, most pompous, eccentirc, and best detective in the world. I love the lines like, "I simply detisted the art of labor" and stuf to that affect. It cracked me up how every episode began with him not being able to pay for food, so he had to take on a case. It makes me wonder how many murders go unsolved in this fantasy world because Nero is eating a sandwich.

These episodes didn't really get me hooked. If this was a serial show today, I don't think I would be that into it. Sure, I would stop and listen to it if I hapened accross it and had time, but I would never make time to listen to it. The episodes are self contained. They never extend beyond the scope of one half hour show. There is no major development of anything other than cliches. Granted these are cliches now and they weren't then, but it still leaves something to be desired. you could tune in to this show and having never heard it before understand the characters and their traits. Nothing rely develops between episodes. All that happens is Nero gets hungry so Archie finds a murder case that involves a pretty lady. There are no cliff hangers, no motivation that makes it important to have heard the previous or hear the following show. It is stagnant.

On the flip side, this self contained episode format makes it easier for the listener to follow the show because it doesn't matter if they miss something, it will all start over a little different next episode.

Overall I liked these shows, but they just never got me excited about what I was hearing. The unfolding of the plot lost interest, and that to me seems like a huge problem in any sort of drama.