radio playhouse

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Campbell Playhouse

Set in the tranquil English village of King's Abbot, the story unfolds with the suicide of Mrs. Ferrars, a wealthy widow rumored to have poisoned her abusive husband. Shortly after, her fiancé, Roger Ackroyd, is found murdered in his study. Dr. James Sheppard, the village physician and the story's narrator, is drawn into the investigation alongside the famed detective Hercule Poirot, who has recently retired to King's Abbot.
The Campbell Playhouse's radio adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd aired on November 12, 1939, featuring Orson Welles in a dual role as both Hercule Poirot and Dr. James Sheppard.

Rebecca - Campbell Playhouse (Orson Wells)

Set against the backdrop of the grand estate of Manderley, the story follows a young, unnamed woman (portrayed by Margaret Sullavan) who marries the enigmatic widower Maxim de Winter (played by Orson Welles). Upon arriving at Manderley, she finds herself overshadowed by the lingering presence of Maxim's first wife, Rebecca. The housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (voiced by Mildred Natwick), remains obsessively devoted to Rebecca's memory, undermining the new Mrs. de Winter's confidence and sense of belonging.

Detectives Are No Always Right - Caltex Theatre Australia

The story follows Commander John J. Adams and his crew as they journey to the distant planet Altair IV to investigate the silence of a previous expedition. Upon arrival, they encounter Dr. Morbius, his daughter Altaira, and the enigmatic Robby the Robot. As the crew delves deeper, they uncover the remnants of the advanced Krell civilization and face an invisible threat linked to the planet's past.

Forbidden Planet - Caltex Theatre Australia

Set in the 23rd century, the United Planets starship C-57D arrives at Altair IV to investigate the fate of the Bellerophon, a mission that vanished two decades earlier. Upon arrival, Commander John J. Adams and his crew encounter Dr. Edward Morbius, the sole survivor, who warns them against landing due to an unseen danger. Despite the warning, they proceed and meet Morbius's daughter, Altaira, and Robby the Robot, a sophisticated automaton.

The Russia House - John Le Carré read by Tom Baker

BBC Radio 4 adaptation of The Russia House by John le Carré—starring Tom Baker as Barley Blair.
The story unfolds during the late Cold War era, amid the thaw of perestroika. Barley, a jazz-loving, hard-drinking British publisher, unexpectedly finds himself drawn into the world of espionage when he receives a mysterious manuscript from Moscow. The document, smuggled out by a Russian woman named Katya, claims to expose the Soviet Union’s nuclear capabilities as a bluff.
Reluctantly recruited by British intelligence (and shadowed by the CIA), Barley is sent back to Moscow to verify the manuscript’s authenticity and make contact with its source. But as he grows closer to Katya, his loyalties shift from the intelligence services to the people caught in the crossfire of geopolitics. What begins as a spy mission becomes a deeply personal journey—one that challenges Barley’s ideals and forces him to choose between duty and love.

The Passers By -The Twilight Zone

Set at the end of the American Civil War, it follows a wounded Confederate Sergeant who limps down a dusty road, guitar in hand. He stops at a ruined Southern mansion owned by Lavinia Godwin, a grieving widow whose bitterness toward the Union still burns.
As they talk, a strange procession of soldiers—both Union and Confederate—pass by the house.

The Holly And The Ivy - Wilard Brown

A cosy Norfolk vicarage on Christmas Eve, just after WWII.
 Reverend Martin Gregory’s extended family converges for the holiday. Underneath the festive cheer lurk long-held resentments, concealed sorrows, and uncomfortable truths that threaten the family’s togetherness.

The Iron Duchess - William Douglas Home

The Iron Duchess is a 1957 comedy play by the British writer William Douglas Home.
A crisis emerges within the castle household—this could be a staff strike, a familial dispute, or a threat to social order. The specific spark isn’t directly spelled out in surviving archives, but may be inferred from the Duchess's need to intervene forcefully .

Musk and Amber - William Frankland

Murder During Reunion: The reunion of retired officers takes a dark turn when Brigadier Denniston is found dead. Initial shock is followed by confusion—he seemed to have no enemies, prompting speculation that this murder stems from deeper past events. 

Benny Trounsel - Dragnet

The case begins when Benny Trounsel, a known petty drug user, contacts the police with information about a new narcotics distribution ring operating in Los Angeles. Benny becomes an informant—placing him in immediate danger.

Big Missing - Dragnet

Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero receive a sobbing call from a woman in Utah. Her daughter, Juanita Laskey, has vanished and stopped writing—causing growing fear, especially with Christmas approaching.

City Hall Bombing - Dragnet

Officers Sgt. Joe Friday and Ben Romero are dispatched to a critical situation at the Los Angeles City Hall. A man named Vernon Carney has entered the building and is wielding a homemade bomb. He demands that his brother, currently in custody, be released—or he will detonate the device.

Steel Club Helen Cord - Dragnet

A well-liked 21-year-old waitress, Helen Corday, is found murdered at the “Steel Club,” a local nightspot. She has been beaten to death with a steel pipe—an unusually brutal weapon that immediately focuses the investigation on blunt-force trauma.

Red Light Bandit - Dragnet

Sgt. Joe Friday and his partner, Officer Ben Romero, are called to investigate a disturbing pattern of robberies. The suspect, dubbed the “Red Light Bandit,” approaches victims at red traffic lights while wearing a stolen LAPD-style police jacket and uses a red flashlight to blind them before proceeding with armed robbery and assault.

Bar Hold Up And Shooting - Dragnet

Off-duty detectives Joe Friday and Ben Romero drop in at a neighbourhood bar for a quiet drink—until the evening erupts into chaos. Armed gunmen burst in, brandishing shotguns and demanding money, before opening fire indiscriminately .

Waitresses Robbed - Dragnet

Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Ben Romero are called to investigate a series of robberies and beatings targeting late-night waitresses across Los Angeles. Each victim reports being attacked after leaving work at popular diners—money, purses, and tips stolen.

Nickel Plated Gun - Dragnet

Sergeants Joe Friday and Ben Romero respond to a morning call: two fellow officers have been shot on the streets of Los Angeles. A distinctive nickel-plated .44 Smith & Wesson is identified as the murder weapon.

Deadly Fare - Inner Sanctum

Angelo Manetti, a taxi driver working the late shift, picks up a passenger in a tan raincoat at Grand Central Station. The man boards silently, and the car pulls away into the suburban night, almost immediately, the passenger turns violent—pressing a cold steel object against Angelo’s neck and muttering ominous threats. Angelo tries to stay calm while replaying memories of his drives, his wife Josie, and their young son—praying he’ll survive .

Pattern for Fear - Inner Sanctum

A kind-hearted waiter overhears a whispered conversation in the restaurant where he works. The speakers discuss a plan to murder Guthrie Stewart, a prominent businessman—leaving the waiter with a moral dilemma.

Corpse Without a Conscience - Inner Sanctum

A wealthy woman named Aunt Edna is unnerved when she receives a strange letter from a man she once swindled. He warns that he will return from the grave exactly one year after his death to claim revenge.

Death on the Highway - Inner Sanctum

A weary motorist—usually referred to only as the driver—is traveling alone along a lonely stretch of highway late at night. With nothing but the open road ahead, he's feeling the weight of fatigue and the monotony of the journey.

The Corpse Is Lonely - Inner Sanctum

The story follows Simon, a former musician who has lost his hearing. After six months under the care of Dr. Adair, his hearing is fully restored. Alongside him is Oliver, another patient who has regained his sight after previously being blind.

The Unburied Dead - Inner Sanctum

The story begins with a woman (played by Leslie Woods) who is increasingly disturbed by odd occurrences around her—rumour's about her past, unsettling reflections, and mysterious voices. Before long, she is forced to grapple with an unthinkable truth: she has been dead for six years. This revelation shatters her sense of reality, sending her into panic and disbelief.

The Death Deal - Inner Sanctum

A seemingly innocuous scenario unfolds when a man finds a body inside his car—or so he thinks. He panics, unsure if the corpse belongs to him or someone else. The setup hinges on confusion, identity, and buried guilt.

Death Wears a Lonely Smile - Inner Sanctum

On a quiet evening in a foggy graveyard, a young woman named Carol discovers a very large, lumbering man—Walter—standing transfixed by a gravestone. He’s clearly distressed and behaving oddly.