radio playhouse

The Hands of Death - The Sealed Book

“The Hands of Death” is the inaugural episode of the 1945 radio horror anthology The Sealed Book, created by Robert A. Arthur Jr. and David Kogan. This macabre tale delves into the deadly rivalry between two brothers, Edward and Cain Morlock, both entangled in a web of murder and obsession.Edward Morlock is a wheelchair-bound recluse with a morbid fascination: he collects murder memorabilia—knives, ropes, and other grim artifacts. His collection lacks one final piece: the hands of an actual murderer. His brother, Cain, recently released from prison and known as the San Francisco Strangler, fits this criterion perfectly. 

The Undead - Inner Sanctum

In The Undead, the tale begins with Stephen Roberts, a quiet, intellectual man living in a coastal village, who works as a librarian by day and writes Gothic fiction by night. But lately, Stephen has been obsessed—not with the dead, but with those who refuse to stay dead.
The obsession begins after attending the funeral of his estranged cousin Victor, a cruel and manipulative man who tormented Stephen as a child. When Victor’s body is lowered into the ground, Stephen feels a sense of relief. But it doesn't last.

The Dark Chamber - Inner Sanctum

Dr. Henry Tolland, a respected psychologist and expert in abnormal behaviour, who receives an urgent letter from an old college friend, Professor Mark Standish, inviting him to a remote seaside mansion to witness a strange and “revolutionary” experiment in sensory manipulation.

Boomerang - Inner Sanctum

Tom Archer, a charming but ruthless man who always gets what he wants—money, women, power—and leaves destruction in his wake. He believes in one rule: strike first, ask questions later. But as the host warns, every action casts a shadow... and some things, like boomerangs, have a way of coming back.

The Wailing Wall - Inner Sanctum

Myra Marshall, a sensitive, high-strung woman who inherits a crumbling old brownstone in a forgotten corner of the city after the death of her reclusive aunt. Myra and her husband George move in, hoping for a fresh start—but they are greeted not by peace, but by a wall… that cries.

The Corridor of Doom - Inner Sanctum

The Corridor of Doom begins on a cold, rain-swept night with Dr. Charles Bennett, a neurologist known for his pioneering (and ethically questionable) experiments on fear. After a nervous breakdown forces him to step away from his hospital work, Bennett retreats to an abandoned wing of a crumbling estate-turned-sanatorium—an eerie place filled with dusty gurneys, long-forgotten files, and most unsettling of all… a corridor that no one will walk down.

Till Death Do Us Part - Inner Sanctum

In Till Death Do Us Part, the story opens with David and Laura Martin, a seemingly loving couple celebrating their 5th wedding anniversary. But beneath the surface, all is not well. David, a wealthy businessman, is growing suspicious—he’s convinced Laura is hiding something. Her late-night phone calls, locked drawers, and nervous glances have fueled his paranoia. Worse, she’s been slipping arsenic from the garden shed into his tea. Or so he believes.

Death by Scripture - Inner Sanctum

Reverend Jonathan Vale, a well-respected but rigid preacher in a small New England town with a stern voice, a sharp mind—and a fearsome obsession with sin and punishment.
The trouble begins when a series of murders shock the parish: a drunkard found dead with a Bible verse pinned to his chest, another victim—a gossiping widow—discovered with Scripture scrawled on her mirror in blood-red lipstick. Each death corresponds to a passage about divine wrath, vengeance, or damnation.

The Shadow of Death - Inner Sanctum

In The Shadow of Death, the chilling tale begins with Paul Ames, a war veteran who returns home from overseas with more than just battle scars. He’s haunted—by a literal shadow. No matter where he stands, no matter how many lights are on, the shadow follows him… but it isn’t his own.

The Lonely Sleep - Inner Sanctum

In The Lonely Sleep, the story opens with the desperate voice of Howard Lane, a man plagued by guilt and insomnia. He hasn’t slept in days—not since the night his wife Claire vanished without a trace.
Howard claims she left after an argument, but his haunted tone hints at something darker. He tries to convince himself she’ll return… yet each sleepless night brings creeping dread.

Terror by Night - Inner Sanctum

The story begins on a rain-slicked highway, where Ellen Davis, a young woman traveling alone by car, finds herself stranded after a tire blowout deep in the countryside. The storm rages. Her headlights flicker. And from the shadows appears a quiet, gaunt man named Mr. Lance, who offers her a ride… and something about his eyes makes her hesitate.

The Last Story - Inner Sanctum

In The Last Story, we enter the tortured mind of Harold Truman, a once-celebrated mystery author now crippled by writer’s block and haunted by the creeping fear that his career—and sanity—are nearing their end.
Harold retreats to a remote seaside cottage, hoping the isolation will help him finish his new book. But the quiet is soon disturbed by strange occurrences: a typewriter that clacks on its own in the dead of night, pages filled with words he doesn’t remember writing.

The Murder Prophet - Inner Sanctum

In The Murder Prophet, the tale begins with Victor Ames, a mild-mannered antique dealer, who becomes entangled in a chilling series of events after a mysterious man named Mr. Zeno visits his shop. Zeno is peculiar—dressed in funereal black, with a voice like dry leaves and an unnerving gaze. He claims to have the gift of prophecy… but only of murder.

Dead Man's Deal - Inner Sanctum

In Dead Man’s Deal, the story opens in a smoky, dimly lit saloon in the Old West, where card games and whispered rumour's go hand in hand. We meet Jeff Bronson, a gambler with a dark past and a reputation for uncanny luck at cards—luck whispered to be bought at a steep price. One stormy night, he wins a high-stakes poker hand against a wealthy rancher named Clay Murdock, who suddenly drops dead at the table.

Night of the Triffids - Part 5 of 5

David Masen and Kerris are now fugitives in a darkened world, pursued by General Fielding’s forces after discovering the horrifying truth: New York’s regime is actively breeding and controlling triffids as part of a long-term strategy to dominate the planet. But the situation is spiralling — the triffids, evolving rapidly and unpredictably, may no longer be controllable by anyone.
Based on Night of the Triffids by Simon Clark, sequel to The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham.

Night of the Triffids - Part 4 of 5

David Masen’s suspicions about the new authoritarian regime in New York continue to grow. As he and Kerris delve deeper into the city’s hidden infrastructure, they uncover chilling truths: the leadership, under General Fielding, has begun actively breeding triffids — not simply for study or defence, but as potential weapons and tools of social control.
Based on the novel by Simon Clark, a sequel to The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham

Night of the Triffids - Part 3 of 5

David Masen travels across the triffid-infested landscape, following rumour's and faint transmissions that lead him to New York City, now a heavily fortified settlement and one of the last organized bastions of civilization. But what he finds is far from a beacon of hope.
Based on the novel by Simon Clark (sequel to John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids)

Night of the Triffids -Part 2 of 5

After crash-landing in the mysterious global blackout, David Masen finds himself alone, injured, and surrounded by danger on the mainland — the very territory that had long been overrun by triffids and mostly abandoned by humans.
As David regains his strength, he begins to explore the eerily darkened and silent landscape. He encounters a group of survivors, but all is not as it seems. Some appear strangely unaffected by the blackout. Others behave unpredictably, suggesting that not everyone is trustworthy — or even fully sane.
Based on the novel by Simon Clark, sequel to John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids

Night of the Triffids, Part 1 of 5

Part 1: “The Darkness”
Set 25 years after the events of The Day of the Triffids, this story follows David Masen, the grown son of Bill Masen, the original protagonist. The world has rebuilt in the wake of the triffid apocalypse — with human enclaves like the Isle of Wight maintaining a fragile peace and vigilance against the dangerous, mobile, venomous plants known as triffids.
Radio Play Adaptation based on the novel by Simon Clark (2001), a sequel to John Wyndham’s classic The Day of the Triffids

The Day Of The Triffids - Part 6 of 6

With triffids becoming an overwhelming force, Bill Masen, Josella Playton, Susan, and their small band of survivors can no longer maintain their rural outpost. The triffids are massing, now appearing to move in coordinated groups, surrounding properties and driving humans from remaining shelters. Their behavior seems deliberate, almost strategic, as though the plants are learning from their environment — and adapting to exploit human weakness.
Bill decides they must flee to the Isle of Wight, the rumoured location of Beadley’s colony — a last bastion of organized, sighted humanity.
Based on the novel by John WyndhamDramatized by: Lance Dann

The Day Of The Triffids - Part 5 of 6

As Bill Masen and Susan journey deeper into the English countryside, the signs of civilization’s collapse are everywhere: abandoned farms, starving survivors, and the constant, lurking threat of triffids. The creatures are now more aggressive, clearly learning, and appearing in greater numbers. Bill suspects they are beginning to migrate and organize, using sound and movement to track human targets.
Based on the novel by John WyndhamDramatized by: Lance Dann

The Day Of The Triffids - Part 4 of 6

Now traveling with the bright and resourceful young girl Susan, Bill Masen continues his search for Josella Playton across a devastated and increasingly triffid-infested England. The roads are desolate. The blind die in large numbers. Cities have become death traps. And the triffids, emboldened by the collapse of human society, are multiplying and advancing in swarms.
Based on the novel by John WyndhamDramatized by: Lance Dann

The Day of the Triffids - Part 3 of 6

After being captured by a group of religious extremists, Bill Masen is forced into servitude, chained to a blind man and made to lead him around a devastated and increasingly chaotic London. Meanwhile, Josella, whom Bill had just begun to connect with, has been taken elsewhere by the same group, her fate unknown.
These religious zealots believe the mass blindness is divine punishment for society’s sins, and they reject the utilitarian ideals of Beadley’s group, which they see as immoral. They insist that the sighted must remain with and serve the blind as an act of penance.
Based on the novel by John WyndhamDramatized by: Lance Dann

The Day of the Triffids - Part 2 of 6

Following his eerie escape from the hospital and the discovery of a blinded, panicked London, Bill Masen ventures through the ruined city in search of answers — and other sighted survivors.
He soon rescues Josella Playton, a sharp and capable young woman, from a dangerous situation: she is being forced by a blind man to act as his guide.
Based on the novel by John WyndhamDramatized by: Lance Dann

The Day of the Triffids - Part 1 of 6

The story opens with Bill Masen, a biologist recovering from an eye injury in a London hospital. His eyes have been bandaged for several days following a triffid-related accident. On the night before his bandages are due to be removed, a spectacular meteor shower lights up the sky — visible to nearly everyone on Earth, except Bill, who remains in darkness.
Based on the 1951 novel by John WyndhamDramatized by: Lance Dann.