Our next stop will be back eight months to Friday, February 6, 1942 to listen to an episode of Dark Fantasy. Dark Fantasy featured tales of the weird adventures of the supernatural and was created by Scott Bishop. The shows covered horror, science fiction and murder mysteries.
Bishop also wrote for the Weird Circle and The Sealed Book, two other supernatural adventure series.
The show first aired in November 1941 from Oklahoma City’s WKY radio station. Shortly after the 1st airing, the show syndicated and broadcast nationally over the NBC radio network. Living up to its evocative name, Dark Fantasy is filled with strange stories to stir the imagination. Encounters with supernatural beings, mad scientist machinations, and adventures in mythical places are just some of the themes featured on the program that Variety called vividly atmospheric.
As I reset the time portal’s radio dial to Friday, February 6,1942 sit back in your chair and get a grip for “The Sea Phantom” episode of Dark Fantasy.
As series creator Scott Bishop once said, ‘Give the listener enough material to let his imagination go to work, and he’ll supply his own goose pimples.”
Dark Fantasy only lasted for 31 episodes. Although a short series, the shows are excellent, with some stories way ahead of their time. Here is an excerpt from a news promo promoting the show:
“Ever since Lights Out went out several years ago, fans of the fiendish have been clamoring for more good old goose-pimple horror drama on the air. Now they have it. One of the programs that currently freezes the airwaves with its chilling stories is Dark Fantasy, comparatively new to the networks. In the late hours of Friday nights these shivery, shocking stories go out over NBC – right straight from Oklahoma City, which you might not have thought of as headquarters for haunts. Station WKY is the home of the Dark Fantasy plays, and the writer is Scott Bishop, who lives in the midst of mystery and the supernatural, represented by the innurnerable volumes of thriller fiction, fantasy lore and all kinds of horror literature that fill his home and his office. Bishop has long contributed to network broadcasting and to magazines. Dark Fantasy has been furnishing plenty of such material since last November. And judging from enthusiastic comment, the horror fans are responding with goose-pimples galore! Tune in every Friday on Station WKY Oklahoma City.”
I told you that this shows creator, Scott Bishop, also wrote stories for The Mysterious Traveler and The Sealed Book. He also wrote all the stories for another thriller radio series. Can you tell me the name of that show? I’ll have your answer on my usual trip back to the Golden Age of Radio on this coming Sunday.
Our special Friday the 13th journey back to The Golden Age of Radio is over but I make a trip back every Sunday at this same time on this same station. Is there a particular program from the Golden Age of Radio that you would like to hear? Let me know. Send your requests to radiotheater@wbnj.org; that’s radiotheater@wbnj.o-r-g. At the same time, tell me your answer to this special journey’s question. Even if you have no special request at this time, maybe you have some comments about the show. At the very least, email me the answer to the question.
This is Mike Alexander for The Unforgettable Radio Theater asking you to join me this Sunday for another trip back to the Golden Age of Radio. I’ll be right here waiting to set your radio dial and guide you through the time portal.
