+ Beginning in 1942, NBC had reinaugurated its concept of the NBC University of The Air and its companion NBC Inter-American University of The Air. Throughout the mid-1940s NBC produced some twenty-five productions specifically designed to both educate and entertain. Indeed, many of those programs were incorporated into the curricula of high schools, colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada. With the final episode of NBC University of The Air's production of The World's Great Novels in 1948, NBC reevaluated the NBC University of The Air concept and success over the past decade, determined to both continue the educational priorities of its NBC University concept, while at the same time developing further educational programming as equally entertaining as it was instructive. Indeed, NBC University Theater, after airing two 'semesters' and a 'Summer Schedule' of NBC University Theater, changed the title of NBC University Theater to simply, NBC Theater. As reported in Time Magazine, NBC executives felt that the presence of the word 'University' in the title of the program left the wrong impression with its listeners. Irrespective of the title change, NBC University Theater continued to maintain the same high standards and continued to expand the number of colleges offering college credit for listening to and studying the program's offerings from the initial three institutions to six educational institutions by the series' end. For the formal curricula offerings, NBC University Theater and NBC Theater referred to their regular season offerings as both 'seasons' and 'semesters', interchangeably. For the Summer seasons NBC University Theater referred to them as their 'Summer Schedules.' The University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky was the first to collaborate with NBC Unversity in offering a formal 'College by Radio' course in 'American and British Fiction.' Other colleges and universities followed during the subsequent two years, as indicated in the sidebar at left. So successful were these programs that by the last season, some of the six participating institutions were offering a complete set of The Encyclopedia Britannica to students enrolled at each participating institution who submitted the most interesting paper during their coursework Click here to read more about NBC University Theater
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Please enjoy these 119 old time radio episodes:
| Air Date | Title | Synopsis | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09.10.1948 | nbc university theater (007) peter ibbotson |
+ "Peter Ibbetson". The story about the prisoner who finds happiness in his dreams. The story of Pe... | |
| 09.17.1948 | nbc university theater (008) the purloined letter |
+ "The Purloined Letter". Sustaining. The Tales of Edgar Allen Poe are largely a blend of the myste... | |
| 09.24.1948 | nbc university theater (009) gulliver's travels |
+ "Gulliver's Travels". The story was subsequently used on "The NBC University Theatre" on February... | |
| 10.03.1948 | nbc university theater (010) lord jim |
+ "Lord Jim". Action and adventure on the sea and in the jungles of the East. Brian Aherne stars in... | |
| 10.10.1948 | nbc university theater (011) an american tragedy |
+ "An American Tragedy". The career of a missionary's son. His downfall and execution. Raised by po... | |
| 10.17.1948 | nbc university theater (012) history of mr polly |
+Program #4. "The History Of Mr. Polly". An Englishman leaves his wife and begins a new life. A sa... | |
| 10.24.1948 | nbc university theater (013) they stooped to folly |
+ "They Stooped To Folly". A family melodrama. Based on the story written by Ellen Glasgow. They St... | |
| 10.31.1948 | nbc university theater (014) justice |
+ "Justice". A portrait of an 81-pound forgery, and the British system of justice at the turn of th... | |
| 11.07.1948 | nbc university theater (015) arrowsmith |
+ "Arrowsmith". The story of the dedicated doctor who wants only to do research, and the women in h... | |
| 11.14.1948 | nbc university theater (016) of human bondage |
+ NBC net, KUOW-FM, Seattle rebroadcast. "Of Human Bondage". A failed art student/physician learns ... | |
| 11.21.1948 | nbc university theater (017) short, happy life of francis macomber |
+NBC net, KUOW-FM, Seattle rebroadcast. "The Short, Happy Life Of Francis Macomber". An American co... | |
| 11.28.1948 | nbc university theater (018) a passage to india |
+ "A Passage To India". The definitive novel of colonial India and the abuses of the British Raj. ... | |
| 12.05.1948 | nbc university theater (019) three soldiers |
+ "Three Soldiers". A well-done dramatization of the first world war and its dehumanizing cruelties... | |
| 12.12.1948 | nbc university theater (020) after many a summer dies the swan |
+ "After Many A Summer Dies The Swan". The famous portrait of a quest for eternal life in the uniqu... | |
| 12.26.1948 | nbc university theater (021) alice in wonderland |
+ "Alice In Wonderland". Sustaining. NBC University Theater brings you a seasonal play in the holid... | |
| 01.02.1949 | nbc university theater (022) main street |
+ "Main Street". An intelligent, creative woman marries a boring physician in Gopher Prairie, Minn... | |
| 01.09.1949 | nbc university theater (023) the grapes of wrath |
+ "The Grapes Of Wrath". The classic drama of the Depression, the Okies and their search for the pr... | |
| 01.16.1949 | nbc university theater (024) all the king's men |
+ "All The King's Men". Sustaining.All The Kings Men is a dramatic story of political intrigue set i... | |
| 01.23.1949 | nbc university theater (025) ministry of fear |
+ "The Ministry Of Fear". Murder, mystery, and espionage during wartime London. A man tries to find... | |
| 02.06.1949 | nbc university theater (026) gulliver's travels |
+ "Gulliver's Travels". The travels of Gulliver through the land of Lilliput and other strange pla... | |
| 02.13.1949 | nbc university theater (027) tom jones |
+ "Tom Jones". The famous satire of lust, love and intrigue in olde England. The system cue has be... | |
| 02.20.1949 | nbc university theater (028) pride and prejudice |
+NBC net, WMAQ, Chicago aircheck. "Pride and Prejudice". A romance of British class consciousness. | |
| 02.27.1949 | nbc university theater (029) heart of mid lothian |
+ "The Heart Of Midlothian". A Scottish woman is sentenced to be hanged for the murder of her ille... | |
| 03.06.1949 | nbc university theater (030) tales of edgar allen poe |
+ "Tales Of Edgar Allan Poe". Three short stories written by Edgar Allan Poe. "Nose-ology" ("A Comi... | |
| 03.13.1949 | nbc university theater (031) the pickwick papers |
+ "The Pickwick Papers". The famous trial of Mr. Pickwick, accused of breach of promise by Mrs. Bar... |
NBC UNIVERSITY THEATER
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