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Big John and Sparky was a 1950’s radio show created by Jon Arthur. Although the show was intended for kids, many adults also became avid listeners due to its funny and very entertaining theme. The show is about Big John and his “little boy” Sparkie. Sparkie is said to be (and sounds like) an “elf from the land of make-believe,” but his thoughts and actions were like that of a little boy. It is Jon Arthur who did almost all of the character’s voices; in fact, it was also him who supervised the whole show-- single-handedly.

The show, which debuted in 1950, started as a 30-minute program. Beginning 1951, however, it was changed into a syndicated serial that ran for 12 minutes only. The most remembered episodes, which also happens to be Big John and Sparky’s greatest adventures, were the stories of Mayor Plumpfront and Daffodil Dilly, and Bunny the Boston Bulldog (episode was titled “Canine Mutiny”). The show had its final episode in 1958.

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Please enjoy these 192 old time radio episodes:

Air Date	Title	Synopsis
N/A	au a sudden change in climate	+ Big Jon and Sparkie are in Cincinnati waiting for news from Ukey Butcher who has gone to Tampa, Fl...
N/A	at sparkie has plans for ukey	+ Big Jon tells you about the time Ukey tried out for the big baseball team Cincinnati Reds back in ...
N/A	as peace and quiet again almost	+ The times and periods of peace and quiet in our little house in Cincinnati were relatively few and...
N/A	ar look whos a lawyer	+ Ukey was going to sue the city of Cincinnati all because Mayor Plumpfront would not authorise the ...
N/A	aq ukey sues the city	+ Ukey is going to sue the city of Cincinnati all because Mayor Plumpfront would not authorise the p...
N/A	ao the return of ukey betcha	+ Ukey finally returns and is ready to challenge Sparkie to a game of tidily winks.
N/A	an the prodigal returns	+ Everybody in town was wondering where Ukey was after he disappeared more than a week ago after a f...
N/A	am so close to the forest we cant see the trees	+ The mysterious case of Ukey Butchers disappearance had everyone baffled and Big Jon and Sparkie we...
N/A	al old clothes is good clues	+ Ukey Butcher just seemed to drop out of circulation and Big Jon and Sparkie couldn’t find him an...
N/A	ak wheres ukey now	+ It took Sparky and his gang almost three weeks to capture the kidnappers in the first place and no...
N/A	aj the kidnappers escape again	+ It took Sparky and his gang almost three weeks to capture the kidnappers in the first place and no...
N/A	ai a surprise for all concerned	+ A Surprise for all concerned.
N/A	ah back to normal i hope	+ Sparkie and his gang had been involved in detective work which finally involved the capture of the...
N/A	ag sparkies private detective agency	+ The mystery of the kidnapping of the widow Daffodil Dilly continues after Sparkie tracks down the ...
N/A	ae the kidnapped car is sighted short	+ WARNING: THE FIRST PART OF THIS STORY IS MISSING. (Though I don't think it makes much difference t...
N/A	ac whos who	+ If it weren’t for the fact that the kidnappers were such good disguisers they may have solved th...
N/A	0z jailed	+ Ukey Betcha, Sparkie and Big Jon the detectives wound up in jail following what they thought were ...
N/A	0y even detectives make mistakes	+ Ukey had taken a picture of the kidnappers and they showed it to the shopkeepers in their neighbor...
N/A	0x the kidnappers double back triple back	+ Detective Ukey Betcha and Sparkie along with Big Jon and Mayor Plumpfront were trying to track dow...
N/A	0w detective sparkie gets an idea	+ It’s time for the further adventures of Big Jon and Sparkie as they try to solve the mystery of ...
N/A	0v detectives sparkie and ukey go to work	+ Sparkie and Ukey certainly had their work cut out for them, a wonderful mystery that really intrig...
N/A	0u the stakeout	+ It is almost midnight and in a rundown section near the waterfront two dark figures stand in the s...
N/A	0t the detectives	+ Mayor Plumpfront’s girlfriend Miss Daffodil Dilly was kidnapped from church right before their w...
N/A	ap yukie looks for a lawyer
N/A	A Number in the Mayors Blue Book

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I vaguely remember an episode that takes place in space (possibly) and involves a giant invading space blob called The Purple Gooey Globular. Any idea which episode this might be?

Alan

NO SCHOOL TODAY a radio show that started Saturday off right when I was a kid, loved the serial Sparky would tell about, my school system had a radio station once and when they closed I was allowed to pick through their programs before they hit the dumpster, I got a nice batch of original reel to reel tapes that they'd been sent with the shows, not dupes, original shows. still have them.. love this show.

Jerry

I liked Big John and Sparky.

Todd

For radio serials, I generally listen to 1 or 2 per day (totaling 30 minutes being the general rule). I did once spend a year doing the Johnny Dollar 5-part episodes one episode per night on Monday-Friday, which I feel is the best way to listen to the show. Serials get watched 1 episode per week (usually on Monday evenings). Right now I'm midway through Tailspin Tommy and will be starting The Vigilantes are Coming next. I tend to rotate a Republic, Columbia and Universal serial.

Rodney

In my view, the "Adventures of Big Jon and Sparkie" was hands down the best children's radio series of all time. Despite its consistently high quality, including inventive plot lines and characterizations, the Adventures (not to be confused with the better known "No School Today"), seems to be one of the best kept secrets of the OTR world. The Adventures wear very well with time compared to, for example, the very dated Little Orphan Annie. My seven year old daughter loves Adventures and more than once has listened to several episodes before she goes to bed and on her way to school. We've pretty much exhausted all the existing shows at archive.org, however. Recently, I tracked down someone formerly connected with His Kids Radio, a religious network that not so long ago regularly aired the Adventures. Many of the episodes it aired are apparently not available online or from any other source (to my knowledge). They include a series of episodes centering on a trip to Europe. The person formerly with His Kids Radio told me that he had over 400 extant shows. When I offered to purchase copies at very generous prices, he said he didn't have the time to make them available or even provide details about episode names, etc.. Perhaps he was jerking my chain about 400 shows

David

I use to listen to Big John and Sparky back in the 50s when I was just a kid. I love radio show. i was sad when it went off

Eileen

It was broadcast on ABC (1950-1958), starring Jon Arthur as Big Jon and Sparkie, a little elf from the land of make believe. The series featured a large cast of fantasy characters all played by Arthur.

BIG JON AND SPARKIE

I loved the show. I can still hear the teddy bear's picnic in my head. I remember the time capsule series most which would have aired between july 1952 and 1953. I pomised myself then that I'd live to be 113 to see them open that capsule. :) I'm well on my way to being able to do that, but I think they were fooling me back then. lol Are any of those time capsule segments available?

Floyd Baker

Looking for birthday song

Chris

Th HARMFULese and similar programs: No school toay, Our mrs Brooks, Sky King, etc were My best friends! We live in the country so there wern't many peers nearby to play with. EVERY afternoon as soon as I arrived home from school, I listened to these programs that 'programmed' my young mind with psychologically healthy ways to think! Later I went on to The Whistler, SUSPENSE, The Jack Benny show etc. These radio programs very significant in my personality development just as Mr. Rogers and later similar TV shows. I've probably watched less than 100 TV hours in my life and the new universal Medium: the internet probably has many good children's programs but so are 100,000 others with little or no value AND many that ARE SERIOUSLY HARMFULL this can only have negative effects to our society!

Michael D. Rogers

This and similar programs: No school toay, Our mrs Brooks, Sky King, etc were My best friends! We lived in the country so there wern't many peers nearby to play with. EVERY afternoon as soon as I arrived from school, I listened to these soft, nurturant episodes that 'programmed' my young mind with psychologically healthy ways to think! Later I went on to The Whistler, SUSPENSE, The Jack Benny show etc. These radio programs were very significant in my personality development just as Mr. Rogers and later similar TV shows would be for others later. I've probably watched less than 100 TV hours in my life and the new universal medium: the internet of course SOMEWHERE HAS WONDERFULL CHILDRENS PROGRAMMING but** it's there among hundreds off thousands of others and many have seriously maladaptive messages on offer. This can only be harmful for our society!

Michael D. Rogers

This and similar programs: No school toay, Our mrs Brooks, The Barber Family, Sky King, etc were My best friends! We lived in the country so there wern't many peers nearby to play with. EVERY afternoon as soon as I arrived from school, I listened to these soft, nurturant episodes that 'programmed' my young mind with psychologically healthy ways to think! Later I went on to The Whistler, SUSPENSE, The Jack Benny show etc. These radio programs were very significant in my personality development just as Mr. Rogers and later similar TV shows would be for others later. I've probably watched less than 100 TV hours in my life and the new universal medium: the internet of course SOMEWHERE HAS WONDERFULL CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING but** it's there among hundreds off thousands of others and many have seriously maladaptive messages on offer. This can only be harmful for our society!

Michael D. Rogers