Old Time Radio

Holiday Nostalgia

Holiday Specials. Comedies. Movies. Music. Drama.

Every December Neal and the Gang over at Radio Once More provide 24/7 programming of nostalgic (old time) radio shows. The shows cover a wide variety of genres and years. To find out more, go to their website at Radiooncemore.com.

When you go to the main page, you will see the grid for the week’s schedule and there are links for various types of information, too.

I listen to the station courtesy of TuneIn, which is a free app available for a variety of platforms.

You can also listen from the RadioOnceMore website by going to the Program Details page.

If you would like a change of pace for the holidays this year, check it out. There is a lot of great programming to enjoy.

Musings · Old Time Radio · TV

Getting Comfortable With Upheaval

Of the Viewing Schedule

I won’t lie, I miss the good old days when there was an actual, reliable viewing schedule of the shows available on TV. I like the rhythm of knowing what I will be settling in to watch during the week. <sigh>

Don’t get me wrong, bingeing is an interesting alternative providing, of course, I can find something I actually want to binge. Not always easy.

I just spent some time catching up with Frasier (2023) on Paramount+ and had to check to see how many episodes I have yet to see. More than I thought… And I like this show! In some odd way, it could be said that I am hoarding those episodes…

There are some shows that I watch on the night they drop without fail. And those are few and far in between.

There are shows I used to watch on the night they were scheduled but this year, for all the reasons we all know about, that schedule has been shattered. I am looking forward to the return of many come February, but in the meantime…

December has always been a difficult time for scheduled TV because of all the extra programming. Holiday specials used to fill up the calendar but many of those have gone by the wayside. You can find them, of course, if you take the time to browse through your streaming platforms or delve into On Demand. Some networks have scheduled blocks of specials to break up the monotony of reruns.

Why is it the reruns we want to see are not the reruns we are able to see?

RadioOnceMore has already begun their December Holiday Special Programming. 24/7 old time radio shows. Check out their website for the schedule and where to listen.

The Kennedy Center Honors will air on December 3, 2023. I look forward to this every year and this year the winners list is awesome.

Off to add this to my calendar!

Classic TV · Media · Movies · Old Time Radio · TV

Down The Rabbit Hole

Where one thing really does lead to another.

As you probably know, I love the ‘extras’ on the DVDs. I love to learn more about the behind scenes work that is part and parcel to any film or TV show. I also love digging about on imdb.com where I can learn more about a performer which often leads to delving into shows, films, etc.

I rarely know what I will find when I start nosing away. Lots of ‘I didn’t know that’ moments appear out of nowhere. For example, I grew up with Bob Hope and Jack Benny (to name but a few) on my TV. I had no idea they had long careers in radio and film. The impact Lucille Ball had on television is astounding – and that is beside her iconic I Love Lucy show.

I love ‘discovering’ a performer. Sometimes what I think I know is not nearly the whole story. Some careers are mind boggling. Others are eye opening.

As for those extras on the DVD package, they can be fun, informative, interesting and a nice addition to the main event. You never know until you dive in.

Media · Musings · Old Time Radio · TV

A Change of Pace

Or, a shift in media can make a huge difference.

I’m one of those people who grew up listening to the radio. Which, when you consider where I lived at the time, was a feat in itself. Way back in the mid to late 1970s living in Northwest Arkansas, getting signals for TV or radio was an iffy proposition. And that was before all the build-up that would impede them even more than before, not to mention waaaaaay before that thing called ‘cable’.
I was lucky to be able to get the CBS radio affiliate out of Chicago, which meant that I was able to listen to the “CBS Radio Mystery Theater” when it began. Awesome!
It also meant that we had 3 – yes, three – TV stations: CBS, ABC, and NBC. PBS was on the UHF band and not so easily acquired.
Radio was an interesting collection of a variety of music genres, some occasionally off the wall commentary (think ‘Bob and Ray’) and the occasional treasure of Old Time Radio shows. I have a vivid memory of sitting down to a Sunday lunch while listening to an episode of “Fibber McGee and Molly” coupled with an episode of “Jack Benny” that was broadcast from somewhere in Kansas.
I still listen to the radio. Today, however, my tastes seem to run more toward vintage radio shows or quieter easy listening stations. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed American OTR, but when I discovered Pumpkin FM from the UK, I found a huge variety of material that I’d never heard of before combined with a few things that had come to our shores via PBS and the Britcoms they carried.
For example, I’ve recently come across the British version of what we know of as “Three’s Company” and “Sanford and Son”. Both series were developed from the UK shows.
I’m also dipping my toe back into the world of Podcasts. A few years back I listened to a great one that focused on quilting. Another favorite was a limited series that focused on the history of food via the spice trade. Fascinating!

What are you listening to?

Media · Movies · Old Time Radio · TV

Holiday Entertainment

By now, you have probably been seeing the holiday specials and programming that have appeared on the TV.

Old Time Radio Shows

In our house, there is a semi-tradition in place where we indulge in a lot (!!!) of Old Time Radio holiday shows.

Radiooncemore.com is in the midst of its December Holiday Gift where they program 24/7 holiday shows from Old Time Radio. You have access to their line up via their website and through a variety of Internet radio players. I use TuneIn.

Check out their line up by going to Radiooncemore.com where you will find their schedule and links to listen.

Some of the other OTR stations I listen to are beginning to include holiday programming into their lineups. Bygolly OTR, Antioch OTR, Conyers Old Time Radio are some that I follow.

Movies and Television

I used to follow quite a few shows every season, but lately it hasn’t been easy to keep up.

Peanuts, The Grinch, Rudolph, Frosty, all are favorites. If you don’t already own them on DVD, you can often find them on the streaming platforms for various networks. Amazon seems to have quite an interesting collection of holiday specials and movies.

One thing I do look forward to each year is curling up with “The Muppets Christmas Carol”. Disney+ has included that along with several other holiday shows in their lineup.

Need Prep Ideas?

I have to admit I’m also hooked on some of the older holiday preparation shows that can be found on YouTube. Delia Smith has a multi part production about getting ready for an English Christmas. Entertaining With Beth and Domestic Geek have an impressive collection of videos focusing on easy holiday entertaining.

I’ve also been enjoying Hermione Chantal’s series on decorating and gift making. She is as creative as usual and many of her ideas could be kid friendly. 🙂

Whatever you choose to indulge in for holiday entertainment, don’t forget to pop some popcorn, make some cocoa and take some time to relax.