X Minus One was not only a somewhat spark of genius when it first aired in the mid-1950s, but for several reasons, it stands out today as one of the best produced shows from Radio’s Golden Age as well as a standard for brilliant science fiction.
Unlike other radio science fiction shows of the era, X Minus One aimed for a more sophisticated demographic. The program offered adults a show they could appreciate, one that not only stretched their imaginations, but also touched on topics relevant to the period. Although draped in distant alien landscapes and different skins, many of the scenarios played out on X Minus One paralleled many of the concerns and issues facing listeners. With the threat of communism looming, several stories reflected the fear of invasion. With the fear of nuclear missiles literally ending the world, apocalyptic stories with no hope of survival found their way into the shows that aired over the two years that the show aired. An extremely prevalent theme in several episodes concerned a very real anxiety for many in the 1950s; the growing improvement of and reliance on technology. Even though it was fiction, X Minus One deftly utilized the real-world dread felt by much of its audience to produce thought provoking, often disturbing top quality programming.
Another stand out aspect of this program is that it succeeded in painting a vast variety of distant worlds only using sound and the listener’s imagination. Unlike movies or television, then or now, the producers of X Minus One had to rely on their writers, actors, and sound and music staff to literally construct entire realities to thrust their audience into. The fact that the show is so well regarded by fans to this day is proof of their success in doing just that.
Explore the far reaches of outer space and imagination in twelve episodes on X Minus One Volume 2, restored to sparkling audio quality by Radio Archives!
#13 Almost Human
Thursday, August 11, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#14 Courtesy
Thursday, August 18, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#15 Cold Equation
Thursday, August 25, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#16 Shanghaied
Thursday, September 1, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#17 The Martian Death March
Thursday, September 8, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#18 The Castaways
Thursday, September 15, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#19 And the Moon Be Still as Bright
Thursday, September 22, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#20 First Contact
Thursday, October 6, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#21 Child's Play
Thursday, October 20, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#22 Requiem
Thursday, October 27, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#23 Hello, Tomorrow
Thursday, November 3, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
#24 Dwellers in Silence
Thursday, November 10, 1955 - 30:00 - NBC
