I am crazy for the old radio shows of the past. Sitting in a darkened room, huddled around a radio, entranced by the story oozing forth from the speaker as a story unfurls and fabricates a world for listeners to picture and explore in their mind’s eye. The art form of radio theatre has enjoyed quite the resurgence lately with the rise of the podcast. Shows like Lore and Return Home have made the theatre of the mind cool again with their lush production values and cinematic presentation. So, knowing our fondness for the genre, you can see why we were over the moon when we were offered a sneak listen to the first episode of an all-new podcast that really leans into the old-school, radio show style.
ThrillerGram is a new horror anthology podcast directed by Kohl V. Bladen, and written and produced by Thomas Ruddell and Bladen that will be making its debut Monday, June 4th. The first episode, Strawberry Spring, is based on a short story by Stephen King that tells the story of a rash of murders in a sleepy college town. Told from the perspective of a lazy narrator, the story unfolds in a brisk 15 minutes of finely crafted storytelling.
Yes, we have a soft spot for this genre, and for this medium, but this is actually a nicely polished little show. Across the board, the performances are solid with the narrator Floyd Ferguson (Isaac Robinson-smith) carrying most of the weight in explaining what we cannot see to nice effect. We also really enjoyed Rene Gijzemijter’s original score, as it is a standout with a nice maniacal, ominous tone.
No, the show doesn’t have the vintage crackle and hiss sound of vintage radio shows, but the heart and soul is there. We recommend giving this show a listen when it becomes available next Monday HERE.
Each episode varies in length from 14-18 minutes, with new stories and plots every week. In the first season, listeners can expect tales of serial killers, vampires, werewolves, aliens, artificial intelligence, and other creatures that go bump in the night.
How to listen: ThrillerGram will be available 1st on Patreon. The episodes will cost ($1.00) per download with an option of ($4.00) a month for regular listeners. Every Monday when a new episode is uploaded to Patreon, the previous week’s episode will be available on Soundcloud, YouTube, and iTunes for free.
The Show’s Schedule: ThrillerGram will be debut on Monday, June 4th, 2018. Every following Monday, a new episode will be available. The show will run for 22 episodes in its first season, ending on October 29th, 2018. The 1st episode, “Strawberry Spring”, will be available to listen to for free across all Social Media platforms on June 4th.
