I can listen to most anything OTR (except the Life of Riley and Burns and Allen, or the Easy Aces) and enjoy it.

My favorites tend to be cop or mystery shows. My all-time favorites are I Love A Mystery and Inner Sanctum Mystery (not Mysteries).

I like the popular shows, but I also specialize in the rare, obscure shows, especially from the 1930s. Those are usually the shows I'll order first if they come up and the stuff I go after in ET auctions. These can either be duds, or unexpected gems.

I came across a rare & super-obscure 1930s mystery serial Nemesis, Inc. I'll share it as soon as I get to uploading it. I seem to have a knack of finding these; Lord Weejie & Miss Duck, The Hawk, Penthouse Murder Mystery, etc.

I usually listen to 90% drama/mystery, but it was so nice to laugh with Jack Benny; what a comedy master.

Absolute favorite? 21st Precinct. Just wish the existing shows were in better condition. Suspense is right up there too.

Don't like comedies... I'm just not hardwired that way.

Rich

Cliff,
My favorite otr recordings are live recordings of music orchestras like Joe Reichman, Jan Garber, Dick Jurgens, Russ Morgan, Sammy Kaye, Shep Fields, Kay Keyser.
I'm not much into radio stories. I'm a musician.
Dennis

My favorite is the Lone Ranger, probably because its the only one I remember listening to as a kid.

I enjoy comedy, and my favorites are Jack Benny, Fibber McGee & Molly, and the Great Gildersleeve. The humor in those shows is timeless.

Mysteries are my favorite, especially Johnny Dollar and A Man Called X.

I do enjoy an occasional musical interlude with stuff from the 1920s - 1940s.

Some of my favorites are Roy Rogers,Have Gun Will Travel,Great Gildersleeve,Yours Truly Johnny Dollar. I listen to AM 1710 Antioch when on computer & MP3 discs on portable. AM transmitter SStran AMT 3000 changed everything a couple years ago. Best way to listen if you havent bought one.

I am getting out my Christmas shows with Great Gildersleeve episode- Cold Snap- as one of my favorites.

Kim

I have recently come to really enjoy Gunsmoke, when I was younger they were never on in repeats so it's sort of a "new" discover for me.

Other favorites are Fibber McGee, Jack Benny, Gildy. I do like the comedies.

I'm also partial to WWII propaganda & news.

Back in the 1980s when I was first listening to OTR, I loved "Hall of Fantasy" but have heard all the shows many, many times now.

Have Gun, Will Travel and Hoppy are my favorites. In the army I
listened to Mike Shayne, but perhaps I liked it because it cut the
monotony-have not heard it in 39 years. The back and forth between
Jack Benny and Fred Allen is also pretty special.

Live remotes like the Frankie Carlysle (sp?) that Cliff posted add an
immediacy that studio music lacks. I appreciate the background
crowd noise and overheard words and glass clinking. Feels like I am
at a table soaking up the ambience with my eyes closed.

-Phil

Really a good question, Cliff.

I've always been interested in detective stories, with Sherlock Holmes being right up at the top. I've listened to almost all of the Basil Rathbone / Nigel Bruce radio series (and loved it! ).

There's been an interest in Science Fiction since I've been a kid, so I'm afraid that category is a given.

And lately the Big Band stuff has really taken hold (listening to some in the background right now).

But I am finding out that the more I listen, the broader my interest becomes. There are a great number of OTR categories that I haven't even delved into as of yet.

MAN! I can hardly wait!

I really like the "Bob and Ray" radio shows. Love their dry sense of humor. On one show, they reunite a brother and sister that haven't seen each other in many years, expecting an emotional reunion. They basically say "hello" to each other and say they have more important places to be! They also parody many radio shows. Instead of Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost People, their skit is "Mr. Trace, keener than most people". Many of these recordings are available from www.archive.org.

Dragnet and Gunsmoke are both very well written dramas that I enjoy. Funny thing- I have an early Dragnet TV show, and it used the same script as the earlier Dragnet radio episode!

Superman
Mel Blanc Show
Lone Ranger
Gildersleeve
Fred Allen
Our Miss Brooks
Red Skelton
Jack Benny

Other Kenny G...I have to agree with your comment -> the more I listen, the more I want to hear.

I'm 38 but have listened to OTR for about 24 or 25 years; as a young kid it was all about spooky stuff...then later drama and comedy; now I appreciate news and much more arcane stuff.

I think it's because I've grown to have a deeper understanding of much of the other stuff that was going on around in the general culture at the time - makes everything more understandable and enjoyable.

Tom

If I had to pick 4 shows, I would pick-


Gildersleeve
Casey Crime Photographer
Vic and Sade
Johnny Dollar (with Bob Bailey)

sure... i'm pat novak... for hire (jack webb)
and box 13, with alan ladd
and rocky fortune, with frankie sinatra

Philip Marlow detective show for me.

My favorires are,

Detectives Show:
Yours Truly Johnny Dollar w/Bob Bailey
Philp Marlowe
Nero Wolfe
Let George Do it
Box 13
Sam Spade
Candy Matson

Comedy
Jack Benny

Other:
A Man Called X
The Shadow


Rick

Tales of the Texas Rangers
Great Gildersleeve
Bergen and McCarthy
The Mysterious Traveler
Suspense
The Six Shooter
Dragnet
Jack Benny

I'm new here. I've been listening to OTR since I started to college - I'm 49 now.

At first I really enjoyed the mysteries, especially while commuting on weekends by myself at night. My favorites were The Shadow, Inner Sanctum and Suspense.

I gradually came to favor the comedies, which have been my favorites for a long time now. Tops on my list:

Fibber McGee & Molly
Lum & Abner
Burns & Allen
The Great Gildersleeve
Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy
Jack Benny
Baby Snooks

Also worth mentioning:

My Friend Irma
Amos & Andy
Duffy's Tavern
Fred Allen
Red Skelton
and many more!

Thats a tough one for me as I like so many of them. However, I can say that I tend to lean towards mystery, detective, and horror programs like:

Suspense
The Whistler
The Shadow
Inner Sanctum
Lights Out
I Love a Mystery/Adventure
Mysterious Traveler/Strange Dr. Weird
Mr. Keen
Nero Wolfe
Pat Novak/Dragnet