A Far, Far Better Thing | Mercury Theatre on the Air - “Tale of Two Cities” (1938)

A Far, Far Better Thing | Mercury Theatre on the Air - “Tale of Two Cities” (1938)

A classic literary drama from the golden age of radio — plus bonus commentary after the show. Mercury Theatre on the Air – “A Tale of Two Cities” (1938) Step back into the golden age of radio with The Mercury Theatre on the Air, Orson Welles’s groundbreaking series that transformed classic literature into urgent, modern drama. In this 1938 adaptation of “A Tale of Two Cities,” Charles Dickens’s story of revolution, sacrifice, and moral reckoning is compressed into a powerful radio experience driven by momentum, consequence, and choice. Set against the violence and upheaval of the French Revolution, the drama follows private lives caught in the machinery of history — where justice blurs into vengeance, and redemption demands an extraordinary cost. Stripped of sentimentality, this adaptation foregrounds Dickens’s central question: what does an individual owe when history itself comes calling? After the broadcast, stay tuned for bonus commentary and behind-the-scenes analysis — including why A Tale of Two Cities works so powerfully on radio, how the Mercury Theatre’s adaptation style reshaped literary drama, and why this story resonated so strongly on the eve of global catastrophe in 1938. Originally aired: July 11, 1938 Approx. runtime: 62 minutes

The Power of Genre: A Special 100th Episode Presentation

“The Power and Peril of Genre” Episode 100. A milestone—but also a meditation. Over the past year, The Porcupine Presents has explored classic radio drama, noir, suspense, science fiction, and the strange emotional contracts these genres make with their audiences. In this 100th episode, we step back and ask a bigger question: What does genre give us—and what can it take away? Using the classic radio we’ve been listening to all year as our guide, this episode looks at: * Genre as a promise between storyteller and listener * How genre shapes expectation, comfort, and surprise * When genre deepens meaning—and when it becomes a trap This episode isn’t a greatest-hits reel. It’s a reflection on why these old shows still matter—and why genre itself is both powerful and dangerous in the wrong hands. Thank you to everyone who’s listened, commented, and kept this strange little project alive. One hundred episodes in, The Porcupine Presents is still asking questions—and still listening. Originally aired: July 2026 Approx. runtime: 18 minutes

Journey Into Space - “Operation Luna” (1953) episodes 9-13

The completion of the episode arc from the previous podcast.

Journey Into Space - “Operation Luna” (1953) episodes 4-8

A continuation of the previous podcast.

Before the Space Race Began | Journey Into Space - “Operation Luna” (1953) episodes 1-3

A classic science-fiction drama from the golden age of radio — plus bonus commentary and trivia after the show. Journey Into Space – “Operation Luna” (1953) Episodes 1 through 3 Step back into the golden age of radio with Journey Into Space, the BBC’s groundbreaking science-fiction serial that imagined humanity’s future beyond Earth with realism, restraint, and quiet ambition. In this 1953 opening arc, “Operation Luna,” an international team prepares for mankind’s first voyage to the Moon, confronting technical uncertainty, political tension, and the profound responsibility of leaving Earth behind. After the broadcast, stay tuned for bonus commentary and behind-the-scenes trivia — including the origins of Journey Into Space, its place in postwar British science fiction, and how its collaborative, pre–space-race vision of exploration contrasts sharply with later Cold War narratives. Originally aired: September–October 1953 Approx. runtime: 87 minutes (Episodes 1–3) Website: theporcupinepresents.com [http://theporcupinepresents.com]