The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

By: Adam Graham Radio Detective Podcasts
Listen for free

  • Summary

  • Are you ready for a mystery? Get ready to unleash your inner sleuth. Every day Monday-Saturday, we feature a different detective audio drama from the Golden Age of Radio. Our current mystery-solving line-up of radio detectives includes The Adventures of the Falcon, Mathew Slade, Private Investigator, Broadway's My Beat, Mr. and Mrs. North, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, and Dragnet.

    Whether you want to listen to a mystery before going to sleep or enjoy some drama while driving, or just feel nostalgia for old-school radio fiction, we have you covered with six audio dramas every week.


    Podcast Award finalist Host Adam Graham has been your guide through dozens of old-time radio detective series since 2009. He provides insightful commentary and humor after each episode and responds to listener questions and feedback. You can subscribe to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from your favorite podcast app or by visiting our website at http://www.greatdetectives.net.

    We are currently in our fifteenth season of provided suspenseful mystery dramas. Our podcast feed captures the last 1,000 episodes we've released including all of seasons thirteen and fourteen, and part of season twelve. We have created two archive feeds: Volume 1, which features our first three seasons and Volume 2, which features seasons four-six, and Volume 3 which will feature Seasons Seven through Nine.

    Our feed includes old time radio recorded in Los Angeles, New York, and also Australia.

    The current actors featured in our old time radio detective podcast include Les Damon, Bob Bailey, Larry Thor, Alice Frost and Joseph Curtin, William Wintersole, and Jack Webb. Other actors featured within the past 1,000 include Howard Duff, Glenn Langan, Herbert Marshall, Gerald Mohr, Joel McCrea, Les Tremayne, Jackson Beck, Santos Ortega, Ned Wever, Karl Swenson, and more.
    Copyright Adam Graham
    Show more Show less
Art Drama & Plays Entertainment & Performing Arts
Show more Show less
Episodes
  • Dragnet: The Big Betty (EP4616)

    Dragnet: The Big Betty (EP4616)
    Feb 1 2025
    Today's Mystery: Joe Friday and Ben Romero investigate a gang of conmen victimizing the loved ones of the recently deceased.

    Original Radio Broadcast Date: November 23, 1950

    Originating from Hollywood

    Starring: Jack Webb as Sergeant Joe Friday; Barton Yarborough as Sergeant Ben Romero

    Get 10% off your purchase to Mollybz. (Commission applies)

    Support the show monthly at patreon.greatdetectives.net

    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Carol-Ann, Patreon supporter since April 2019

    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

    Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

    Give us a call at 208-991-4783

    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

    Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

    Join us again on Monday for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
    Show more Show less
    33 mins
  • Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Three Sisters Matter (EP4615)

    Yours Truly Johnny Dollar: The Three Sisters Matter (EP4615)
    Jan 31 2025
    Today's Mystery: Johnny is called up to Green Mountain, Colorado to investigate the disappearance of a famous pianist.

    Original Radio Broadcast Date: October 27, 1957

    Originating from Hollywood

    Starring: Bob Bailey as Johnny Dollar; Joseph Kearns; Vic Perrin; Virginia Gregg; Lucille Meredith; Lillian Buyeff; Bill James

    When making your travel plans, remember http://johnnydollarair.com

    Become one of our Patreon Supporters at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

    Thank you to our Patreon Supporter of the Day: murphmcb, Patreon Supporter since February 2021

    Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

    Give us a call at 208-991-4783

    Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • Mr. and Mrs. North: Accidents on the Ice Rink (EP4614)

    Mr. and Mrs. North: Accidents on the Ice Rink (EP4614)
    Jan 30 2025
    Today's Mystery: An ice skater and her rink-owner stepfather each think the other is trying to kill them. The Norths suspect someone's trying to kill them both.

    Original Radio Broadcast Date: January 3, 1950

    Originating from New York City

    Starring: Joseph Curtain as Jerry North; Alice Frost as Pamela North; Ralph Bell

    Get 10% off your purchase to Mollybz. (Commission applies)

    Support the show monthly at https://patreon.greatdetectives.net

    Patreon Supporter of the Day: Jennifer, Patreon supporter since November 2019

    Support the show on a one-time basis at http://support.greatdetectives.net

    Mail a donation to: Adam Graham, PO Box 15913, Boise, Idaho 83715

    Take the listener survey at http://survey.greatdetectives.net

    Give us a call at 208-991-4783

    Follow us on Instagram at http://instagram.com/greatdetectives

    Follow us on Twitter @radiodetectives

    Join us again tomorrow for another detective drama from the Golden Age of Radio.
    Show more Show less
    28 mins

What listeners say about The Great Detectives of Old Time Radio

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    6
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Audible.com reviews

Amazon reviews
Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for J. Graham

Thoroughly Enjoyable!

Adam does a fantastic job curating these old shows. I enjoy the chance to experience a bygone era of entertainment.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Anonymous User

Good story with one very notable flaw.

A good story typical of the Sherlock Holmes pastiche. Basil Rathbone was excellent as Holmes as he always was. Watson was not played by Nigel Bruce.
The one glaring issue with the story was that the Germans were in the mess they were in because they refused to pay 50k to the woman for the papers yet offered that same amount to Holmes. I have listened to hundreds of stories and Adam's great commentary on them and was surprised that he missed that or at least didn't mention it.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Lucas Choate

What a show!

If you love old time radio, your host, Adam Graham, presents a wide array of different programs from the bronze age of radio. He's been at this for years and years and knows a great deal about the episodes, actors and programs.

I came for the Dragnet and stayed for everything else. Like anything on the radio, they aren't all gems, but so many of them are, it's worth your time to subscribe. enjoy.

(long time listener, finally back after Google music killed my podcasts)

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
Profile Image for Serena

The Best

If you like old time radio and detective stories then you will like this podcast. The introduction is always great tidbits of info to set up the story and I love the old commercials.

Report this

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!