Imagination Theatre

By: Original Radio Broadcast

Narrated by: Jim French, John Patrick Lowrie, Lawrence Albert, Old Time Radio

For over 40 years, Seattle-based radio personality Jim French kept the flame of radio drama alive with Imagination Theatre! Noir-ish private eye Harry Nile, globetrotting adventurer Dameron, Kincaid the Strangeseeker, the methodical investigator Mr. Darnborough - plus fresh new takes on Raffles the Gentleman Thief, and even Sherlock Holmes himself - all had compelling stories to tell.

Here is a collection of some of Jim French’s best work. It’s new-time radio in the old-time style!

Harry Nile: Who Killed Harry Nile? 08-01-1999
The Suitcase 09-19-1999
Value of Details 11-07-1999
Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Bonesteel Covenant 12-26-2004
The Great Ansceni 01-16-2005
The Adventure of the Vampire’s Kiss 02-13-2005
Adventures of Dameron: The Girl With the Aquiline Nose 11-07-1972
Take Another Chorus, They’re Small 11-21-1972
Mr. Darnborough Investigates: The Tea Leaves 05-15-2005
Death Ex Machina 02-22-2015
Kerides, the Thinker: Kerides, The Thinker 05-28-2006
Too Much Wine 07-22-2007
Kincaid, the Strangeseeker: Felicia 09-15-1996
The Place 04-20-1997
The Woman From Under the Ice 10-19-1997
Raffles: The Ides of March 07-18-2004
Costume Piece 08-15-2004
A Gift from the Gods 10-31-2004
Hillary Caine: A Reputation for Murder 05-29-2005
Blood Will Have Blood 07-31-2005
Anthony Rathe Chronicles: More Deaths Then One Must Die 02-12-2006
Tell Me No Lies 11-12-2006

©2019 Jim French Productions. All Rights Reserved. For home use only. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. (P)2019 Jim French Productions. All Rights Reserved. For home use only. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.

Entertaining

Good listen. Thumbs up. I Loved the various story tales. Outstanding performances will capture your attention.

But some of these are awful

I’ve really enjoyed Harry Nile and Sherlock Holmes by Jim French for years. Some are on Sirius XM also. Now I know he had many other episodic radio plays. All are well produced, more than half are well written, about half are well acted if clearly stagy.
But some are hideous in nearly all respects. Painful to hear. Specifically: every character awkwardly reads childish lines with exaggerated snotty or sarcastic attitude, beginning to end.
Overall, almost half these shows exemplify the best of what old time radio shows aimed for. But about a third are terrible, worse than the worst ever broadcast.

old style radio show, odd take on slavery

One of these radio shows is called "Keridis, the Thinker" features a character that is a slave. The twist is, she really enjoys being owned. Some odd dialogue choices in here.

old radio type mysteries

Fun to listen to and get the feeling of what used to be
entertainment. . .

Great Listening

Great listening with great background sounds to make you feel that you are there. Enjoyable