2000 Plus
Encyclopedia
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2000 Plus was an American
old-time radio
series that ran on the Mutual Broadcasting System
from March 15, 1950 to January 2, 1952 in various 30-minute time slots. A Dryer Weenolsen production, it was the first adult science fiction
series on radio, airing one month prior to the better known Dimension X
.
2000 Plus was an anthology program, using all new material rather than adapting published stories. The series was the creation of Sherman H. Dryer (October 11, 1913-December 22, 1989) who scripted and produced the series with Robert Weenolsen (April 19, 1900-August 1979).
, Joseph Julian, Henry Norell, Bill Keene, Bryna Raeburn and Amzie Strickland
and others. Emerson Buckley conducted the music composed by Elliott Jacoby. Ken Marvin was the program's announcer, and the sound effects were by Adrian Penner.
The nature of the series is indicated in the titles of 1950 episodes: "The Brooklyn Brain," "The Flying Saucers," "The Robot Killer," "Rocket and the Skull," "A Veteran Comes Home," "Men from Mars," "When the Machines Went Wild," "When the Worlds Met," "The Insect." "Silent Noise," "The Green Thing," "The Giant Walks" and "Worlds Apart." There are 32 known episodes, and only some of these have survived.
In Science Fiction Television (2004), M. Keith Booker wrote:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
old-time radio
Old-time radio
Old-Time Radio and the Golden Age of Radio refer to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until television's replacement of radio as the primary home entertainment medium in the 1950s...
series that ran on the Mutual Broadcasting System
Mutual Broadcasting System
The Mutual Broadcasting System was an American radio network, in operation from 1934 to 1999. In the golden age of U.S. radio drama, MBS was best known as the original network home of The Lone Ranger and The Adventures of Superman and as the long-time radio residence of The Shadow...
from March 15, 1950 to January 2, 1952 in various 30-minute time slots. A Dryer Weenolsen production, it was the first adult science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series on radio, airing one month prior to the better known Dimension X
Dimension X
Dimension X was an NBC radio program broadcast on an unsponsored, sustaining basis from April 8, 1950 to September 29, 1951. The first 13 episodes were broadcast live, and the remainder were pre-recorded...
.
2000 Plus was an anthology program, using all new material rather than adapting published stories. The series was the creation of Sherman H. Dryer (October 11, 1913-December 22, 1989) who scripted and produced the series with Robert Weenolsen (April 19, 1900-August 1979).
Cast
Dryer directed cast members Lon ClarkLon Clark
Lon Clark was a New York actor of stage and radio.As a youth in Minnesota, Clark studied at the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis. He began as a musician and actor in traveling tent shows, followed by a season with the Cincinnati Summer Opera...
, Joseph Julian, Henry Norell, Bill Keene, Bryna Raeburn and Amzie Strickland
Amzie Strickland
Amzie Strickland was an American character actor who began in radio, made some 650 television appearances, had roles in two dozen films, appeared in numerous television movies and also worked in TV commercials...
and others. Emerson Buckley conducted the music composed by Elliott Jacoby. Ken Marvin was the program's announcer, and the sound effects were by Adrian Penner.
The nature of the series is indicated in the titles of 1950 episodes: "The Brooklyn Brain," "The Flying Saucers," "The Robot Killer," "Rocket and the Skull," "A Veteran Comes Home," "Men from Mars," "When the Machines Went Wild," "When the Worlds Met," "The Insect." "Silent Noise," "The Green Thing," "The Giant Walks" and "Worlds Apart." There are 32 known episodes, and only some of these have survived.
In Science Fiction Television (2004), M. Keith Booker wrote:
- It was not until the 1950s that science fiction radio really hit its stride, even as science fiction was beginning to appear on television as well. Radio programs such as Mutual's 2000 Plus and NBC's Dimension X were anthology series that offered a variety of exciting tales of future technology, with a special focus on space exploration (including alien invasion), though both series also often reflected contemporary anxieties about the dangers of technology.
See also
- List of 2000 Plus Episodes
- 2000X2000X2000X is a dramatic anthology series released by National Public Radio and produced by the Hollywood Theater of the Ear. There were 49 plays of various lengths in 26 one-hour programs broadcast weekly and later released on the Internet. Plays were adaptations of futuristic stories, novels and plays...
- Dimension XDimension XDimension X was an NBC radio program broadcast on an unsponsored, sustaining basis from April 8, 1950 to September 29, 1951. The first 13 episodes were broadcast live, and the remainder were pre-recorded...
- X Minus OneX Minus OneX Minus One was a half-hour science fiction radio drama series broadcast from April 24, 1955 to January 9, 1958 in various timeslots on NBC.-Overview:...
Listen to
- Fifteen episodes of 2000 Plus in the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
’s “Old Time Radio” collection - Radio Lovers: 2000 Plus (twelve episodes)
- Old Time Radio Downloads: four 2000 Plus episodes, three with synopses