20 Great Years of Radio, Part 3: 1940

1. The Jack Benny Program (NBC): Another phenomenal year for Jack Benny which included the show's only 4-part storyline, centered around the cast's trip to Yosemite. There was also a classic episode where the cast went to meet Don Wilson's new wife, with frustrating results! They had another great football satire (Hold That Line) and satires of Pinocchio, Town Hall Tonight (Clown Hall Tonight) and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Mr. Benny Goes to Washington). Another first-rate year of Benny!
2. The Shadow (Mutual): This year is probably best-remembered for the episode The Voice of Death, which was notoriously weird and tasteless. But there were many other fine episodes including Murder in the Death House, Carnival of Death and House of Horror.
3. Information Please (Blue/NBC): Another fun year of this series, which included a few appearances by Jan Struther as their guest panelist, who was probably the highlight of their guests.
4. Lux Radio Theater (CBS): This was a great year for comedy adaptations on Lux with great productions of Remember the Night, His Girl Friday, Bachelor Mother and True Confession. High quality stuff.
5. Screen Guild Theater (CBS): Obviously my personal highlight is the episode Why Jack Benny Will Not Be Appearing on the Screen Guild, which was written by Jack's writers (and later adapted to his own show). But there were other highlights this year, including adaptations of The Petrified Forest and The Shop Around the Corner.
6. The Columbia Workshop (CBS): Another good year on the Workshop, the best being the oddities Double Exposure and an adaptation of Carmilla.
7. Arch Oboler's Plays (Blue): This year included James Cagney in an adaptation of Johnny Got His Gun, which may well be the finest bit of radio in the entirety of this series.
8. Forecast (CBS): This oddball program was a place for CBS to test out new shows. This year included the pilots for Suspense and Duffy's Tavern. Although Duffy's Tavern became a long-running comedy series which started right away, it took a little more time for Suspense to get ready for broadcast.
9. The Campbell Playhouse (CBS): This was Campbell's last year and, as Jack Benny turned up in June Moon, obviously there was something I liked. Orson Welles would return, but it seemed increasingly difficult for him to recapture the magic of the early Mercury shows.
10. George Burns & Gracie Allen (NBC): At this stage this program was little more than an imitator of Jack Benny. It's decent comedy, but not very remarkable at this stage; still, Gracie Allen was herself such a fine performer that it elevates this series for me.