#129 Orson Welles' War of the Worlds and a 1930s BBC Ghost Story

30 October 1938 - 88 years ago precisely before this podcast lands - something else landed too, according to Orson Welles. US radio listeners were terrified as his adaptation of HG Wells' War of the Worlds brought Martians to American ears, via fake news reports and other immersive drama. But how terrified were they, and had they heard the show? Our guest Dr A Brad Schwartz is author of Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles's War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News (Hill and Wang, 2015), shining a new light on one of the most famous moments of radio history - but perhaps one of the most misunderstood? Oh but it does mean that for one episode only, we jump the Atlantic, so The British Broadcasting Century becomes The American Broadcasting Century. We even look at the next moment of our chronological timeline - December 1923 - by seeing what American radio was up to then, with the first presidential address via radio thanks to Calvin Coolidge. And the spooky season seemed the perfect time to tell you a ghost story that we've been sitting on for some time. Not read out on air (that we know), but a personal reminiscence from a 1930s BBC announcer, this is Uncle Ajax (TCL Farrar) recounting a strange encounter while introducing the BBC Symphony Orchestra from the pre-Maida Vala home at No 10, Big Tree Wharf. Thanks for this to Carina Saner, great-granddaughter of first radio dramatist Phyllis Twigg. Phyllis met Ajax at a function post-WW2, and he told her this tale then gave her a copy of it, which gladly Carina found in Phyllis' shoebox of correspondence. (Look out for a biography of Phyllis Twigg by Carina and myself, coming soon!) I'll post Ajax's text to Substack soon - link below. Copyright is certainly not mine, and will belong to the estate of TCL Farrar - whoever they may be! Farrar family: get in touch if you like, especially if you have issues with us using this... but what a tale. So thank you, without reaching you.   SHOWNOTES:   Brad's book Broadcast Hysteria: Orson Welles's War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News is a great read, or listen on Audible. (That's an affiliate link, you click, you buy, I get a shiny sixpence or something) Hear the entire War of the Worlds broadcast from 30 Oct 1938 Witness History on BBC Sounds - Orson Welles broadcasts The War of the Worlds Read on Substack, soon, the text of Ajax's ghost story: paulkerensa.substack.com More on the BBC's (haunted?) studio at No 10, Big Tree Wharf Email the podcast at: https://paulkerensa.com/contact.php Review the podcast on Apple Podcasts etc? Thanks! Find us on BlueSky: bsky.bbcentury.social Join Paul's mailing list Paul's show is on old radio is on tour and available for booking - book it!: paulkerensa.com/tour This podcast is not made by today's BBC. It's just about the old BBC. Any clips from War of the Worlds are copyright CBS Radio Network, and used minimally as a fair use excerpt. Or something like that. Original podcast music is by Will Farmer. Unoriginal music is by someone else. Soon: A talk on the origins of the BBC at Guildford Institute: https://www.guildford-institute.org.uk/event/from-the-pips-to-the-proms-how-the-bbc-began-t425/ Support us on Patreon? £5/mth, and get extra videos, writings, readings etc: patreon.com/paulkerensa - thanks! Or support this project with a one-off tip: ko-fi.com/paulkerensa - thanks too! Please share/rate/review this podcast if you like - it all helps. Next time, Episode 130: BBC TV at Alexandra Palace Turns 90.  More on this broadcasting history project at paulkerensa.com/oldradio