Opening Radio Script

The Opening Radio Scripts are a special bonus feature of the Spectral Shadows project that relate to the Old Time Radio Concept. They may be found at the opening of a new serial or at the beginning of an odd episode. These function to supply a recap of events leading up to the odd episode, as well as to give a better sense of how the series might have been presented on radio in the 1940's and 50's. They typically include a description of the series opening, a commercial from the sponsor, and the recap of the previous episode, all presented in the form of a radio script.
In some cases where it seems appropriate to be more brief, there will be just the recap at the top of the episode, filling in for either a missing episode or action that took place off-mic.
Commercials may be used to comedic effect, as characters from the story may interact with the announcer reading the commercial, creating a kind of 4th wall moment, as was often done in radio days where an announcer representing a sponsor could also be a character in the show. Indeed, as with many Old Time Radio shows, the author tends to make the sponsor such a significant part of the story that important context would be lost if the commercials were chopped. Such was the excuse NPR offered for not cutting commercials out of Old Time Radio shows. That, and the feeling that the commercials were of historical significance.
The author balances the awkward dichotomy of the historical 1940's radio show, which was primarily aimed at children, and the modern novelization, which is significantly updated for a modern audience, primarily assumed to be Furry fans. So, while the story itself reads as significantly mature, the commercials tend to betray that this was once a safe for work children's series.
Currently there are three episodes that include an Opening Radio Script:
* "Prologue: A Transcendental Radio Show" which opens Serial 1 "Children of the Ommadawn".
* "Opening of Spectral Shadows Radio Script Dated 01/02/41" which opens Serial 4 "The Trouble With Paradise"
* "Opening Of Spectral Shadows Radio Script Dated 02/15/46" which opens Serial 11 "The Planet of Genetic Misadventure".
Category:Opening Radio Scripts
Category:Concepts