IMAGINATION THEATRE ------------- 1996 - Present A Radio Series Broadcast Log By: Stewart Wright Initial Compilation: 09/30/2010 Last Update: 04/30/2019 Copyright 2010 – 2019 by Stewart Wright This broadcast log may not be reproduced or distributed, in whole or part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the author, Stewart M. Wright. First Show: 03/17/1996. Last Show: Series is still in production. Weeks on the Air: 1117 and counting. Audition Show: None. STATUS NOTES: Effective Friday, March 31, 2017 Jim French Productions has ceased the production of the weekly syndicated version of Imagination Theatre. Starting in July 2017, new episodes of The Adventures of Harry Nile and The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes are being produced on a less frequent basis. These episodes will only be broadcast on Seattle radio station KIXI and they will be available for listening on the Imagination Theatre YouTube channel. BACKGROUND: Jim French wrote, directed, and produced radio dramas for Seattle listeners beginning in1965. Prior to the advent of the weekly, syndicated Imagination Theatre by TransMedia on March 17, 1996, Jim's shows were usually only aired in the Seattle, WA area. In January, 2007 Jim French Productions assumed syndication operations from TransMedia. Imagination Theatre most recently aired on KIXI in Seattle and until February 26, 2017. It was syndicated internationally as Imagination Theatre on radio stations in the United States and New Zealand. It was also heard around the world over the Internet via the websites of various radio affiliates and Jim French Productions. Since Jim‛s Death in 2017, his former production manager, Larry Albert, has produced 16 additional shows. Effective September 11, 2016 selected episodes of The Adventures of Harry Nile, The Classic Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes are airing on the Sirius/XM satellite RadioClassics Channel Page 1 of 74 April 30, 2019 #148. "UMBRELLA TITLES": Imagination Theatre is an "umbrella title" under which the various series and stand-alone shows of Jim French and others air Over the years, Imagination Theatre shows have aired on three Seattle flagship stations: KIRO, KNWX, and KIXI. Each station has had one or more "umbrella titles" under which Imagination Theatre has been aired. These local "umbrella titles" are: KIRO Mystery Playhouse on KIRO 12/16/1990 - 02/21/1999, PEMCO Imagination Theatre on KNWX 02/21/1999 - 03/19/2000, Imagination Theatre on KNWX 03/26/2000 - 01/05/2003, and Imagination Theatre on KIXI 01/12/2003 - 02/26/2017. Jim French‛s Imagination Theatre on KIXI 07/07/2017 - Present. PROGRAM FORMAT: The syndicated version of Imagination Theatre occupied a 55-minute time slot. Usually two shows were aired on Imagination Theatre weekly. Frequently, the second show was one that had been previously aired on Imagination Theatre. Occasionally, a single, double-length Jim French-produced show was aired in the time slot. (For a listing of the Jim French double-length show that have aired on Imagination Theatre, see EPISODE NOTES: Double-Length Episodes. Episodes of non-Jim French–produced series, Louis L'Amour Theatre and many episodes of Powder River, are double-length shows. Programming Note: It was only since late 2000 that initial airings of newly produced shows normally occur during the same broadcast week on both the flagship station in Seattle, and the syndicated Imagination Theatre. Before then, new shows were usually aired on Seattle radio prior to their syndicated Imagination Theatre initial airing. The syndicated Imagination Theatre aired on Sunday evenings on the flagship station in Seattle. Affiliate radio stations selected when they air the series. SERIES DESCRIPTIONS: The following are brief descriptions of and information about the series that air on Imagination Theatre. (More detailed information for several Jim French series in the form of series broadcast logs can be found at links listed within the series descriptions. NOTE: that not all episodes of all Jim French series have aired on Imagination Theatre. Most of the shows that have not aired on I. T. are shows from the KVI era. Tower Playhouse A short-run anthology series by Jim French. The series name came from Page 2 of 74 April 30, 2019 the fact that the KVI radio studios were in the Smith Tower Building. YEARS OF RUN: 1972. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 10. STATUS: COMPLETED, NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION. LINK: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/tph_sw.log.pdf The Adventures Of Dameron A Jim French series about the cases of a globe-trotting troubleshooter, Roy Dameron, and his partner, Emile. YEARS OF RUN: 1972-73. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 49. STATUS: COMPLETED, NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION. LINK: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/dameron_sw.log.pdf Crisis Anthology series by Jim French. Mainly dramas & a few comedy episodes. His opening, used in the early episodes, best sums up the series concept, "Sooner or later, when you least expect it, there comes a point of no return. A dead-end from which there seems no escape. A moment in time. A moment of Crisis!" YEARS OF RUN: 1973-77 as Crisis. See STATUS: for additional information. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 152 as Crisis. STATUS: COMPLETED, NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION. Morphed into KIRO Mystery Playhouse and PEMCO Imagination Theatre and Stand-Alone shows on Imagination Theatre. LINK: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/crisis_sw.log.pdf Stand-Alone Shows: These shows do not belong to any of the regular series that are presented on Imagination Theatre. 2 Stand-alone shows initially aired on KIRO in 1965. 1 Stand-alone show initially aired on KVI Theater Of The Mind. 97 Stand-Alone shows initially aired on KIRO Mystery Playhouse. 83 Stand-Alone shows thus far have initially aired on the various local incarnations of Imagination Theatre. Note: Not all of these Stand-Alone shows have aired on Imagination Theatre. The Adventures Of Harry Nile Stories about a 1940's - 1960's private detective created by Jim French. Series is set in Los Angeles and Seattle with a few episodes taking place in Chicago and elsewhere. Started as part of the Crisis series. YEARS OF RUN: 1976 to Present. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 301. STATUS: STILL IN PRODUCTION. LINK: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/hrynl_sw.log.pdf Notes: Page 3 of 74 April 30, 2019 Crisis/The Adventures Of Harry Nile: Four episodes of The Adventures Of Harry Nile ("West For My Health," "Seattle Blues," "The Neptune Trading Company," and "Malibu") were first aired as part of the Crisis series. When Jim decided to make a "Harry Nile" series these shows were aired again in late 1977 as the first four episodes of The Adventures Of Harry Nile series. Possible "Lost" Episode: Information received from Jim French Productions in July, 2008 indicated that an episode, "Two Sets Of Tweeds," was recorded and scheduled to air sometime in June, 1978. However, there is no proof that this episode was actually broadcast and no copy of this episode is currently known to exist. The script for "Two Sets Of Tweeds," was later extensively modified and broadcast on Imagination Theatre as "A Scheduled Murder" on 11/13/2005. The Strangeseeker (Previously Kincaid, the Strangeseeker) A Jim French series about a TV investigative reporter, whose specializes in stories that fell into the categories of strange or unexplained events. YEARS OF RUN: 1996 to Present. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 47. STATUS: COMPLETED, NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION. Note: With the 07/21/2013 broadcast of the episode "Treasure Trove," the series title was changed. Link: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/ss_sw.log.pdf The Further Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes Additional adventures of the world's first and most famous consulting detective by Jim French and other writers. YEARS OF RUN: 1998 to Present. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 135. STATUS: STILL IN PRODUCTION. Link: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/fash_sw.log.pdf Louis L'Amour Theater Audio adaptations of Louis L'Amour Western stories produced by Louis L’Amour Enterprises. Years of Run: 2001 to 2006. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 29. STATUS: No longer carried on Imagination Theatre. Call Simon Walker A series about an international troubleshooter by Lawrence Albert. Used reworked The Adventures Of Dameron scripts. YEARS OF RUN: 2002. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 2. STATUS: COMPLETED, NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION. Page 4 of 74 April 30, 2019 Raffles, The Gentleman Thief Based on stories by E. W. Hornung, the brother-in-law of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The series is a mixture of adaptations of the original Raffles stories and brand-new pastiches. A. J. Raffles was, by day England's most famous Cricket player and by night, an equally accomplished burglar. YEARS OF RUN: 2004 to Present. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 19. STATUS: COMPLETED, NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION. Link: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/raffles_sw.log.pdf The Hilary Caine Mysteries Based on stories by M. J. Elliott. Hilary Caine, whose cases are set in 1930s England, is a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Ellery Queen. YEARS OF RUN: 2005 to Present. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 22. STATUS: COMPLETED, NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION. Link: http://www.old-time.com/otrlogs2/hilary_sw.log.pdf Mr. Darnborough Investigates Series featuring the character Freddie Darnborough, a detective similar to literary character Lord Peter Wimsey. Stories by John Hall. YEARS OF RUN: 2005 to Present. NUMBER OF EPISODES: 3. STATUS: COMPLETED, NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION. The Classic Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes Adaptations by M J Elliott of the original Conan Doyle adventures of the world's first and most famous consulting detective. YEARS OF RUN: 2005 to Present.