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Stroke of Fate

1953

1953

Stroke of Fate

19

Surviving broadcasts

1953

Years on the air

1

Seasons represented

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Source collection: OTRR_Stroke_of_Fate_Singles

The shape of the run

Every dated survivor plotted against the years the series was on the air. The gaps are the lost broadcasts.

The shape of the run

What survives, year by year

3 dated broadcasts across 1 years on the air. Brightness is transfer quality; empty cells are months lost to time.

JFMAMJJASOND

1953

Clean transferListenableRough but complete No surviving recording

The surviving run

19 of 19 shown

Transmission

4 October

No. 1

1953

Robert E Lee

Running time

25 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

11 October

No. 2

1953

Earl of Essex [followed by NBC News]

Running time

28 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

18 October

No. 3

1953

The Burr-Hamilton Duel

Running time

24 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

25 October

No. 4

1953

Escape of Marie Antoinette

Running time

25 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

1 November

No. 5

1953

Lincoln's Consular Service

Running time

24 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

8 November

No. 6

1953

Benedict Arnold

Running time

29 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

15 November

No. 7

1953

Caesar and Cleopatra

Running time

29 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

22 November

No. 8

1953

Germany Invades the Rhineland

Running time

29 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

29 November

No. 9

1953

Battle of Quebec

Running time

29 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

6 December

No. 10

1953

Our Neighbor in Alaska

Running time

29 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

13 December

No. 11

1953

Alexander the Great

Running time

30 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

20 December

No. 12

1953

America's First Secret Weapon

Running time

29 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

27 December

No. 13

1953

Norman Conquest of England

Running time

29 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

1953 · year only

No. 14

Old Time Radio Researchers Introduction

Running time

3 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

1953 · year only

No. 15

te Introduction

Running time

5 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

1953 · year only

No. 16

Cameron Prud'Homme Biography

Running time

1 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

1953 · year only

No. 17

Santos Ortega Biography

Running time

1 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

1953 · year only

No. 18

Bernard Lenrow Biography

Running time

3 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

Transmission

1953 · year only

No. 19

Everett Sloane Biography

Running time

1 min

Joe Webb From October to December 1953 NBC aired a curious historical series, Stroke of Fate . NBC’s inspiration was the successful CBS radio and television series You Are There . That series started in 1947 as CBS is There and soon adopted the more listener-focused name that made it famous. In 1953, the television version of the series started. NBC and others saw an opportunity to do something historical but with a twist. Rather than dropping modern day reporters into historical events, Stroke of Fate offered a cerebral “what if?” approach with dramas of historical persons in hypothetical circumstances. This was an…

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