Theater Five

Theater Five was ABC's attempt to revive radio drama in the USA in the early 1960s. Produced by Edward A. Byron, the series ran Monday to Friday at 5pm, hence the series name. It was a general drama anthology series, with each episode about 20 minutes long. The series included a good bit of fantasy and science fiction. The episodes below are the genre episodes.
Episode 1: A House of Cards

​​A family struggle to survive in a nuclear fallout shelter, while someone outside tries to dig their way in.

​First broadcast: 4 August 1964.
Original Story by George Bamber.
​Cast: Bryna Raeburn, Cecil Roy, George Petrie, Guy Sorel, Vicki Vola.​

Episode 2: Terror From Beyond
​
​​Aliens take over the mind of a scientist searching for extraterrestrial intelligence.

First broadcast: 5 August 1964.
Original Story by Robert Newman.
​Cast: Robert Dryden, Ralph Camargo, Gilbert Mack.

Episode 3: Homecoming
​
​​A widow believes her dead husband has returned to stay.

First broadcast: 6 August 1964.
Original Story by George Bamber.
​Cast: Dan Ocko, Margaret Hamilton, Mary Jane Higby.

Episode 4: Rebellion Next Week
​
​​A group of mutant children plot to take over the world.
​
​First broadcast: 10 August 1964.
Original Story by Robert Cenedella.
​Cast: Bryna Raeburn, Evelyn Juster, Ivor Francis, Bob Hastings.

Episode 5: The New Order

Government investigators stumble upon a conspiracy at a robot manufacturing plant.

​First broadcast: 18 August 1964.
Original Story by Don Haring.
​Cast: Robert Dryden, Jack Grimes, Jay Barney, Jack Manning, Owen Jordan.

Episode 6: Your Time Is Up

A woman has a premonition of her husband's death.

​First broadcast: 20 August 1964.
Original Story by Raphael David Blau.
​Cast: Natalie Priest, Betty Walker, Paul McGrath, Norman Rose.

Episode 7: Molecule Masquerade

​A US intelligence agent finds he has a doppelgänger accused of murder.
​
​First broadcast: 21 August 1964.
Original Story by Sherman H. Dreyer.
​Cast: George Petrie, Vicki Vola, Luis Van Rooten, Peter Fernandez, James Monks.

Episode 8: Incident At Apogee

The world's first spacewalk is sabotaged by a jealous astronaut.

​First broadcast: 28 August 1964.
Original Story by William N. Robson.
​Cast: George Petrie, Joan Shea, Clifford Carpenter, Richard Hurd, Jack Manning, Ralph Camargo.

Episode 9: The Scream

A demolition worker is convinced he heard the house he is demolishing scream.

​First broadcast: 31 August 1964.
Original Story by Virginia Radcliffe.
​Cast: Roger De Koven, Peter Fernandez, Harry Belova, Albert Oppenheimer, Abby Lewis.

Episode 10: Outside Time
​
​An astronaut vanishes and materialises back in mission control, with an important message for all Mankind.

​First broadcast: 1 September 1964.
Original Story by Lawrence Weinberg.
​Cast: Al Hodge, George Petrie, Jack Grimes, Maurice Tarplin, Richard Keith.

Episode 11: The Masks of Ashor

​A couple are gifted two ancient, golden masks by a relative. They are soon visited by the messenger of the underworld, who wants his property back.

​First broadcast: 9 March 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Unknown.

Episode 12: The Night The Fog Came

A newly discovered form of microscopic aquatic life, which can travel in fog, kills on contact by drowning people on dry land.

First broadcast: 23 March 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Richard Thorne, Sam Siegel, Harry Elders, Jim Andolin.

Episode 13: The Beast With Red Eyes

Paranormal investigator Dr. Hesselius attempts to help a man plagued by a supernatural beast with blazing red eyes.

​First broadcast: 30 March 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne (based on a story by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu).
​Cast: Carl Greyson, Richard Thorne.

Episode 14: The Return From Death

A scientist invents a machine to bring the dead back to life and tests it on an executed murderer. It does not go well.

​First broadcast: 6 April 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Unknown.

Episode 15: The Demon of The Night

A werewolf terrorises a small American town.

​First broadcast: 13 April 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Unknown.

Episode 16: Out of The Sky

A flying saucer lands near a small American town and the occupant threatens to destroy Mankind.

​First broadcast: 20 April 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Edward Clarke, Carl Greyson.

Episode 17: The Wild Huntsman
​
​A hunting party encounter the spectral 'Wild Huntsman', who brings death to any who lay eyes upon him.

​First broadcast: 27 April 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Harry Elders, Richard Thorne, Muriel Bremner, Sam Siegel.

Episode 18: The Idol of Crom Cruach

High in the Appalachian mountains, a hidden valley is discovered, inhabited by druids who still perform human sacrifice.

​First broadcast: 4 May 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Unknown.

Episode 19: The Spectre of Denston Castle

​An American couple inherit an old English castle, but are driven away by a family curse and the castle's resident ghost.

​First broadcast: 11 May 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Unknown.

Episode 20: The Crawling Thing

A scientist discovers a serum to increase the size and intelligence of animals. He decides to test it on a spider...

​First broadcast: 18 May 1953.
Original Story by Richard Thorne.
​Cast: Unknown.