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Welcome to Down These Mean Streets, a weekly trip back to the Golden Age of Radio where we rub elbows with the era's greatest private eyes, cops, and crime-fighters. Since 2013, I've been podcasting everything from cozy mysteries to police procedurals, spotlighting characters ranging from hard boiled gumshoes to amateur sleuths. 

Be sure to tune in each Sunday for adventures of a radio detective and the behind-the-scenes stories of their shows. Join me as we spend time with Sam Spade, Johnny Dollar, Sgt. Joe Friday, and more!

Apr 26, 2015

Dick Powell lends his pipes to the role of Richard Diamond, radio’s singing detective. But don’t let his post-crime solving crooning fool you - he can throw a punch and wield a .38 with the best of them. Along the way, he’ll flirt with his girlfriend and frustrate the police a few times before the case is wrapped...


Apr 19, 2015

CBS wanted a “Philip Marlowe of the Old West,” and they got that and more in Gunsmoke. One of radio’s finest dramas, Gunsmoke helped to usher in the era of the “adult Western” with mature scripts, unflinching realism, and legendary performances from William Conrad and the rest of the cast. For nearly a decade...


Apr 15, 2015

In honor of the late Stan Freberg, “Down These Mean Streets” presents a bonus episode showcasing some of the radio work of this legendary comedian. First, he presents “An Analysis of Satire” – featuring several of his signature routines – on The CBS Radio Workshop (originally aired on August 31, 1956). Then,...


Apr 12, 2015

J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI agents captured headlines with their daring pursuits of bank robbers and enemy spies, and their exploits made for thrilling radio adventures. Several radio programs brought the cases of the Bureau to listeners and featured dramatizations of actual FBI case files. We’ll hear special agents on...


Apr 5, 2015

Before he protected the innocent on Dragnet, Jack Webb made a name for himself in a pair of hard-boiled detective dramas. The characters he played were miles away from the straight arrow Sgt. Joe Friday. They were down-on-their-heels working stiffs out for a buck and usually getting cheated out of it, working their way...