On October 30, 1938, millions of people were convinced that Mars was invading New Jersey. What the hell – let’s do it again.
Sci-fi and comics fans rarely need an excuse to dress up, but it stands to reason that Halloween is one of our favorite holidays! To help celebrate the day, SCIFI.radio announces the return of Christopher H. Baum’s production of War of the Worlds.
On October 30, 1938, Orson Welles transfixed the American listening audience with what 1.7 million listeners were absolutely convinced was an invasion of New Jersey by invaders from the planet Mars. To commemorate this remarkable event in broadcasting history, SCIFI.radio presents a special broadcast created by New Jersey native Christopher H. Baum. He has reinterpreted the H. G. Wells classic story for the modern age.
Christopher Baum has assembled a cast of 15 actors from across the United States. The story is told from the point of view of a NASA contractor as he recalls events he witnessed when Martians once again invade New Jersey in War of the Worlds.
Eighty years ago, Orson Welles broadcast “The War of the Worlds,” based on the novel by H.G. Wells originally published in 1898. That radio play was presented as a series of special reports interrupting what seemed to be regular broadcasts. It’s easy to be dismissive now, but in 1938, radio was the way people got up-to-the-minute news. America was still in the grip of the Great Depression. The Nazis were already on the rise in Europe. People believed the radio. And now, the only source of real time information was telling them that American was under attack by creatures from Mars. It made history, with Orson Welles narrowly averting a law suit due to the mass panic his Mercury Theater of the Air created, but forever redefining the role of modern entertainment and the compelling voice of radio.
Christopher H. Baum’s War of the Worlds will air Wednesday October 31, 2018 on SCIFI.radio, at the following times:
| 6 am Eastern / 5 am Central / 4 am Mountain / 3 am Pacific / 11 am GMT | |
| 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific / 4 am GMT | |
The program will be immediately followed by the original classic Orson Welles War of the Worlds, as it originally aired in 1938.
The Cast
- Christopher H. Baum Narrator
- Jewel Elizabeth Dr. Carol Woking
- Doug Myers Special Agent Steven McKay
- Steve Rimpici News Anchor
- Marjorie Kouns Natalie Rivera
- Kevin Irlen Mr. Winslow
- Leah Frederick The Colonel
- Tyler Abbott Corporal Padmore
- Anthony Aroya Colonel John Lewes
- Harry Schuster The Farmer
- Scottt Raven The President
- J. Christopher Dunn General Horowitz
- Heidi Tabing Doctor Chu
- Mike Lemmerling The Lieutenant
- Sarah Bisman Announcer
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