Great Northern Audio

KFAI’s Sound Affects to air 4 "Alien Worlds" Sci-Fi Radio Dramas

Online Audio

Jerry Stearns, host of the long running modern radio drama show Sound Affects: A Radio Playground will be airing four episodes of the Alien Worlds, a science fiction radio drama series, on KFAI-FM over the next four months. The first will be this Saturday, Sept. 23rd. That program will also include an exclusive interview with the producer of Alien Worlds, Lee Hanson.

Alien Worlds series first aired between 1979 and 1980 on commercial radio. Some of the episodes were written by J. Michael Straczynski, creator of Babylon 5, the City Of Dreams and The Adventures Of Apocalypse Al (though not any of the four set to be broadcast on Sound Affects). Each of the four programs will be streamed live at 10pm on Saturday (and of course broadcast in the Minneapolis/St. Paul. region), and each show will be archived on the KFAI website for two weeks after the broadcast. Here’s all the details on how to listen, and when each of the programs will be aired:

Sound Affects: A Radio Playground
Hosted by Jerry Stearns
4 Broadcasts: [RADIO SHOW]
Broadcaster: KFAI, 90.3 FM and 106.7 FM, in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Broadcast: 9:30-10:30 PM, Sundays (Central Time)

September 23, 2007 – Alien Worlds “The Paralax Deception” + Interview
October 28, 2007 – Alien Worlds “The Kilohertz War”
December 2, 2007 – Alien Worlds “Time Clash”
January 13, 2008 – Alien Worlds “The Seeds of Time”

And, as always, FREE APOCALYPSE AL!

posted by Jesse Willis

Review of Super Pal and Jewels of the 11th Generation

SFFaudio Review

Great Northern Audio - Super Pal The Saving of the World: Super Pal (Includes Jewels of the 11th Generation)
By Great Northern Audio Theatre; Performed by a FULL CAST
1 CD – Approx. 70 minutes [LIVE AUDIO DRAMA]
Publisher: Great Northern Audio
Published: 2005/2006
Themes: / Fantasy / Comedy / Superheroes / Meteors / Jewels / Space Travel / Children / Squeak Toys / Computers

A comet is heading towards Big City, but is it a job for Super Pal?

Great Northern Audio brings you the tale of the blue-glowing superhero, as told from those closest to him. The nurse who helped birth him, the girlfriend who likes the cape (nudge-nudge), his best friend growing up, even the crooks he brought down.

Meanwhile, the comet comes closer, and Super Pal is nowhere to be found. The mayor begins to look at other superheroes, but no help is available. One kinked their back while lugging an oil rig across the desert, and another is expecting a baby and is on light duty. You know, bank robbers.

What to do? Well, Super Pal does have a weakness for cats in trees….

The CD also includes The Jewels of the 11th Generation, a story of two zany treasure-hunters looking for the ultimate treasure. They certainly find more than that! Children, pirates- and… squeak toys? But where are the jewels? This is also a lot of fun and well-written. Mix that with excellent acting, including the talents of David Ossman of Firesign Theatre, and you know exactly why I enjoyed it so much.

These performances were a lot of fun. I loved the documentary-style interviews in telling the tale of Super Pal, and the jokes in Jewels made me laugh out loud a couple of times! Very witty, and hearing the audience respond now and then in the background really made it all the more enjoyable. For a live performance, it has a better sound than a lot of in-studio performances. A very enjoyable hour!

Both SuperPal and Jewels of the 11th Generation were part of live Great Northern Audio performances in 2005 and 2006. Definitely worth going over to Great Northern’s website and getting a copy today!

posted by Dani Cutler

Review of Peter Galaxy: Interstellar Envoy by Brian Price and Jerry Stearns

Peter Galaxy: Interstellar Envoy
By Brian Price and Jerry Stearns; Featuring David Ossman and Michael Sheard
1 CD – 45 Minutes [Audio Drama]
Publisher: Great Northern Audio
Published: 2003
Themes: / Science Fiction / Comedy / Aliens / Cars /

This CD contains the live performance of Peter Galaxy: Interstellar Envoy and Tell Them NAPA Sent You, which were recorded at the Mark Time Science Fiction Audio Awards at the 2003 CONvergence in Minneapolis, MN. It stars Michael Sheard (Star Wars, Dr. Who) and David Ossman of the Firesign Theater. And it is hilarious, great fun.

Peter Galaxy: Interstellar Envoy tells the story is about a radio actor who, long ago, was the star of the famous Peter Galaxy radio series. Aliens come down, thinking that Peter Galaxy is a real person whose help they need to defend themselves against an interstellar threat. The comparison to Galaxy Quest is obvious and intentional. The script is full of science fiction tropes that play well in front of a convention audience. The jokes come fast and furious, and there’s not a poor actor in the entire cast.

Tell Them NAPA Sent You is a funny shorter piece about a guy whose car won’t start. He figures out which part he needs, then goes in search of it. The story takes a distinct fantastic turn when he’s told, after a dizzying set of directions to a place where he can find this part, to knock on the “lower door – DON’T try the high one”. Definitely chuckle worthy.

Like I said, both shows were recorded live in front of a convention audience, which had a great time by the sound of them. As did I!

Posted by Scott D. Danielson