Here’s my commentary for the 4/24/09 round of Sketchwar, which had the theme “Radio Serials.”

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Oops! Very late, sorry. I’ve had my nose buried in “Anathem” for the past few days, every moment I’m not working or sleeping, so I kinda let this slip. A bit. Again, sorry.

Anyway…

• DNW went searching googling back to the future, or forward to the past, or something like that…
• Coyote, well, he wrote *something*. I think he was drinking too much of that cocaine-fortified bourbon…
• Dave had the first of his three episodes of “Boring Science Fiction Theater”…
• Quickly followed by Dave’s 2nd episode, now with more bad luck…
• EL showed us a slice of the REAL Bing Crosby…
• Things weren’t going so great for Ken’s friend, Matt Mercury…
• Dave came through again with #3. It’s always about sandwiches…
• Peter closed the battle with Raoul and Dave globetrotting, causing mayhem wherever they go.

This week’s battle (normally I’d say next week there, you notice?) is Odd Sporting Events.

If you think you’ve got the comedy chops to do battle with our scarred and bitter warriors, if you dare step into the hailstorm of seltzer and cream pies, if you think you’re MAN ENOUGH or WOMAN ENOUGH to make us laugh, write a sketch and contact us at submissions(nospam)@sketchwar.org.

Hi all — here’s my take on the “Radio Drama” edition of Sketchwar.

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The last two weeks were “write 65% of the sketch, then get gobsmacked with something urgent, wake-up Saturday and think ‘aw crap, I didn’t finish the sketch’”".

Ahhhhh…back in the ring….

This scene is completely a radio play – no visible actors, done either in the dark or just as an audio recording.

CAST:
ANNOUNCER – male, 50’s
SINGERS – all female voices
COLONEL MATT MERCURY    – male, late 30’s to early 40’s
BUCK TUCKER – male, early 20’s
PAGE – male, late teens
BESS – late 20’s
PRODUCER – male, mid \ late 40’s
MUSICIAN – male, 50’s
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Some really fantastic sketches this week…and now here’s mine to muck it all up. I know very little about old time radio and absolutely nothing about the serials. So, I did something a bit different. One thought I had while writing this was, what might it look like if we were to transplant today’s pop culture into the 1940s…

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Oy. Out of the last three weeks, I’ve had big problems with two of our topics. I certainly hope things get better soon. This one…well, I think I’ve got the feel almost right, but other than a few chuckles spread throughout, I don’t think I really brought the funny.

Y’all be the judges.

[scrippet]
INT. RADIO STUDIO – NIGHT
Fat ties and fedoras. Polka dots and pert curls. A haze of yellow smoke hovers near the ceiling of a large, soundproofed studio. PERFORMERS stand one or two to a mic, huge booms hanging from the ceiling emblazoned with the DUMONT logo, scripts in hand or on music stands. In the back of the room sits ORGANIST. Next to her, TWO FOLEY ARTISTS with their collection of sound effects.

RODERICK BEAN (50s, balding, stooped in a too-large suit) shares a mic with BEA MORTIMER (20s and stunning in gold hair and yellow dress). He speaks with a rich baritone to match her sultry alto.

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I wanted to try something a little different. Moving to old-time radio serial script format wasn’t easy…it’s an entirely different mindset. Doing it and trying to be funny? Well, you tell me…
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