Although not exclusively science fiction, the anthology series Escape, broadcast by CBS from 1947-1954, included adaptations of stories by H.G. Wells and Ray Bradbury. NBC's renowned series Dimension X, which ran from 1950 to 1951, also featured a Bradbury tale, "The Martian Chronicles." X Minus One (1955-58), meanwhile, included adaptations of stories by Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, L. Ron Hubbard, Isaac Asimov, James Blish and Robert Heinlen.
Other adult-oriented shows from this period included Mutual's 2000 Plus (1950-1952) and Exploring Tomorrow (1957-1958). The latter was hosted by John W. Campbell, Jr., whose short story "Who Goes There?" inspired the film The Thing. Younger listeners had their shows, too. Space Patrol (1950-1955) and Tom Corbett: Space Cadet (1952) fulfilled the fantasies of many children who dreamed of intergalactic adventure. The British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) Journey Into Space (1953 to 1958) was also popular family fare.
The public's reliance on the radio as its main source of broadcast entertainment began to wane in the late 1950s, and with it went the attention of American network sponsors and the networks themselves. Science fiction radio drama seemed to have had its heyday. It didn't go away, though.
Among those leading the line for the genre in more recent years has been the BBC. The British broadcaster's productions of The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy have become modern radio classics. The creation of BBC7, an online channel, has given genre fans further reason to celebrate the network's commitment to quality radio drama; BBC7 has frequently broadcast adaptations of The Twilight Zone and Doctor Who and has a dedicated a period in its schedule, called "The 7th Dimension," to science fiction and fantasy plays and readings.
It is not just in the U.K. that fantastic tales have received serious attention. The Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy) presented several sophisticated plays under the Seeing Ear Theatre banner, including The Kindred, a time-travel story starring Alfre Woodard (Star Trek: First Contact); Poul Anderson's "The Martian Crown Jewels"; H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine"; and "City of Dreams," an anthology series produced by J. Michael Straczynski, creator or Babylon 5. Tim Curry and Steve Buscemi have been among the featured actors. (These plays were once accessible from the Sci-Fi Channel website, but don't appear to be available since the cable channel's rebranding to Syfy.)
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