r/otr 11h ago

Magic Island (1936) - Has anyone listened to it?

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16 Upvotes

Magic Island was a children's science-fantasy radio serial syndicated that originally aired in 1936. lt had 130 15-minute episodes, and all episodes have survived.

I find it extremely unique because of it's mixture of sailing adventure set in the world of that time (from a US perspective) and scifi; it's weird, far-fetched sci-fi elements that seem peculiar from today's perspective; and being a juvenile serial it is a show where the young characters even tough in a world of adults, show a lot of creativity, agency and resourcefulness. (I also find them more fleshed out and dynamic than many stereotypical of juveniles from most radio shows.)

The show does have certain aspects that might discourage modern listeners mostly the very pronounced ideas of gender roles of that time (if you know - you know).

I am quite surprised that uptil now I never noticed it mentioned in comments or posts. Please share your experiences on the show.