This week with Project Mastodon, we’re travelling back to a time when mastodons roamed and mosquitoes were… frankly, terrifying. This 1956 episode from the brilliant X Minus One series, based on a story by Clifford D. Simak, blends satire, suspense, and big ideas in equal measure.

When a group of entrepreneurs discover a gateway to the distant past, their first instinct isn’t scientific curiosity—it’s opportunity. Why stay in the modern world with all its rules and restrictions when you can head back 50,000 years and start fresh? Their solution: establish a brand-new civilisation in prehistoric times, free from government interference and full of commercial potential.

But while Mastodonia might seem like the perfect escape, the present-day world isn’t quite ready to let it go. What unfolds is a clever and often funny exploration of time travel, capitalism, and control.

As always, X Minus One delivers a high-concept story with real bite. It’s imaginative, thought-provoking, and surprisingly modern in its themes. Step into the past—and see what the future makes of it. And don't forget the bug repellent!

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This week on The Shiver Show, Mary Labrie and Greg Flynn cinch up their trench coats once again and step into the shadowy world of wartime espionage with “Five Fingers” from Lux Radio Theatre (1952).

Starring the incomparable James Mason, reprising his film role, this stylish spy drama is based on the real-life story of the infamous spy with the code name Cicero. Mason plays Ulysses Diello, a suave and deeply opportunistic valet working at the British Embassy in Ankara during World War II. By day, he’s the model servant. By night, he’s photographing top-secret documents and selling them to the Germans. Loyalty is negotiable, and everyone—especially Diello—has a price.

Mary and Greg unpack the fascinating true story of Albanian valet Elyesa Bazna, whose daring espionage earned him a fortune… paid in counterfeit money. Not exactly a retirement plan. They also explore the film’s legacy, from its glamorous 1952 cinema release (directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz) and shot in Istanbul.

Expect clipped accents, coded messages, and plenty of intrigue—though perhaps not perfect sound quality this time! Still, Mason’s velvet performance carries the day. Please join us for this terrific spy thriller.

Thank you for listening! If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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This week on The Shiver Show, co-hosts Mary Labrie and Greg Flynn bring you The Voice on the Wire, a delicious tale of psychological suspense.

At the centre of the story is Geraldine Reeves, played by Lesley Woods, a lonely widow living on a narrow island near the ruins of her former home. Years earlier, her husband—a composer—died in a tragic fire that destroyed the house.

Night after night she hears something impossible: her late husband’s unfinished musical composition drifting through the darkness, accompanied by the eerie howling of a dog. No one is there—or so it seems. Then one evening the telephone rings, and a mysterious voice calmly informs Geraldine she has just four hours to live.

Written by Robert Sloane, the story plays almost like a radio version of Clue—everyone seems suspicious, everyone denies everything, and someone is clearly lying. Is it supernatural revenge… or something far more calculated?

Tune in and decide for yourself—The Voice on the Wire delivers a double helping of suspense.

Thank you for listening! If you like the show, please share us with your friends and family AND give us a review! If you have a suggestion for a show or a question, please drop it in the comments!

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