What happens
Fred Allen hosts a literary panel discussing James A. Farley's book, a record of his political life. Allen assembles three critics, Dr. Holstein, Miss Paddleford and Mr. Strowmanov, to review the book with Farley present as its author. The show, broadcast on CBS and NBC in 1948, is a comedy in which the critics wander off into unrelated tangents, and the discussion repeatedly fails to reach the book itself. Portland Hoffa and Kenny Delmar appear among the regulars, and Minerva Pious is also among the lead actors. Allen steers the conversation back to the book again and again, with little success.
A radio studio in New York, where a literary discussion program is staged for the broadcast.
Characters: Fred Allen, James A. Farley, Dr. Holstein, Miss Paddleford, Mr. Strowmanov, Portland Hoffa, Kenny Delmar, Minerva Pious
Listen for: Allen's repeated attempts to return the panel to Farley's book, and the critics' digressions into unrelated topics.
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.