You Are There

You Are There takes historic events and dramatizes them with "live radio" coverage. Of course, many famous events were covered on radio prior to WWII, but the daily transcontinental field reports created an emotional impact that were radio reporting at its best. Many of the announcers on You Are There were real wartime correspondents in World War II.  The show was originally called CBS is There.

Goodman Ace, who also created, wrote and played "Ace" on The Easy Aces, created the show. The hosts for You Are There were Richard C. Hottelet, John Daly, and Don Hollenbeck. They began the show with "live" background coverage of the events unfolding. Then the sounds and characters involved take over. Often participants are interviewed, or the show cuts to another reporter's evaluation of the event.

Of course, many of the historic events took place before radio (such as Salem Witch Trials) - that fact is obvious to the listener, who knows this is a radio re-enactment. But the dialogue is believable, as factual as possible, and very much in character. Director Robert Lewis Shayon uses sound effects, actors and the reporters "coverage" in an exciting and thought-provoking way.

Another way of looking at the show is that this is history reported in a way radio's audience is most used to, and so makes it easier for a listener to imaginatively participate in the world's major historical events.

For more American historical drama, see also: American Adventure, An American in England, American Trail, Cavalcade of America, Democracy in America, Destination Freedom, The Free Company, Frontier Fighters, Inheritance, Norman Corwin Collection, Our Nation's Heritage, Mr President, Science Magazine of the Air, You Are There.

See also: I Was There and More Patriotic Old Time Radio Collections