Hour 25
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hour 25 was a radio program focusing on science fiction, fantasy, and science. It was broadcast on Pacifica radio station KPFK in Southern California from 1972 to 2000, and is now distributed over the Internet. It has featured numerous interviews with famous authors of science fiction and fantasy, in addition to luminaries of the scientific community. The program was originally hosted by the late Mike Hodel. Harlan Ellison was a regular host for a time in the mid-1980s, as well as J. Michael Straczynski. The show is now hosted by Warren James.
In addition to hearing new programs, there is an extensive archive of interviews with popular authors, including Terry Pratchett, Larry Niven, Laurie R. King, Frank Kelly Freas, and Neil Gaiman.
[edit] History
Hour 25 was probably the longest running Science fiction radio program that was not any sort of "continuing story". It was also one of the earliest to be held seriously by both the authors and the publishers although at points some authors wanted "... Science Fiction to get out of the classroom and back into the gutter where it belonged..". Mike Hodel and Mitchell Harding were the original main interviewers (presenters) for many years. One of the things that helped the program was that both Mike and Mitch were also fans of the genre and had different tastes and so hearing a verse & obverse view was novel.
The show was on Friday nights and was originally three hours long beginning at 1AM (or the 25th hour if you had a scifi effect on your clock). When offered the chance to get on an hour earler, that was taken at the cost of the third hour. This hour was when scifi programs from the "Golden Age" of radio were broadcast, so was not usually "live".
One exception that comes to mind was the night, in probably 1977, that Harlan Ellison was on as a guest. He had come in with the idea of writing a story "live" on the air and Mike had agreed. Harlan brought in his manual typewiter and this was set up in a corner of the studio with a microphone suitably placed so that the keystrokes could be heard. Mike and Mitch interviewed Harlan for a bit and then they began interviewing another author that Harlan brought in with him. The audience were called upon to "contribute" to the story in the way that comedians will improvise and ask for nouns, verbs, etc. To prove that writing is not like making sausages, Harlan had not finished the now titled "Hitler Painted Roses" in two hours... or even three. By this time, the host of the next show was there. But he had also been listening to this and decided to give up some time to let this "event" continue. Harlan did complete the story, but had to return later to read the story to the audience.
Hour 25 also managed a coup that has never otherwise been acknowledged: it was the first US radio program to introduce the audience to "The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy". This was before NPR gained rights and aired it. This was two series of six shows with a "bridge" episode. It was replayed until the US rights existed. This made it even sweeter when Douglas Adams was the in-studio guest. He was a lovely man.
One concept that came in to the show was the "Group Mind". This was made up of all the members of the audience, somewhat in "Wikipedia" fashion. Mike often said that he thought that there wasn't a question or topic that you could wonder about that some "cell" of the Group Mind wouldn't call in with information about it.
There is even a "lost tape" incident that is part of the history of Hour 25. It involved an interview with author Philip K Dick that was taped when Phil Dick was living in Orange County, California. Mike Hodel went to see Dick who was recovering from a heart attack, but still wanting to talk about his passions. Dick had a new book out "A Scanner Darkly" and during the interview he read some passages of this book. Overall a terrifc interview. As occurs, there was more original material (over three hours) than would end up being broadcast. Mike edited the tape and a broadcast version created. This was aired. Some time after that, it became apparent that the edited tape was no longer in the radio staion archives. If the tape was "recycled" (reused, without regard as to content, which was something that regularly happened due to budgets and the high cost of decent tape at the time) or not was a mystery. It may also have gone into someone's "private" collection. Mike didn't know, just that it was gone. There are references to this interview on some Dick sites.
Hour 25 also took on a life of its own in Southern California as well. There was a period when some fans volunteered to come in and bring refeshments the way that "mainstream" media did at the time. Others came by with the hope of meeting that evening's guest(s).
Again it was Harlan Ellison that "immortalized" Hour 25 by writing the story "The Hour That Stretches" which has the radio show as a main element. Though not the best review on http://www.harlanellison.com still did express what the program was like to do. The story even draws on that prior show when Harlan did write the story "live on radio". Harlan was a great friend to Hour 25. This was why when Mike Hodel was gravely ill, Harlan agreed to take over hosting Hour 25. Harlan was good to his word after Mike Hodel died. Harlan continued to host the show until he was able no longer. It was a drain on his limited energy as well as a daunting task to have to create almost two hours of original material each week. Material that would have his name attached to it even though he now called the show "Mike Hodel's Hour 25". Harlan also began the tradition of closing each show with "Goodnight Mike".
