Theme Time Radio Hour Season One

This is a listing of the episodes and music played on the first season of Theme Time Radio Hour (TTRH), hosted by Bob Dylan, which ran from May 3, 2006 to April 18, 2007 on XM Satellite Radio for a total 50 shows.

With the exception of the Halloween show - Episode 26 - introduced by comedian Steven Wright, all TTRH episodes in Season One were introduced by an uncredited Ellen Barkin who would open with the lines, "It's night (or night time) in the Big City" and then describe a city scene - such as a woman walking in the rain, a shopkeeper closing his doors, angry hookers arguing on a street corner - before introducing the show and "your host, Bob Dylan." Barkin would identify herself in a Christmas greeting delivered to listeners on Season One's Christmas/New Year Special - Episode 34 - ending fan speculation as to whether it was her voice in the introduction. Simon Nielsen (UkuleleElvis) [http://blip.tv/file/450465 created a multimedia presentation] matching the Barkin voice-overs to the [http://www.bobdylan.com/moderntimes/images/tt.poster.jpgOffical Theme Time Radio Hour Poster created by Jaime Hernandez] . Barkin was also named as the show announcer in an XM press release for Season Two.

Season One's closing credits were delivered by announcer "Pierre Mancini," probably a pseudonym of producer Eddie Gorodetsky, whose voice - which can be heard in several movies as well as in the Peter Wolf song, "Mars Needs Women" - sounds identical to "Mancini's."

Interspersed between the music on TTRH Season One shows are old station promos and jingles; pre-recorded show promos and commentary from personalities such as Penn Jillette, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman; Dylan answering email the show has supposedly received (most, if not all, of the emails are obviously made up); Dylan reading poetry, often citing the author as a "def poet;" occasional food and drink recipes; even household cleaning tips from Dylan; and his comments on the music and musicians TTRH is featuring. Although most of Dylan's monologues are scripted - keen-eared listeners can hear him turning pages and members of various Dylan Web forums have pointed out the similarities between his stories and Wikipedia entries on the same subject - he has had the occasional memorable outburst which sounded as if it came directly from the heart, such as this one on country music from the "Friends and Neighbors" episode (Episode 17):

“Now I love country music, but I say ‘What happened to it?’

"You hear a song like this and it’s obvious it’s about real people, and real emotions, and real problems, that’s all, that’s the country music we learned to love. Now days they want to sweep all the problems under the rug and pretend they don’t exist.

"Well guess what folks – they do exist! And if you try and sweep 'em under the rug, they’re just gonna pop up somewhere else. So we might as well all just face it and listen to the old style country music, the real country music. You know, about drinking and sleeping around. That’s my kinda country music, and I hope yours!"

All but three of Season One's episodes ran one hour in length, the exceptions being the 2-hour Christmas/New Year special, the 2-hour season finale (Episode 50 - "Spring Cleaning") and Episode 24, "Time," which ran for 77 minutes, apparently in a joking reference to the episode's subject matter.

The program is now broadcast on Phantom 105.2, the independent alternative rock radio station for Dublin every Sunday night at 21:00 local time from November 11, 2007 . [http://www.phantom.ie/content/view/1093/104/ Phantom 105.2, Dublin – Quality Sounds Only! - Sundays: Theme Time Radio Hour ] ]

2006

First aired on May 3, 2006.

First aired on May 10, 2006.

First aired on May 17, 2006.

First aired on May 24, 2006.

First aired on May 31, 2006.

First aired on June 7, 2006.

First aired on June 14, 2006.

First aired on June 21, 2006.

First aired on June 28, 2006.

First aired on July 5, 2006.

First aired on July 12, 2006.

First aired on July 19, 2006.

First aired on July 26, 2006.

First aired on August 2, 2006.

First aired on August 9, 2006.

First aired on August 16, 2006.

First aired on August 23, 2006.

First aired on August 30, 2006.

First aired on September 6, 2006.

First aired on September 13, 2006.

First aired on September 20, 2006

First aired on September 27, 2006.

First aired on October 4, 2006.

First aired on October 11, 2006. This episode exceeded the usual 1 hour duration by approximately 17 minutes.

First aired on October 18, 2006.

First aired on October 25, 2006.

First aired on November 1, 2006.

First aired on November 8, 2006.

Aired November 15, 2006

Aired November 22, 2006

Aired November 29, 2006

Aired December 6, 2006

Aired December 13, 2006

Aired December 20, 2006. 2 hour-long special.

2007

Aired January 3, 2007

Aired January 10, 2007

Aired: January 17, 2007

Aired: January 24, 2007

Aired January 31, 2007

Aired February 7, 2007

Aired February 14, 2007

Aired February 21, 2007

Aired February 28, 2007

Aired March 7, 2007

Aired March 14, 2007

Aired March 21, 2007

Aired March 28, 2007

Aired April 4, 2007

Aired April 11, 2007

Aired April 18, 2007. 2-hour long special.

References