On This Day, August 25: Glenn Miller (Moonlight Serenade) and Gene Autry (2 Decades)
Also featured: BBC Sherlock Holmes.
August 25 Exhaustive Update
This report documents the comprehensive provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, serial multi-part narrative arcs, and story synopses for historical broadcasts transmitting on August 25 across American network, Glenn Miller's swing classics for Chesterfield, singing cowboy Gene Autry's Melody Ranch adventures, BBC Radio 4 Sherlock Holmes locked-room mysteries starring Clive Merrison & Andrew Sachs, child prodigy math battles on The Quiz Kids, and Scottish medical chronicles (1942–2002):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story-First Plot Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Strange Death of Lady Sylvia Eichorn (Clive Merrison & Andrew Sachs — BBC)" | BBC Radio 4 2002-08-25 9:00 PM BST |
Sustaining Sherlock Holmes Drama |
Clive Merrison (Holmes), Andrew Sachs (Watson) | Bert Coules (Writer), Patrick Rayner | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Victorian", "Crime", "British"] |
"The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Bert Coules..." Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson travel to a remote country manor to investigate the baffling death of Lady Sylvia Eichorn, who was discovered lifeless inside a locked conservatory with no mark of violence. |
| "The Visitors (Bill Simpson & Andrew Cruickshank — Dr. Finlay — BBC)" | BBC Radio 4 1976-08-25 8:15 PM BST |
Sustaining Scottish Drama |
Bill Simpson (Finlay), Andrew Cruickshank | Donald Bull, A.J. Cronin, Tom Kinninmont | ["Drama", "Medical", "Scottish", "Period", "Human Interest"] |
"Dr. Finlay: The Further Adventures of a Black Bag, by A.J. Cronin..." In the fictional Scottish village of Tannochbrae, Dr. Finlay and Dr. Cameron handle the arrival of wealthy eccentric visitors whose demands disrupt the local cottage hospital. |
| "Sierra Nevada (Gene Autry & Pat Buttram — Wrigley's Doublemint)" | CBS (KNX) 1946-08-25 5:30 PM EDT |
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. Doublemint Chewing Gum |
Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, Cass County Boys | Ted Bliss (Director), Charlie Lyon | ["Western", "Music", "Country", "Comedy", "Variety"] |
"From Gene Autry's Melody Ranch in Hollywood, brought to you by Wrigley's Doublemint Chewing Gum!" Singing cowboy Gene Autry and sidekick Pat Buttram entertain ranch visitors with frontier tunes including 'Back in the Saddle Again' and 'Sierra Nevada' for Doublemint. |
| "The Mountain Blizzard Plane Rescue (Gene Autry — Wrigley's Doublemint)" | CBS (KNX) 1951-08-25 8:00 PM EDT |
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. Doublemint Chewing Gum |
Gene Autry, Pat Buttram, Carl Cotner | Ted Bliss (Producer), Charlie Lyon | ["Western", "Music", "Adventure", "Country", "Variety"] |
"Gene Autry's Melody Ranch!" Gene Autry and Pat Buttram lead a daring rescue party into a snowy mountain blizzard after an emergency charter plane crashes into the peaks, performing 'Memories' and cowboy classics for Doublemint Gum. |
| "Child Prodigy Joel Kupperman Answers (Joe Kelly — Alka-Seltzer)" | NBC Red (WMAQ) 1946-08-25 4:00 PM EDT |
Miles Laboratories Alka-Seltzer & One-A-Day |
Joe Kelly (Quizmaster), Joel Kupperman | Louis G. Cowan, Jack Kelly, Bob Murphy | ["Quiz", "Game Show", "Educational", "Juvenile", "Panel"] |
"Listen to the Quiz Kids, brought to you by Alka-Seltzer!" Jolly quizmaster Joe Kelly tests child prodigies Joel Kupperman and Ruthie Duskin with challenging listener questions on astronomy, Shakespeare, and mental arithmetic for Alka-Seltzer. |
| "Moonlight Serenade & Kalamazoo (Glenn Miller — Chesterfield Cigarettes)" | CBS (WABC) 1942-08-25 10:00 PM EWT |
Liggett & Myers Chesterfield — "They Satisfy" |
Glenn Miller Orchestra, Marion Hutton | Newell-Emmett Co., Martin Block | ["Music", "Big Band", "Swing", "Jazz", "Vocal"] |
"It's the Chesterfield Moonlight Serenade starring Glenn Miller and his Orchestra!" Glenn Miller conducts swing masterpieces including 'Moonlight Serenade', 'In the Mood', and 'Kalamazoo' featuring Marion Hutton and The Modernaires for Chesterfield. |