On This Day, August 29: Fibber McGee and Pat Novak
Also featured: Twenty Questions.
August 29 Update
This report documents the historical provenance, broadcast scheduling, commercial sponsorship, credited cast, production personnel, alternate circulating titles, and pure narrative synopses for broadcasts transmitting on August 29 across American network radio, Jim & Marian Jordan on Fibber McGee and Molly for Prudential (1954), Jack Webb as waterfront private eye Pat Novak, For Hire written by Richard L. Breen (1946), Robert Preston guesting on Twenty Questions (1953), Lena Horne interviewed on Bill Stern's Sports Newsreel (1947), The Land of the Lost, and International Airport (1944–1954):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Guest Lena Horne" | NBC (WNBC) 1947-08-29 10:30 PM EDT |
Colgate-Palmolive Colgate Shave Cream |
Bill Stern, Lena Horne | Sports Newsreel Staff | ["Sports", "Newsreel", "Celebrity", "Music", "Interview"] |
Bill Stern welcomes singer and actress Lena Horne to share boxing anecdotes and highlight thrilling sports finishes. |
| "The Lost Submarine and the Deep-Sea Coral Caves" | Blue / ABC (WJZ) 1944-08-29 4:30 PM EWT |
Sustaining Children's Fantasy |
Isabel Hewson (Narrator) | Isabel Hewson (Creator) | ["Children", "Fantasy", "Adventure", "Juvenile", "Anthology"] |
Two children travel undersea with Red Lantern the talking fish to explore a sunken wartime submarine resting on a coral reef. |
| "Guest Robert Preston" | Mutual (WOR) 1953-08-29 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Panel Quiz |
Bill Slater, Preston | Van Deventer & Rinard | ["Quiz", "Panel", "Game Show", "Celebrity", "Trivia"] |
Guest panelist Robert Preston joins the regulars to identify mystery objects classified as animal, vegetable, or mineral in twenty clues. |
| "Fleet Lady and The Smuggled Diamonds" | ABC West (KGO) 1946-08-29 7:00 PM PDT |
Sustaining Hardboiled Detective |
Jack Webb, Burr | Richard L. Breen (Writer) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Noir", "San Francisco"] |
Pat Novak is hired to deliver a mysterious envelope to an anchored charter yacht and discovers the skipper murdered in the cabin. |
| "Flight 404 Emergency Landing" | NBC Aviation Drama 1951-08-29 |
Sustaining Aviation Drama |
Dramatic Repertory | Aviation Drama Staff | ["Drama", "Aviation", "Suspense", "Docudrama", "Emergency"] |
Airport traffic controllers guide a disabled commercial passenger airliner through zero-visibility fog after hydraulic landing-gear failure. |
| "Fibber Wants to Relax" | NBC (WNBC) 1954-08-29 10:00 PM EDT |
Prudential Insurance Life Insurance Policies |
Jim Jordan, Molly | Phil Leslie (Writer) | ["Sitcom", "Comedy", "Domestic", "Americana", "Small Town"] |
Fibber's attempt to spend a quiet afternoon resting in his backyard hammock is interrupted by neighborhood visitors and civic committee requests. |