Theme Time Radio Hour

Infobox Radio Show
show_name = Theme Time Radio Hour
format = Music show
runtime = 1 hour per episode, weekly
creator = Bob Dylan
Eddie Gorodetsky
writer =
executive_producer = Lee Abrams
starring = Bob Dylan
Pierre Mancini (announcer)
opentheme =
syndicates = BBC Radio 2
BBC 6 Music
Phantom FM
endtheme =
country = flagicon|United States United States
first_aired = May 3, 2006
last_aired = present
num_episodes = 75
website = http://www.xmradio.com/bobdylan/
home_station = Deep Tracks (XM40)
podcast =

"Theme Time Radio Hour" ("TTRH") is a one-hour long radio show hosted by Bob Dylan. Each episode is an eclectic brew of blues, rockabilly, soul music, bebop, rock-and-roll, country and pop music, centered around a "theme," with songs from artists as diverse as Patti Page and LL Cool J.

The show reflects Dylan's, and very probably producer Eddie Gorodetsky's, deep interest in and knowledge of music. Interspersed between the music segments are email readings; phone calls; old radio station ID's, promos, and jingles; "def poet" poetry recitations; taped commentary from a variety of musicians and comedians; and thoughts from Dylan on the music and musicians, as well as other miscellanea related to the themes.

Broadcast history

The first program was broadcast on May 3, 2006 on the Deep Tracks channel of XM Satellite Radio, a subscription-based satellite radio service, now called Sirius XM Radio after its purchase by competitor Sirius Satellite Radio. "TTRH" is broadcast every Wednesday at 10:00 am ET on Deep Tracks, with several "encore" repeats throughout the week on various channels, including an all-day airing on XMX. [ [http://www.xmradio.com/bobdylan/ XM Satellite Radio] ] DirecTV subscribers can also hear the show on the Deep Tracks simulcast on channel 840. [ [http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/packProg/channelChart2.jsp?assetId=1200006 DIRECTV - XM Satellite Radio ] ]

From 2006 through 2008 AOL Radio offered the show on AOL Radio featuring XM, a selection of 200 XM radio stations which was available to those with an AOL login and a broadband internet connection. In March 2008, XM Radio and America Online announced that they were ending that relationship "by mutual agreement," and that after April 30, 2008 the XM Radio channels on AOL Radio would no longer be available. [http://www.xmradio.com/aolradio/faqs.xmc]

In 2007 the program also began airing in the United Kingdom on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, and in Ireland on Dublin-based alternative rock station Phantom FM.

In 2008, Ace Records issued a 2-CD compilation of music featured on the program.

easons and episode lists

The first season consisted of fifty episodes, airing from May 3, 2006 to April 18, 2007. For the show's first anniversary, XM aired every episode back-to-back on Memorial Day weekend, 2007. [http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070418/clw047.html?.v=89]

Season two of "TTRH" ran from September 19, 2007 to April 2, 2008 for a total 25 new shows. Three Season 2 shows, "Halloween," "Leftovers" (Thanksgiving) and the "Christmas/New Year's Special" were repeats from Season 1.

Season Three of "TTRH" premiered on Wednesday, October 8, 2008. [ [http://www.xmradio.com/onxm/index.xmc XM Program Guide] ] with the first theme, "Money: Part 1" having aired on the XMX channel. Season Three of Theme Time Radio Hour will also air in its normal time slots on "Deep Tracks" (Channel 40) and "The Village" (Channel 15).

Closing credits

The closing credits are customarily read at the end of each show, although the final show of Season Two did not include those credits. Although uncredited in the closing, actress Ellen Barkin has read the opening "Night/Night time in the Big City" introduction for both seasons of the show, with the exception of the Season One Halloween episode.

The customary theme music played under the closing credits is "Top Cat (Underscore)" which can be found on the CD compilation "Tunes from the Toons: The Best of Hanna-Barbera", issued in 1996 and reissued in 2002. The music is an acoustic version of the theme song from the cartoon "Top Cat".

* Host: Bob Dylan
* Producer: Eddie Gorodetsky
* Associate Producer: Season 1 - Sonny Webster. Season 2 - Ben Rollins
* Continuity: "Eats" (spelling unknown) Martin
* Editor: Damien Rodriguez
* Supervising Editor: Rob Macomber
* Research Team: Diane Lapson, Bernie Bernstein
* Additional Research: Season 1 - Lynne Sheridan, Kimberly Williams, Robert Bower. Season 2 - April Hayes, Callie Gladman, Terrence Michaels, Sean Patrick, and Lynne Sheridan
* Librarian: Season 2- Robert Bower
* Production Coordinator: Season 2- Debbie Sweeney
* Production Assistance: Jim McBeam
* Special Thanks to: Randy Ezratty, Coco Shinomiya, Samson's Diner
* Studio Engineer: Tex Carbone
* For XM Radio: Lee Abrams
* Location: Announced as "Recorded in Studio B, the Abernathy Building" — a fictitious location. ["He typically records from home or on tour, XM says, even though an announcer says the show is recorded in 'Studio B of the Abernathy Building,' to lend it a vintage aura." "It's All Right, Ma: Bob Dylan Turns D.J.," "New York Times", http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/30/arts/music/30play.html?_r=1&oref=slogin .] (Season 2 modified this to "Recorded in Studio B, in the "historic" Abernathy Building.")
* A Greywater Park Production in Association with Big Red Tree
*Announcer: "Pierre Mancini" (suspected to be the voice of Producer Eddie Gorodetsky)
*Intros: Ellen Barkin (uncredited)

Reception and reviews

References

External links

* [http://www.xmradio.com/bobdylan/ Theme Time Radio Hour] XM Radio's official Theme Time Radio Hour web site
* [http://leeabrams.blogspot.com/2006/04/dylan-diary-part-one.html History of Theme Time Radio Hour] Blog by Lee Abrams (XM Radio VP) who had the original idea for a Bob Dylan radio show.
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/bob_dylan/ BBC6 Music: Theme Time site]
* [http://www.dreamtimepodcast.com/ The Dreamtime Podcast] Commentary on Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour
* [http://www.notdarkyet.org/themetime.html * T H E M E * T I M E *] The playlists (including release dates) of the tracks Bob Dylan chose to present, as well as the lyrics to some of the songs
* [http://www.thebobdylanfanclub.com/themetime/index.htm Annotated Theme Time Radio Hour] Annotated Theme Time Radio Hour page from the Bob Dylan Fan Club website