SiriusXM Salute to Star Trek Includes Lorre

The iconic science-fiction television series Star Trek made its debut on September 8, 1966, and this week, old-time radio host Greg Bell celebrates the 59th anniversary of the series Gene Roddenberry created with a two-hour block of old-time radio episodes scripted by Trek writers Roddenberry, Theodore Sturgeon, and Robert Bloch, as well as an episode starring Trek regular DeForest Kelly, who played the starship Enterprise doctor McCoy.

Airing on the Radio Classics channel over the satellite radio service SiriusXM, the block includes an episode of Peter Lorre’s mid-1940s series for the Armed Forces Radio Service Mystery Playhouse – “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper”, originally airing over NBC on the series Mollé Mystery Theatre, Tuesday, February 27, 1945.

The Star Trek anniversary block includes – X-Minus One, “Mr. Costello, Hero” (July 3, 1956), written by Theodore Sturgeon; Mollé Mystery Theatre, “Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper” (February 27, 1945), written by Robert Bloch; Suspense, "Fleshpeddler" (August 8, 1957), with DeForest Kelley; and Have Gun, Will Travel, “Helen of Abajinian” (January 4, 1959), written by Gene Roddenberry.

The Star Trek block will air these dates and times ~

Monday, September 8 ~
7 pm Pacific, 10 pm Eastern

Wednesday, September 10 ~
1 am Pacific, 4 am Eastern

Friday, September 12 ~
1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern

The Radio Classics channel airs over Channel 148 on the SiriusXM dial. Subscribers may listen to the channel through their car radio, computer, or the SiriusXM app on their cell phone. Not a subscriber? Take SiriusXM for a three-month test drive for just one dollar.

Specially-edited Mollé Mystery Theatre episodes frequently aired over the Armed Forces Radio Series program Mystery Playhouse, often hosted by Peter Lorre. Other mystery and horror series airing on the Mystery Playhouse were The Whistler, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, and many others.

Peter Lorre’s connection with the Star Trek TV series? His first wife Celia Lovsky guest-starred in the second season opener “Amok Time” on September 13, 1967, as the Vulcan priestess T’Pau, in a Spock-featured episode involving the Vulcan science officer’s wedding – turned fight to the death between Spock and Captain Kirk.

Happy listening!