On This Day, August 28: Saturday Night Theatre and Murder By Experts
Also featured: Much Binding.
August 28 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 28 across American network radio and BBC broadcasts, Noel Coward revues and Nevil Shute's aviation thriller No Highway on BBC Saturday Night Theatre (1948–1954), John Dickson Carr hosting murder conspiracies on Murder By Experts, Rainier Beer's Murder Will Out, post-war RAF comedy on Much Binding in the Marsh, and Victor Canning's Arabian desert adventure on The Sand Leopard (1945–1961):
1. Broadcasts
| Title | Network, Airdate & Showtime | Sponsor & Commercial Ads | Credited Cast & Performers | Director, Writers & Crew | Genres | Story Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Back on the Air" | BBC Light Prog 1953-08-28 |
Sustaining British Comedy |
Richard Murdoch, K. Horne | Sam Costa & Denham | ["Comedy", "British", "Sitcom", "Military", "Satire"] |
Wing Commander Murdoch and Squadron Leader Horne attempt to launch a commercial marsh advertising firm, hindered by Costa's chaotic office tea breaks. |
| "I'll Settle for Leopards (Episode 5 of 8)" | BBC Light Prog 1961-08-28 |
Sustaining Adventure Serial |
John Carson, G. Matthews | Victor Canning (Author) | ["Adventure", "British", "Serial", "Thriller", "Desert"] |
An adventurer evades desert bandits in the Arabian sands while transporting a rare leopard to a secluded coastal yacht. |
| "The Poisoned Diamond Heist" | ABC (Blue) 1945-08-28 9:30 PM EWT |
Rainier Brewing Co. Rainier Beer and Ale |
Dramatic Mystery Cast | Lew X. Lansworth (Creator) | ["Detective", "Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Whodunit", "Noir"] |
Police detectives piece together subtle forensic clues to prove a wealthy socialite's fatal cyanide poisoning was engineered by her gem-dealing partner. |
| "And Death Makes Three" | Mutual (WOR) 1950-08-28 8:00 PM EDT |
Sustaining Mystery Drama |
John Dickson Carr (Host) | Lawson Zerbe & Eric | ["Mystery", "Hardboiled", "Whodunit", "Suspense", "Noir"] |
A suspicious husband plots the perfect crime against his unfaithful wife and her lover, only for an unexpected third conspirator to turn the tables. |
| "Mild and Bitter" | BBC Home Service 1948-08-28 9:15 PM BST |
Sustaining Classical Drama |
BBC Drama Repertory | Noel Coward (Author) | ["Drama", "British", "Comedy", "Theatre", "Anthology"] |
A sharp theatrical revue exploring post-war British social classes, romantic misunderstandings, and pub gossip in mid-century London. |
| "No Highway" | BBC Home Service 1954-08-28 9:15 PM BST |
Sustaining Classical Drama |
Carleton Hobbs, B. Bruce | Nevil Shute (Author) | ["Drama", "British", "Aviation", "Suspense", "Anthology"] |
An eccentric aeronautical scientist predicts catastrophic metal fatigue on a transatlantic airliner and risks his career to ground the flight. |