How Orson Welles' genius use of the new medium of radio struck fear into an anxious nation

War of the Worlds American Experience

Premiered October 29, 2013
War of the Worlds: asset-mezzanine-16x9
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War of the Worlds

Shortly after 8 p.m. on the Halloween Eve, 1938, a panicked radio announcer broke in with a report that Martians had landed in the tiny town of Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Although most listeners understood that the program was a radio drama, the next day's headlines reported that thousands of others plunged into panic. It turned out to be H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds performed by Orson Welles.

About the Program

American Experience

American Experience, TV's most-watched history series, brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

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