Dr. Christian

Broadcast History: 7 November 1937 to 6 January 1954
Theme Tune: Rainbow on the River

Specially created for Jean Hersholt, Dr. Christian was a massively popular character and show, holding audiences of 15-20 million after its first three years. It has even been described as the best light drama on the air. Set in a typical American town, complete with stores, church and a block for the “best people”, audiences can easily identify with such a place. The character of Dr. Christian is, however, the main attraction. He’s a philosopher, a philanthropist and rather romantic. At the start of the show’s run, scripts were put together by various different writers but in 1942 everything changed, and it was the audience who took the reins. Prizes were offered every week for listener’s scripts, ranging from $150 to $500 and the subject matter could include absolutely anything. The content did, however, always stay mellow because, as Radio Life said, “that’s what Dr. Christian is all about.”