XM RADIO CANCELS "THE COMEDY-O-RAMA HOUR", FINAL SHOW THIS SUNDAY, SUNDAY, JULY 29TH, 8AM & 8PM

July 25, 2007 (PRLEAP.COM) Entertainment News
Napanoch, NY — This Sunday, July 29th at 8:00 am and 8:00 pm, on XM Sonic Theater Channel 163, the final Comedy-O-Rama Hour will present the first new "Fibber McGee and Molly" and "Duffy's Tavern" since the 1950s. The one-hour laugh-getter was recorded before a live audience in March 2007, with intention of recording an additional 25 new comedy and drama scripts featuring classic OTR characters, including Jack Benny, Fred Allen, "Our Miss Brooks" and "Gunsmoke" with celebrities in many of the roles.

XM Satellite Radio has canceled The Comedy-O-Rama Hour, after four seasons and more than 60 hours of new radio theater with celebrity guests such as Al Franken, Lewis Black, Shelley Berman, Bob Edwards and June Foray.

"XM basically had no idea what we were or how to promote us,” says Comedy-O-Rama's creator, Joe Bevilacqua. "The entire radio landscape is completely filled with ephemera not meant to ever be reheard."

For 35-years (since he was 12), Bevilacqua has been creating timeless audio that can be reheard over and over and new truths are revealed. His award-winning NPR Magazine work gets re-aired as "evergreen" material and hailed as "driveway" moments.

Bevilacqua is looking for a new broadcast venue for the show. In the meantime, listeners can visit an archive of past shows at: www.joebev.com.

DETAILS ABOUT THE COMEDY-O-RAMA FINALE:

FIBBER MCGEE AND MOLLY in "The House of Wax".
It's 1953 when Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve makes a less than triumphant return to Wistful Vita to introduce Vincent Price at the Wistful Vista Bijou premiere of the 3-D movie "The House of Wax". Meanwhile, Fibber tries to save five cents by making his own 3-D glasses.

DUFFY'S TAVERN: "If We All Talked Like Allen Jenkins"
Archie, Finnegan, Eddie, Miss Duffy and all the gang are back "where the elite meet to eat" in this first new "Duffy's Tavern" outing since 1952. Archie tries to lure the Shriner's Convention to the tavern with promises of big stars he can't deliver, not knowing the real Edward G. Robinson and Allen Jenkins are hiding in the kitchen.

THE NEW OLD TIME RADIO HOUR was written, produced and directed by Joe Bevilacqua and Lorie Kellogg, and was recorded before a live audience at SUNY Dutchess in Poughkeepsie, New York on March 20, 2007. The hour features sound effects, songs, and music by Paul Salomone and Joanne Bierschenk.


Joe Bevilacqua
www.joebev.com
845-647-9475