Episode 33: War Of The Worlds Broadcast: The Panic That Didn’t Happen And The Other Time It Did

Many Americans are aware of the 1938 broadcast of a radio adaptation of H.G Wells' novel "War of the Worlds" by actor/director/screenwriter Orson Welles and the wide-spread panic it caused- or did it? Did masses of Americans really think the East Coast was being invaded by Martians and respond in fear, causing chaos? Or were the events of that night greatly exaggerated- and why? Meanwhile, few in the U.S. are familiar with a 1949 broadcast in Quito, Ecuador of a similar radio adaptation based on the same novel- which definitely did cause a massive panic and riot with terrible, violent results. This episode tells the tale of the two "War of the Worlds" broadcasts and how reactions differed.