Whether you’ve been curating playlists for friends, rating episodes, sharing memories in messages, or simply pressing play during a quiet evening, you’ve helped preserve and celebrate these remarkable shows for another year. It’s a joy and a privilege to bring them to you.
To ring in the New Year, we’ve added three wonderfully festive episodes to the site—each one offering a different flavor of holiday cheer, from cozy domestic comedy to good-natured shenanigans. If you’re planning a little listening party or just easing into the season with a warm cup in hand, these will fit right in.
First up is My Favorite Husband – Liz and George Are Handcuffed, originally broadcast on December 30, 1949. It’s classic Lucille Ball and Richard Denning: bright, nimble, and full of that irresistible chemistry. A harmless game with a neighbor’s child takes a left turn, the cuffs click, and suddenly Liz and George are closer than they planned to be as the New Year approaches. The joy here is in the rhythms—the quick-fire quips, the domestic stumbles, and those little exasperations that feel timeless. It’s a playful reminder that resolutions are best made with a smile and perhaps a bit of flexibility.
Then we pop over to Wistful Vista for Fibber McGee and Molly – Planning for New Year’s Eve. The premise is endearingly simple: a modest evening at home that somehow blossoms into something more, one tiny decision at a time. Fibber’s penciled to-dos, the light commotion over supplies, and the parade of familiar names give the episode its cozy hum. The Old-Timer’s stop-by adds a gentle, reflective note that suits the season, while Doc Gamble’s dry barbs keep the pace lively. It’s the feeling of neighbors dropping in, of plans that change because that’s what plans do, and of a living room that ends up cheerfully fuller than expected.
Finally, The Phil Harris–Alice Faye Show – New Year’s Eve at the Harris’ finds Phil determined to keep things quiet—at least at first. Of course, with Elliott Lewis’s Remley offering mischievous asides and Walter Tetley’s Julius arriving with impeccable timing, the best-laid plans tilt toward festivity. Alice’s poise steadies the chaos, Phil’s easy charm keeps everyone smiling, and the comedy plays out with the warm, well-practiced rhythm that made the series a favorite. It’s an affectionate look at the tug-of-war between staying in and stepping out, and it lands with good humor and heart.
Taken together, these three episodes capture what so many of us love about holiday radio: the laughter of familiar voices, the gentle stakes, and the sense that home—whether a living room, a neighborhood drugstore, or a cozy kitchen—is where the New Year truly begins. They also offer a pleasant cross-section of styles: the farcical locks-and-keys setup, the domestic bustle, and the ensemble banter that springs to life when old friends gather.
If this trio whets your appetite, there’s plenty more to explore. Type New Year in the search box above and you’ll find around 60 shows to choose from—enough to carry you from this celebration to the next. It’s a fine way to build a little seasonal playlist, revisit an old favorite, or discover a hidden gem you missed the first time around.
Looking ahead, we’ve got more restorations, thoughtfully curated picks, and member-requested features in the pipeline. Your notes and suggestions truly guide what we do, so please keep them coming. And if you’ve got a personal tradition—an episode you always play on New Year’s Eve, a performer who pairs well with a winter walk—we’d love to hear about it.
From Joy and I, thank you again for making RUSC part of your listening life this past year. Your support keeps these voices alive and brings their stories to new ears. Wishing you a peaceful, healthy, and very happy New Year filled with good company, good cheer, and plenty of great radio. Here’s to the next twelve months of shared discoveries—and to pressing play together, one episode at a time.
