Beyond Midnight

Beyond Midnight was a South African radio horror anthology series that ran from 1968 to 1970 on Springbok Radio. The program “was a replacement series for SF’68. Michael McCabe served as producer and adapted stories for both series. Unlike its sci-fi predecessor, Beyond Midnight served up stories with a supernatural bent.” The show was sponsored by Biotex and futured the tagline “Just Soak, Just Soak, Just Soak in Biotex.”

The Stars

The series did not have any regular stars, as it was an anthology format with each episode featuring a different cast. However, some notable actors who appeared in episodes included David Snowden, who starred in the episode “The House Was A Sphinx,” and Michael McCabe, the producer of the series, who also wrote and adapted several episodes.

Key Dates

Beyond Midnight debuted on November 1, 1968, and ran for over a year, with the final episode airing on February 20, 1970. The series was a replacement for the previous science fiction anthology SF’68, which had ended its run earlier that year. While the recordings of several episodes have been lost, especially towards the end of the run, a total of 65 episodes were produced and broadcast during the series’ two-year lifespan.

Other Information

Beyond Midnight adapted a wide range of classic horror and supernatural stories from authors such as W.W. Jacobs, Amelia B. Edwards, H.G. Wells, and Ray Bradbury, among others. Many of the episodes were based on well-known tales that had been featured in other radio programs as well, such as “The Monkey’s Paw,” “The Phantom Coach,” and “The Signal-Man.”

The series was sponsored by the laundry detergent Biotex, and the show’s tagline “Just Soak, Just Soak, Just Soak in Biotex” was a regular part of the program. Beyond Midnight did not receive any major awards or recognition, but it developed a loyal following among South African radio listeners during its run.

Overall, Beyond Midnight provided a platform for adapting classic horror and supernatural stories for the radio medium, delivering chilling tales to listeners throughout the late 1960s.