High Adventure

High Adventure was a mystery and detective anthology series that aired on the Mutual Network from 1947 to 1950, before moving to NBC for the 1950-1951 season. The series was often billed as “the Mutual Network’s answer to Escape”, as it followed a similar formula of presenting realistic, action-driven adventure stories.

The scripts for High Adventure were based on original stories, rather than adaptations, and were written in a remarkably believable and realistic style. The stories often centered around an ordinary protagonist who is suddenly thrust into extraordinary circumstances, with the outcome hinging on their strength of character as much as their luck or expertise.

The series featured the music of the High Adventure orchestra, but the focus was primarily on the dialogue and sound effects, which worked together to create an immersive and atmospheric listening experience for the audience. The realism was a key selling point, with episodes featuring everything from the sounds of a major league baseball game to the hiss of air compressors and clanging of dive helmets in a deep-sea diving adventure.

The Stars

High Adventure did not have any regular starring cast members. Each episode featured a different protagonist, supported by a rotating ensemble of character actors. The series was more focused on presenting compelling, self-contained adventure stories than building a stable of recurring characters.

it was revived by Mutual again in January, 1953, with the newer versions featuring George Sanders as the host and narrator.

Key Dates

• High Adventure premiered on the Mutual Network on March 1, 1947, airing in the Saturday evening 9:30 timeslot.
• The series was then moved around the schedule before landing on NBC on January 21, 1949, where it remained until the end of the 1950 season.
• Mutual revived the series in January 1953, with actor George Sanders serving as the host and narrator for the new version.

Other Information

High Adventure was sponsored by Old Spice Aftershave during its run on NBC. The series was produced on a relatively high budget, with reports of each episode costing over $200,000 to produce.

While the series did not achieve the same level of acclaim as some of its CBS counterparts like The Whistler, Suspense, and Escape, High Adventure developed a loyal following and was praised for its realistic storytelling and immersive sound design.