Author Meets The Critics

Author Meets the Critics was an American radio and television series that debuted in 1948 and ran until 1954. The show featured two literary critics debating a recently published book, with one critic advocating for the book and the other taking the opposing view. At some point during the program, the author of the book would join the discussion to defend their work.

The concept for the show was outlined by columnist Jack Gaver in 1946, who described it as a “literary confrontation” where the “author of a current best-seller is tossed in with a couple of guest critics and a commentator, and, if he survives 30 minutes of unscripted pro and con, may decide never to write another book.” The lively debates could be quite contentious, with some authors comparing the experience to “bear baiting.”

The series was first conceived by Martin Stone and “Albany newspaper man” Richard Lewis, and it began airing on local radio stations in 1940 before moving to the national Mutual Broadcasting System in 1946. The show was then picked up by NBC, ABC, and finally DuMont, where it remained until its conclusion in 1954.

The Stars

The radio version of Author Meets the Critics was moderated by John K.M. McCaffery from 1948 to 1951, who continued his role on the television series.

Faye Emerson and Virgilia Peterson also served as moderators during the show’s run.

Key Dates

• Author Meets the Critics debuted on radio in December 1940 on a local Albany station, before moving to Schenectady and then New York City.
• The national radio version aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System from June 12th, 1946 to April 2nd, 1947.
• It moved to NBC on May 25th, 1947 until October 3rd, 1948.
• It aired on the ABC network from November 24th 1949 until April 22nd 1951

Other Information

The television series premiered on NBC on April 4, 1948 and ran until July 1949, when it transferred to ABC. It returned to NBC in 1951 before moving to the DuMont network from January 1952 to October 1954, when the series concluded.

In addition to the radio and television versions, Author Meets the Critics was also parodied by comedian Sid Caesar on his series, where he portrayed the show as “Author Heats the Critics” with the author attacking the critics instead of the other way around.

The show was produced by Martin Stone, a pioneer in providing serious programming intended for television audiences. Stone had first proposed the concept in 1940, but radio executives initially found the idea “too intellectual.” Stone went on to produce other notable series, including What’s the Problem? and The Garry Moore Show during the 1950s.  Author Meets the Critics featured appearances by a wide range of authors, including notable figures such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Arthur Miller, and Herman Wouk. The lively debates and confrontational format made the show a unique and memorable part of early television history.