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The Lone Ranger

Radio Drama and Broadcast Landmarks

The Lone Ranger is an American radio drama created by George W. Trendle and writer Fran Striker that began broadcasting on Detroit station WXYZ in 1933, following a masked former Texas Ranger and his Native American companion Tonto as they fight injustice in the American West. The program was built around a fixed set of formulaic conventions, including the William Tell Overture as its opening theme, the Ranger's silver bullets, and his refusal to kill, elements repeated consistently enough to become widely recognized cultural shorthand for the character. The Lone Ranger ran on radio for more than two decades, and its success led directly to a long-running television series, several films, and one of the most durable character franchises to emerge from American radio drama.

Facts
Release Year
1933 1
Country
United States 1
Classification
Original Language
English 1
Connections

Created By

In Medium

Radio, Media Forms
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Lone Ranger (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Lead section, second paragraph, opening sentence
    He first appeared in 1933 in a radio show on WXYZ (Detroit), conceived either by station owner George W. Trendle or by Fran Striker
  • The Lone Ranger, Description, original language
    The Lone Ranger is an American radio drama created by George W. Trendle and writer Fran Striker that began broadcasting on Detroit station WXYZ in 1933, following a masked former Texas Ranger and his Native American companion Tonto as they fight injustice in the American West.
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