Dean Spratt

When I think of who CRT's most enthusiastic supporter has been, in all the years we have been around, I would say without needing to even think about it - Dean Spratt.

Dean passed away today, Sat. Jan. 20th, after suffering a massive stoke a week ago. I never met Dean in person - and I wish I had. Actually, we were supposed to meet in Minneapolis last July as I was planning on being in town for the Mark Time Awards, but my Dads illness prevented me from attending and we said "next time."

We first heard from Dean a week or so after POWDER RIVER first went on XM Radio, Sept. of 2005. He contacted us and wanted to air it on his weekly show, THURSDAY NIGHT POTPOURRI, which was a Satellite Broadcast on the W0KIE Network. We said "Sure!" and the show went on the air at 11pm EST, in November of that year - and stayed in that slot until just two weeks ago when Season 3 ended. He was currently running A PHIL BYRNES MYSTERY and was looking forward to airing Season 4 of POWDER.

Dean had such enthusiasm when he talked about POWDER, and our other productions - and I know he turned a lot of folks onto CRT. He had a great show on Thursday nights, and many times I had him tuned in on my computer to hear his latest gripes and the eclectic music he would play. He loved what he did so much - and it showed through more than many people I have heard on the air.

But still, it was something how he took to POWDER RIVER. He would talk to me about the characters, the plots, the effects, and he got even more excited when Chris Snyder became the series producer and we started editing in 3D sound. I was listening to his show one night after an episode ran, and he said "Man, how I love this series." That meant something to me ... to know that something I wrote could make someone feel like that. I asked Dean if he would like to appear in the show, and he said yes! He recorded his lines and sent them to me, and they were cut into two episodes, THE NITRO GANG and JACK SHERMAN ESCAPES. He did a great job, and wrote to me saying that it was hoot to hear himself with the cast. I will cherish those two episodes.

Dean was looking forward to season 4, and a couple of times quizzed me on "what happens next?" I wish he could hear them. I wish he were here with his family. I wish there was something I could do.

He had a great "radio voice." He was a wonderful entertainer. He was a nice man. From what I understand, I think he was on W0KIE longer than any other host. I only knew him for a year and four months - but it seems like many years. And many GOOD years. Maybe you've been lucky enough to have met someone like that in your life.
They are special people.
Very much so.

Powder River - Season 4 - will be dedicated to Dean Spratt.

Productive week - 2 more POWDER RIVER episodes finished, read two books (not for fun,they are future projects I need to dramatize),did some editing on the vocal masters to a new show, and worked on two scripts.

I just finished revamping my CRT mailing list. It gets frustrating when I have trouble casting shows with five roles and there are 50 actors on the CRT list - and most haven't been in a show in over a year. I want the numbers to reflect what I actually have, so I adjusted the list to active members. I hope no one gets mad, but I really like to know exactly what I have to work with - and my days of chasing people down are long over.

FATHER BROWN starts production on the 29th, and we hope to get this one out on CD ASAP! I'm very excited about this series. Matt McLaren, our editor in Australia, is currently posting the first episode; and I will edit a couple as well. I want this one out the door by the first week of March, at the very latest. Also up at bat is our first Louis L'Amour story, which I'll record in February.

I finally got to listen to a production from Big Finish, out of the UK. It was a Dr. Who program. Now, I have always disliked Dr. Who (I cant deal with those BBC tv shows) - but this production was incredible! I loved it! Dr. Who works best in radio! I don't have a link handy, and I'm too lazy to look for one, but google Big Finish if you're interested.

What else ... only 22 more weeks of DIBBLE episodes before the new cast comes in (I like the new cast episodes better - ummmm, the writing got better?)

Our 1999 production of GETTYSBURG gets its first CD release on May 1,2007! I'll write more about this program, and everything that went into making it, as we get closer to the release date. I think it remains the single most difficult program I've done to date - keeping a battle going, pretty much continuous, for three and a half hours. We had a great cast to pull it off, and as usual, another great score from Jeff.

GETTYSBURG has to date, only been available on audio cassette, so this is going to be great because now it can be heard in all its digital glory - and Blackstone does another fantastic cover!

I was very shocked, and sad, to learn this evening that this past Saturday, our good friend, Dean Spratt, suffered a massive stroke. Dean is Powder River's biggest supporter on the air, and has run every episode on his THURSDAY NIGHT PROGRAM out of Minneapolis. I've spoken with Dean many times, both in private and on the air, and he has done more to spread the word on CRT than anyone else I know. He even did a guest starring role as "Dr. Lyman" in two episodes in season 3. From what I have heard, there is most likely considerable damage to his brain, both left and right sides. If you're the praying kind, you may want to pray for him, and his wife, Carol, and their kids. He does a great show, and I hope he is one day back on the air ... and I bet he will be.

MORE WRITING

A VERY stress filled afternoon at the Pub with Cynthia watching the Patriots / Chargers game! I thought it would be a nice time away from work - but MAN was it a nail biter! BUT - they beat the unbeatable Chargers in a hard fought game (and what was most amazing was that Cynthia predicted they would win by three - and they did!).

I felt I could slack off as I finished the script for our first Louis L'Amour program, and now I am starting in on the second one. So that will be most of the evening here. Nothing exciting to report really - everything is either in post production or in the writing process; but I've managed to do 5 scripts in 14 days! I'm not saying they're any good, but they're done!

Interesting

Did you know that, according to presidential etiquette, when a US President leaves office, he is supposed to be addressed by the highest "rank" or position he served before he took office? So, by rights, former President Clinton should be called Gov. Clinton. Useless information I am sure - but its in the books! Nothing to do with radio theatre though.

CRT does the WEST

We've done about 70 radio plays set during the old west (most of them Powder River episodes, but lets not forget Little Bog Horn, The Bozeman Trail, Advance and Retreat, etc.) All that training in the dust and sun has paid off, as we are very happy to announce that we will be producing some titles from the classic western stories of Louis L'Amour - without question the only author who literally owns the genre in terms of book sales (over 270 million sold)! This is BEYOND exciting, and a great honor as well. Our first production will be THE SIXTH SHOTGUN, and the script is already underway! The show will most likely be released in the summer - but then again, that's a total guess (we dont decide when shows get released, the publisher does). I never thought I would see the day when the legends like Ray Bradbury and Louis L'Amour would appear on the cover of a CRT show ~ a lot can happen in 12 years!

Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital dying of nothing.

Dandelion is here - Something Wicked is on the way!

Saw DANDELION WINE on the shelf today at Borders! Looks cool - another amazing cover from the Blackstone design team. So - it's out! Hoping for a home run!

Our next Bradbury release will be his classic SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. I am guessing it might be out around the time for summer vacation - but the release date is up to Blackstone. The show is currently in post production, and I hope to have a sneak preview for the cast sometime in February or March!

Thats all for now.

And we're off!

Started work on a brand new radio series yesterday; got a script finished and I think this will be a fun project; exciting stuff based on a VERY popular book series from many ages ago, but still pretty cool! This will be good as I can edit it as a series for air, and also as a continuous "dramatized book," for CD release; and since there are a ton of these books, it could be a very nice thing indeed if it takes off. I figure if it worked once, it can work again. More on this later. I hope to begin recording it in late April.

Going to start our new FATHER BROWN series later this month.

What else ... Our WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ has been bought by a couple of PBS stations - in Alaska! The show is being heard on 91.9 FM from St. Paul Island in the Pribilofs in the middle of the Bering Sea. I'm not sure where the other station is in AK. I've never been to Alaska, but its cool to think we'll be on the radio there for a broadcast or two! Hard to believe we did that program seven years ago.

And yes, I turned the "comments" off on the blog here, as they were being abused. if you wish to comment, I get to see it first :)

Writing tonight until the sun shows its ugly face.

Quite a Year

The older you get the faster the years fly by. I never thought that was true until I got - older. This was a busy year at CRT. A quick recap

JANUARY
Signed with our new publisher, Blackstone.
Was asked to do DANDELION WINE for Ray Bradbury
Began writing the script for CAPTAIN BLOOD

FEBRUARY
Recorded A VISIT WITH AESOP on the 6th, with JT Turner. The show then waits several months for the music score as we start the produce ...
CAPTAIN BLOOD - which starts recording on the 22nd.
Editing begins on CAPTAIN BLOOD

MARCH
CAPTAIN BLOOD recording is finished on the 26th, after a total of 8 sessions.
Editing continues; the show is being edited in two different formats - as a complete 7 hour continuous story, and in 17 half hour episodes for broadcast on our XM show.

APRIL
In a post production marathon for the entire month, working 15 to 20 hour days, and 125 music tracks, CAPTAIN BLOOD is complete at the end of the month and is sent off to Blackstone for a summer release. Total running time is 7 hours!
Also, worked on the DANDELION WINE script. The script was written by Ray for the stage, so sound effects and music cues and some minor alterations needed to be done to make the show work in audio. Ray approves the alterations and the show is cast.

MAY
DANDELION WINE records May 9th and May 11th, with retakes on the 15th and 16th.
Jeff begins the scrore. The month is spent in post production for this show.

JUNE
DANDELION WINE is completed towards the end of the month. 54 music cuts are created in record time for the production, and very long editing days once again. The first copy we burn is sent off to Ray.
POWDER RIVER Season 3 resumes on June 5th (Production was delayed in December 05 for CAPTAIN BLOOD) with and episode entitled TILL DEATH DO US PART. Sam Donato flies back from Florida to take part in the episodes. Sam was in the original season of POWDER RIVER as Sheriff Wilkins. He was killed off when he told us he was moving to Florida! POWDER RIVER continues recording season 3 for the month.
CHRIS SNYDER joins CRT as a post production Producer! He takes over production of POWDER RIVER.

JULY
Ray Bradbury writes and says he loves DANDELION WINE! Very kind words. He offers us SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, and we immediately say YES! WHEN! he sends the script an hour later via email - THAT'S when! Awesome script!
POWDER RIVER continues recording.
on the 17th, REX TRAILER comes to Studio G and records two episodes of POWDER RIVER play Britt's father. Rex is a Boston TV Icon, and was on the air for 25 years on the show BOOMTOWN! What a night!
THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW wins the Ogle Award for Best Fantasy Production of 2005!
28th - CAPTAIN BLOOD is released!

AUGUST
POWDER RIVER season 3 completes production on the 7th with the episodes THE WAGON BOY, THE NEW OWNER, and MOMENT OF TRUTH.
SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES records on the 28th.

SEPTEMBER
TREASURE ISLAND is re-made! I was never happy with the original production we did in 2001 - so we did the whole thing over! Pretty much a new cast with Joe Zamparelli and Tom Berry returning to their original roles. Chris Snyder edits the show in 3-D sound.PHIL BYRNES, a detective mini-series by Sable Jak starts recording on the 25th
Jeff starts music for A VISIT WITH AESOP

OCTOBER
1st - THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW is released on CD world wide! Barnes and Noble carries it in their stores as a Halloween Special!
9th - the first episode of our new series FATHER BROWN is recorded. M.J. Elliott is writing the scripts.
13th - Guesting on THE JORDAN RICH SHOW on WBZ to plug the upcoming DANDELION WINE release, and SLEEPY HOLLOW.
16th - POWDER RIVER begins recording season 4. Production continues thru October.


NOVEMBER
1st - Blackstone releases A CHRARLES DICKENS CHRISTMAS SET on CD.
Recording continues on POWDER RIVER. PHIL BYRNES continues in Post Production, the final episode is recorded on the 27th.
21st - A VISIT WITH AESOP is completed!
CRT signs a TV Development agreement for one of our series! Can't say any more at this time - but it's COOL

DECEMBER
2nd - New Production is recorded - title cannot yet be revealed!
9th - DIBBLE DOES CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK starts previews at the Michael Weller Theatre in NYC for a holiday run.
13th - DIBBLE opens Off-Broadway, produced by the Broken Watch Theatre Company.
19th - POWDER RIVER season 4 is completed with 10 episodes. The episodes were cut from 20 to 10, as we needed more time on SOMETHING WICKED.
30th- DIBBLE closes in NYC
30th - Happy Birthyday, Mom 1920-2001. :(