About finding an episode of an old TV Show...

Having a Web Site dealing with one particular aspect of Classic Television and Old-Time Radio, we sometimes get EMail from a person trying to find a copy of a particular episode of an old show on which a dear departed relative appeared, or which has some other historical significance...

So, just to set the record straight...

As you see on the Web Site, our research focuses on the MUSIC THEMEs used for Radio and Television and other Light Music. This is not a generic Classic Television site or Old-Time Radio site, although there many of these are found on the Internet via search engines.

We do NOT have detailed information about episodes of network series nor contents of episodes, nor do we own many episodes of old TV series. We do not trade episodes. But there are several other ways you can find sources on the Internet, and through other means...

Companies that sell shows on home video

To obtain a particular episode you could contact companies which sell Classic TV shows on home video (and some are starting to offer them on DVD.)

For example, here are a few links for these companies that were active as of April, 2021. We've listed them in order of the number of shows they apparently have for sale. I do not make endorsements, but have purchased tapes from Amazon.com, Movies Unlimited, Shokus Video and Radio Spirits before:

The last company -- RadioSpirits -- offers many audio cassettes and CD's of Old-Time Radio shows, and has started selling a few combination packages of radio and TV shows with the same name bundled together. Packages are offered on cassette and VHS tape combinations, and others are DVD Video/Audio Combinations.

Viewing Classic TV shows at TV/Radio Museums; some tapes sold in their gift shops

Here are two Museums of TV and Radio located in New York and Chicago.

These museums offer you the opportunity to pay a small fee and view old shows on videotape at their location. There are no videotape check outs nor recording allowed. However a number of TV show videotapes and are for sale in their gift shops, which also sell cassettes of Old-Time Radio, and books on Classic TV and Old-Time Radio.

Important tip: Museums have unusual hours -- closed some weekdays and state holidays. Check their Web Sites or call them for current hours and days.

For more information see their Web Sites at:

Home video show traders (??)

Traders of episodes may have newsgroups to which you could subscribe or post a message.We don't know the newsgroups which may include this kind of activity...but you could search for those which have "tv" or "television" in their names...

For example:
  • rec.arts.tv
  • (many which begin) alt.tv

Good luck with your search


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