Mark Saxon & No Place to Hide

[Boojumhunter]

In the late 1960's and early 1970's there was a radio show in South
Africa called "Mark Saxon and Sergei Gramulko(sp?) in No Place to Hide".
It was a 15 minute serial aired everyday. I have the childhood
impression that I listened to it for years.

I have e-mailed the radio station numerous times hoping for a response,
but with never a reply. Never a good sign.

two questions? First? are there ANY readers who are familiar with the
series?
Second? Anyone know of ANY source for recordings of this show? I'd love
to get hold of at least an hour of it... They must have aired hundreds
of installments... possibly a few thousand.

I've searched the Internet repeatedly with no luck. Ran across all types
of sites with old radio shows, but never even a mention of this one.
I've also been back to SA and wandered the record store looking in
catalogues and speaking to very knowledgable attendents with no luck. I
suspect there are NO copies of this show left anywhere. Pity. It was a
bit of fun.

[bhth...@gmail.com]

I have fond memories of this story and feel much the same as you do. Pity there are no archives.

[Cryptoengineer]

bhth...@gmail.com wrote in
news:86fca157-7626-4850...@googlegroups.com:

There are 4 episodes listed in the SABC media archives. Perhaps you
should talk to them:

https://sites.google.com/site/sabcmedialib/radio-
archives/collections/springbok-radio/springbok-radio-catalogs

specifically, this spreadsheet:

https://sites.google.com/site/sabcmedialib/radio-
archives/collections/springbok-radio/springbok-radio-catalogs/SR%
20Catalog-Programmes%20verified.xls?attredirects=0&d=1

Main site:
http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/SABC/springbok

(search the listing for 'no place to hide')

There's also an episode on this CD set:
http://www.otrcat.com/south-african-rarities-p-1848.html

pt

[Alie...@gmail.com]

On Monday, March 12, 2001 6:20:09 AM UTC-7, Boojumhunter wrote:
> In the late 1960's and early 1970's there was a radio show in South
> Africa called "Mark Saxon and Sergei Gramulko(sp?) in No Place to Hide".
> It was a 15 minute serial aired everyday. I have the childhood
> impression that I listened to it for years.
>
> I have e-mailed the radio station numerous times hoping for a response,
> but with never a reply. Never a good sign.
>
> two questions? First? are there ANY readers who are familiar with the
> series?
> Second? Anyone know of ANY source for recordings of this show? I'd love
> to get hold of at least an hour of it... They must have aired hundreds
> of installments... possibly a few thousand.

I've never been there, never heard it, but my Google Fu found this:

http://www.sabc.co.za/wps/portal/SABC/springbok

> I've searched the Internet repeatedly with no luck. Ran across all types
> of sites with old radio shows, but never even a mention of this one.
> I've also been back to SA and wandered the record store looking in
> catalogues and speaking to very knowledgable attendents with no luck. I
> suspect there are NO copies of this show left anywhere. Pity. It was a
> bit of fun.

"Springbok Radio was the first commercial radio station of the SABC, and existed from 1 May 1950 to 31 December 1985, when it was closed mainly because it was not seen as financially viable any longer due to the arrival of television in 1976.

"Springbok Radio programmes were uniquely different and fresh, and became people's companion over the years. Drama, adventure, comedy, documentaries, variety among many other programme formats, kept the listeners entertained and glued to the Radio. Springbok Radio also created a platform for artists and actors who became well-known and loved by the public and who were afforded the opportunity to live out their creativity. Springbok Radio contributed to a wealth of local content.

"Unfortunately much of the material was not archived for many reasons such as tapes been re-used, and commercial programmes not seen as 'culture' - a world-wide tendency at the time. Since the closure of Springbok Radio in 1985, interest by the public has grown and the nostalgic value of old time radio has increased over the years.

"Therefor the SABC Radio Archives, now the custodians of this precious collection, with the valuable assistance of the Springbok Radio Preservation Society who handed their collection over to the SABC, is preserving and exploiting the material in various ways, since it is believed that any collection is only as valuable as the ears it can reach."

So they have none of what you wanted, but they have a lot of other stuff you
might like. You can even listen online.

AHA! I found this:

http://www.otrcat.com/south-african-rarities-p-1848.html

which offers CDs of "nostalgic" SA radio programs including "No Place To Hide 68 Operation Oblivion".

Hope that helps.


Mark L. Fergerson

[Cryptoengineer]

Cryptoengineer <pete...@gmail.com> wrote in
news:XnsA419A12406...@216.166.97.131:

Also check out the extras on
http://www.vetseun.co.za/anarkans/komp/kompspringbokradio.html
and
http://www.kalahari.com/Music/Springbok-Radio-Top-40-Best-of-Vol-2_p_
33321143#pdp_more_info

I even found what appears to be one episode online:

http://www.radiooutofthepast.org/archives/fred-bertelsen-library?page=4
specifically:
http://www.radiooutofthepast.org/show/1708/fred-bertelsens-library-13

(I'm good at google)

Finding only 7 episodes of a show that ran for 12 years
is dissapointing, I agree.

pt

[Kevrob]

Me, three, I guess.

Have you tried the Old Time Radio usenet groups?

http://www.old-time.com/toc.html leads to:
alt.radio.oldtime

alt.binaries.sounds.radio.oldtime

alt.binaries.sound.radio.oldtime
alt.binaries.sounds.radio.oldtime
alt.binaries.sounds.radio.bbc
alt.binaries.sounds.radio.oldtime.highspeed

I thought to look in the Wayback Machine,

https://archive.org/

I think I'll leave the hunting to you.

Good luck!

Kevin R

[Cryptoengineer]

"nu...@bid.nes" <Alie...@gmail.com> wrote in
news:8aaa0e87-a5bf-4c01...@googlegroups.com:

I found these, and some others, including an downloadable episode. Not
till after I posted that did I realize that the OP was made in 2001.

pt

[Greg Goss]

Cryptoengineer <pete...@gmail.com> wrote:

>Finding only 7 episodes of a show that ran for 12 years
>is dissapointing, I agree.

I remember listening to an interview (in the nineties?) with the only
engineer who could keep the VTR machines running at CBC. They were
working his tail off trying to get as much as possible of the old
footage transferred to modern media as his retirement approached. The
general consensus was that the machines would last a day or two after
the guy who knew them retired, and the remaining tapes in storage
would become pointless to retain.
--
We are geeks. Resistance is voltage over current.

[swa...@storm.ca]

I have one Episode to share. Email me at swa...@storm.ca Currently listening to the Epic Case Book (Inspector Carr)

[kevinp...@gmail.com]

Yes, I too fondly remembering being scared stiff every time I tuned into the next episode of 'No place to hide' on my Army surplus stores' radio sitting alone in my bedroom (64 Joel Road, Berea, JHB) at around 7pm listening to that strange grunting/squeeling sound that was emitted whenever the next human victim first heard then came into physical contact with and finally was himself/herself transformed into yet another of a growing population of the 'un-dead' (I don't remember by what name they were really referred to in the Series)- but they were described as having bleeding faces loosely covered with bloodied bandages) - I was in Grade 2 to Std 2 at that time. I wonder how the series ended because my folks took me back to Europe in Sept 1969.

[kevinp...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 2:48:26 PM UTC, kevinp...@gmail.com wrote:
> Yes, I too fondly remembering being scared stiff every time I tuned into the next episode of 'No place to hide' on my Army surplus stores' radio sitting alone in my bedroom (64 Joel Road, Berea, JHB) at around 7pm listening to that strange grunting/squeeling sound that was emitted whenever the next human victim first heard then came into physical contact with and finally was himself/herself transformed into yet another of a growing population of the 'un-dead' (I don't remember by what name they were really referred to in the Series)- but they were described as having bleeding faces loosely covered with bloodied bandages) - I was in Grade 2 to Std 2 at that time. I wonder how the series ended because my folks took me back to Europe in Sept 1969.

On Wednesday, March 23, 2016 at 2:48:26 PM UTC, kevinp...@gmail.com wrote:
> Yes, I too fondly remembering being scared stiff every time I tuned into the next episode of 'No place to hide' on my Army surplus stores' radio sitting alone in my bedroom (64 Joel Road, Berea, JHB) at around 7pm listening to that strange grunting/squeeling sound that was emitted whenever the next human victim first heard then came into physical contact with and finally was himself/herself transformed into yet another of a growing population of the 'un-dead' (I don't remember by what name they were really referred to in the Series)- but they were described as having bleeding faces loosely covered with bloodied bandages) - I was in Grade 2 to Std 2 at that time. I wonder how the series ended because my folks took me back to Europe in Sept 1969.

But then, none of all you(s) old folks who r supposed 2 have been around in Joburg in the mid 1960's don't actualy realise that I was really talking about an even older radio series that preceded 'No place 2 hide', and who's name I don't recall at all. Maybe, it was on the then so-called English service. Hope some of you can remember. This, unless your brains have been calcified.
This reminds me of something else of when John Berks during the 1980's asked his 702 Radio audience for an original 'Ge' from the old days to phone in. Only a bunch of pretenders phoned - no Ge's, so JB had to give up (and go back to the States)

[lippy...@gmail.com]

Would also LOVE to hear the series from the beginning
I started it late about three or four seasons before they terminated it
Please keep trying

[markde...@gmail.com]

While my recollection of Springbok radio was more "The Mind of Tracy Dark, I was actually named after Mark Saxon - I had a family member who was hooked on the show ! ;-)

[cr...@isat.co.za]

On Monday, March 12, 2001 at 3:19:27 PM UTC+2, Boojumhunter wrote:

I have no idea where one could find episodes in any archive, but I do vividly remember the voices and sound effects from the "No place to hide" shows, aired at about 7:15 pm every week day on Springbok Radio.

My favourite Mark Saxon voice was that of Dewar McCormack, succeeded by Brian O'Shaughnessy (sp?) and Adrian Steed, and the unmistakable voice of Stuart Brown as Sergei Grumulko. Sergei had a hand gun with a particular name - what was it again? Stuart Brown later played in the popular "The Villagers" TV series set on a mine in SA.

I remember the wavy sound when Mark Saxon was reading someone's thoughts (The "Mentalist" wasn't the first with this gift!) and how he cried out to "Cardac", who seemed to be his creator - Mark Saxon being supposedly from another planet.Remember the scary episodes in the Carlsbad Caverns? I think it was the scene where those scary aliens made shuddery sounds as they breathed.

"No Place to Hide" began in the early sixties, as far as I remember, and I don't recall that it lasted into the seventies.

Charles

[Peter Trei]

I've actually heard about that - its something of a Holy Grail of sound recordings. I think there a couple episodes available on compilation CDs, but
that's about it.

pt

[cr...@isat.co.za]

Getting back to Sergei G's beloved weapon, I remember now, it was called "Petrushka". Only Stuart Brown could pronounce it properly. And the reference to "Cardac": Mark Saxon would call out his name in some desperation when needing 'divine' help in highly dangerous or impossible situations...

[bones...@gmail.com]

I like!!!!

[dawn...@gmail.com]

Ahhhhh Springbok Radio - music to my ears! Fond childhood memories clustered around the radio at 7:15pm after the news!

Please lete know where I can hear that signature theme??

[Quadibloc]

On Monday, January 5, 2015 at 2:02:13 PM UTC-7, Peter Trei wrote:

> specifically:
> http://www.radiooutofthepast.org/show/1708/fred-bertelsens-library-13

Ouch, that's a 284 megabyte ZIP file.

John Savard

[paddyja...@gmail.com]

And LM radio sunday night hit parade. Also queuing up to try for tickets for men from the ministry.....seems like 100 years ago...or yesterday..depending ....

[Dorothy J Heydt]

In article <112f32a5-de45-454b...@googlegroups.com>,

Well ... this thread has been languishing for long enough that
trn won't give me any background on what you're talking about.
Could you fill us in?

--
Dorothy J. Heydt
Vallejo, California
djheydt at gmail dot com

[desie...@gmail.com]

The original post (dated 3/12/2001) was :

>In the late 1960's and early 1970's there was a radio show in South
>Africa called "Mark Saxon and Sergei Gramulko(sp?) in No Place to Hide".
>It was a 15 minute serial aired everyday. I have the childhood
>impression that I listened to it for years.

>I have e-mailed the radio station numerous times hoping for a response,
>but with never a reply. Never a good sign.

>two questions? First? are there ANY readers who are familiar with the
>series?

>Second? Anyone know of ANY source for recordings of this show? I'd love
>to get hold of at least an hour of it... They must have aired hundreds
>of installments... possibly a few thousand.

>I've searched the Internet repeatedly with no luck. Ran across all types
>of sites with old radio shows, but never even a mention of this one.
>I've also been back to SA and wandered the record store looking in
>catalogues and speaking to very knowledgable attendents with no luck. I
>suspect there are NO copies of this show left anywhere. Pity. It was a
>bit of fun.

Other posts (several in 2015) gave places to find a few episodes and other information, but stated that it appears that the vast majority of the show's content was never archived and is not now available anywhere.

I had never heard of it before myself.

-DES

[kaplan....@gmail.com]

OMG- "Kardak!!!" Mark's mysterious savior

My Grandfather was not allowed to call between 7:15 and 7:30, I also remember The Creaking Door and The Goon Show!!

Those were the best times

For fun I listen to Springbok Radio - my children have no idea of wahat I'm taking about

[Kevrob]

On Friday, August 10, 2018 at 2:15:04 PM UTC-4, Dorothy J Heydt wrote:

> In article <112f32a5-de45-454b...@googlegroups.com>,
> <paddyja...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >And LM radio sunday night hit parade. Also queuing up to try for tickets
> >for men from the ministry.....seems like 100 years ago...or
> >yesterday..depending ....
>
> Well ... this thread has been languishing for long enough that
> trn won't give me any background on what you're talking about.
> Could you fill us in?
>
> --

The archive would start here:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.arts.sf.written/VF0o1MAPtL4

OR here:

http://rec.arts.sf.written.narkive.com/kNAAKZK3/mark-saxon-no-place-to-hide

Kevin R

[robwil...@gmail.com]

I recall as a kid listening to it, we would come in from playing outside to listen to it, then it was get ready for supper, found memories. Robert Taylor

[george...@gmail.com]

> "two questions? First? are there ANY readers who are familiar with the
> series?
> Second? Anyone know of ANY source for recordings of this show? I'd love
> to get hold of at least an hour of it... They must have aired hundreds
> of installments... possibly a few thousand.
>
> I've searched the Internet repeatedly with no luck. Ran across all types
> of sites with old radio shows, but never even a mention of this one.
> I've also been back to SA and wandered the record store looking in
> catalogues and speaking to very knowledgable attendents with no luck. I
> suspect there are NO copies of this show left anywhere. Pity. It was a
> bit of fun."

Wow! now THERE's a memory! used to stay glued to the radio through the '60s. I was watching a youtube video on the EM drive, remembered the "ION DRIVE" from that series, googled "mark saxon no place to hide and here I am" Funny thing is that until a few years ago scientists said it was impossible....

[J. Clarke]

On Sat, 22 Sep 2018 18:54:56 -0700 (PDT), george...@gmail.com
wrote:

Ion drive? Which "scientists" said that ion drive was impossible? The
first ion engine was launched in 1964.

The thing is, they don't do what technologically illiterate writers
and fans think that they do.

[Quadibloc]

On Saturday, September 22, 2018 at 7:54:59 PM UTC-6, george...@gmail.com wrote:

> Wow! now THERE's a memory! used to stay glued to the radio through the '60s. I
> was watching a youtube video on the EM drive, remembered the "ION DRIVE" from
> that series, googled "mark saxon no place to hide and here I am" Funny thing is
> that until a few years ago scientists said it was impossible....

An ion drive and an EM drive aren't the same thing.

Scientists had never said that an *ion drive* was impossible, since an ion drive
uses electrostatic potential to shoot reaction mass out. So it had long been
under consideration as a propulsion system for long journeys in space.

An EM drive, though, that just does something electromagnetic in a sealed
chamber, not involving the expulstion of reaction mass, is believed to be
impossible, although NASA recently tested one in space, and it appeared to
actually do something.

John Savard

[tvho...@gmail.com]

I remember Mark Saxon and Sergei. Every evening on Springbok Radio at 6pm.

[dan.r...@gmail.com]

Of course my memory is flaky but I think that this programme started in the 1950's --- , Maybe 1959.

It ran from 19:15 to 19:30 and everyone I knew was glued to the radio.

I would love to hear it again.

Regards

Dan

[paulds...@gmail.com]

My late father wrote a large number of the episodes. As far as I know the only recordings are in the Springbok radio archives

[nevil...@gmail.com]

I was a huge fan as well. I'm in my 70s and am looking for info.

[Martin Silbermann]

I even remember Sergei’s gun called Patrushka . On Monday, 12 March 2001 at 15:19:27 UTC+2, Boojumhunter wrote:
> In the late 1960's and early 1970's there was a radio show in South
> Africa called "Mark Saxon and Sergei Gramulko(sp?) in No Place to Hide".
> It was a 15 minute serial aired everyday. I have the childhood
> impression that I listened to it for years.
> I have e-mailed the radio station numerous times hoping for a response,
> but with never a reply. Never a good sign.

[J. Clarke]

Have you tried listening to the Science Fiction programming on
<https://springbokradio.webs.com/>? The run like a radio station,
transmitting in timeslots rather than on demand.

[paul bell]

Hi…. My wife and I were just watching all creatures great and small and subsequently discussing what people did in the ‘good old days’! Well I mentioned a radio program I used to listen to in South Africa in the 60’s…. god I’m old!… anyway, yes it was mark saxon and Sergei, we loved it!

So if by any chance you do come across any recordings I’d really appreciate a quick note on its source please…. Many thanks….

Regards,

Paul Bell

[Vic Benson]

[Daniel Bub]

[Gail Henwick]

Remember it quite well - huddled around the radio before we were sent off to bed. We listened to it in what was then Northern Rhodesia. I thought it was weekly.