episodes of You Are There
"You Are there" (originally airing as "CBS Is There") was a very clever concept - dramatizing key moments in history as if radio reporters had been present to share the news live. Probably inspired by the emotional qualities of the Hindenberg disaster, the urgency of Orson Welles' "War of the Worlds" broadcast, and the extensive in-person reporting from Europe during World War II, "You Are There" took visitors to important moments in history: Lincoln's assassination; the Salem Witch Trials; even the last days of Pompeii. The simple magic of radio sounds effects could make these moments live. The series was also greatly helped by using CBS's actual news reporters, including John Daly, Don Hollenbeck, and Richard C. Hottelet.
You Are There transitioned to television in 1953 with Walter Cronkite as the host, but the limitations of live, low-budget television meant the illusion was far less convincing.
Click on a script title below to view it:
| Dec 14 1947 | Lincoln's Assassination - April 14, 1865 |
| Jul 04 1948 | Philadelphia - July 4, 1776 |