Podcast Summary: Harold's Old Time Radio

Episode: 2000 Plus 50-xx-xx (xx) "The Robot Killer (Killer Robot)"
Date: September 20, 2025
Host: Harolds Old Time Radio
Classic Radio Drama: "2000 Plus – The Robot Killer"

Episode Overview

This episode showcases a full broadcast of the classic science fiction radio play "The Robot Killer" (also known as "Killer Robot") from the anthology series 2000 Plus (early 1950s). The story unfolds in a near-future society fascinated by robotics, mass media, and sweeping technological advances. The drama follows an ordinary couple, John and Mary Hanold, who win the ultimate jackpot: $10,000, a trip to Paris, and—most notably—a state-of-the-art robot named Robot 23. As emotionally unstable Mary develops a bizarre attachment to the robot, her jealous paranoia risks disaster. The episode deftly explores themes of technology versus humanity, mental illness, and the limits (and literal-mindedness) of machine intelligence.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. The Robot as Prize: Spectacle Meets Science

• [00:40] Happy Sam (John Hanold), a showman, negotiates with Professor Strager about giving away their prized robot on his TV show as a publicity stunt.
  • Strager is incredulous that six years of invention are being used this way:

    "I simply do not understand how the management of this corporation can think of giving it away... this magnificent mechanism." (Strager, 01:53)

  • The robot, Robot 23, can follow any voice command precisely.
  • Early red flag: When told to pet a kitten for the cameras, the robot accidentally kills it due to lack of physical delicacy (“He killed a kitten. Broke its neck.” “No good will come of giving this robot away to the public. I warn you, no good will come of it.” (Strager, 04:17–04:35))

2. Jackpot Winners: A “Normal” Family Upended

• [07:14] John Hanold, ordinary husband, is announced the jackpot winner live on TV and is awarded the robot, cash, and other futuristic prizes.
• [09:07] Doctor warns John that Mary is just recovering from a mental breakdown; she needs a return to normalcy, not new excitement.

  • “She must feel she's returning to her normal life. And winning $10,000 prizes isn't very normal.” (Doctor, 09:51)

• John plans to gently break the news and ease Mary back into everyday life.

3. Mary’s Recovery and Subtle Tensions

• [10:32] Mary returns home from the hospital. Her neighbor Virginia Barton drops by, and small talk disguises rivalry and underlying suspicion.
  • Mary is shown to have lingering paranoia and jealousy:

    “I would lie in my hospital bed and the shadows would whisper to me...” (Mary, 13:08)

• Virginia’s presence unnerves Mary, who suspects a deeper connection between Virginia and John.

4. Introducing Robot 23: The Experiment at Home

• [15:43] John demonstrates the robot’s obedience to Mary via simple commands.
  • Robot moves furniture and bends a steel poker “as if it were taffy.”
  • Mary anthropomorphizes the robot—she insists he should have a name and is fascinated by his strength and obedience.
  • When prompted, the robot introduces itself: “Experimental robot 23.”
  • John is unsettled:

    “Kind of gives me the creeps.” (17:04)

  • Mary is delighted, but John warns:

    “Remember, Mary, you're not to give him any orders except when I'm home.” (18:16)

5. Mary’s Mental Decline and Delusional Bonding

• [19:03] Alone with Robot 23, Mary explores giving the robot personal and emotional instructions.
  • She makes the robot say: “Because I love you” and “I am your slave.”
  • Has the robot obey a destructive command by smashing a vase (“That vase that Virginia gave me last year...destroy that vase.” 19:38)
  • The robot’s literal obedience emboldens Mary's delusional sense of control.
• Virginia delivers a package ([20:10]), notices the robot, and is told by Mary that, “He doesn’t love you.”
  • This further signals Mary's descent and intensifies her jealousy.

6. From Obsession to Danger: Commands to Kill

• [21:10] Mary confides in the robot about her hatred of Virginia and affection for John.
  • She gives chilling commands, blending fantasy and reality:

    “You must destroy her the way we destroyed the babe. Now that you've seen her, you know my secret. And you will kill her for me. Because you are my slave. Say, I will kill her.” (Mary, 21:29) “I will kill her.” (Robot, 21:42)

7. Neighbors’ Concern and John’s Alarm

• [22:07] Virginia calls John, worried about Mary’s odd behavior and growing fixation with the robot.
• John calls their doctor, who downplays concern but agrees to check in.

  • “Neighbors...tend to exaggerate the actions of people...who've known to have been mentally ill. I’m sure there’s nothing to be alarmed about.” (Doctor, 23:06)

8. Confrontation and Rescue

• [25:09] Virginia returns to keep Mary company at John’s request.
  • Mary confesses the robot has broken the vase on command, accuses Virginia of jealousy and betrayal, and picks up the robot microphone:

    “Robert 23 loves me as I love John. And you won't destroy my love. You won't. Robert 23. Don’t you care? Mary.” (Mary, 26:04)

• [26:28] Virginia’s panicked cries bring John, Professor Strager, and a patrolman rushing to intervene.
  • Professor Strager deactivates the robot and explains events to John.

9. Resolution: The Limits of a Machine

• [27:27] Despite Mary’s intent and direct command to kill, the robot is incapable of doing so without clear, step-by-step instructions.

  • “The command ‘kill’ is not sufficiently explicit. The robot cannot kill in general, must have step-by-step instructions as to how...to be carried out.” (Strager, 27:43)

  • “To strike out blindly—to kill without thinking—requires an emotional drive, the capacity to hate. And that the robot cannot do. It is, after all, a machine, not a human being.” (Strager, 27:51)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Misuse of Science ([04:17])

  "He killed a kitten. Broke its neck...No good will come of giving this robot away to the public. I warn you, no good will come of it."
  — Professor Strager

• On Technology as Spectacle ([07:13])

  “A thousand slaves in one amazing machine...Michael the Mechanical Man.”
  — Happy Sam

• Mary’s Connection to the Robot ([19:21])

  "Because you love me. Oh, Robot 23. How handsome and strong you are. And you are mine. You do what I want you to do. You are my slave."
  — Mary Hanold

• The Command to Kill ([21:29])

  "You must destroy her the way we destroyed the babe...and you will kill her for me. Because you are my slave."
  — Mary
  “I will kill her.”
  — Robot 23

• Limits of Artificial Intelligence ([27:43–27:51])

  “The command kill is not sufficiently explicit. The robot cannot kill in general, must have step by step instructions as to how the command is to be carried out.
  ...To strike out blindly, to kill without thinking, requires an emotional drive, the capacity to hate. And that the robot cannot do. It is, after all, a machine, not a human being.”
  — Professor Strager

Key Segment Timestamps

• [00:31] — Show introduction and the reveal of Robot 23
• [04:17] — Robot kills the kitten, foreshadowing dangers of literal obedience
• [10:32] — Mary returns from hospital; subtle tension with neighbor Virginia
• [15:43] — Robot 23’s first tasks in the Hanold home
• [19:03] — Mary’s delusional bonding with the robot; commands begin to blur with fantasy
• [21:29] — Mary directs the robot to "kill" Virginia
• [22:07] — Neighbors intervene out of worry
• [25:09] — Climactic scene: Mary tries to use the robot against Virginia
• [27:43] — Professor explains why the robot can’t truly kill; thematic resolution

Tone and Style

The story maintains a suspenseful and unsettling tone, moving from light-hearted satire about mass media and postwar consumerism into eerie psychological territory. The language and delivery are characteristic of mid-century radio drama—lively, heightened, and emotionally charged, especially in Mary’s increasingly frantic exchanges with both machines and humans.

Conclusion

The Robot Killer is an iconic example from the golden age of radio science fiction, reflecting both hopes and anxieties about automation and the dangers of misunderstood technology. Its resolution underscores a core theme: only humans possess the drives—for good or ill—that machines can only mimic in action, but never understand in spirit. The episode is a memorable showcase for both vintage storytelling and the perennial questions about what separates people from the machines we build.