Fifteen spellbinding shows reveal all the ways in which Orson Welles's genius transformed radio forever. Whether performing in Heart of darkness, spoofing Noah Webster, reciting the poetry of John Donne, or cackling madly as the Shadow, Welles knew just how to ignite the imagination of his audience. Some of the shows feature a solo Welles (Hamlet, Song of Solomon), but most are ensemble pieces, a style of radio drama he pioneered and perfected. Hour-long classics (Rebecca, A tale of two cities) are interspersed with well-chosen excerpts and interesting snippets, and are supplemented by program notes, transcripts, articles on Welles, a 40 min. documentary on the Mercury Theatre Company (narrated by Leonard Maltin) and a 1938 movie about radio sound effects called Back of the mike.