Ma Perkins
Entertainment Radio
"Ma Perkins" was a hugely popular and long-running American radio soap opera, often dubbed "America's Mother of the Air."Here's a breakdown of the show:
Premise: It followed the life of Ma Perkins, a benevolent, self-sufficient widow who owned and managed a lumberyard in the fictional town of Rushville Center. Ma was known for her homespun philosophy and her willingness to offer advice to anyone who needed it, including her children Evey, Fay, and John, and her business partner Shuffle Shober.
Airing Dates: The show premiered in August 1933 on Cincinnati station WLW. By December 1933, it moved to the NBC network. From 1942 to 1949, it was broadcast simultaneously on both NBC and CBS. It continued on CBS until its final episode in November 1960. In total, it ran for 7,065 episodes.
Starring Role: The title role of Ma Perkins was played by actress Virginia Payne for the show's entire 27-year run. Remarkably, Payne began playing the elderly Ma when she was only 23 y