Here's a bonus Off-Ramp Episode to celebrate a special anniversary!

In 1938, Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre scared the pants off the American public with the CBS Radio broadcast "The War of the Worlds."

In 2013, to mark the 75th anniversary of Welles' radio masterpiece, I commissioned RH Greene to produce a documentary telling the backstory of the broadcast, which he called "The War of the Welles." The icing on the cake is that it's introduced by the one and only George Takei. 

So let's listen to it again on the 84th anniversary, and lift a glass to the power of audio. 

(Fun fact: "The War of the Words" was broadcast on October 30, not 31, 1938.)

Support for this podcast comes from Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.

Today, we dig into the Off-Ramp archives to pay tribute to a man named Jules Bass, who was a part of our childhood. Bass died Tuesday at the age of 87.

With his partner, the late  Arthur Rankin, Jr., Bass produced some of the most beloved children's Christmas TV specials: "The Little Drummer Boy," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "Frosty the Snowman," and one more that maybe isn't really a Christmasspecial at all. 

In 2012, Off-Ramp's RH Greene argued cogently that "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town" was a Jewish origin story for Santa ... essentially a Hanukkah special. The clues are all there in plain sight: The villains are cartoon Nazis who burn toys instead of books. Santa is a foundling, like Moses, raised by Tante Kringle -- the Yiddish word for "aunt." And Santa is a freedom fighter, whose ragged band make an Exodus to their own promised land in the cold desert.

Support for this podcast comes from Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.

What goes on after Thanksgiving? Shopping, sure. And you can watch a game, or go ham on some leftover turkey. But ask any local: Los Angeles — world class city that it is — offers much, much more. This week, Off-Ramp focuses on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Pixar's Sanjay Patel tells us how he made "Sanjay's Super Team," a tribute to his father ... Josh Stamberg in David Mamet’s “American Buffalo” ... 5 Every Week gives you the keys to the city ... an immigrant's Thanksgiving comes days after the JFK assassination

In-deep with "The Office" star Rainn Wilson ... Joey Arias does the best Billie Holiday impersonation you'll ever hear ... Gregg Turkington is Neil Hamburger in "Entertainment" ... 5 Every Week keeps you busy ... and Brains On tells you how salamanders regenerate lost limbs.

Hollywood Fights Back!, an ill-fated stand against HUAC ... 5 Every Week joins the Off-Ramp lineup ... SoCal winemakers shameful past ...

This week, Off-Ramp finds out what’s under the bed when the lights go off. Stories from "In the Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe," a new collection of great old under-appreciated horror stories. The program will be recorded Thursday at the Crawford Family Forum.

Pico Union, Pico Boulevard, Pico Rivera … so who was Pico? Actors playing zombies don’t need acting classes. El Nino is bringing welcome rain, but also a highly venomous sea snake. The only group allowed to bring notorious, wonderful EC Comics to life on the stage. And we go to the Arboretum to see if it’s finally the right time to rip out your lawn.

If you need a little push to give to KPCC during our fall member drive, here are some reminders - in the form of our best pieces - of why Off-Ramp is worth supporting.

George Takei couldn't be happier he made the leap ten years ago this month ... a new exhibit at the Skirball Center explores the Japanese-American internment camps through sketches and photos by Ansel Adams and others ... Dodgers v Mets ... YACHT fits in an Uber