Golden Age Radio Bingo
A ready-made golden age radio bingo game: this page shows all 24 words on the cards, explains the rules, and links straight to the card maker for a printable 5×5 set with a FREE centre square.
About this bingo theme
Before television filled the evening, families gathered around a wireless set to hear comedians, mysteries and adventure serials. This bingo theme brings back the programmes, performers and dial-and-aerial vocabulary of radio's golden age.
Every printed set uses twenty-four of the thirty words in the collection, arranged differently on each card around the FREE centre square. Print as many as you need, then read from the caller list and let the room guess which show each name belongs to.
Make and print cards
- Open the bingo card maker and choose Golden Age Radio from the theme list.
- Generate 1, 2, 4 or 6 cards — every card uses a different random layout.
- Press Word caller list to read and tick the words off as you call.
- Cards print in clean black ink; choose Save as PDF to keep a copy.
The 30 words in this theme
This collection holds 30 words. Every printed set draws twenty-four of them, so a freshly drawn game can be made whenever you like — and all the cards in one set share the same twenty-four words, just in different places. Words appear on the cards as single strings of capital letters with spaces removed, and each card holds 24 of them around the FREE centre square.
- JACKBENNY
- BURNSANDALLEN
- THESHADOW
- LONERANGER
- FIBBERMCGEE
- GUNSMOKE
- LUXRADIOTHEATER
- THEWHISTLER
- SUSPENSE
- QUIZKIDS
- AMOSNANDY
- EDGARMURROW
- CRYSTALSET
- DIAL
- KNOB
- ANTENNA
- SHORTWAVE
- SOAPOPERA
- SERIAL
- JINGLE
- SPONSOR
- BROADCAST
- STATION
- ANNOUNCER
- SOUNDEFFECTS
- LIVEAUDIENCE
- MICROPHONE
- TRANSMITTER
- NEWSCAST
- COMEDYHOUR
How to play bingo
- Each player takes a card — the same words appear in a different place on every card.
- One person reads words from the caller list, one at a time.
- Players mark any word they have. The middle square is FREE.
- First to mark a full line — across, down or diagonal — calls “Bingo!” For a longer game, play for a full house.
Hints for running this theme
- Ask everyone to remember the first programme they listened to as a child.
- Read the mystery titles in a hushed voice — it suits the material perfectly.
- Print a caller list for two readers so the game keeps moving.
- Leave a couple of seconds between calls for the associations to travel round the room.
- No timer and no entry fee — bingo suits any group and any pace.
More bingo themes
Every theme page lists the words before you print.