You Are There takes historic events and dramatizes them with "live radio" coverage. Of course, many famous events were covered on radio prior to WWII, but the daily transcontinental field reports created an emotional impact that were radio reporting at its best. Many of the announcers on You Are There were wartime correspondents in World War II.

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Goodman Ace, who also created, wrote and played "Ace" on The Easy Aces, created the show. The hosts for You Are There were Richard C. Hottelet, John Daly, and Don Hollenbeck. They began the show with a "live" background coverage of the events unfolding. Then the sounds and characters involved take over. Often participants are interviewed, or the show cuts to another reporter's evaluation of the event.

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Of course, many of the historic events took place before radio - that fact is obvious to the listener, who knows this is a radio re-enactment. But the dialogue is believable, as factual as possible, and very much in character. Director Robert Lewis Shayon uses sound effects, actors and the reporters "coverage" in an exciting and thought-provoking way.

Another way of looking at the show is that this is history reported in a way radio's audience is most used to, and so makes it easier for a listener to imaginatively participate in the world's major historical events. Other shows with a historical character are: American Adventure, An American in England, American Trail, Cavalcade of America, Destination Freedom, Frontier Fighters, Norman Corwin Collection, Mr President, Science Magazine of the Air, and The American History Collection. . For WWII radio, see WWII Collection, An American in England, and Command Performance.