Editing Bob and Ray (section)

===Other radio projects===
''Matinee with Bob and Ray'' became a favorite with listeners in New England, which brought Elliott and Goulding to the attention of [[NBC Radio|NBC]] in New York. They continued on the air for over four decades on the NBC, [[CBS Radio Network|CBS]], and [[Mutual Broadcasting System|Mutual]] networks, and on [[New York City]] stations [[WINS (AM)|WINS]], [[WOR (AM)|WOR]], and [[WEPN (AM)#WHN|WHN]]. From 1973 to 1976, they were the afternoon drive hosts on [[WOR (AM)|WOR]], doing a four-hour show. In their last incarnation, they were heard on [[National Public Radio]], ending in 1987.

[[File:Bob and Ray Tedi Thurman Monitor.gif|right|200px|thumb|''[[Monitor (NBC Radio)|Monitor]]'' publicity shot of Bob and Ray with Miss Monitor ([[Tedi Thurman]]). All three made extended stays at the NBC studios in order to do hourly live appearances throughout the weekend on ''Monitor'', which could explain why they were grouped for this promotional photo.]]
They were regulars on NBC's ''[[Monitor (NBC Radio)|Monitor]]'', often on standby to go on the air at short notice if the program's planned segments developed problems, and they were also heard in a surprising variety of formats and time slots, from a 15-minute series in mid-afternoon to their hourlong show aired weeknights just before midnight in 1954–55. During that same period, they did an audience-participation game show, ''Pick and Play with Bob and Ray'', which was short-lived. It came at a time when network pages filled seats for radio-TV shows by giving tickets to anyone in the street, and on ''Pick and Play'' the two comics were occasionally booed by audience members unfamiliar with the Bob and Ray comedy style.

Some of their radio episodes were released on recordings, and others were adapted into graphic story form for publication in ''[[Mad Magazine|MAD]]'' magazine. Their earlier shows were mostly ad-libbed, but later programs relied more heavily on scripts. While Bob and Ray created and improvised much of their material, they did accept sketches from writers. The first was Boston broadcaster Jack Beauvais, who had performed as a singer for [[WEZE|WEEI]] in Boston during the 1930s and also worked for some of the big bands in the 1940s and 1950s.<ref>[http://www.wuml.org/history3.php WUML: Jack Beauvais] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206040725/http://www.wuml.org/history3.php |date=February 6, 2012 }}</ref> The pioneering radio humorist [[Raymond Knight (radio)|Raymond Knight]] was a fan, and submitted ideas and sketches. (Bob Elliott later married Knight's widow.)

The most prolific freelance author was [[Tom Koch]] (pronounced "Cook"). In 1955 he was a staff writer for ''Monitor'', and he sent Elliott and Goulding 10 bits. "They bought eight," recalled Koch, "so I sent them 10 more and they never did reject another one." Koch always submitted his work by interoffice or postal mail, and although Elliott and Goulding spoke with him in person occasionally, the working relationship was remote: "The check would come and that would be it."<ref>Tom Koch to David Pollock, ''Bob and Ray: Keener than Most Persons'', Applause Books, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2013; p. 145.</ref> Koch captured the Bob and Ray style so well that the team would recite from his scripts verbatim. Koch remained with Elliott and Goulding, off and on, for three decades.