31 Days of Horror Recommendations: "Night Gallery"

 

Years: 1969-1973

Number of Seasons: 3

Creator: Rod Serling

Subgenre: All of Them

Episode Runtime: 50 minutes

Company: Universal Television airing on NBC

Star: Hosted by Serling (the rest of the cast revolves)

We always do some spooky television on Thursdays (aka Friday Eve), it's only during Spooktober that I post anything about it on Twitter, so I thought I would recommend a different horror series every Thursday this month as well; starting with Rod Serling's 'Night Gallery.' First, let me note that I am aware how unhappy Serling was with the series--that despite it's kitschy art gimmick that made the show popular enough to run for 3 seasons, he was deeply disappointed with it. It was certainly NO "The Twilight Zone," but I suggest giving it a second or third or even fourth chance nonetheless. I am quite sure that part of my fondness for the show now lies in having ready access to it via re-runs as a youngster; it was a staple of my childhood. But, I have re-watched the show several times as an adult and I find that it really stands up--especially the early episodes. The general premise of the show was a series of really scary (and original paintings) presented by Serling that tie in with the story that he is introducing. I personally remember being most thrilled by the art--the story (while at times genuinely scary) was basically just the sugar on top. The other thing that makes the series stand out is that it is in color. There just weren't that many American horror shows before this one that were not black and white (sure, we had PLENTY of science fictions series that were, the most famous being 'Star Trek'--honorable mention goes to 'Lost In Space'). The other very impressive thing about the series, that allows it to stand up to multiple re-watches, are the number of aging Hollywood superstars that appeared during it's run. Take a look down the HUGE list of cast members and you find names like: Joan Crawford, Stuart Whitman, Geraldine Page, Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson, Vincent Price & Elsa Lanchester (not to mention a bevy of then fresh faces that have now become household names!), to name but a few. There are even well known names amongst the directing credits, including John Astin, Stephen Spielberg & Leonard Nimoy. Unfortunately, the series is not currently available for streaming on any of the major services this year (Hulu used to have it). It has been released on blu ray...which I've been salivating over for sure!