Screenwriter and noted author Rod Serling, best known for “THe Twilight Zone”, continued his morbid expertise with a horror anthology TV-series known as the “Night Gallery”.  Broadcast on NBC from 1970-1973, these tales of the macabre have since lived on in reruns and now DVD.  When it began, “Night Gallery” received mixed reviews.  Critics unfairly compared it to the “Twilight Zone”.  Nevertheless, Serling received two Emmy nominations for “The Messiah on Mott Street”   (with Edward G. Robinson)

and “They’re Tearing Down Tim Reilly’s Bar” (a favorite of mine, starring that great character actor William Windom.) Indicative of NBC and producer Jack Laird’s interference, “They’re Tearing Down Tim Reilly’s Bar” was rewritten with a feel-good ending.  Still, it’s a moving portrayal of a middle-aged man’s lost dreams and regrets.

Some noteworthy segments from Seasons One and Two…

 The Caterpillar.  A man believing his wife is cheating on him, plots revenge.  If an earwig is placed into an ear, it will burrow its way into the brain.  Wait for the horrific payoff.

 The Doll.  A father returning from his sojourn in India, finds his daughter the recipient of an ugly doll that talks to her.

 The Academy.  Dark humored tale of a boy’s military academy,where those who enroll find themselves unable to get out.

 Lindemann’s Catch.  A fisherman falls in love with a mermaid, then tries to turn her into a woman with unexpected results.

 The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes.  How much do we really want to know about the future?

 The Last Laurel.  A crippled man discovers he’s able to astral-project himself for the perfect crime.

 The Little Black Bag.  A medical bag is accidentally transported back into the past.

 Certain Shadows on the Wall.  An old woman who lingers in illness is poisoned.  After death, her silhouette remains.

      By Season Three, “Night Gallery” was shortened to thirty miniutes.  Some interesting segments were “The Girl with the Hungry Eyes”, “The Ring with the Red Velvet Ropes” and “Finnegan’s Flight”.

Following cancellation, Rod Serling lectured at universities and narrated films with his distinctive voice.  A chronic smoker, he died shortly after heart surgery.  He was only fifty.  Text © 2018 – ERN