Season 4 Episode 5
A cruel mob boss (T.J. Castronova, who also executive-produced the series) forces a ventriloquist (Barry Dennen) to string up the corpse of his defeated rival as a puppet. A one-man show is held… with results that none involved had counted on. Written and directed by David Odell (author of The Dark Crystal, in which Dennen lent his voice to the Skeksis Chamberlain).
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, October 25, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “No Strings” premiered”Season 4 Episode 4
A dying woman is convinced that after death her soul will be trapped in a moth. Written by Michael McDowell, Guest starring Debbie Harry.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, October 18, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Moth” premiered”Season 4 Episode 3
A photographer decides to take photographs of ghosts. Written by Mark Patrick Carducci and Brian Thomas Jones.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, October 11, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Spirit Photographer” premiered”Season 4 Episode 2
An isolated woman who fears the world turns to her dolls and mannequins for friendship. Written by Jule Selbo.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, October 4, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Mary, Mary” premiered”Season 4 Episode 1
An Egyptologist ignores a sarcophagus’s warnings and unearths a curse. Written by Robert Bloch and based on his short story and guest-starring Arnold Stang.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, September 27, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Beetles” premiered”Season 3 Episode 22
A couple purchases a new radio which transmits their neighbor’s private discussions.
Written by Guy Gallo, story by John Cheever, and guest-starring Christine Estabrook.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 17, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Enormous Radio” premiered”Season 4 Episode 13
A mysterious man hooks up with a husband and wife and he and the wife cook up a scheme to teach her husband a lesson until things backfire.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, May 12, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Cabin Fever” premiered”Season 3 Episode 21
An angel and a devil fight over a dead man’s soul.
Written by Peter O’Keefe
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 10, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Let the Games Begin” premiered”Season 4 Episode 12
Chris can sell anything to anyone, but when he meets Belinda he soon realises he has met his match.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, May 5, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Secret Ingredient” premiered”Season 3 Episode 20
A woman decides to murder her wealthy husband for his money but her plans go horribly awry.
Written by Dick Benner.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 3, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Swap” premiered”Season 4 Episode 11
Cocky and obnoxious defense attorney Steve and his passive law professor buddy Brett decide to let it all hang out and gleefully indulge in irresponsible behavior while embarking on a cross country joyride. The duo film their exploits on a portable video camera. After Steve accidentally runs down a man on the side of the road, he does his best to hide what he’s done from Brett. However, the dire consequences of Steve’s grave actions eventually catch up with him when the pair stop off at a remote redneck bar in the middle of nowhere.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, April 28, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Best Shot” premiered”Season 4 Episode 10
Peter believes that the way to win a girl’s heart is have a good sense of humor. But when he tries to win back the love of his ex-wife using only pranks and elaborate setups, he learns that sometimes laughter doesn’t make everything better.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, April 21, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Joker” premiered”Season 4 Episode 9
Two killers briefly become friends.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, April 14, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Made For Each Other” premiered”Season 4 Episode 8
A hitwoman meets up with a handsome stranger in a vacation resort only to have romance lead to betrayal.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, April 7, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “In the Name of Love” premiered”Season 4 Episode 7
Jane is a sleazy tabloid reporter willing to dig up anything on someone just to ruin their lives and get her a story. One night, her photographer gets her interested in Billy Baltimore, a musician who supposedly died back in the 70’s but is rumored to be living in their area. But soon Jane realizes that when you enter someone’s life, you should always make sure there’s an exit.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, March 31, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “The Legendary Billy B.” premiered”Season 4 Episode 6
Jake Purly is campaigning on a platform to rid the world of pornography, but after his brother is discovered making a pornographic film, the press is suddenly beating down Jake’s door. To make matters worse, the actress in the film opens a flood gate of memories that Jake would rather not remember.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, March 24, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Doctor’s Orders” premiered”Season 4 Episode 5
Two escaped convicts hide out in a model home that just happens to be occupied and while the one, a true psychopath, wants to get rid of the inhabitants of the house, the younger one is torn between loyalty toward his ‘brother’ and saving innocent lives.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, March 17, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Homebodies” premiered”Season 4 Episode 4
A tabloid reporter hooks up with a hot young woman he meets at a club only to be drawn into a world of drugs and debauchery.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, March 10, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Why Are You Here?” premiered”Season 3 Episode 19
A young shoemaker’s assistant finds that he can actually live other people’s lives by walking in their shoes.
Written by Ellen Sandhaus
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, March 8, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Social Climber” premiered”Season 4 Episode 3
Luther is an eccentric sculptor who has no problem putting his models through the wringer — literally. When Cal breaks into his house one night, Luther sets him up to model with spunky blonde Arielle. When the two try to break free, Luther makes sure they find out that no one ever walks away from him.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, March 3, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Dead Heat” premiered”Season 3 Episode 18
Two ancient witches fight over an amulet yet again.
Written by Edithe Swensen.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, March 1, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Auld Acquaintances” premiered”Season 4 Episode 2
A man obsessed with order encounters trouble on a road trip to Sunnyvale with his wife.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, February 24, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Minuteman” premiered”Season 3 Episode 17
A divorced and lonely man talks to and dotes over a mannequin he calls Estelle, while his friend begins to get concerned about his mental stability. Based on the short story by Robert Bloch, adapted and directed by John Harrison (as John Sutherland), and guest-starring Jerry Orbach.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 22, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Everybody Needs a Little Love” premiered”Season 4 Episode 1
Photographer Simon Hopper is considered a genius in the art world, but the demands for his models are always insanely hard to meet. Christina will do anything to be the model in his next project. But when she does get her chance, it turns out that Simon has raised the bar to a new level.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, February 17, 1987: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Perfect Order” premiered”Season 3 Episode 16
A wealthy and unscrupulous businessman strikes a deal with the Devil.
Written by Edithe Swensen.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 15, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Red Leader” was released in theaters”Season 3 Episode 15
A yuppie gets his first apartment – with an unexpected roommate.
Written and directed by Ted Gershuny, co-written by and guest-starring Perry Lang.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 8, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “My Own Place” premiered”Season 3 Episode 14
A horror writer discovers a real vampire in the coffin he bought for inspiration, and makes a deal with him to provide material for his novels.
Story by Scott Edelman, adapted by Peter O’Keefe.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 1, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “My Ghostwriter – The Vampire” premiered”Season 3 Episode 13
A milkman (whom no one has ever actually seen) grants wishes to people if they leave him a note with their discarded bottles. To the horror of one man, he learns the milkman can mix up the meaning of the wishes if they’re written metaphorically. This comes to haunt him when his wife (previously barren after their first child) gives birth again.
Written by Donald Wollner, based on the short story “Temperature Days on Hawthorne Street” by Charles L. Grant. Guest-starring Robert Forster and Chad Allen.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, January 25, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Milkman Cometh” premiered”Season 3 Episode 12
A woman who has no memory of her past befriends a saxophone player and slowly uncovers the truth behind the deaths she’s accidentally caused everywhere she’s been. Written and directed by Richard Blackburn.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, January 18, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Miss May Dusa” premiered”Season 3 Episode 11
Two rowdy kids who don’t believe in Santa Claus demand a story during Christmas, and their mean parents decide to tell them a different kind of Christmas story, a horrific tale of the monstrous “Grither.”
Written and directed by Michael McDowell, story by Michael Bishop and guest-starring E.G. Marshall and Jenna Von Oy.
Read more “Horror History: Monday, December 29, 1986: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Seasons of Belief” premiered”
