Season 3 Episode 5
When Richard Shepard is kicked out of his house by his wife Eleanor, he stays at a friend’s place and takes in a stray dog that begins killing off Richard’s enemies. When the dog goes for Eleanor, Richard tries to keep the dog from killing the woman he loves.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, December 10, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Man’s Best Friend” premiered”Season 2 Episode 11
A woman learns she can change the world around her at random, but soon loses control of events. Written by Michael P. Kube-McDowell.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, December 8, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Effect and Cause” premiered”Season 2 Episode 10
A little girl blames her new teddy bear for various pranks in her parents’ house. They do not believe her-until giant claw marks on the walls and lumbering sounds at night convince them. The mother destroys the teddy, but forgets one of the most basic rules of the wild-harm the child, and you must meet the mother… Written and directed by Ted Gershuny, based on a story by John Sladek.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, December 1, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Ursa Minor” premiered”Season 3 Episode 4
Nolan Powers is a money-hungry radio evangelist preaching on the air waves about the Bible. 0ff the air, he’s a self-righteous greedy man. A tabloid news reporter, Sato, digs up the story about how Powers killed his brother, Gerald. Gerald’s ghost comes back to haunt him, ruin his career and pay him back for causing his death.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, November 26, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “W.G.O.D.” premiered”Season 2 Episode 9
A family offers $50,000 to whoever can rid young Mary Jane of the demons possessing her. Guest starring – Phyllis Diller and Lawrence Tierney, written by Edithe Swensen.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, November 24, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Trouble with Mary Jane” premiered”Season 2 Episode 8
A director is approached by a mysterious investor who asks him to complete a previous short-run and unpopular detective series called “Max Paradise”, which was canceled 20 years ago before the final episodes were shown. The investor and his mysterious backers will pay any price to see the series finished, complete with bringing the original actor out of retirement. After the filming is complete, it is discovered that the investor is an alien from a planet that gets TV signals from Earth 20 years after they air. Max Paradise was popular there so he came to Earth to finish the show. Story by Andrew Weiner, adapted by Ted Gershuny and guest-starring Darren McGavin.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, November 17, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Distant Signals” premiered”Season 3 Episode 3
Meg is a paraplegic who is ignored by her family. When she finds everyone but her brother Jonathan dead she assumes he killed them. While trying to figure out who is responsible, what she remembers is not what she expected.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, November 12, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “The Killer” premiered”Season 2 Episode 7
The rude host of a late-night radio show, “The Devil’s Advocate,” finds out where his anger and cynicism will eventually lead. Written by George A. Romero and guest-starring Jerry Stiller.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, November 10, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Devil’s Advocate” premiered”Season 2 Episode 6
A musician in a creative slump buys a revolutionary machine that reads the thoughts of a person and transforms it into music. However, the piano comes with a very high price, one which the musician may not be willing to pay. Story by Carl Richard Jacobi, adapted by John Harrison. Guest-starring Michael Warren and Lisa Bonet.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, November 3, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Satanic Piano” premiered”Season 3 Episode 2
A young man on the run from the police takes refuge in a mysterious building where a bizarre woman, Angelica, torments him with visions of his past life while another woman tries to help him. Condemned by jeering circles of audience members, the young man is jeered on to give one final performance … only to wake up to find he is on the verge of death on an operating room table. He is at St. Angelica’s Hospital, and the statue of the woman looks strangely familiar.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, October 29, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Out of the Night” premiered”Season 2 Episode 5
A misanthropic old man torments trick-or-treating children and is visited by a terrifying goblin demanding candy. Written by Michael McDowell, directed by Tom Savini. Guest-starring Roy Poole.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, October 27, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Halloween Candy” premiered”Season 2 Episode 4
A young couple learns that their tenant is a voodoo practitioner. The wife sees the tenant as a danger and attempts to drive him out of the building, blaming him for various mishaps. Written by Carole Lucia Satrina. Guest-starring Adolph Caesar.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, October 20, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Parlour Floor Front” premiered”Season 2 Episode 3
A man sentenced to Death Row for a murder tells his story of a redhead… from another dimension. Based on the short story by John D. MacDonald, adapted by Ted Gershuny. Guest-starring Penelope Ann Miller and John Heard.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, October 13, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Ring Around the Redhead” premiered”Season 2 Episode 2
An unhealthy corporate executive is offered a life-saving medical device with a price.
Written by Michael P. Kube-McDowell, based on his own short story of the same name. Guest-starring Bill Macy.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, October 6, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Lifebomb” premiered”Season 2 Episode 1
The government brings in a failing comedian to try to communicate with an alien. Based on the short story “Impersonations” by M. Coleman Easton, adapted by Haskell Barkin and guest-starring Chuck McCann.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, September 29, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Impressionist” premiered”Season 3 Episode 1
A ruthless nurse works at an old folks’ home and along with her boyfriend, she steals jewelry from the residents, who can do nothing to stop her. The couple gets an unpleasant surprise when her newest victim is an old man who is actually a supernatural creature that feeds on blood.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, September 15, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Nightshift” premiered”Season 1 Episode 23
Cassie Pines, a superstitious woman, travels by bus to Texas on the advice of a psychic machine. Before she reaches her destination, however, she comes across another machine that warns her against continuing on her way. Written by Jule Selbo and guest-starring Ronee Blakley.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, August 4, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The False Prophet” premiered”An elderly woman makes one request of her unsympathetic family, who want to put her in a nursing home against her will.
Written by Jule Selbo.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, June 16, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Grandma’s Last Wish” premiered”Season 1 Episode 21
Mr. Bigalow wakes up in a replica of his apartment, overseen by an addiction counselor who will allow him to leave only if he quits smoking.
Written by Michael McDowell.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, June 9, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Bigalow’s Last Smoke” premiered”Season 1 Episode 20
A laundromat offers to wash away the sins of its clients.
Written by Harvey Jacobs.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 26, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “It All Comes Out in the Wash” premiered”Season 1 Episode 19
A teenager goads a once-famous magician into performing his greatest feat of levitation, with disastrous results.
Based on a short story by Joseph Payne Brennan and adapted by David Gerrold.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 19, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Levitation” premiered”Season 1 Episode 18
Politician Bo Gumbs checks into a hotel to prepare for a speech. After he tells the hotel wait staff that politics is all showmanship, they help him prepare for his best show ever.
Co-Written by Armand Mastoianni and David Gerrold, directed by Mastroianni, starring Dick Shawn.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 12, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “If the Shoes Fit…” premiered”Season 1 Episode 17
A wife and her friend plot to scare a rich man to death in the cursed “Madness Room.”
Written by Thomas Epperson and guest-starring Stuart Whitman.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 5, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Madness Room” premiered”Season 2 Episode 10
Dr. Peter Milne, an unethical psychiatrist, abuses his position to manipulate a female patient. His mind-bending medical practices only intensify her psychosis as she can no longer distinguish reality from dreams. When he finally has her act out her dreams, Dr. Milne finds himself the victim of her murderous feelings.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, April 9, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Murderous Feelings” premiered”Season 2 Episode 9
Kay Mason is the abusive owner of a dressmaking sweatshop. One day she is cursed by an angry worker who exclaims that she will be paid back by the devil for her actions. When Kay hires a mysterious stranger to do some odd jobs around the house, she doesn’t realize that she has hired a devil in disguise.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, March 26, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Hired Help” premiered”Season 2 Episode 8
Ex-addict and screenwriter Arthur Brown steals the life and words of Diane Hampton. Diane is struggling to maintain her marriage with her abusive jealous husband John and to keep the affair with her female lover Catherine a secret. Arthur tips John off about Diane’s affair and soon finds himself the target of John’s anger.
Read more “Horror History: Tuesday, March 12, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Man at the Window” premiered”Season 2 Episode 7
Lew Bridgeman and Joe Caldwell are Vietnam vets and best friends. But when Joe has an affair with Rae, Lew finds out and a night of deer hunting turns deadly.
Read more “Horror History: Saturday, March 2, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “A Time For Rifles” premiered”Season 1 Episode 16
A young woman who can’t stop crying meets a man who collects tears.
Written by Geoffrey Loftus and John Drimmer and guest-starring Jessica Harper and Victor Garber.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 24, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Tear Collector” premiered”Season 1 Episode 15
A ringing telephone with a life of its own bothers a woman in the room next door.
Written by Michael McDowell.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 17, 1985: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Answer Me” premiered”Season 2 Episode 6
Jack Rhodes is a salesman who wears many disguises to get what he wants: women. One day, he gets a video letter from a mysterious woman, Barbara, who challenges him to meet her. She plays him like a fiddle and takes advantage of him. Now the tables are turned and he can’t escape, not even with his life.
Read more “Horror History: Saturday, February 16, 1985: “The Hitchhiker” episode “Videodate” premiered”
