Season 4 Episode 20
A religious wrestler and his mother contend against a crooked fight manager, played by Vic Tayback, who holds ties to a devilish opponent. Written by Peter O’Keefe.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, July 24, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” final episode “Basher Malone” premiered”Season 4 Episode 19
A parody of I Love Lucy, an alien comes to a family’s door asking for ammonia and hilarity ensues. Written by Jule Selbo
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, July 17, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Barter” premiered”Season 4 Episode 18
A child innocently builds a device that eats sound in order to make his mother happy, but soon loses control of the creepy machine (which silences things by sucking out their energy and killing them).
Based on a story by Zenna Henderson, adapted by John Harrison (under the name John Sutherland).
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, July 10, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Hush” premiered”Season 4 Episode 17
An alien visitor studies human nature as a photographer.
Written and directed by Ted Gershuny (who, the following year, collaborated with Tommy Lee Wallace on the script for Drew Barrymore’s movie Far From Home)
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, June 19, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Going Native” premiered”Season 4 Episode 16
A man guards his sick son closely and has sole custody, while the boy’s worried mother desperately wants to be reunited with her child. Its later revealed the mother is a werewolf, and their son inherited her lycanthropy; she kills the father to reunite with her son, who has been unable to control his changes.
Written by Edithe Swensen, directed by Tom Savini, and guest-starring Patricia Tallman.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 22, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Family Reunion” premiered”Season 4 Episode 15
Charlie is a sweet-natured but unsuccessful inventor. His wife Ruth (an acid-tongued opportunist who sorely regrets her choice of spouse, and who is openly jealous of their well-to-do neighbor) takes advantage of a deliveryman’s generosity, after the latter expresses his need for a mistakenly delivered item with the title warning inscribed on it. When it becomes evident that Ruth has no intention of returning the box, our deliveryman reveals his true identity. It doesn’t help that Ruth has already opened the apparently empty box…or that the box in fact contained something which, literally, money cannot buy.
Written by Franco Amurri and directed by Jodie Foster and guest-starring Eileen Heckart.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 15, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Do Not Open This Box” premiered”Season 4 Episode 14
On Halloween, a boy is warned by his dying great-grandmother about the Cutty Black Sow, a Celtic demon that steals the souls of those who die on All Hallow’s Eve, and tries to prevent it from getting hers.
Based on a story by Thomas F. Monteleone, adapted by Michael McDowell and guest-starring Paula Trueman.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 8, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Cutty Black Sow” premiered”Season 4 Episode 13
A woman goes to work for a museum and is transported to the past and forced to work as a near-slave.
Written by Ellen Sandhaus. Guest-starring Haviland Morris and Wayne Tippit.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, May 1, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Apprentice” premiered”Season 4 Episode 12
A screenwriter makes a deal with Satan.
Written by Granville Burgess and Allen Coulter. Guest-starring Bradley Whitford.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 28, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Deal” premiered”Season 4 Episode 11
An overweight woman goes to drastic measures to lose weight, but finds herself even more attached to her food than ever before.
Based on the short story “Food for Thought” by Roberts Gannaway. Written and directed by John Strysik, co-written by Jule Selbo.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 21, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Love Hungry” premiered”Season 4 Episode 10
A heartless debt collection agent is harassed by a delinquent client from beyond the grave.
Written by Dick Benner.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, February 14, 1988: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Payment Overdue” was released in theaters”Season 4 Episode 9
A woman receives a bizarre and frightening phone call and figures out its meaning too late. Written by Stephen King.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, November 22, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Sorry, Right Number” premiered”Season 4 Episode 8
A nerdy and spoiled young boy is proclaimed the religious leader of a nation, but his parents want to know what the catch is. Written by Harvey Jacobs and Donald Wollner. Guest-starring David Gale and Divine.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, November 15, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “Seymourlama” premiered”Season 4 Episode 7
A minor demon named The Yattering (played by a moustachio-ed midget wearing a studded dogcollar and horns) is sent by Beelzebub to corrupt a man named Jack, but according to the rules, if the Yattering touches Jack, the demon then falls under the man’s control. Complicating matters, the man refuses to believe the demon exists, though his daughter is with him when various poltergeist phenomena caused by the demon take place, including a Christmas turkey which flaps around and lands on the tip of the Xmas tree. The Yattering touches Jack by mistake and becomes the man’s servant; the man says that his mother was a witch, which is why Hell wanted him damned so badly. Like Barker’s original story, this is played for laughs. Adapted for television by Clive Barker from his short story of the same name.
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, November 8, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Yattering and Jack” premiered”horror – #HorrorHistory – #TalesFromTheDarkside – #TheGraveRobber –
Season 4 Episode 6
A pair of unscrupulous archaeologists unearth an Egyptian tomb of a prince and awaken the mummy Tapok (Arnold Stang), luring them into a game of strip poker to compete for their lives.
Written by Harvey Jacobs and Donald Wollner. Guest-starring Arnold Stang
Read more “Horror History: Sunday, November 1, 1987: “Tales From The Darkside” episode “The Grave Robber” premiered”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 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 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 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 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 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 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”
