When you hear the name Rod Serling, no doubt most people would think The Twilight Zone. But Rod Serling was a prolific screen writer. He wrote the screenplay to two of my favorite films Planet of the Apes and Requiem for a Heavyweight.
Rod Serling wrote most of the scripts for The Twilight Zone. While that show has become a classic, many forget his other show Night Gallery. The reason for that is probably because of they way the producers destroyed the episodes to make it work for syndication on television. The Chopped up of these episodes, cutting out major pieces of the stories so they would fit into the syndication time frame.
Well, now the good folks at Kino Lorber are releasing the true first season of this cult classic TV series on Blu-ray for the first time ever. Now fans can watch this show in HD the unedited they way it was intended to be. Let's take a look at what is included in this Blu-ray set.
Pilot Movie:
* The Cemetery: After murdering his uncle, a man (Roddy McDowall) is haunted by a family painting that keeps changing.
* Eyes: A blind woman (Joan Crawford) undergoes an operation that gives her 12 hours to see.
* Escape Route: A fugitive Nazi (Richard Kiley) faces the consequences of his past actions.
Episode 1
* The Dead Man: A physician's experiment in hypnosis comes to a terrifying conclusion.
* The Housekeeper: A dabbler in black magic (Larry Hagman) attempts to improve his marriage by transferring the soul of his housekeeper into his cold-hearted wife's body.
Episode 2
* Room with a View: A wealthy invalid (Joseph Wiseman) uses his unwitting nurse (Diane Keaton) to help with his revenge against his unfaithful gold digger wife.
* The Little Black Bag: In 1971, a disgraced doctor (Burgess Meredith) finds a medical bag from 2098.
* The Nature of the Enemy: A scientist (Joseph Campanella) at NASA Mission Control watches disaster unfold on the moon.
Episode 3
* The House: A young woman (Joanna Pettet) enters a house she's seen in her dreams.
* Certain Shadows on the Wall: The shadow of a recently deceased woman (Agnes Moorehead) remains cast on the parlor wall to haunt her sinister brother.
Episode 4
* Make Me Laugh: A comic (Godfrey Cambridge) desperate for laughs makes a deal with an equally desperate miracle worker.
* Clean Kills and Other Trophies: A big-game hunter (Raymond Massey) faces the wrath of vengeful gods when he forces his son to shoot a deer.
Episode 5
* Pamela's Voice: A husband (John Astin) murders his wife (Phyllis Diller), only to have her haunt him.
* Lone Survivor: In 1915 A man (John Colicos) adrift in a lifeboat labeled Titanic is picked up by the Lusitania.
* The Doll: A hideous doll is used for revenge against an officer (John Williams) in the colonial forces of Queen Victoria.
Episode 6
* They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar: A has-been salesman tries desperately to return to the past.
* The Last Laurel: A crippled athlete (Jack Cassidy) plots to use mind over matter to commit murder.
While this show may not hit the same heights that The Twilight Zone, this is still a tremendous Sci-fi TV series. Rod Serling is still the best at introducing episodes and the guest stars are truly a who's who of acting legends. I remember seeing some of the syndicated episodes of this show and now watching the full unedited episodes. I am amazed at how much of a difference there is. The syndicated shows are almost a travesty.
Kino Lorber have transferred these episodes in 1080p in the original full screen format 1.33:11 aspect ratio. They also included English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing. I remember seeing some of these episodes and the quality was less than stellar. I am so pleased to say that these new transfers are stunning!
This 2 disc Blu-ray set doesn't just have the stunning first season episodes. As for bonus features there is audio commentaries for every single episode. But in my opinion the coolest features in this set, is The Syndication Conundrum. A featurette from film historian Craig Beam. In this in-depth feature the whole idea of why producers had to destroy these episodes to make them work in syndication is explored. What a tremendous feature.
If you are a fan of Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery or Sci-fi Horror TV, Night Gallery Season 1 is one show you do not want to miss. This Blu-ray set is the absolute best way to experience it! You can order your copy of Night Gallery Season 1 on Amazon.com today!
Out of 4 TV Sets (4 Being the Best) KL Studio Classics Blu-rays of Night Gallery Season 1 receives...
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