Night Gallery: The Series

Night Gallery, an American anthology TV series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, was hosted by Rod Serling. Although not having the same content control as in The Twilight Zone, Serling contributed scripts and viewed Night Gallery as a natural continuation. While both series delved into dark fantasy, The Twilight Zone had more science fiction, while Night Gallery centered on supernatural horrors.

Be sure to add your comments in the “Leave a Reply” section at the bottom of this page

Night Gallery, hosted by Rod Serling in an art gallery setting, featured macabre tales introduced through unveiled paintings by artists Thomas J. Wright and Jaroslav “Jerry” Gebr. Serling’s customary introduction set the eerie tone, presenting each painting as a frozen moment of a nightmare. The show showcased adaptations of fantasy tales by authors like H. P. Lovecraft and original works, including some by Serling.

Night Gallery: An Unhappy Rod Serling

In its second season, Night Gallery incorporated original comic blackout sketches between longer story segments, despite Serling’s strong opposition. These sketches were less frequent in the third season. The series began as part of the Four in One anthology, rotating with shows like McCloud, SFX (San Francisco International Airport), and The Psychiatrist.

Initially introduced with a pilot film in 1969, Night Gallery continued as one of the two shows renewed for the 1971–1972 season, with McCloud becoming the most popular and longest-running of the four.

Rod Serling’s Teleplays

Serling authored numerous teleplays for Night Gallery, such as “Camera Obscura,” “The Caterpillar,” “Class of ’99,” “Cool Air,” “The Doll,” “Green Fingers,” “Lindemann’s Catch,” and “The Messiah on Mott Street.” Some were adaptations, like “Cool Air” from an H.P. Lovecraft story and “The Messiah on Mott Street” influenced by Bernard Malamud’s “Angel Levine.” Other non-Serling contributions include “The Dead Man,” “I’ll Never Leave You—Ever,” “Pickman’s Model,” “A Question of Fear,” “Silent Snow, Secret Snow,” and “The Sins of the Fathers.”

Robert Bloch

Robert Bloch, another writer for the show, penned two teleplays: “Logoda’s Heads” (based on August Derleth’s story) and “Last Rites for a Dead Druid.” The latter, originally an adaptation of an H.P. Lovecraft/Hazel Heald collaboration, underwent significant changes and bore no resemblance to the original. Bloch later wrote the novelization for Twilight Zone: The Movie, featuring a horror-comedy sequence similar to Night Gallery’s later episodes, though it isn’t in his book.

Night Gallery Trivia

1. Premiere Date: Night Gallery premiered on NBC on December 16, 1970, and concluded its run on May 27, 1973.
2. Hosted by Rod Serling: Rod Serling, famous for The Twilight Zone, served as the on-air host of Night Gallery. He introduced each episode from an art gallery setting, unveiling paintings that depicted the macabre tales.
3. Artistic Introductions: Serling’s customary introduction involved presenting the showcased paintings as frozen moments of nightmares. The paintings were created by artists Thomas J. Wright and Jaroslav “Jerry” Gebr.
4. Variety of Tales: Night Gallery featured adaptations of classic fantasy tales by authors such as H.P. Lovecraft. Additionally, original works, including many by Serling himself, were regularly presented.
5. Comic Blackout Sketches: In the second season, the series incorporated original comic blackout sketches between longer story segments, a move opposed by Rod Serling. These sketches became less frequent in the third season.
6. Robert Bloch’s Contributions: Notable horror writer Robert Bloch wrote two teleplays for the show, including “Logoda’s Heads” and “Last Rites for a Dead Druid,” the latter undergoing significant changes from its original Lovecraftian inspiration.
7. Non-Serling Teleplays: Night Gallery featured teleplays not written by Serling, such as “The Dead Man,” “I’ll Never Leave You—Ever,” “Pickman’s Model,” “A Question of Fear,” “Silent Snow, Secret Snow,” and “The Sins of the Fathers.”
8. Pilot Television Film: The series was introduced with a pilot television film that aired on November 8, 1969. It consisted of three segments, including one directed by a young Steven Spielberg.
9. Part of Anthology Series: Night Gallery was initially part of a rotating anthology or wheel series called Four in One. It shared the rotation with shows like McCloud, SFX (San Francisco International Airport), and The Psychiatrist.
10. Legacy: While Night Gallery didn’t achieve the same enduring popularity as The Twilight Zone, it remains a significant part of Rod Serling’s contributions to the realm of speculative fiction on television.

Please leave your comments in the “Leave a Reply” section at the bottom of this page