Rod Serling's Night Gallery

Watch Rod Serling's Night Gallery

  • TV-PG
  • 1969
  • 1 Season
  • 7.9  (6,150)

Rod Serling's Night Gallery is an American television anthology series that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1973. The show was created by Rod Serling, who is also known for creating and hosting the iconic series The Twilight Zone. Night Gallery is a horror and suspense series, where every episode starts with an eerie painting that serves as the premise of each story.

The show's opening credits sequence features eerie, Gothic images accompanied by some of composer Bernard Herrmann's most haunting music. The opening narration, delivered by Rod Serling himself, sets the tone with his unmistakable voice: "Good evening, and welcome to a private showing of three paintings, displayed here for the first time. Each is a collector's item in its own way - not because of any special artistic quality, but because each captures on a canvas, suspended in time and space, a frozen moment of a nightmare."

Once the introduction ends, the painting suddenly comes to life, changing the genre of the series from art house to horror. The first episode, titled "The Cemetery," is about a man who walks through a graveyard and becomes trapped inside a mausoleum. The second episode, "Eyes," deals with an impatient doctor who performs an experimental surgery on a blind patient. Other episodes feature chilling suspense stories, often with a supernatural twist that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats.

Night Gallery is a series that focuses on dread and suspense rather than outright horror. Many of the stories are psychological in nature, relying on atmosphere and tension to create fear in the viewer. The show is also notable for its use of surprise endings, often with a twist that shocks the audience. These twists are typical of Rod Serling's writing style, which was also used in The Twilight Zone.

Unlike The Twilight Zone, which was mostly science fiction, Night Gallery's stories are rooted in the supernatural and the macabre. They often feature ghosts, witches, and curses, adding a creepy ambiance to the show that makes the viewer feel like they are watching a horror movie from the comfort of their own home.

The series has an impressive cast of guest stars, including many well-known actors such as Vincent Price, Burgess Meredith, and Barbara Eden. One of the most memorable episodes of the series is "The Caterpillar," in which Laurence Harvey stars as a man who becomes obsessed with a deadly insect.

Another notable feature of Night Gallery is the artwork that introduces each episode. The paintings are created by well-known artists such as Tom Wright, who created the show's iconic image of a sinister, grinning clown. The use of art as the basis for each episode lends a unique sophistication to the show, elevating it above standard horror fare.

In addition to the artwork, Night Gallery also features a musical score composed by the legendary Bernard Herrmann. Herrmann is perhaps best known for his work on Alfred Hitchcock's films, including Psycho and Vertigo. His rich, dramatic music adds tension and emotion to each episode, helping to ramp up the suspense and horror in just the right moments.

Night Gallery ran for three seasons on NBC and was eventually canceled due to low ratings. However, the show remains a cult classic among horror and sci-fi fans, and its influence can be seen in many contemporary horror series and films. Rod Serling's unique brand of suspense and terror, along with the show's atmospheric music and iconic artwork, make Night Gallery a classic of the horror genre, celebrated even today.

Rod Serling's Night Gallery
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Seasons
Face Of Ice
19. Face Of Ice
January 1, 1969
Dr. Rhodes investigates the case of Anna Celek, a recent victim of amnesia, who in astral projection witnessed the fatal shooting of a motorcyclist. Anna refuses to stay with husband Victor, whom she no longer knows, and fears. Before Rhodes takes Anna to stay with her brother George, he picks up an impression of the cyclist, his visor encrusted in ice.
The Shadow In The Well
18. The Shadow In The Well
January 1, 1969
Michael Rhodes is asked to help Lisa Wolf, who is frightened by an image of her recently drowned husband whom she believes she accidentally killed. Rhodes is strongly opposed by Linchou, brother of deceased Daniel Wolf, when he goes to the Wolf mansion run by Lisa's dominating mother-in-law. When Rhodes sees another manifestation of Daniel, he notices rope burns on his hands that denote Lisa's innocence.
Whisper of Evil
17. Whisper of Evil
January 1, 1969
Michael Rhodes races against time to find Monique, the sister of Alice Bennington, whose life depends on a successful kidney transplant. Alice, who has been separated from her sister since early childhood, has been frightened by a vivid impression of Monique as the participant in a satanic ritual.
Echo of a Distant Scream
16. Echo of a Distant Scream
January 1, 1969
Menaced by a rearing white ghost horse while riding near her ranch, Paula Norris calls he friend Michael Rhodes to investigate. Rhodes, opposed by Paula's boyfriend, Glen Tuttle, and her trainer, Anson Biege, succeeds in getting her to see a vision of a terrified young girl, a red ribbon in her dark hair, with the white horse. His life is at stake as he gets close to the truth.
Eye of The Haunted
15. Eye of The Haunted
January 1, 1969
Michael Rhodes, in love with teacher Diana Parker, sees a huge shadow pursuing her in a psychic impression just before finding her dead. While Rhodes investigates such clues as a piece of magnetic tape and an aural impression of sitar music, guilty Wayne Bennett sees Terry Parker, Diana's look-alike sister, and believes she is a ghost. Mrs. Bennett, a fortune teller, assures her son that the can dispel a ghost with a silver bullet.
Witch, Witch, Burning Bright
14. Witch, Witch, Burning Bright
January 1, 1969
Michael Rhodes is summoned to a New England Village by his uncle, Martin Fletcher, who is being threatened by a specter in Salem witch era garb. Rhodes arrives at Bayport, where his family has owned land for 300 years, and meets Martin's neighbors, Judith Eaton and her daughter Damaris - the girl in Rhodes' vision. Judith believes Damaris is a witch like previous Eatons.
With This Ring, I Thee Kill
13. With This Ring, I Thee Kill
January 1, 1969
A dying man, Henry Webster, describes for Michael Rhodes his visions of an iron mask and flashing sword and asks him to protect his daughter, Marguerite, who plans to marry Clayton Ross. Rhodes meets young Ross, who appears to be strangely attached to the old mansion of silent star Edmund Breakstone he seems to have bought recently. His suspicions of Ross grow as he investigates the mansion's history.
Can A Dead Man Strike From the Grave?
12. Can A Dead Man Strike From the Grave?
January 1, 1969
Elizabeth Danbury seeks Dr. Rhodes' help for her husband Edwin, who sees visions of a tryst killing and who plays piano masterfully when in a trance-like state. While at Edwin's home where Elizabeth's sister Helen and the latter's daughter Stephanie, a talented young musician, also live, Rhodes experiences Edwin's vision - with himself as the young victim of the shooting.
The Man Who Died At Three & Nine
11. The Man Who Died At Three & Nine
January 1, 1969
Michael Rhodes' life is at stake when he interferes with a mysterious telepath taking over the psyche of diplomat Paul Crowley. Crowley, a key figure at an approaching diplomatic conference, is increasingly subjected to blank time lapses and visions of a woman begging his help in a flood. When Rhodes begins to test Crowley, the unknown telepath attacks him psychically.
The House That Cried Murder
10. The House That Cried Murder
January 1, 1969
Gail Sumner's visions of a bathtub murder in her leased mansion and of herself in a '50s model car sinking in a lake bring her to psychic investigator Michael Rhodes. Dr. Rhodes finds an unusual metal object at the lake that he later sees as the hood ornament on a 1950 sedan that he and Gail see crashing through a window towards them. Then Rhodes learns that Frances Dahlgren, former owner of the mansion, supposedly drowned accidentally in the tub during a party a number of years earlier.
Lady, Lady, Take My Life
9. Lady, Lady, Take My Life
January 1, 1969
Psychic investigator Michael Rhodes conducts experiments to determine which member of a scientific group willed an abusive official's death. Psychic sensitive Annette Gordon and four scientists attempting telepathic communication with an astronaut in space are interrupted by Mr. Walker, the official, who orders them from Clay Institute. General hostility is expressed towards him before his strange death, caused by one of the group according to Annette. Dr. Rhodes' tests indicate the group's collective will was involved in Walker's demise.
The Heart That Wouldn't Stay Buried
8. The Heart That Wouldn't Stay Buried
January 1, 1969
Dr. Rhodes has a chilling vision while conducting an experiment in which he is attempting to receive psychic vibrations from items brought to his research laboratory by students. While concentrating on a scalpel brought in by Jordana Theland, he sees himself struggling with an older man he does not know. When David Ford summons Rhodes and his assistant, Nancy, to the mansion of he stepfather, Dr. Philip Ford, the parapsychologist (Rhodes) is stunned. Dr Ford is the man he was threatening in the vision. Mysteriously ill, Dr Ford accuses Jordan of exerting disturbing psychic influences that killed his son Joseph, her fianc?, and are now killing him. Dr. Ford orders Jordana out of his home although his wife Marion is fond of her. Then Joseph Ford suddenly appears.
I Do Not Belong To The Human World
7. I Do Not Belong To The Human World
January 1, 1969
Psychic investigator Michael Rhodes, Ph. D., encounters danger while aiding Tina Norris, who has seen herself on a battlefield with her supposedly dead soldier-boyfriend, Randy Blake, calling for help. Rhodes is convinced that Randy's influence guided Tina's hand in writing in a foreign language known to Randy. While Tina's current boyfriend, Pete Martin, claims to have seen Randy mortally wounded in action, Rhodes experiences psychic contact with the soldier as a prisoner of war.
Room With A View/The Little Black Bag/The Nature of the Enemy
6. Room With A View/The Little Black Bag/The Nature of the Enemy
January 1, 1969
Three dramatic segments are combined for one chilling trilogy of stories. First, an invalid husband plots revenge against his faithless wife with the unwitting aid of his nurse in "Room with a View." Miraculous healing--and abrupt tragedy--result when a 21st century medical bag falls into the hands of a discredited 20th century doctor in "Little Black Bag." And finally, Mission Control scientists watch helplessly when members of a lunar expedition are mysteriously attacked in "The Nature of the Enemy."
Pamela's Voice/Lone Survivor/The Doll
5. Pamela's Voice/Lone Survivor/The Doll
January 1, 1969
Three dramatic segments are combined for one chilling trilogy of stories. First, a harried husband murders his magpie wife (guest star Phyllis Diller) only to find the arrangement less permanent than he'd hoped in "Pamela's Voice." A passing ship rescues an unconscious man in a lifeboat labeled "Titanic"--three years after the liner sank in "Lone Survivor." And finally, a hideous doll becomes an agent of revenge against an officer in Queen Victoria's colonial forces in "The Doll."
Make Me Laugh/Clean Kills and Other Trophies
4. Make Me Laugh/Clean Kills and Other Trophies
January 1, 1969
Two half hour segments are combined for one chilling hour. First, a desperate comic makes a deal with an inept miracle worker in a ploy to boost his sagging career in "Make Me Laugh". And in the second segment, a fanatical big-game hunter forces his son to shoot a deer, inviting the vengeance of terrible gods in "Clean Kills and Other Trophies."
The House/Certain Shadows on the Wall
3. The House/Certain Shadows on the Wall
January 1, 1969
Two different types of haunted houses feature in two half hour segments combined to create a gripping hour of drama. In "The House", a former sanitarium patient discovers a house she has known all her life--but never dared enter--in a recurring dream. And then in "Certain Shadows on the Wall", an ailing woman dies under the care of her sinister brother, but her accusing shadow remains indelibly cast on the parlor wall.
They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar/The Last Laurel
2. They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar/The Last Laurel
January 1, 1969
Two half hour segments are combined for one chilling hour. First, "They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar" features a has-been salesman who is haunted by phantoms from a happier past. And then in "The Last Laurel", astral projection is the key to a crippled athlete's bid for revenge.
The Dead Man/ The Housekeeper
1. The Dead Man/ The Housekeeper
January 1, 1969
Two half hour segments are combined for one chilling hour. First, "The Dead Man" features an experiment in hypnosis that leads to a terrifying conclusion when a physician attempts to revive his subject from death. And then in "The Housekeeper", Emmy?-nominee Larry Hagman plays a dabbler in black magic who schemes to switch his rich wife's cold persona for a warm, loving soul.
Description
  • Premiere Date
    January 1, 1969
  • IMDB Rating
    7.9  (6,150)