Darkroom (TV series)
Darkroom is an American thriller anthology television series produced by Universal Television which aired on ABC from November 27, 1981 to January 15, 1982. As an anthology horror/thriller series it was similar in style to Rod Serling's Night Gallery. Each 60-minute episode featured two or more stories of varying length with a new story and a new cast, but each of the episode wraparound segments was hosted by James Coburn. Among the performers who appeared on the series were Esther Rolle, Helen Hunt, Claude Akins, Richard Anderson, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Carole Cook, David Carradine, Billy Crystal, Pat Buttram, Brian Dennehy, Lawrence Pressman, Dub Taylor, Rue McClanahan, Lloyd Bochner, Ronny Cox, R. G. Armstrong, and June Lockhart.
| Darkroom | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | |
| Narrated by | James Coburn |
| Opening theme | David Shire |
| Country of origin | USA |
| No. of episodes | 7 (16 segments) (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Peter S. Fischer |
| Running time | 60 mins. |
| Production company(s) | Universal Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | November 27, 1981 – January 15, 1982 |
Opening narration
The title sequence featured a dolly-in through the corridors of a house to a safe-lighted darkroom in a crawlspace under the stairs. James Coburn's voice could be heard over this dolly-in, narrating it as follows:
You're in a house. Maybe your own...maybe one you've never seen before. You feel it. Something evil. You run, but there's no escape...nowhere to turn. You feel something beckoning you...drawing you into the terror that awaits you in the Darkroom!
As Coburn's voiceover reached the point with "no escape...nowhere to turn," the camera turned toward various walls and closed doors.[1]
Reruns
The Sci Fi Channel aired the show in the mid-1990s, including the pilot episode. USA Network also reran the show at one point in the 1980s.
Episodes
| Nº | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Closed Circuit / Stay Tuned, We'll Be Right Back" | November 27, 1981 |
| 2 | "The Bogeyman Will Get You / Uncle George" | December 4, 1981 |
| 3 | "Needlepoint / Siege of 31 August" | December 11, 1981 |
| 4 | "A Quiet Funeral / Make Up" | December 18, 1981 |
| 5 | "The Partnership / Daisies / Catnip" | December 25, 1981 |
| 6 | "Lost in Translation / Guillotine" | January 8, 1982 |
| 7 | "Exit Line / Who's There? / The Rarest of Wines" | January 15, 1982 |
References
- Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings since 1949 By Vincent Terrace