Not long ago, I had only heard about the television show Tales of Tomorrow just twice: once as a passing reference as an inspiration of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone in his PBS documentary, and once more when I saw the episode "All the Time in the World" at the Museum of TV and Radio in NYC when I visited there last August. I had always liked TZ and I was happy to see one of it's predecessors which had left the air before my parents were even born. I was not disappointed as the episode was another example of intelligently wielded suspense and science fiction, the kind of show that they just don't make any more (well UPN tried, but let's not talk about that right now). There were other available episodes, but my family and I had to leave the museum, but imagine my happiness when I heard that a DVD boxset of Tales was coming.
Tales of Tomorrow: Collection One is a series of selected episodes from the first season of televisions first sci-fi anthology series (including the one I previously mentioned); many of us are used to full season sets but after all, some episodes may no longer be accounted for. There are no extras at all except for scene selection, though somehow I doubt there could be things like deleted scenes or creator commentaries (since many of the creators are probably no longer with us).
I'm giving this collection 5 stars not because these episodes are timeless classics but because they are a rare and fascinating window into television's early history. The shows feature commercials recorded on the same film as the show, and it's also apparent that TV producers at the time weren't big advocates for reshoots as they could be called today. Actors badly flub their lines in many shows but keep on going. Lon Chaney gives a well-known and confusing scene as Frankenstein where he hefts a chair in rage, calmly puts it down, then pantomimes smashing it. My favorite is from the "Miraculous Serum" where a doctor listens for a dying woman's breathing without putting the stethoscope in his ears first. Ha!
But these stories don't deserve to be laughed at. Seeing these shows made so long ago with such clarity is one of the greater gifts of the DVD revolution and I would recommend "Tales of Tomorrow" to anyone who loves television in general. I'd love to see another installment, perhaps with a documentary. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?
Great set of freaky tales
If you like Twilight Zone, Outer Limits, The Veil, and One Step Beyond then you'll like this. Then again, if you've heard of Veil and OSB then you probably already know about this set of spooky stories.
Great mix of stars and stories/subject matter.
Wake me when it's over... and then shoot me.
I bought this set because I am a fan of Sci-Fi and the Twilight Zone. These shows are not bad considering they were written and produced over 50 years ago but they haven't stood up to the test of time. These shows are the ones that inspired future generations to make better shows and movies so I don't want to be to harsh but the shows are very boring and the acting is over the top. It was very difficult to get through each episode, it was like torture and I hope to never have to watch these shows ever again.
The wicked wit of Roald Dahl's fiction is superbly adapted in the first two seasons of Tales of the Unexpected. Premiering on British TV in 1979, this first-rate anthology series had the added advantage of Dahl himself as host, introducing each 25-minute episode from a cozy English fireside and bringing his own dark, playfully macabre sensibility to the stories that followed. In the delicious tradition of O. Henry, the author's twisted sense of irony inspired superior adaptations from several of England's finest dramatists (most notably Ronald Harwood, Oscar®-winner for The Pianist), and in turn their teleplays attracted an impressive array of high-caliber British and American actors including John Gielgud, John Mills, Joseph Cotten, Gloria Grahame, Susan George, Julie... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Elaine Stritch DVD Release Date: Released the 28 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Watching old episodes of "One Step Beyond" takes me back
to childhood, Saturday afternoons and the spooky unknown. This
was dead-pan serious television for us kids in the 60's and early 70's and we found every episode not only thought-provoking, but literally hair-raising... Ah, the innocence of youth.......
ANYWAY.....I digress.....
Delta Entertainment does a good job with the packaging and formatting of their 12 DVD set as well as the best possible transferring of available 16mm prints.
My only issue ? Delta uses old syndication prints that were cut, spliced, recut and respliced as commercials were inserted and removed over and over. As anyone who ever worked in a television station editing film knows, frames are lost with every commercial insertion and... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): John Newland DVD Release Date: Released the 24 February 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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When it premiered on CBS on October 2, 1955, Alfred Hitchcock Presents was an instant hit destined for long-term popularity. The series' original half-hour anthology format provided a perfect showcase for stories of mystery, suspense, and the macabre that reflected Hitchcock's established persona. Every Sunday at 9:30 p.m., the series began with the familiar theme of Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette" (which would thereafter be inextricably linked with Hitchcock), and as Hitchcock's trademark profile sketch was overshadowed by the familiar silhouette of Hitchcock himself, the weekly "play" opened and closed with the series' most popular feature: As a good-natured host whose inimitable presence made him a global celebrity, Hitchcock delivered droll, dryly sardonic... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 04 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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In 1952 Superman flew right into the hearts and minds of the American TV audience faster than a speeding bullet. Though most people were already familiar with man of steel through his comic books, as well as the popular radio show, it was the new medium's Adventures of Superman that transformed our resident Kryptonian into a timeless icon. For many young baby boomers, Superman was the ultimate symbol of truth, justice and the American way. After watching this nostalgic trip back in time it is easy to see why: George Reeves. Reeves is the quintessential Superman. He is kind, confident, smart, always does the right thing and can literally do anything physically. Even Reeves' Clark Kent is cool, even cocky without any of the trademarked shy, clumsy and hickish traits the character... More Info about this DVD Director(s): George Blair - Philip Ford - Lee Sholem DVD Release Date: Released the 18 October 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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