Rod Serling created and hosted The Twilight Zone. When the CBS program went off the air in 1965, the writers and directors went to a new CBS series to be called Wild Wild West and Rod Serling went to other projects, including narration for Jacques Cousteau tv broadcasts. When Wild Wild West left the air in 1970, Rod Serling was ready to try something new. Night Gallery would be similar to The Twilight Zone, with episodes tending more toward horror and the macabre. But there were still episodes with elements of mystery-suspense, fantasy and science fiction (in one episode, Mission Control hears astronauts scream after feverishly working on something. The camera pulls back to see what it was: a giant mousetrap).
The episodes were originally 1 hour long, consisting of 2 or 3 main stories (each represented by a wierd painting or sculpture in the night gallery), and various shorts. Serling hated the humorous shorts, which were added at NBC's insistence to compete with the higher-rated tv series "Love American Style" (which still shows occasionally over on TV Land channel), and were nonetheless popular with fans. The Sci-Fi channel has the half-hour version of reruns, which each consist of a main story and a short, as well as episodes of "The Psychiatrist" retitled with Night Gallery credits. For a collection of paintings used in the Night Gallery (and comments on the Psychiatrist episodes), check out: www.nightgallery.net, an unofficial website. Night Gallery originally aired 12-16-70 to 8-12-73. In addition to people from the original Twilight Zone series, Rod Serling also used a former actor-turned-director from the recently cancelled Star Trek tv series, Leonard Nimoy (Spock), and a new kid who was directing Columbo episodes named Steven Spielberg. Nimoy says of his directing debut there, "It was theatrical, adventurous & unpredictable." Starting on 2-11-73, Jack Webb (creator of Dragnet and Project UFO tv series) also tried a series on NBC to complement Night Gallery called "Escape," a suspense anthology that originated on radio, but it only lasted 4 episodes.
For a complete description of the 1969 pilot movie, click here
The scripts for some Twilight Zone and Night Gallery episodes that were never done have been filmed recently. One was "A Town Has Turned To Dust," (1998, see video below) based on a true story from the 1950s or 60s, in which a black man was lynched for whistling at a white woman. Serling changed it to a story set in the old West, but the network still refused to let him film it back then.
He also wrote the first draft of the movie script for Planet of the Apes (so that's why the camera pulls back right at the end to show what Charlton Heston sees on the beach...)
Night Gallery episodes are currently scheduled for broadcast on Encore's Mystery Channel, Tuesdays @ 6:00 PM for 1 hour (followed by an ep of The Avengers), repeated sometime between 3:00 to 6:00 AM, depending on late night schedule, starting September 2, 2002. The last broadcasts on the Sci-Fi channel were in September, 2000
Episodes on the Mystery Channel in 2003 (time shown is EST, some ep titles not available) are usually full-length hour eps, not the shorter 30 minute episodes:
May 17 4:00 AM They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar
Sat 17 2:35 PM Art of Darkness: A Night Gallery Retrospective
Sun 18 11:05 AM Night Gallery
Mon 19 6:00 PM Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes
Tue 20 4:45 AM Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes
Tue 20 6:00 PM A Death in the Family; Merciful; Class of 1999
Wed 21 4:30 AM A Death in the Family; Merciful; Class of 1999
Wed 21 6:00 PM Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay; With Affection Jack the Ripper
Thu 22 4:05 AM Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay; With Affection Jack the Ripper
Thu 22 6:00 PM Fear of Spiders; Junior; Marmalade
Fri 23 3:00 AM Fear of Spiders; Junior; Marmalade
Fri 23 6:00 PM Phantom Farmhouse; Silent Snow, Secret Snow
Sat 24 3:00 AM Phantom Farmhouse; Silent Snow, Secret Snow
Mon 26 12:05 AM Night Gallery 24-hour Marathon:
The Dark Boy; Keep in Touch
Mon 26 1:00 AM Pickman's Model; The Dear Departed
Mon 26 2:00 AM Cool Air; Camera Obscura
Mon 26 3:00 AM Messiah on Mott Street/The Painted Mirror
Mon 26 4:00 AM Different Ones; Tell David; Logodas Heads
Mon 26 5:00 AM The Funeral; The Tune in Dan's Cafe
Mon 26 6:00 AM Lindeman's Catch; A Feast of Blood (nice broach)
Mon 26 7:00 AM Miracle at Camafeo; Ghost of Sorworth Place
Mon 26 8:00 AM The Waiting Room; Last Rites for a Dead Druid
Mon 26 9:00 AM Deliveries in the Rear
Mon 26 10:00 AM I'll Never Leave You, Ever
Mon 26 11:00 AM You Can't Get Help like That Anymore
Mon 26 12:00 PM The Caterpillar; Little Girl Lost
Mon 26 1:00 PM Art of Darkness: A Night Gallery Retrospective
Mon 26 1:30 PM The Return of the Sorcerer
Mon 26 2:00 PM The Girl with Hungry Eyes
Mon 26 2:30 PM Rare Objects
Mon 26 3:00 PM Spectre in Tap Shoes
Mon 26 3:30 PM You Can Come Up Now, Mrs. Millikan
Mon 26 4:00 PM The Other Way Out
Mon 26 4:30 PM Fright Night (no relation to the Roddy McDowall movie)
Mon 26 5:00 PM Finnegan's Flight
Mon 26 5:30 PM She'll Be Company for You
Mon 26 6:00 PM A Question of Fear
Mon 26 7:00 PM The Ring with the Red Velvet Ropes (a TZ remake)
Mon 26 7:30 PM Something in the Woodwork
Mon 26 8:00 PM Art of Darkness: A Night Gallery Retrospective 656 MYSTe
Mon 26 8:30 PM Night Gallery
Mon 26 10:15 PM Death on a Barge
Mon 26 10:45 PM Whisper
Mon 26 11:15 PM The Doll of Death
Mon 26 11:45 PM Hatred Unto Death/How to Cure a Common Vampire
Tue 27 3:40 AM Night Gallery
Tue 27 5:20 AM A Question of Fear; The Devil Is Not Mocked (Nazis vs Dracula)
Tue 27 6:00 PM Midnight Never Ends; Brenda
Wed 28 5:00 AM Midnight Never Ends; Brenda
Wed 28 6:00 PM The Diary/Matter of Semantics
Thu 29 4:50 AM The Diary/Matter of Semantics
Thu 29 6:00 PM House with Ghost; Midnight Visit to the Neighborhood Blood Bank
Fri 30 4:35 AM House with Ghost; Midnight Visit to the Neighborhood Blood Bank
Fri 30 7:30 AM Night Gallery
Fri 30 6:00 PM The Dark Boy; Keep in Touch
Sat 31 3:00 AM Final Night Gallery broadcast (no eps next month)
June 18 2:40 AM The Night Gallery Movie WAM!e Channel
October 20 11:00 AM The Diary/Matter of Semantics
Tuesday, 21 11:00 AM House with Ghost; Midnight Visit to the Neighborhood Blood Bank
4:50 AM House with Ghost; Midnight Visit to the Neighborhood Blood Bank
Wednesday, 22 11:00 AM The Dark Boy; Keep in Touch
Thursday, 23 11:00 AM Pickman's Model; The Dear Departed
2:45 AM Pickman's Model; The Dear Departed
Friday, 24 11:00 AM Cool Air; Camera Obscura
Sunday, 26 The Night Gallery Movie on WAM!e Channel
Wednes, 29 11:00 AM The Funeral; The Tune in Dan's Cafe
Thursday, 30 11:00 AM Lindeman's Catch; A Feast of Blood
Friday, 31 11:00 AM Miracle at Camafeo; Ghost of Sorworth Place
Friday, 31 1:00 PM Night Gallery movie on WAM!e
November 3 11:00 AM The Waiting Room; Last Rites for a Dead Druid
5:05 AM The Waiting Room; Last Rites for a Dead Druid
Tuesday, 4 11:00 AM Deliveries in the Rear
4:45 AM Deliveries in the Rear
Wednesday, 5 11:00 AM I'll Never Leave You, Ever
3:45 AM I'll Never Leave You, Ever
Thursday, 6 11:00 AM You Can't Get Help like That Anymore
4:00 AM You Can't Get Help like That Anymore
Friday, 7 11:00 AM The Caterpillar; Little Girl Lost
12:00 PM The Ring with the Red Velvet Ropes
5:30 AM The Caterpillar; Little Girl Lost
Monday, 10 11:00 AM The Return of the Sorcerer
11:30 AM The Girl with Hungry Eyes
3:35 AM The Return of the Sorcerer
4:10 AM The Girl with Hungry Eyes
Tuesday, 11 11:00 AM Rare Objects
Tuesday, 11 11:30 AM Spectre in Tap Shoes
Friday, 14 3:00 AM Finnegan's Flight
Friday, 14 11:00 AM She'll Be Company for You
Friday, 14 11:30 AM The Ring with the Red Velvet Ropes
Saturday, 15 4:00 AM She'll Be Company for You
Saturday, 15 4:30 AM The Ring with the Red Velvet Ropes
Monday, 17 11:00 AM Something in the Woodwork
Monday, 17 11:30 AM Death on a Barge
Tuesday, 18 3:50 AM Something in the Woodwork
Tuesday, 18 4:20 AM Death on a Barge
Tuesday, 18 11:00 AM Whisper
Tuesday, 18 11:30 AM The Doll of Death
Wednesday, 19 3:35 AM Whisper
Wednesday, 19 4:05 AM The Doll of Death
Wednesday, 19 11:00 AM The Dead Man; The Housekeeper
Thursday, 20 4:00 AM The Dead Man; The Housekeeper
Thursday, 20 11:00 AM Room with a View; The Little Black Bag, repeated @ 3:05 AM
July 5 11:00 AM Deliveries in the Rear
Tuesday, 6 11:00 AM I'll Never Leave You, Ever
Tuesday, 6 12:00 PM The Ring with the Red Velvet Ropes
Wednesday, 7 11:00AM You Can't Get Help like That Anymore
Thursday, 8 11:00 AM The Caterpillar; Little Girl Lost
Thursday, 8 12:00 PM Something in the Woodwork
Friday, 9 11:00 AM The Dead Man; The Housekeeper
Saturday, 10 12:50 AM The Dead Man; The Housekeeper
Monday, 12 11:00 AM Room with a View; The Little Black Bag
Tuesday, 13 11:00 AM The House; Certain Shadows on the Wall
Wednesday, 14 3:05 AM The House; Certain Shadows on the Wall
Wednesday, 14 11:00 AM Make Me Laugh; Clean Kills & Other Trophies
Thursday, 15 11:00 AM Pamela's Voice; Lone Survivor; The Doll
Thursday, 15 12:00 PM Miracle at Camafeo; Ghost of Sorworth Place
Friday, 16 11:00 AM They're Tearing Down Tim Riley's Bar
Friday, 16 12:00 PM Deliveries in the Rear
Monday, 19 11:00 AM Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes
Monday, 19 12:00 PM Death on a Barge
Tuesday, 20 11:00 AM A Death in the Family; Merciful; Class of `99
Wednesday, 21 11:00 AM Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay; With Affection Jack the Ripper
Thursday, 22 5:00 AM Since Aunt Ada Came to Stay; With Affection Jack the Ripper
Thursday, 22 11:00 AM Fear of Spiders; Junior; Marmalade
Thursday, 22 12:00 PM I'll Never Leave You, Ever
Friday, 23 11:00 AM Phantom Farmhouse; Silent Snow, Secret Snow
Friday, 23 12:00 PM Whisper
Saturday, 24 5:50 AM Phantom Farmhouse; Silent Snow, Secret Snow
Sunday, 25 5:30 AM You Can't Get Help like That Anymore
Monday, 26 11:00 AM A Question of Fear; The Devil Is Not Mocked
Tuesday, 27 11:00AM Midnight Never Ends; Brenda
Wednesday, 28 11 AM The Diary/Matter of Semantics
Wednesday, 28 12 PM The Caterpillar; Little Girl Lost
Thursday, 29 11:00 AM House with Ghost; Midnight Visit to the Neighborhood Blood Bank
Friday, 30 11:00 AM The Dark Boy; Keep in Touch
Aug 9 11:00AM LINDEMAN'S CATCH/A FEAST OF BLOOD/THE LATE MR.PEDDINGTON
12:00PM PAMELA'S VOICE/LONE SURVIVOR/THE DOLL
4:45AM LINDEMAN'S CATCH/A FEAST OF BLOOD/THE LATE MR.PEDDINGTON
Aug 10 11:00AM MIRACLE AT CAMAFEO/GHOST OF SORWORTH PLACE
Aug 10 12:00PM THEY'RE TEARING DOWN TIM RILEY'S BAR/THE LAST LAUREL
3:05AM MIRACLE AT CAMAFEO/GHOST OF SORWORTH PLACE
Aug 11 11:00AM THE WAITING ROOM/LAST RITES OF A DEAD DRUID
12:00PM BOY WHO PREDICTED EARTHQUAKES/MISS LOVECRAFT SENT ME/HAND OF BORGUS WEEMS/P
5:00AM THE WAITING ROOM/LAST RITES OF A DEAD DRUID
Aug 12 11:00AM DELIVERIES IN THE REAR/STOP KILLING ME/DEAD WEIGHT
12:00PM DEATH IN THE FAMILY/MERCIFUL/CLASS OF '99/WITCHE'S FEAST
1:30AM DELIVERIES IN THE REAR/STOP KILLING ME/DEAD WEIGHT
Friday 13th @ 11am & 3am I'LL NEVER LEAVE YOU-EVER/THERE AREN'T ANY MORE MACBANES
Aug 16 11:00AM YOU CAN'T GET HELP LIKE THAT ANYMORE/THE SINS OF THE FATHERS
Aug 16 12:00PM THE DOLL OF DEATH
Aug 17 11:00AM THE CATERPILLAR/LITTLE GIRL LOST (William Windom)
Aug 17 12:00PM Art of Darkness: A Night Gallery Retrospective
Aug 18 11:00AM THE DEAD MAN/THE HOUSEKEEPER
12:00PM SINCE AUNT ADA CAME TO STAY/WITH APOLOGIES TO MR. HYDE/FLIP SIDE OF SATAN
4:50AM THE DEAD MAN/THE HOUSEKEEPER
Aug 19 11:00AM ROOM WITH A VIEW/THE LITTLE BLACK BAG/THE NATURE OF THE ENEMY
Aug 19 12:00PM FEAR OF SPIDERS/JUNIOR/MARMALADE WINE/THE ACADEMY
Aug 20 11:00AM THE HOUSE/CERTAIN SHADOWS ON THE WALL
12:00PM PHANTOM FARMHOUSE/SILENT SNOW, SECRET SNOW (Orson Welles)
3:05AM THE HOUSE/CERTAIN SHADOWS ON THE WALL
Aug 23 11:00AM MAKE ME LAUGH/CLEAN KILLS & OTHER TROPHIES
Aug 23 12:00PM A QUESTION OF FEAR/THE DEVIL IS NOT MOCKED
Aug 24 11:00AM PAMELA'S VOICE/LONE SURVIVOR/THE DOLL
Aug 24 12:00PM HATRED UNTO DEATH/HOW TO CURE THE COMMON VAMPIRE
Aug 25 11:00AM THEY'RE TEARING DOWN TIM RILEY'S BAR/THE LAST LAUREL
Aug 25 12:00PM A QUESTION OF FEAR/THE DEVIL IS NOT MOCKED
Aug 26 11:00AM BOY WHO PREDICTED EARTHQUAKES/MISS LOVECRAFT SENT ME/HAND OF BORGUS WEEMS/P
Aug 26 12:00PM MIDNIGHT NEVER ENDS/BRENDA
Aug 27 11:00AM DEATH IN THE FAMILY/MERCIFUL/CLASS OF '99/WITCHE'S FEAST
Aug 27 12:00PM THE DIARY/A MATTER OF SEMANTICS/BIG SURPRISE/PROFESSOR PEABODY'S LAST LECTU
Aug 30 11:00AM SINCE AUNT ADA CAME TO STAY/WITH APOLOGIES TO MR. HYDE/FLIP SIDE OF SATAN
5:15AM SINCE AUNT ADA CAME TO STAY/WITH APOLOGIES TO MR. HYDE/FLIP SIDE OF SATAN
Aug 31 11:00AM FEAR OF SPIDERS/JUNIOR/MARMALADE WINE/THE ACADEMY
Aug 31 12:00PM HOUSE-WITH GHOST/MIDNIGHT VISIT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD BLOOD BANK/DR.STRANGEFE
Join Rod Serling for his "other" classic anthology series, concentrating on the macabre, the supernatural, and other stories of horror. For Twilight Zone broadcast listings, go to The Twilight Zone
Some of the movies & tv series of Rod Serling are available, but none of the Night Gallery episodes so far:
Town Has Turned to Dust (1998)
In the Presence of Mine Enemies (1997)
Encounter With the Unknown (1975)
UFO's: It Has Begun (1973)
Assault on a Queen (1966)
Seven Days in May (1964)
Requiem for a Heavyweight (1956)
Rod Serling: Submitted For Your Approval (1998)
Night Gallery (1969)
Click here to see if the Scifi Channel has come to its sense yet and scheduled more episodes
Source for the Night Gallery audio: Intro (if it's still there)