Night Visions (TV series)

For other uses, see Night Visions (disambiguation).
Night Visions
Genre Anthology
Horror
Science fiction
Created by Dan Angel
Billy Brown
Presented by Henry Rollins
Starring Various
Theme music composer George S. Clinton
Composer(s) George S. Clinton
Frank Macchia
Country of origin United States
Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 13 episodes (with 26 segments) (list of episodes)
Production
Location(s) Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Running time 43 min.
Production company(s) Angel/Brown Productions
Warner Bros. Television
Release
Original network Fox
Sci Fi Channel
Picture format 4:3
Original release July 12, 2001 (2001-07-12) – September 24, 2002 (2002-09-24)

Night Visions is an American television horror anthology series, with each episode comprising two half-hour stories dealing with themes of the supernatural or simply the dark side of human nature. Musician Henry Rollins was the uncredited host of the show.

Production

Filming for the show began during 2000 in Vancouver, Canada.[1] Veteran punk and metal singer Henry Rollins got hired as host after discussions with Fox executives, who initially wanted him to play a recurring role on their popular sci-fi series The X-Files.[2] Originally, Night Visions was not going to feature a host. Co-creator Billy Brown stated, "I never wanted a host. There should have been an introductory voice-over, a la Outer Limits. But the network said 'No host, no show'. So we started looking, and actually got a commitment from Gary Oldman. Having played Dracula, and being a fantastic actor, he would have been a real presence. The network said no. They wanted Henry Rollins. I didn't get it, nor did anyone else on the show's staff. It seemed like someone's desperate idea to make the show hip".[3] Regarding Fox's involvement in the creative process, Brown said "They [Fox] said many conflicting things. We had a chance to option an incredible Dean Koontz short story that was just terrifying, and they nixed that because it was too scary. And yet they complained that other stories weren't scary enough."[3]

The show's directors included some best known for feature films, including Tobe Hooper and Joe Dante, and others, such as Brian Dennehy, JoBeth Williams, and Bill Pullman, known primarily as actors.

Broadcast history

The show was scheduled to debut during October 2000 at 8:00 p.m. on Fridays, but this never eventuated, with reality show Police Chase and Freakylinks airing in its place. It eventually aired on Fox from July 12 to September 6, 2001 as a summer filler. Billy Brown reflected "There was a changing of the guard at Fox between the time we filmed the pilot and the time the network was ready to order the series. The new regime wasn't convinced an anthology would work, yet everyone agreed that the pilot was good. I had the feeling the network didn't think the show was hip enough".[3]

It was later picked up by the Sci Fi Channel, which reran the series beginning June 14, 2002.[4] During September 2002, Sci Fi broadcast the final three remaining episodes that never aired on Fox, which was due to scheduling conflicts arising from the 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks. One of these, "Cargo/Switch", ran as part of the Night Visions series,[5] while the two other episodes' segments ("Patterns", "The Maze", "Harmony" and "Voices") were edited into the Sci Fi Channel film Shadow Realm, minus the Rollins introductions and the Night Visions name. Reruns of the series also aired on the Nine Network in Australia and on cable channel Chiller.

Reception

Night Visions has been favorably compared to other horror/sci-fi anthology shows, particularly The Twilight Zone,[6][7] although the Washington Post claimed the show is "far more graphic and scary".[6]

Episodes

13 color episodes in 43-minute format (minus commercials)

Episode # Original airdate Episode title Director Starring
1. July 12, 2001 The Passenger List Yves Simoneau Aidan Quinn, Kelly Rutherford, Paul Guilfoyle
A transportation safety official investigating the crash of an airplane begins to fear that his daughter was on board the plane when it crashed; he begins to experience increasing events of déjà vu as the unexplained romantic attraction to a woman who lost her family in the crash also increases.
The Bokor Keith Gordon Jason London, Samantha Mathis, Kim Hawthorne
A medical student identifies a cadaver as a voodoo priest and hesitates to autopsy the body.
2. July 12, 2001 Dead Air Jefery Levy Lou Diamond Phillips, Malcolm Scott, Meghan Black, Ryan Taylor
A late-night radio show DJ begins to get strange calls, as events through the night convince him that the caller is up to more than a mere prank.
Renovation Brian Dennehy Gil Bellows, Kirsten Robek, Jon Cuthbert, Merrilyn Gann, Katharine Tobin
A man experiences flashbacks to his new home's past as he starts a new life with his wife and baby.
3 July 19, 2001 A View Through the Window Bill Pullman Bill Pullman, Carl Lumbly, Don Wallace, Emily Holmes, Carin Moffat, Todd Talbot, Sean Campbell
A military scientist is compelled to investigate the strange appearance of a lush farm in the middle of a desert.
Quiet Please Joe Dante Cary Elwes, Brian Dennehy, Gus Lynch
A man tries to escape the din of a city under the threat of a serial killer, only to be harassed in the woods by a strange old man and his dog.
4 July 26, 2001 Now He's Coming Up the Stairs Nick Gomez Luke Perry, Allison Hossack, Sam MacMillan, Donna Yamamoto, Hrothgar Mathews, Shauna Kain, Mark Schooley, Nancy Sivak, Bryce Hodgson
A psychiatrist with the ability to absorb the illnesses of his patients comes upon a situation that may be more than he can handle.
Used Car Michael W. Watkins Sherilyn Fenn, Hart Bochner, Steve Makaj, Jenn Bird, Jacqueline Samuda
A woman receives a new car as a gift from her husband, only to find that the car and its previous owner have a history, and a vendetta.
5 August 2, 2001 Rest Stop Yves Simoneau Jerry O'Connell, Amy Jo Johnson, Catherine Barroll, David Kopp, Jo Ann Mac Donald, Katharine Isabelle, Mark Hildreth
A couple picks up a hitchhiker on a quiet country road, and discover that the local rest area is more than meets the eye.
After Life Jefery Levy Randy Quaid, Susan Gibney, Terence Kelly, Eric Schneider, Andy Thompson, Meghan Black
A man returns to life in the middle of his funeral, and attempts to adjust to his newly reincarnated existence.
6 August 9, 2001 If a Tree Falls... Po-Chih Leong Natasha Lyonne, Art Kitching, Jonathan Jackson, Ed Evanko, Scott Nicholson
Three college students apparently die in a freak car accident, but in order to stay alive they must keep the accident a secret.
The Occupant Joe Dante Bridget Fonda, Anthony Harrison, Dion Luther, Johannah Newmarch
A divorcee becomes increasingly distraught as she notices things in her house are being moved around while she is not home.
7 August 16, 2001 Reunion Thomas J. Wright M. Emmet Walsh, Jay Mohr, Ron Canada, Jane Sowerby, Chuma Hunter-Gault, Kavan Smith, Aaron Pearl, Zoran, Bryan Leslie
On the 10th anniversary of a battle in the first Gulf War, a veteran experiencing flashbacks and hallucinations reunites with the members of his company.
Neighborhood Watch Bryan Spicer David Paymer, Valerie Mahaffey, Peter Kent, Lauren Diewold, Britt McKillip, Don Thompson, David Millbern, Malcolm Stewart, Ray Galletti
After a community is notified that a sexual predator has been released in their neighborhood, the residents' suburban eden is threatened.
8 August 23, 2001 Bitter Harvest Philip Sgriccia Jack Palance, Brendan Fletcher, Mark Houghton, Jane Perry, Chris Lovick, Ryan McDonald
A farm boy's mistake costs his neighbor both arms, and when he is forced to work for the man a game of cat and mouse ensues.
My So-Called Life and Death[note1] Ernest Dickerson Marla Sokoloff, Wanda Cannon, Steve Bacic, William Pavey, Kurt Max Runte
A young girl develops a crush on a handyman working near her family's summer home but when she finds that he can't see or hear her, she begins to suspect that he's a ghost.
9 August 30, 2001 The Doghouse JoBeth Williams Bill Croft, Stephen Baldwin, Jane Adams
A man seeking shelter from a loan shark out to get him finds that there are more dangerous things in this world.
Still Life Ernest Dickerson Mare Winningham, Peter Wingfield, Kirsten Prout, Taras Kostyuk, Brian Jensen, Anaya Farrell, Deryl Hayes, Michelle Hart
A day in the life of a woman becomes the setting for a far more horrific reality.
10 September 6, 2001Hate Puppet Thomas J. Wright Chad Lowe, William Atherton, Helene Joy, Torquil Campbell, Monica Hamburg, Michael Kopsa, Kim Kondrashoff, Kwesi Ameyaw
A man investigates the reason why everyone around him seems to instantly respond to him with hatred and anger.
Darkness Ian Toynton Michael Rapaport, Ken Pogue, Marilyn Norry, Lindsay Clague, Arthur Corber, Anthony Ulc, David Mackay, Francis Boyle
A man inherits a house from his rich uncle, not realizing all that comes with it.
11 September 19, 2002[note2]The Maze Tobe Hooper Amanda Plummer, Luke Edwards, Thora Birch, Chiara Zanni
A young college student wanders into a hedge maze and comes out in an apparently deserted version of her campus.
Harmony Paul Shapiro Timothy Olyphant, Tracy Middendorf, Shirley Knight, Chilton Crane, Michael Hogan, James Kirk, Mitchell Kosterman, Justin Chatwin
In a town where music is outlawed, a stranger appears and attempts to convince the townsfolk they have nothing to fear.
12 September 23, 2002[note2]Cargo Tobe Hooper Jamie Kennedy, Philip Baker Hall, Jon Cuthbert, Micah Gardener, Asja Pavlovic, Vladimir Moskovshenko, Joanna Pacula
A cargo officer on a freighter discovers that the cargo on board contains more than mere crates and packages.
Switch Jefery Levy Pam Grier, James Hutson, Cameron Gilley, Allie Mickelson, Shylo Sharity, Brent Glenen, Kyle Labine, Justin Stillwell, Natasha Gregson Wagner
A psychiatrist attempts to help a young woman synergize the multiple personalities she suffers from.
13 September 24, 2002[note2]Patterns Keith Gordon Malcolm McDowell, Miguel Ferrer, John B. Lowe, Anna Hagan, John Dadey, Matthew Munn, Giacomo Baessato, Terry Howson
An obsessive-compulsive man confronts a therapist with a stunning claim - his behaviors keep the fabric of reality together.
Voices Ian Toynton Lombardo Boyar, Terrylene, John Finn Gillian Barber, Lorena Gale, Cory Dagg, Jerry Walliser, Sam Boniface, Don House, John Moore, Cameron Bright
A deaf woman undergoes experimental surgery to restore her hearing, only to find that she can hear more than merely what people are saying.

References

  1. ↑ "Rollins Band Video Wins Award". MTV News.
  2. ↑ "Henry Rollins and 'Night Vision': He can see it - chronicle.augusta.com". Augusta Chronicle. Georgia. Scripps Howard News Service. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Garcia, Frank; Phillips, Mark. Science Fiction Television Series, 1990-2004: Histories, Casts and Credits for 58 Shows.
  4. ↑ "SCI FI Airs Night Visions". Sci Fi Wire, (Sci Fi Channel). June 7, 2002. Archived from the original on May 2, 2002.
  5. ↑ "Night Visions". Official site (Sci Fi Channel). Archived from the original on March 5, 2005.
  6. 1 2 "'Night Visions': Creepy Relief From Reality". Washington Post. 12 July 2001.
  7. ↑ Cook, James (July 6, 2001). "Fox counters summer heat with chilling Night Visions". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 15 February 2016.

Notes

1. ^ Although this is the title as given in the story's introduction, it is alternatively listed in the credits as "My So Called Life & Death".
2. ^ Filmed and copyrighted in 2001.
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