Deadly Nightmares (1983–1991)
"The Hitchhiker" (original title)

Fictional stories are told in this television series by The Hitchhiker. Each story is usually a mysterious thriller.

Creators:

Lewis Chesler, Riff Markowitz, Richard Rothstein

Stars:

Page Fletcher, Nicholas Campbell, Vincent Grass

5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Page Fletcher	...	The Hitchhiker (84 episodes, 1983-1991)

Storyline

A series of mystery-thriller stories, linked only by the character of The Hitchhiker, who would introduce and close each episode in the style of Rod Serling or Alfred Hitchcock. Occasional stories involved supernatural forces, but most plot twists stemmed only from the dark side of the human spirit.

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Plot Keywords:

hitchhiker | nudity | female nudity | revenge | morality | 

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Taglines:

Hop on board with The Hitchhiker. It's a ride you'll never forget.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

France Canada USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 November 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

El caminante

Company Credits

Production Co:

Corazon Productions, Quintina Productions, DiC Enterprises

Technical Specs

Runtime:

26 min 30 min (85 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first dramatic television series made by Home Box Office cable TV network.

User Reviews

Pleasant dreams this did NOT guarantee.

When I was living in Barbados, CBC used to carry this anthology series in its late night (and by late, I mean around 10:30) Tuesday slot - they definitely didn't show all the episodes of this, or "Tales From The Darkside" (which replaced it). Not a patch on "The Twilight Zone," this anthology of tales about people who either got what they deserved or met their doom - and the two weren't always the same - was still effectively creepy, if a bit morbid, viewing.

Some of the most notable tales topped and tailed by Page Fletcher's wandering man: a story with Michael O'Keefe's dog getting revenge on his enemies, and driving him to his death when his girlfriend told him he was his own worst enemy; a tale with a man who thought his girlfriend was an escaped mental patient, and ended up getting killed by the real loony; "One Last Prayer," with Lisa Blount as a singer who invented an image for herself that was guaranteed to succeed, but worked TOO well and ended up replacing the singer in real life; and an episode with Harry Hamlin as a developer under a curse, which stood out as one of the few stories with a happy ending.

And yes, that music is very memorable. But Home Box Office's reputation was not built on this show.