Need to Know/Red Snow (21 Mar. 1986)

In NEED TO KNOW, government investigator Edward Sayers visits a small rural community where insanity is spreading among the residents. In RED SNOW, Russian KGB Colonel Ulyanov goes to a ... See full summary »

Directors:

Paul Lynch, Jeannot Szwarc

Writers:

Michael Cassutt (segment), Rod Serling (creator),

Stars:

William Petersen, Robin Gammell, Frances McDormand

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
William Petersen	...	Edward Sayers (segment "Need to Know") (as William L. Petersen)
Robin Gammell	...	Jeffrey Potts (segment "Need to Know")
Frances McDormand	...	Amanda Strickland (segment "Need to Know")
Harold Ayer	...	Mr. Strickland (segment "Need to Know")
Eldon Quick	...	Dr. Benitz (segment "Need to Know")
Ellen Albertini Dow	...	Mrs. Hotchkiss (segment "Need to Know")
Shay Garner	...	Dr. Fall (segment "Need to Know")
Ray Ballard	...	Jeck Henries (segment "Need to Know")
Clarence Brown	...	Wiley Whitlow (segment "Need to Know")
George Dzundza	...	Col. Ulyanov (segment "Red Snow")
Barry Miller	...	Ivan (segment "Red Snow")
Vladimir Skomarovsky	...	Mayor Titov (segment "Red Snow")
Victoria Tennant	...	Valentina (segment "Red Snow")
Rod Colbin	...	Minister (segment "Red Snow")
Andrew Divoff	...	Vladimir (segment "Red Snow")

Storyline

In NEED TO KNOW, government investigator Edward Sayers visits a small rural community where insanity is spreading among the residents. In RED SNOW, Russian KGB Colonel Ulyanov goes to a Siberian labor camp to investigate violent deaths of Communist party officials.

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Plot Keywords:

colonel | insanity | gypsy | radio broadcast | abandoned church | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller | Horror

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1986 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Persistence of Vision Films (I), CBS Entertainment Production

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the "Dead Run" commentary, CBS changed the secret in "Need to Know" from the identity of God to the meaning of life.

User Reviews

You shouldn't know everything, it's bad news, and a Russian vampire unit!

This TZ episode from season one was only mediocre nothing really special the segments were okay, yet not one of the better ones as they just didn't hold much interest. They were titled "Need to Know" and "Red Snow". Most memorable is a guest part in the first segment which featured Frances McDormand before she became a big star.

First up the segment "Need to Know" was the better of the two, it centered around a small rural town where strange things are happening one by one. As people one by one when communicated with fall to the likes of an evil insane plague! A government investigator(William Petersen)comes to small town America to look into the matters of the not normal only to find a big shock a lesson is learned keep things quite as you don't need to know everything as sometimes things are not to be known and they are better off kept private.

Second was "Red Snow" a strange mystery spy like drama set in Russia which involves a KGB officer who's sent to the harsh and cold likes of Siberia to investigate a strange series of murders involving Communist party officials. Only as it turns out the big secret is that these Russians have plenty of bite and sharp teeth and do a lot of day sleeping! Overall these segments were nothing great still watchable for any TZ fan.