Wordplay/Dreams for Sale/Chameleon (4 Oct. 1985)

"Wordplay": A salesman at a medical firm finds everyone around him undergoing a linguistic transformation. "Dreams for Sale": A woman finds that her idyllic picnic may not be what it seems.... See full summary »

Directors:

Wes Craven, Tommy Lee Wallace

Writers:

James Crocker (segment), Joe Gannon (segment),

Stars:

Robert Klein, Annie Potts, Adam Raber

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Robert Klein	...	Bill Lowery (segment "Wordplay")
Annie Potts	...	Cathy Lowery (segment "Wordplay")
Adam Raber	...	Donnie Lowery (segment "Wordplay")
Robert Downey Sr.	...	Mr. Miller (segment "Wordplay") (as Robert J. Downey)
Brian Bradley	...	Hotshot (segment "Wordplay")
Bernard Behrens	...	Older Salesman (segment "Wordplay")
Anne Betancourt	...	Admitting Nurse (segment "Wordplay")
Willard E. Pugh	...	Man in Elevator (segment "Wordplay") (as Willard Peugh)
Helene Udy	...	Woman #1 (segment "Wordplay")
Mimi Craven	...	Receptionist (segment "Wordplay") (as Mimi Meyer Craven)
Brynja McGrady	...	Secretary (segment "Wordplay") (as Brynja Willis)
Alexandra Morgan	...	Nurse #1 (segment "Wordplay")
Lee Arnone	...	Nurse #2 (segment "Wordplay")
Raye Birk	...	Bearded Man (segment "Wordplay")
Joseph Whipp	...	Doug Seaver (segment "Wordplay")

Storyline

"Wordplay": A salesman at a medical firm finds everyone around him undergoing a linguistic transformation. "Dreams for Sale": A woman finds that her idyllic picnic may not be what it seems. "Chameleon": Something unusual returns with a Shuttle mission.

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Plot Keywords:

transformation | salesman | picnic | machine | knowledge | 

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller | Horror

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Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 October 1985 (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

"Chameleon" featured real NASA footage of an actual space shuttle mission (of the Challenger, which exploded shortly after takeoff).

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Goofs

Jenny's dream badge identifying her as #17 is located on the left side of her chest until the end, where it switches to the middle.

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Quotes

[phone conversation]
Doug Seaver: Listen, Bill, can I get back to you? My wife's waiting for me; today's our 17th wedding throw-rug and I'm taking her out for a sail, and then to dinner.
Bill Lowery: I'm sorry, Doug, today's your what?
Doug Seaver: It's our throw-rug.
Bill Lowery: Your throw-rug?
Doug Seaver: That's right, seventeenth. Talk to you tomorrow.
Bill Lowery: [to dialtone] Uh oh-oh Doug wait!
Bill Lowery: [to himself] "Throw-rug"?

User Reviews

A good attempt to face a problem

A normal life, a normal man. Something's changed. You are in deep troubles, specially if you don't want to run where the world's going. Our main character is the metaphor of transformation, and how difficult can be to turn ourselves into new human beings, when learning new skills. Changing or dying, seems to say this TV movie. The unexpected way of describing a change makes Wordplay a good work. I can't say I liked it so much, but in our Script school has been used to explain an alternative way of plotting. We enjoyed a lot by creating alternative ends, and my classmates realized some little masterpieces of sci-fi and drama. 80s Twilight Zone isn't definitely the Classical series, but it's a good product.