The Evil Touch 

Weekly anthology series consisting of stories involving ghosts, monsters, witchcraft, possession and other supernatural wonders. Every episode featured at least one famous American star, ... See full summary »

Stars:

Anthony Quayle, Mildred Natwick, Jack Thompson

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Anthony Quayle	...	Himself - Host 26 episodes, 1973-1974

Storyline

Weekly anthology series consisting of stories involving ghosts, monsters, witchcraft, possession and other supernatural wonders. Every episode featured at least one famous American star, such as Leslie Nielsen, Harry Guardino, Vic Morrow or Darren McGavin. 26 half-hour episodes were produced.

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Plot Keywords:

horror host | male horror host | australian horror host | australian male horror host | australian horror | 

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

El toque satánico

Filming Locations:

Australia

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[last lines]
Host: [at close of every episode] And so until next we meet, this is Anthony Quayle reminding you that there is a touch of evil in all of us. Good night.
[starts to leave, then turns to camera]
Host: Pleasant dreams.

User Reviews

This show's format has set the standards for recent TV series such as "Amazing Stories", "Tales From The Crypt" and "Night Visions".

Not too many people remember this show. It was obviously canceled after one season for reasons unknown. Perhaps no one was watching the show, or perhaps all of America preferred to watch redundant Top-10-Ratings pap such as "ADAM'S RIB", "THE HELEN REDDY SHOW" or "KOJAK".

Whatever the case may be, this show definitely set the format for half hour shows that present stories with "the evil touch". This was an Australian production with British actor Anthony Quayle hosting the show. The opening titles are timeless in their own right. Smoke wafts over the white letters that read "THE EVIL TOUCH" against a dark green background while the sound track provides a soft melody of bongos and pan flutes. This show is SO 70's, it's awesome!

Some of the episodes would feature guest actors. I remember one episode featuring Carol Lynley and Leslie Nielson. Another episode featured Darren McGavin. The premise was very similar to shows of today's standards such as NIGHT VISIONS and TALES FROM THE CRYPT. It used the format of a story told in 30 minutes that had some unusual twist to it, usually resulting in either death or supernatural circumstances.

Surprisingly, not too many television shows from the land Down Under have made it successfully abroad in the U.S. A few shows that have received cult following would be "PRISONER" and "SKIPPY". It's too bad that retro TV stations like TV-Land don't re-run this for old time's sake instead of repeating the same HOGAN'S HEROES episodes over and over.

If anyone sees this show on their TV Guide - please let me know!