Tales from the Darkside: Distant Signals
Distant Signals
Season two, episode eight
Air Date
November 17th, 1985
Directed by
Bill Travis
Written by
Theodore Gershuny,
Andrew Weiner
Starring
Darren McGavin
Lenny Von Dohlen
David Margulies
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A mysterious man named Mr. Smith (Lenny Von Dohlen) arrives at the office of a network associate, requesting a meeting with a television writer named Gil Herne. He wishes to discuss a series Mr. Herne created and wrote for called Max Paradise, which was canceled mid-season in 1965. When the associate refuses, Smith offers the man a suitcase of gold bars worth $35,000 if he will arrange a meeting with Herne, and offers Herne an additional 2 million dollars to write and direct six new episodes.
Smith goes so far as to seek out Max Paradise's leading man, Conway (Darren McGavin), who has sequestered himself away, seeking comfort in alcohol. Smith can sense that he is afraid to return to the role, to which Conway replies that he can't go on camera looking as he does. Smith tells him to take a special vitamin three times a day and gain control of himself.
Herne takes Smith to the studio where Max Paradise was filmed. He tells him no one cared then and no one will know. Smith tells him the series had poetry and goes on to recite some of Max's dialogue. Herne is impressed that he knows it by heart - he would have had to have been a child when it aired. Smith tells him he could never forget it and neither can Herne. When he wrote it, he cared.
The vitamins transform Conway. However, when it comes time for the script reading, he rushes from the table in a panic, saying he can't read aloud from the script.
Smith goes to Conway's apartment where he finds him drinking again. He applies two fingers to each side of his temples and says he will drain from him his desire for alcohol and feelings of inadequacy.
Smith and Herne watch rushes and Herne is impressed by Conway. He tells him as much later. The two speak about how bizarre the production feels.
Mr. Smith watches the rushes of the final episode and is very pleased. Herne asks when it will air, and Smith answers that it will air very, very far away, but it will make millions happy. He bids them farewell and thanks them.
Outside, Herne ponders where it will air and Conway deduces it will air on another planet where the people are wanderers and just like us.
Streaming Availability
Tales from the Darkside is available on DVD.
Distant Signals is available on The Internet Archive. The episode begins at 1:23:44 in the collection.
The series is streaming on the following platforms:
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