Insight

Insight was a show that I used to see _early_ Sunday mornings after "Davey & Goliath". The best way to describe this show is a sort of religious "Twilight Zone". In fact, if I remember correctly, there was one episode that was a blatant rip-off of the "Zone" episode about the six dolls. The twist in the plot would be some sort of morality play. It was an interesting show that was pretty subtle in its message.

This is another one of the shows that has been almost totally forgotten. I saw episodes of Insight about a dozen times over the years, and almost every episode I saw remains fresh in the memory.The Paulist Fathers, who are also responsible for that superb series of great spiritual writings by and for people of all faiths, Classics of Western Spirtuality, produced the show, and got an astonishing array of Hollywood and Broadway talent to write, direct, and star in the different episodes. Despite its Catholic provenance, this show was far , far from propaganda, and actually reflected the best in post- Vatican 2 U.S. Catholicism. One hopes the Paulists still have some episodes on DVD

Insight is one of television's lost classics, an anthology series that successfully explored religious and spiritual themes while (usually) avoiding a heavy-handed approach. Considering the quality of the writing, direction, and acting in this series, it is amazing that it has not achieved a greater degree of popularity; it's regular use of symbolism, surreal images, and rather inventive plot and narrative devices should have guaranteed it a place in television history alongside other excellent anthologies such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. The series dabbled in every format from comedy and satire to fantasy and speculative fiction to deliver it's modern-day morality plays. At times light-hearted and humorous, at other times downright chilling, it was always effective in it's delivery. And who can forget the Reverend Kieser's narrative intros that suggested a cross between Sermonette and Rod Serling's narrations?

This syndicated series was produced by the Paulist Fathers, an evangelistic Catholic order of priests. For years, it was a staple of local TV programming in the USA, usually being aired on Sunday mornings or at very odd times, such as just before the station signed off for the night. To the Fathers, it was a way to spread the Word. To the stations, it was a cheap way to plug holes in their schedules and meet the community service requirements of their licenses.

I've also heard that the series was sometimes shown in Sunday schools and church group meetings, usually as the basis for a discussion.

As for the show itself, I found it to be a very mixed bag. Some episodes were interesting, thought provoking, and a bit offbeat, such as the one in which a group of people held a trial to impeach God. Many were preachy, predictable, and even unintentionally funny, like the one that ended with Edward Andrews signing "My Way." And some were just pulpits for 1960's-style liberalism, with noble criminals, brutal cops, and GI baby killers.

Every now and then, I peruse the Sunday morning listings to see if it's there. It hasn't been there for quite some time, but old habits die hard.

I can't remember many of the episodes, but if I saw them again, I might remember them.

One of the few that still occupies my brain is one of the Christmas episodes, with William Windom, James Cromwell, Tim Matheson and Paula Kelly (Jesus B.C. (1976)). It was amazing the talent they used to employ! The show, from my recollections, was shown into the early 90s. I don't remember watching them from the 60s or even 70s, but I do recall them airing later.

I'm not religious, despite my growing up as a Catholic. Over time, I've become an atheist, but it really shouldn't matter. Morality, whether you are religious or not, shouldn't depend on what faith you come from. Morality should come from the heart, and be something you do without any reward, recompense or favor. And I think this show promoted that as much as it could, within the confines of its format and design. That's why it resonated with people who weren't particularly religious--it took common values and brought them to life. And every one of us who has ever cared about another person could find themselves in the midst of the situations presented.

I think the show should be available on DVD as well, as I think we could all remember the messages they told us. While there has been dating in some episodes, the vast appeal of the format, as a single one act play, could be a nice addition to the Sunday morning shows, and certainly as appealing as all the political shows on at that time!