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The 1970s saw an explosion of TV-movies, and a number of these small-screen features were based on novels. The two examples here, which are some of the most memorable of their day, sit on opposite ends of the adaptation spectrum. While Bad Ronald (1974) took liberties with its source material, Are You in the House Alone? (1978) stays somewhat true to the spirit of the novel. Both features also teeter on the edge of horror, a recurring genre in the “golden age” of made-for-television movies.

Jack Vance was not a horror-only author, so Bad Ronald (1973) is an anomaly in his overall body of work. ABC quickly acted on the success of the novel, with the network ultimately airing its adaptation a week before Halloween. However, Andrew Peter Marin’s screenplay is different from what Vance had penned. Anyone who has read the original novel would understand — maybe even appreciate — the changes in director Buzz Kulik’s version.

Network: CBS.

Episodes: 14 (hour).

Seasons: Two.

TV show dates: July 13, 2018 — June 28, 2019.

Series status: Cancelled.

Performers include: Alex Ferrer (host).

TV show description:

From senior executive producer Susan Zirinsky and executive producers Alex Ferrer and Ted Eccles, the Whistleblower TV show is part of the CBS Entertainment's true-crime programming. Hosted by Attorney Ferrer, a former judge and police officer, the docu-series delves into "David vs. Goliath," stories of everyday people who call out crimes and other dangerous behavior by big corporations.

Each hourlong episode of Whistleblower shines the spotlight on cases in which the average citizens put everything at risk, in order to keep others from being harmed or worse --...

CBS is riding TV’s true-crime wave, announcing a pair of new series premiering this month. Whistleblower is set to sound off at 8 Pm Friday, July 13, and Pink Collar Crimes will be perpetrated starting at 8 Pm Saturday, July 28.

Produced by CBS News for CBS Television Studios, Whistleblower looks into the real-life David vs. Goliath stories of heroic people who put everything on the line to expose illegal and often dangerous wrongdoing when major corporations rip off U.S. taxpayers. Hosted by attorney Alex Ferrer, a former judge and police officer, each hour introduces cases in which ordinary people step up to do the extraordinary by risking their careers, their families and even their lives to ensure others are not harmed or killed by unchecked, unethical corporate greed. 48 Hours veteran Susan Zirinsky is the senior executive producer, and Alex Ferrer and Ted Eccles are the EPs.

The Pink Collar Crimes logline:...

1955: Search for Tomorrow's Joanne married Arthur.

1981: Another World's Sandy told Mac that he was his son.

2003: As the World Turns' Jack tracked Carly down in Montana.

2004: General Hospital's Carly interrupted Jason and Sam's wedding."All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."

― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1944: NBC Radio aired the final episode of its soap opera Kitty Foyle, which starred Julie Stevens as Kitty.

1955: On Search for Tomorrow, Joanne Barron...

The Warner Archive Collection is a manufacture-on-demand (Mod) DVD series that specializes in putting previously unreleased films on DVD for the first time. Recently they dug deep into their vast history of classic horror and selected some winners to resurrect.

The Warner Archive Collection can make a wide array of films available because they don't actually create the DVD until it is ordered by a customer. This way, they are not taking a chance of getting stuck with a large amount of inventory if a selected title doesn't sell. You'll certainly recognize some of the horror films the Warner Archive Collection has added to its library, but there are a couple of really obscure ones in there as well. Take a look at the list of what's been made available and plan your shopping list now.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (1973)

Although the recent remake featuring the suddenly single...

One of the more enduring concepts introduced on Saturday morning television in 1967 was Hanna-Barbera’s Herculoids. Some of this has to do with its fabulous Alex Toth design work and much of it has to do with the unusual assortment of people and creatures that band together to fight for survival in a hostile environment.

The series debuted on September 9 and CBS aired 18 original episodes before it vanished on September 6, 1969. Thanks to the miracle of on-demand DVD manufacture, Warner Archive has released the complete series on two DVDs this week. The eleven new episodes created in 1981 remain to be rediscovered.

The series was the brainchild of Toth but episodes were directed by Bill Perez, Paul Sommer, Ken Spears, Joe Ruby, and David Scott. Clearly Ruby and Spears were inspired by this because there’s a direct correlation between this and their Thundarr the Barbarian (also available from Warner Archive). The Herculoids...