Darkroom

Only lasting six episodes, Darkroom proved why anthology series can work, and why they can't.

Way too many of the short segments were clichéd (oh no, yet another 'man has a chance to change the past' story), obvious and dull. And then they'll throw in a story like "The Boogieman Will Get You", or the one with Billy Crystal to tease you into watching again, hoping for one good moment to make sitting through the bad moments worthwhile. Every so often they delivered, but not enough to work on a whole.

James Coburn tried to give the show a presence, but a show like this lives and dies by it's writing, and all too often it died.

The intro for this show has got be one of the most interesting and effect intros ever. The late great James Coburn was a excellent host.

I remember watching this show back in the 80s with my family when it originally aired and I thought it was a very good show. The stories were interesting and suspenseful and the acting was good. It's a shame it only lasted a year. It was always fun spotting the guests who were famous back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. If you love anthology shows, like: Tales From The Darkside, Twilight Zone, Tales From The Crypt, and Alfred Hitchcock....then you might also love this underrated gem.

What hath Rod Serling wrought?

You can tell a network's in trouble when it has to drag the same musty ideas out of the closet over and over and OVER again. Here's a prime example of going to the well way too often.

"Darkroom" was an anthology series in the same vein as "The Twilight Zone", "The Outer Limits", "Night Gallery" and "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" - so what's the big diff this time? Well, remember the artistry, talent and well-written stories in those prior series? None of that's in evidence here.

James Coburn hosts here much in the same vein as he played the bad guy in "Looker", which ain't saying much. The stories aren't much, either - every single one of them is downbeat, ugly, nasty and defeatist. I mean, COME ON! Even Serling had the good sense to have a comic episode of the "Zone" once in a while.

Even though there are a few familiar faces in the stories (Robert Webber, Claude Akins, Rue McClanahan, Billy Crystal, Michael Constantine, etc.), nothing they do here will ever come up on their A&E Biographies. At least, they hope so.

No wonder it didn't last a full season. Who, in their right mind, would subject themselves to a whole season of under-developed defeatist sludge? Of course, this is the same decade that brought us "Twilight Zone: The Movie"....

No stars for "Darkroom"; the buck f-stops here.

TIDBIT - "Darkroom" premiered on Thursdays on ABC right before the Robert Stack police drama "Strike Force", another Cop series that was as dark and mean-spirited as "Darkroom".

Maybe if Stack and Coburn switched places and had their shows produced by the ZAZ guys (whom Stack worked with on "Airplane!")...?

I remember watching this with my family when I was a kid. Some episodes were scary "Catnip") and some were tense ("Guillotine"), but I enjoyed them all. Too bad it only ran for one season.

This show is another under the radar gem, this was an anthology horror I honestly never heard about until there was a marathon of it on the "Sci-Fi" channel. Yeah this show's not a classic but it could have been, if this show like any developing photograph given a little more time, it could have been with the line up of other anthology horror shows like "Tales from the Darkside" and "The Twilight Zone" (80's revival); sadly the shows ratings just didn't develop fast enough what a shame.

I really like that intro which I'll admit is one of the creepiest intros up there with "Are you Afraid of the Dark" and those two shows I mentioned earlier, and it's an honorable mention in favorite themes. Just seeing that camera constantly moving through an unknown house which really created a sense of disorientation, creeped me out as I was afraid the camera was going to pick up on a ghost or monster within the unknown household. And hear that creepy music with the narration by James Coburn, I'll admit those things gave me a small chill.

The late great James Coburn is just very good as the host, he defiantly has the voice that just fits with the show, almost feels like the kind of voice you might hear in a horror radio show (shame that actor never got to do those). Always like how he's always going throughout the house and even shows us each developing photo which goes with the upcoming story.

Despite a short time the show managed to have some memorable stories, from a double billing episode where the first one is sort of an E.C. comics like tale on a Voodoo Priestess getting revenge on a dirty pimp.

The second is a sad but interesting tale on a Vietnam Vet whose guilt finally catches up with him in the form of small solders; this tale sort of predates a Steven King short story from "Nightmares and Dreamscapes" which was uncannily similar. Makes me wonder if Steven King watched this show.

Another is almost a superhero tale, on a down on his luck protagonist that's is a target for mobsters and his only salvation is a mystical make up bag that can change him into anything. This tale was one of Billy Crystal's debuts and the episode is defiantly worth looking at for his performance which is impressive.

Final note, it would be really cool if this show got a DVD and Blu Ray release as this show is another lost unreleased gem. "Mill Creek Entertainment" should think of getting on this as they are famous for releasing some shows and movies forgotten and under the radar, it's a thought to consider anyway.

Overall, it's a solid anthology horror show, it's not quite a classic but like any developing photograph is worth a look.

Rating: 3 stars