The alternative Hallowe'en countdown; or, take care how you dial

Almost everybody knows about 'Twilight Zone'; William Shatner with his aeroplane gremlins, Kojak dealing with talking dolls, aliens cooking people, and Rod Serling just being the coolest motherfucker on the planet. Most people, however, don't know about the 1980s reboot and, no, I'm not talking about the ill-fated film where Vic Morrow got decapitated. 

The 80s version ran for three seasons from 1985 to 1989 and it's often surprising to see which famous actors and directors turn up out of the blue. Not only does 'Shatterday' (the very first episode) star a young Bruce Willis but it's also directed by Wes Craven. Based on a short story by Harlan Ellison, things seem to start OK but then quickly go very wrong after Peter (Willis) dials the wrong number...or is it the right number?

'Moonlighting'-era Willis looks a lot like young 80s Homer. Yippee-ki-DOH!

The premise is very reminiscent of an old folk tale, told brilliantly by Adam Roche in his podcast 'The Secret History of Hollywood' (skip to 1:57:40 to hear the chilling tale).

The next time you go to call somebody, just be careful which number you dial.