Nightfall

by Bill Howell (Contributor)

In 1980 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation launched what was one of the most disturbing radio series ever produced, Nightfall. The show ignited complaints from many listeners that it was too frightening, prompting some stations to drop the series from their programming. Nevertheless, Nightfall spanned 99 half hour episodes over the course of 3 years, disrupting the sleep of as many listeners as dared tune in. 1. Wildcats When Julian's express train drops him off a remote outpost by mistake, with no local service back to his own village until the next morning, his main problem is finding accommodations for the night. He is offered shelter at the Blue Trout Inn, a decrepit hotel run by two sisters with penchant for administering morphine, and fighting - wildcats. 2. Future Fear A couple sees limitless opportunities for wealth and happiness when their television begins to show them the future. Their anticipation shortly turns to sickening horror and a terrible resolve when the visions of the future turn hideous and bloody. 3. The Jogger A high-school football star thirty years ago, Joe Brady is an overweight man with high blood pressure and a drinking problem. The sight of a mysterious jogger who seems to float over the landscape spurs Brady to push himself to his old level of fitness - and to catch the jogger at all costs. 4.No Admittance, No Exit The Future a new hospital that boasts the most advanced techniques and efficient treatment, But three people who enter the clinic in an emergency find that the hospital also conceals a few other new and improved features, and discover that the Future Clinic is far from the benevolent institution it claims to be.

Audio CD

First published June 1, 2003