User Reviews

To tell you the honest truth, "Distant Signals" doesn't necessarily contain a story that will send shivers or provide goosebumps. It doesn't disturb or bother. It has a little sci-fi to it. A bit of fantasy. A love for classic television seems evident throughout. But, most importantly, the episode has Darren McGavin. That is all it needs, really. Every time I see him in something like "Distant Signals" or a Kolchak episode, I lament his loss. What a wonderful presence he had. His death provided a void television or film will never fill. Anyway, his role here is of a once-promising actor now reduced to bartending and alcoholism. Someone passionate about an old show McGavin's Van Conway temporarily starred in during the 60s—that was short-lived and never finished, shelved and condemned—with a director who had forgotten about it (played by David Margulies, who provides a cynicism that obviously exists in many directors who become jaded in the industry, providing artless product just to survive), named Mr. Smith (played enigmatically enough by Lenny van Dohlen) wants the show, named Max Paradise, finished, willing to pay with gold in order to have the final episodes in his possession to present to a "particular audience." At first, Van Conway is unable to repeat his lines due to the shakes and pressure, with Smith stepping in to "remove" what ails him. With the show finishing a storyline that had ended abruptly, Smith is very pleased, and seeing Van Conway able to conclude the B&W series also is a bookend to a career that had been buried by failure. Margulies' Gil Hurn secretly cared for Max Paradise, but he's understanding of how the industry in the 80s works, unable to believe an American audience would ever accept a B&W show. That's when Van Conway has to explain to him what kind of audience would in fact be watching it. I don't think "Distant Signals" will be an episode that remains on the mind for any length of time but as I was watching it, a smile did remain just because it allows for McGavin to have a redemption story, the crumbled pieces of a career rejuvenated (even if just for this show) thanks to a "wanderer" from a different place altogether where "distant signals" provided quite the entertainment for his people. McGavin has a monologue at the end where he provides insight to Gil Hurn that really left me in a good place; he's the kind of actor I can always watch and enjoy. It was all set to jazz and felt very nostalgic about the past…who better to place behind this monologue and give it weight than McGavin?

***SPOILERS*** If you could imagine a total flop of a TV series like "The San Pedro Beach Bums" becoming the most watched TV show outside of earth in the vast vast universe with its millions if not billions of loyal fans heartbroken when it was canceled you could understand what this episode of "Tales of the Darkside" is trying to tell you.

The 1965 summer replacement series of hard boiled TV private dick Max Paradise never made it into prime time being dumped before the summer was over. It was the many millions of fans of the show who watched it religiously every week in the vest spaces of the universe who felt cheated in Max Paradise being canceled. After some 20 years the Max Paradise fans finally sent a spokesman Mr. Smith, Lonny Von Dohlen, to have the series re started in finally showing them the final episode in just who Max Paradise really is. Something that Max, who lost his memory in a gun fight, has been trying to find out during the entire series!

Getting the screenwriter Gil Hurn, David Margulies, of the series to write the final episode Smith then tracks down the actor Van Conway, Darren McGavin, who played the famous Max Paradise to play him. Conway is anything but ready to appear before the camera being a hopeless drunk who can barley stand up much less remember his lines in the show. Smith's faith in Conway, plus some out of this world vitamin pill, puts Conway back on his feet and has him give the performance of his life as Max Paradise in the long concealed series final episode.

Despite paying the studio over 3 million dollars in gold to shoot the Max Paradise episode no one on earth was fortunate enough to watch it. It was only meant for the millions upon millions of fans of the TV show who unlike those of us on earth knew just what a hidden gem the series really was. As we can probably assume that they, the TV watchers from outer space, appreciate likewise concealed TV shows, like the "San Pedro Beach Bums", that we, and the TV critics, here on earth either overlooked or simply ignored!

Tales from the Darkside: Distant Signals starts as a mysterious man named Mr. Smith (Lenny von Dohlen) contacts writer Gil Hurn (David Margulies) & ageing actor Van Conway (Darren McGavin) to resurrect an old detective TV series called Max Paradise from 1965 which had been cancelled halfway through it's run. With the lure of lots of money both agree but why is Mr. Smith so interested in this old show? Who is going to want to see it & just who is the mysterious Mr. Smith?

Episode 8 from season 2 this Tales from the Darkside story originally aired in the US during November 1985, the first of four Tales from the Darkside episodes to be directed by Bill Travis this is one of those light hearted fantasies. The script by Theodore Gershuny has an affectionate story in which someone tries to revive an old TV series which has been cancelled, something I'm sure most of us can relate to as I'm sure there are loads of show's which people all round the world would like to see revived. I'd say Quincy (1976 - 1983) & Tales from the Crypt (1989 - 1996) get my vote but that's another issue & it'll never happen. The one thing that saves Distant Signals from being a complete waste of time is the quaint twist ending which has a sci-fi feel to it, it just works very well & may leave you with a fuzzy feeling inside. At least it's short at only 20 odd minutes & one has to say Tales from the Darkside has some quite imaginative & varied stories & isn't afraid to try something different even if it sometimes doesn't quite work.

If your looking for horror, scares, atmosphere & the supernatural then Distant Signals isn't the Tales from the Darkside episode for you, it's definitely one of those light hearted Disney style fantasies that I don't particularly like although as I've said the ending saves it somewhat. This episode is more expansive than usual with more sets, locations & cast members than usual, the acting is alright but nothing spectacular.

Distant Signals is the sort of episode that I wish the makers of Tales from the Darkside hadn't made, I much prefer the horror themed episodes to these strange fantasy ones.

Enigmatic investor and avid TV show aficionado Mr. Smith (well played to the mysterious hilt by Lenny von Dohlen) convinces famous television writer and director Gil Hurn (a spot-on cynical portrayal by David Margulies) to finish an old TV series that was canceled prior to the show's final episodes being shown for his "foreign viewers." Director Bill Travis relates the intriguing offbeat story at a steady pace and maintains a warm nostalgic tone throughout. Theodore Gernshuny's quirky and compelling script makes the most out of the interesting ambiguities of the unusual premise. Best of all, the always welcome Darren McGavin gives a touching and terrific performance as washed-up has-been alcoholic actor Van Conway; McGavin projects a delightfully disarming aura and beautifully delivers a poetic monologue at the end. Joseph Bova has an amusing bit as smarmy agent Lew Feldman. The occasional crisp black and white cinematography and the neat jazzy score provide an utterly engaging brooding nourish mood. A cool change-of-pace show.

For starters, no one dies. There are no practical special effects, or over-the-top humor. The episode is more like Amazing Stories, Or the original Twilight Zone. It's more about the redemption of an aging star, and a now-modern commentary on revivals of old properties, and fan boys. "Distant Signals" was made in an era before the revival of intellectual properties and TV shows, and it's a rejection of AIs. Mr. Smith and his people are interested in bring back the original actors, the original creator and director, and the original "feel" of the show they're reviving. Rather than just recreating their favorite show with new faces, using AI.

Sure the episode is twee, but the cast helps. Darren McGavin is well... Darren McGavin. He plays the type of character that he was accustomed to, particularly "The Outsider" But McGavin was no stranger to short-run series. Kolchak only lasted 20- episodes before being ignominiously cancelled. And McGavin not only plays Max Paradise, but Van Conway, a one-shot actor who has fallen into alcoholism , realizing his best days are behind him.

Lenny Van Dohlen has always been a class act, if anyone remembers him from "Twin Peaks" and many others. He's perfect as Mr. Smith, downplaying the overt humor of Smith in the original short story (wearing jodhpurs?!?), while bringing in the fanboysish nature of someone reverentially getting to meet his idols and not letting their clay feet stop his plans. Also note the little alien touches, like his tilting his head and quizzical stare when agent Lew spots spewing 20th century Hollywood jargon.

David Marguiles is okay as Gil Hurn, the director who is essentially an expy of Steven Spielberg. He's does capture the befuddled feel of many modern-day directors who probably wonder why the trash they did 20 years ago is being brought back as a fan project now.

"Distant Signals" is basically a 10. The only thing that lowers it in my opinion is... how does Van Conway know all the stuff about Smith, which the actor spouts to Hurn at the end of the episode? That, and the episode is on the wrong show.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?

This episode plays on some idea out of Hollywood that aliens are receiving TV signals and will come to Earth, looking for Arthur Fonzarelli of "Happy Days" or Tom Selleck from "Magnum PI" or Larry Hagman from "Dallas" and regard them as some omnipotent ruler.

This idea, why it is believed I don't know, has been played out on Saturday Night Live with Jon Lovitz as the object of the aliens with his 'yea, that's the ticket' and was even depicted once on an episode of Matt Groening's Futurama, which suggested that it would be Calista Flockhart as Ally McBeal the extra-terrestrials would seek to worship.

Not sure what this episode was wanting to emphasize, with its detective show from the 1960s.

That it was McGavin playing the detective makes me wonder if someone thought the Nightstalker was that good. Of course, Nightstalker would go on to inspire X-Files, as well as endure a brief remake.

At best, it was probably that McGavin was the actor found available to do the role.

A decent episode, but hopefully the entertainment industry is off this kick that Mr. Spock is going to come to earth and worship tinseltown and do their bidding.

Or its just an idea that swings around in Hollywood every decade or so.