Nightfall (radio series)

Nightfall is the title of a radio drama series produced and aired by CBC Radio from July 1980 to June 1983. While primarily a supernatural/horror series, Nightfall featured some episodes in other genres, such as science fiction, mystery, fantasy, and human drama. One episode was even adapted from a folk song by Stan Rogers. Some of Nightfall's episodes were so terrifying that the CBC registered numerous complaints and some affiliate stations dropped it. Despite this, the series went on to become one of the most popular shows in CBC Radio history, running 100 episodes that featured a mix of original tales and adaptations of both classic and obscure short stories.

Nightfall was the brainchild of producer Bill Howell, who was best known at the time for his work on CBC Playhouse and the cult favorite adventure series, Johnny Chase: Secret Agent of Space. (Howell later went on to be executive producer of CBC Radio's highly-popular series, The Mystery Project, which ran from 1992 to 2004.) When CBC Radio was revamped and given an expanded budget in 1980, Howell approached the newly appointed head of radio drama, Susan Rubes, about his idea for a supernatural/horror anthology series that would push the envelope. Though not a fan of the horror genre, Rubes recognized a hit when she saw one and gave Howell the green light to begin production.

Bill Howell served as executive producer of Nightfall at CBC Toronto for the first two seasons. The reins were passed for the third season to veteran CBC Radio producer Don Kowalchuk (Doctor Bundolo's Pandemonium Medicine Show) at CBC Vancouver.

Nightfall featured two hosts during its run. The Toronto years (1980–1982) were hosted by "the mysterious Luther Kranst", a character created by Bill Howell's devious imagination and played by character actor Henry Ramer. For its Vancouver run (1982–1983), Don Kowalchuk worked with voice actor Bill Reiter to develop the character of Frederick Hende.

Production locations and people

Though series production was controlled from a central location, the anthology nature of Nightfall made it possible for episodes to be produced at CBC Radio facilities all over Canada:

CBC Toronto

No. of Episodes: 74
Frequent Actors: Elva Mai Hoover, John Stocker, Frank Perry, Sandy Webster, Ruth Springford, Marian Waldman, Neil Dainard, Hugh Webster, Chris Wiggins, Budd Knapp, Michael Wincott, Graham Haley, David Calderisi, Colin Fox, Arch McDonnell, Nicky Guadagni, Neil Munro, Mary Pirie
Recording Engineers: John Jessop, Ray Folcik, John Hollinger, Jan Wright, David Hoyle, Tom Shipton, Brian Wood, Keith van der Clay, Brian Pape, Derek Stubbs, John McCarthy, Greg Fleet
Sound Effects: Bill Robinson, Matt Wilcott, Kathy Perry, Stephanie McKenna, Jerry Fielding
Production Assistants: Nina Callaghan, Doris Buchanan, Nancy McIlveen, Peggy Este
Producers: Bill Howell, Paul Mills, John Douglas, Stephen Katz, Fred Diehl, Peter Boretski, William Lane, Scott Swan

CBC Vancouver

No. of Episodes: 9
Frequent Actors: William Samples, Otto Lowy, Norman Browning, Anna Hagan
Recording Engineers: Gerry Stanley, Chris Cutress, Gene Loverock, Bill Seebach
Sound Effects: Joe Silva, Jay Hireen, Chris Cutress
Production Assistants: Ann Elvidge, Dagmar Kaffanke, Loretta Joyce, Joyce Tinnion
Producers: Don Kowalchuk, John Juliani, Robert Chesterman

CBC Edmonton

No. of Episodes: 7
Frequent Actors: Brian Taylor, Graham McPherson, Nicole Evans, Gordon Mariott, Bill Meilan, Stephen Walsh, Blair Haynes
Recording Engineers: Al Lamden
Sound Effects: Eric Wagers, Deane Purves
Production Assistants: Barbara Gault
Producers: Lawrie Seligman

CBC Montréal

No. of Episodes: 4
Frequent Actors: Vlasta Vrána, Philip Akin, Timothy Webber, Earl Pennington
Recording Engineers: André Fleury, Giles LaRoche
Sound Effects: Pierre Lucie, Rene LeVois
Production Assistants: Jane Lewis, Nancy Carter
Producers: John Juliani, John Jessop

CBC Halifax

No. of Episodes: 3
Frequent Actors: Joseph Rutten, John Fulton
Recording Engineers: Rod Sneddon, Keith DeLong
Sound Effects: Dermot Kenny, Harold Porter
Production Assistants: Claire McIlveen
Producers: Elizabeth Fox, Ewan "Sudsy" Clark

CBC Calgary

No. of Episodes: 1
Frequent Actors: David Ferry, Heather Lea McCallum
Recording Engineers: Rick Fenton
Sound Effects: Norm Hurley
Production Assistants: Elaine Farner
Producers: Bill Gray

CBC St. Johns

No. of Episodes: 1
Frequent Actors: Frank Holden, Pat Vern
Recording Engineers: John Foster
Sound Effects: Wayne Hayes
Production Assistants: Noreen George
Producers: Glen Tilley

Clack Sound Studios, NYC

No. of Episodes: 1
Frequent Actors: F. Peter Lee
Recording Engineers: Tom Courtenay-Clack
Sound Effects: Tom Courtenay-Clack
Production Assistants: n/a
Producers: Tom Courtenay-Clack

Episode guide

Season 1

# Title Written by Air Date
1 Love and the Lonely One John Graham July 4, 1980
2 The Monkey's Paw Len Peterson July 11, 1980
3 Welcome to Homerville Don Dickinson, Allan Guttman July 18, 1980
4 Hands Off John Graham July 25, 1980
5 The Telltale Heart Len Peterson Aug. 1, 1980
6 Late Special Clint Bomphray Aug. 8, 1980
7 Future Fear John Graham Aug. 15, 1980
8 How Did You Get My Name? Don Dickinson, Allan Guttman Aug. 22, 1980
9 The Body Snatchers Frank W. McEnaney Aug. 29, 1980
10 The Willoughby Obsession George R. Robertson Sept. 5, 1980
11 No Admittance/No Exit Don Bailey, Milo Ringham Sept. 12, 1980
12 Wind Chill David McCaughna Sept. 19, 1980
13 The Repossession Arthur Samuels Sept. 26, 1980
14 The Stone Ship Len Peterson Oct. 3, 1980
15 Special Services Martin Kinch Oct. 10, 1980
16 Buried Alive John Graham Oct. 17, 1980
17 Last Visit Ray Will Oct. 24, 1980
18 Ringing the Changes P. Norman Cherrie Oct. 31, 1980
19 The Devil's Backbone Silver Donald Cameron Nov. 7, 1980
20 The Blood Countess, Part 1: Blood Red Ray Canale Nov. 14, 1980
21 The Blood Countess, Part 2: Blood Blue Ray Canale Nov. 21, 1980
22 Deadly Developments Arlene Ezrin Nov. 28, 1980
23 Where Does the News Come From? James D. (Jimmy) Morris Dec. 5, 1980
24 Where Do We Go From Here? Max Ferguson Dec. 12, 1980
25 On Christmas Day in the Morning Don Dickinson, Allan Guttman Dec. 19, 1980
26 The Appetite of Mr. Lucraft P. Norman Cherrie Dec. 26, 1980
27 The Guest of Honour Len Peterson Jan. 2, 1981
28 A Short Wave Good-bye George R. Robertson Jan. 9, 1981
29 They Bite Len Peterson Jan. 16, 1981
30 Dark Side of the Mind Max Ferguson Jan. 23, 1981
31 Wildcats Otto Lowy Feb. 27, 1981
32 The Room Graham Haley Mar. 6, 1981
33 Angel's Kiss John Graham, George R. Robertson Mar. 20, 1981
34 The Book of Hell Mavor Moore Mar. 27, 1981
35 Mkara Graham Haley Apr. 3, 1981
36 The Fatal Eggs Arthur Samuels Apr. 17, 1981
37 Breaking Point Max Ferguson May 1, 1981
38 All-Nighter Graham Pomeroy May 15, 1981

Season 2

# Title Written by Air Date
39 Carmilla John Douglas, Graham Pomeroy Nov. 20, 1981
40 In the Eye of the Beholder Burke Campbell Nov. 27, 1981
41 Cemetery Stop Margery Stewart Dec. 4, 1981
42 In the Name of the Father Janet Bonellie Dec. 11, 1981
43 Baby Doll Larry LeClair Dec. 18, 1981
44 Reunion at the Victory Café Tom MacDonnell Jan. 1, 1982
45 Gerald Bill Gray Jan. 8, 1982
46 Mindrift F. Peter Lee Jan. 15, 1982
47 Your Fortune in Twenty Words or Less Larry LeClair Jan. 22, 1982
48 Teddy Stephen Freygood Jan. 29, 1982
49 Child's Play Arthur Samuels Feb. 5, 1982
50 The Club of Dead Men John Douglas Feb. 12, 1982
51 The Thinking Room Tim Wynne-Jones Feb. 19, 1982
52 The Porch Light Randy Brown Feb. 26, 1982
53 Volcano Roy (T. E.) Sallows Mar. 5, 1982
54 The Monkey's Raincoat Charles Tidler Mar. 12, 1982
55 From My Appointed Place Below John Douglas Mar. 19, 1982
56 The Old Post Road William Lane Mar. 26, 1982
57 The Debt John Richard Wright Apr. 2, 1982
58 Harris and the Mare John Douglas Apr. 9, 1982
59 The Jogger Tony Bell Apr. 16, 1982
60 The Screaming Skull Guy Babineau Apr. 23, 1982
61 Mr. Agostino Janet Bonellie Apr. 30, 1982
62 The Road Ends at the Sea Tim Wynne-Jones May 7, 1982
63 The Maid's Bell John Douglas May 14, 1982
64 A Glimpse of Eternity Ian Weir May 28, 1982
65 Beyond the Law Steve Petch June 4, 1982
66 The Turn of the Blood Paul Bettis June 11, 1982
67 Reverse Image Arthur Samuels June 18, 1982
68 Teig O'Kane and the Corpse John Douglas June 25, 1982

Season 3

# Title Written by Air Date
69 This One Will Kill You Arthur Samuels Oct. 1, 1982
70 Footsteps Larry LeClair Oct. 8, 1982
71 Lifeline Frank Moher Oct. 15, 1982
72 The Tie That Binds Nika Rylski Oct. 22, 1982
73 The Dentist Bill Gray Oct. 29, 1982
74 Assassin Game John G. Fisher Nov. 5, 1982
75 Lazarus Rising John Douglas Nov. 12, 1982
76 Young Goodman Brown John Douglas Nov. 19, 1982
77 But, Oh, What Happened to Hutchings! Roy (T. E.) Sallows Nov. 26, 1982
78 Daddy's Girl Janet Bonellie Dec. 3, 1982
79 The Cruel Husband David Leicester Dec. 10, 1982
80 The Signalman Otto Lowy Dec. 17, 1982
81 Watching Bryan Wade Dec. 31, 1982
82 The Strange Odyssey of Lennis Freed Tim Wynne-Jones Jan. 7, 1983
83 Weather Station Four Arthur Samuels Jan. 14, 1983
84 The Brides of Olivera Larry Gaynor Jan. 21, 1983
85 The Contract John Richard Wright Jan. 28, 1983
86 Beauty's Beast Burke Campbell Feb. 4, 1983
87 The Angel of Death Raymond Storey Feb. 11, 1983
88 Semi-Detached Shawn Selway Feb. 18, 1983
89 A Glaze of Perfect Beauty Stephen Freygood Feb. 25, 1983
90 No Quarter Phil Savath Mar. 4, 1983
91 The Undertaker John Douglas Mar. 11, 1983
92 Private Collection Warren Graves Mar. 18, 1983
93 The Hit Laurence Gough Mar. 25, 1983
94 Walter's Dog Larry LeClair Apr. 1, 1983
95 Safe in the Arms of Jesus Martin Kinch Apr. 8, 1983
96 The Wedding Phil Savath Apr. 15, 1983
97 Hypnotized Jesse Bodyan Apr. 22, 1983
98 After Sunset Brian Taylor Apr. 29, 1983
99 Servants of Cerberus Mary Humphrey Baldridge May 6, 1983
100 Waters Under the Bridge Gaëtan Charlebois May 13, 1983

External links

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