Dark Intruder - The proto-Kolchak

[El Hombre Nuclear]

The recent Pod Stallions episode made me think of this obscure old gem, an unsold TV pilot starring Leslie Nielsen. It was a period piece (Victorian-era San Francisco), but was definitely in a similar "paranormal investigator" mold. Kind of like a cross between Kolchak and Sherlock Holmes, with some Lovecraftian elements as well. It's a shame that this didn't get picked up for a full series, as it's dripping with atmosphere.

[PNGwynne]

Wow, that looks interesting and entertaining. I'd love to see it--I recall enjoying "The Norliss Tapes" so much as a kid.

It's much slicker than the few-years earlier "Thriller" series, too. Thanks for sharing.

[PNGwynne]

I got a dvd copy of this, I love it!! I really wish it had been picked up as a series, it's like Dark Shadows meets Wild Wild West. Great production values, too.

[knight errant00]

I remember stumbling across this movie as a rerun one Saturday afternoon when I was a kid, and then catching it another time as a teen. It felt for sure like a pilot movie, and yeah, a real shame it never got a season or two as a series. Same for The Norliss Tapes, which I never saw until I was an adult and it popped up on Starz one October.

It's almost strange seeing Nielsen back in his leading man days like Forbidden Planet rather than post-Airplane comedic Nielsen.

What really strikes me is all the pilot movies like these that show up later -- great movies that leave scratching my head over how they weren't picked up but so many bleah things were turned into series.

[johnnystorm]

I would have watched that...it's Universal, so maybe it'll show up on Svengoolie sometime.
It is hard to watch Neilsen now though,I agree. I keep expecting a joke or line to come next everytime he speaks. He was a serious actor far longer than a comedic one, yet comedy will forever be his legacy.