Kraft Suspense Theater (1 Viewer)

Elena S · May 12, 2010

Who remembers this one from the mid 60s? It had lots of big name guest stars and top notch episodes. I wonder what the chances are of this being released. If I remember correctly all episodes were in color. Had a nifty closing theme, too.

Mark Collins · May 12, 2010

We in Chicago do. Plays every Sunday afternoon. I think John Williams does the score. I was just a kid but I remember when Time Tunnel debuted. I thought the Tunnel graphics resembled that series opening graphics. Gena Rolands from movies and Peyton Place I watched a few months back in one episode. I also saw Gena again with her husband in a great Hitchcock 1 hr ep.

Bert Greene · May 12, 2010

Owing to its color status, the series circulated quite a bit in syndication in the late-60s/early-70s. Last I saw of it was on the Sci-Fi Channel in the wee hours of the morning, in the mid-90s. Taped quite a few of them. Great guest-stars, and the colors were eye-popping. Scripts varied. I always wanted to see the episode that was the pilot to "Run for Your Life," but never ran across it. Perhaps it's not part of the syndicated package. Or, maybe I just missed it.

I'd love to see the series on dvd. Same with its sister show, "Chrysler Theater," which also used to make the rounds. Usually under the syndicated name of "Star Time" or something like that. I really miss that sort of fare.

potnoodle · May 12, 2010

Don't need to remember it, the show is on every Saturday night (actually Sunday morning) at 1:00 am Eastern on Retro Tv. But it's using it's syndicated title "Crisis". After watching a number of episodes, have to say that the stories were pretty uneven, some good, some not-so-good. But as a fan of anthology-type shows, it's still a treat to still be able to see these shows, even the lesser ones.

Harry-N · May 13, 2010

The Retro Network (or RTN) is indeed showing SUSPENSE THEATRE under the title of CRISIS. But you have to check your local affiliate for where and when it runs in your area. RTN doesn't operate as a "network" since its affiliates can choose what they want to run where.

I now live in between Tampa and Orlando, and in both cities there is an RTN affiliate. The Orlando channel, WRDQ-DT2) 27.2 runs CRISIS on the weekends - 7p on both Saturday and Sunday.

The Tampa channel, WFLA-DT2, 8.2, runs the show weeknights at 11 PM.

I've caught a few of them and am looking for one in particular that I keep missing. It's called "The Leviathan Five" from the show's first season. It's one I remember from one of those Sunday afternoon airings back in the late '60s or early '70s, and always wanted to see again.

First season opening:

Second season opening:

And yes, both were from John Williams, who went on to do his work for the three Irwin Allen shows, LOST IN SPACE, TIME TUNNEL, and LAND OF THE GIANTS.

The silhouetted figures in the opening titles resemble both those used in TIME TUNNEL, but perhaps even moreso the ones in LAND OF THE GIANTS.

Harry

Tim Tucker · May 13, 2010

"Leviathan Five" is part of the package RTN has, because I caught it during the show's brief run on my local affiliate.

However, RTN appears to run the episodes without rhyme or reason, so I could never tell which episode would show up next.

Neil Brock · May 13, 2010

Originally Posted by Tim Tucker

"Leviathan Five" is part of the package RTN has, because I caught it during the show's brief run on my local affiliate.

However, RTN appears to run the episodes without rhyme or reason, so I could never tell which episode would show up next.

I'd love to know if they actually have the full package or not. I have a friend who gets the station recording it for me and I've gotten copies of some episodes at least a half dozen times. Don't know if its just that they take whatever tape is handy and throw it on or what. They have no schedule nor any idea what they air and when.

Neil Brock · May 13, 2010

Originally Posted by Bert Greene

Owing to its color status, the series circulated quite a bit in syndication in the late-60s/early-70s. Last I saw of it was on the Sci-Fi Channel in the wee hours of the morning, in the mid-90s. Taped quite a few of them. Great guest-stars, and the colors were eye-popping. Scripts varied. I always wanted to see the episode that was the pilot to "Run for Your Life," but never ran across it. Perhaps it's not part of the syndicated package. Or, maybe I just missed it.

I'd love to see the series on dvd. Same with its sister show, "Chrysler Theater," which also used to make the rounds. Usually under the syndicated name of "Star Time" or something like that. I really miss that sort of fare.

I'm not sure if Rapture at Two Forty ever was syndicated with the Suspense Theatre package or not but it definitely is in the Run for Your Life package.

Chrysler Theatre is split into 2 packages with 2 different owners. Universal has 40 of them I believe (at one time they were syndicating only 30) while Republic, hence now CBS, had 50 of them. The Universal ones ran on CBN while Nostalgia Channel ran the Republic package. To make it even more confusing, Republic also had some Matinee Theatres mixed in with their package.

DeWilson · May 13, 2010

Originally Posted by Neil Brock

I'm not sure if Rapture at Two Forty ever was syndicated with the Suspense Theatre package or not but it definitely is in the Run for Your Life package.

Chrysler Theatre is split into 2 packages with 2 different owners. Universal has 40 of them I believe (at one time they were syndicating only 30) while Republic, hence now CBS, had 50 of them. The Universal ones ran on CBN while Nostalgia Channel ran the Republic package. To make it even more confusing, Republic also had some Matinee Theatres mixed in with their package.

Rapture at Two Forty is in the current package RTV is running

Mark Collins · May 13, 2010

I found Rapture at Two Forty between Jungle of Fear and the Green Felt Jungle. Leviathan 5 is between My Enemy This Town and Who Is Jennifer. Episode lists can be found on Google under Kraft. We also get Run For Your Life The Bold Ones Marcus Welby all Universal shows Sundays old westerns from Universal. Sea Hunt it goes on and on. The Chicago Me channel 26 has 4 stations the last one for movies and pairs with one of the RTO stations I can pick up same program simultanously airing on both. I can get these stations because I live in a bedroom suburb of Chicago. I am so glad I invested in a roof top antenna with booster and rotor some years back. That is how I can grab the Chicago stations my local and the city Retro plays in on two stations. The primary studios CBS/ Desilu Univesal Fox only gives us some of their popular stuff and same with the other studios.

Buy a roof top antenna it is worth the money if you live in near Chicago. I have a dish and I hope someday they include these stations on it. That way everyone can enjoy them.

Elena S · May 14, 2010

There is no RTN in my area so I had no idea they were showing it. Plus I'm on Dish Network so there is practically zero chance of my seeing it. I'm jealous of those who get the "network."

Chrystler Theater is one I remember too.

Statskeeper · May 15, 2010

Originally Posted by Elena S I'm jealous of those who get the "network."

According to Wikipedia Dish Network will be adding RTV this summer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retro_Television_Network

I guess I'm spoiled - I get the Boston affiliate on basic cable and the Providence affiliate over the air. WJAR 10.2 in Providence shows Kraft Suspense Theater weeknights @ 11p, and WMFP in Boston shows it on weekends @ midnight.

Elena S · May 16, 2010

Originally Posted by Statskeeper /forum/thread/300560/kraft-suspense-theater#post_3691474

MielR · May 16, 2010

I get RTV with an antenna (indoor-rabbit ears) and a digital-converter box as well. You can try that if DISH doesn't carry it.

Statskeeper · May 17, 2010

It's in the middle of the article. I don't know which feed they'll use. I hope it comes on DirectTV soon as I may be switching to them in the near future.

Harry-N · Jul 9, 2010

Well I got it! "Leviathan Five" aired last night on the Tampa RTV station running SUSPENSE THEATER. I actually used some pretty good calculations, which tells me that they are running nearly all, but not all of the episodes in the series.

I kept seeing "My Enemy This Town" - I stumbled upon that one twice in succession, and it's the one just PAST the one I was looking for, "Leviathan Five". The last time around, I counted the number of episodes in the series, figured out the rotation based on a five-per-week showing on Tampa's RTV. Then I wrote myself a little note in a calendar program to check the rotation on today, July 9th. Well, just for the heck of it, I set a recorder last night, and lo and behold, there it was in all its glory, "Leviathan Five."

But theoretically, if they were showing all of the episodes, TONIGHT's check should have revealed a few more to go, but instead, it had skipped ahead, and I'm lucky I caught it.

Harry

DeWilson · Jul 9, 2010

The problem is only on the weekday runs are they running all the shows they have - on the weekend run they are still running the same 20 or so shows. Apparently they've programing the system to run different cycles on the weekend the on the weekdays.

They also still jump around like crazy,so I suggest keep a DVR handy to keep recording,just in case.

smithb · Jul 11, 2010

I wish my RTN channel in the Washington DC area picked this one up. Maybe some day.

smithb · Jul 11, 2010

I wish my RTN channel in the Washington DC area picked this one up. Maybe some day.

Neil Brock · Jul 11, 2010

Originally Posted by DeWilson

The problem is only on the weekday runs are they running all the shows they have - on the weekend run they are still running the same 20 or so shows. Apparently they've programing the system to run different cycles on the weekend the on the weekdays.

They also still jump around like crazy,so I suggest keep a DVR handy to keep recording,just in case.

That explains it a bit. My friend has the weekend package and they run the same ones over and over.

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