''The Evil Touch'' is an Australian television series, originally broadcast in Australia in 1973 and produced by Amalgamated Pictures Australasia in association with Olola Productions Australia. An

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a di ...

, each episode had a self-contained story usually in a

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction ** Korean horror, Korean horror fiction *Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing on ...

style, and often with a

twist ending Twist may refer to: In arts and entertainment Film, television, and stage * ''Twist'' (2003 film), a 2003 independent film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel ''Oliver Twist'' * ''Twist'' (2021 film), a 2021 modern rendition of ''Olive ...

. Subjects explored included the

occult The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism ...

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imagination, imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, Paral ...

, murder schemes, and

whodunit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the cl ...

s. Each episode had a new cast of guest actors playing new characters, although several guest stars appeared in more than one episode.

Overview

The series was produced by

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, ...

producer

Mende Brown Mende Brown (1920-2002) was an American writer, producer and director of radio, films and TV who lived and worked in Australia from 1970 to 1991. His directing on radio included ''The Affairs of Peter Salem''.Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedi ...

and partly funded by the Nine Network. A key feature was the involvement of internationally known actors. Some were lured to Australia to participate in the show by also being allowed to direct an episode. Supporting roles were filled by Australian actors. Although Australian television was still in black and white in 1973, to aid international marketability this series was shot entirely in colour, and on film. Each episode was introduced by

Anthony Quayle Sir John Anthony Quayle (7 September 1913 – 20 October 1989) was a British actor and theatre director. He was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role as Thomas Wolsey in the film '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (196 ...

who appeared in a darkened studio surrounded by unearthly golden smoke imagery, frequently reminding viewers that "there is a touch of evil in all of us". He returned to provide the epilogue to each installment, always wishing viewers "pleasant dreams".

Cast

Each episode featured a new setting and characters and a different cast. Several name actors appeared, acting in multiple episodes as different characters: *

Mildred Natwick Mildred Natwick (June 19, 1905 – October 25, 1994) was an American actress. She won a Primetime Emmy Award and was nominated for an Academy Award and two Tony Awards. Early life Natwick was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the daughter of Mildre ...

(''Heart to Heart'' and ''Scared to Death'') *

Julie Harris Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play. Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...

(''Happy New Year Aunt Carrie'' and ''The Upper Hand'') *

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (11 February 192628 November 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. Nielsen was bo ...

(''The Obituary'' and ''The Voyage'') *

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come fro ...

(''A Game of Hearts'', ''George'' and ''Gornak's Prism'') *

Vic Morrow Victor Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series '' Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstan ...

(''Murder's for the Birds'' and ''The Fans'') *

Ray Walston Herman Raymond Walston (November 2, 1914 – January 1, 2001) was an American actor and comedian, well known as the title character on '' My Favorite Martian''. His other major film, television, and stage roles included Luther Billis (''South Pac ...

(''Dear Beloved Monster'' and ''The Trial'') *

Robert Lansing Robert Lansing (; October 17, 1864 – October 30, 1928) was an American lawyer and diplomat who served as Counselor to the State Department at the outbreak of World War I, and then as United States Secretary of State under President Woodrow Wils ...

(''The Lake'' and ''Seeing is Believing'') *

Kim Hunter Kim Hunter (born Janet Cole; November 11, 1922 – September 11, 2002) was an American theatre, film, and television actress. She achieved prominence for portraying Stella Kowalski in the original production of Tennessee Williams' ''A Streetcar N ...

(''Dr. McDermott's New Patient'' and ''Wings of Death'') *

Carol Lynley Carol Lynley (born Carole Ann Jones; February 13, 1942 – September 3, 2019) was an American actress known for her roles in the films '' Blue Denim'' (1959) and '' The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972). Lynley was born in Manhattan to an Irish ...

(''Death by Dreaming'' and ''Dear Cora, I'm Going to Kill You'') *

Harry Guardino Harry Guardino (December 23, 1925 – July 17, 1995) was an American actor whose career spanned from the early 1950s to the early 1990s. Biography Guardino was born to an Italian family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and raised in Bro ...

(''The Homecoming'' and ''They'') Morrow and McGavin each directed one of the episodes they acted in. Australian actors in supporting roles included

Jack Thompson Jack Thompson may refer to: Sports * Jack Thompson (footballer, born 1892) (1892–1969), English footballer who played for Sheffield United and Bristol City * Jack Thompson (1920s footballer), English footballer who played for Aston Villa and Brig ...

Elaine Lee Elaine Lee is an American actress, playwright, producer, and writer, who specializes in graphic novels. She has also received recognition and awards for her work as a creator and producer of audio books and dramas. Her comics have been illus ...

, John Morris, June Thody,

Tony Bonner Anthony Frederick Bonner (born 23 November 1943) is an Australian television, film and stage actor and singer. Bonner became famous in the 1960s children's television series '' Skippy the Bush Kangaroo'', later moving on to lead roles in the ...

Neva Carr Glyn Neva Carr Glyn or Neva Carr Glynn (born Neva Josephine Mary Carr Glyn, 10 May 1908 – 10 August 1975) was an Australian stage, film and radio actress born in Melbourne to Arthur Benjamin Carr Glyn (died 16 January 1923), a humorous baritone and ...

, Janet Kingsbury, Mirren Lee,

Reg Evans Reginald Evans (27 March 1928 – 7 February 2009) was a British-born actor active in Australian radio, theatre, television and cinema from the 1960s, after having started his career in his native England. Biography Evans started drama while ...

. ''Filmink'' magazine called it "pure

Rick Dalton Rick may refer to: People *Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name *Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality *Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...

territory".

Broadcasts

The series was initially screened in Australia by the Nine Network in a prime time slot. The series was also screened in first-run syndication and later re-ran on

TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cl ...

in the US and ITV in the UK, with later airings in the 1990s on

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. In Australia it was repeated in a late-night slot several times up until the mid-1980s.

List of episodes with American airdates

*1.The Lake (9/16/73) *2. Heart to Heart (9/23/73) *3.Dr. McDermitt's New Patients (9/30/73) *4.The Obituary (10/7/73) *5. Happy New Year, Aunt Carrie (10/14/73) *6.A Game of Hearts (10/21/73) *7.Seeing Is Believing (10/28/73) *8.The Upper Hand (11/4/73) *9.Murder Is for the Birds (11/11/73) *10.Marci (11/18/73) *11. George (11/25/73) *12.Scared to Death (12/2/73) *13.The Homecoming (12/9/73) *14.Dear Beloved Monster (12/16/73) *15.Campaign '20 (1/13/74) *16.Faulkner's Choice (1/20/74) *17.Dear Cora, I'm Going to Kill You (1/27/74) *18.The Trial (2/3/74) *19.The Fans (2/10/74) *20.Kaidaitcha Country (2/24/74)''Kadaicha Country''
at

AustLit AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource (also known as AustLit: Australian Literature Gateway; and AustLit: The Resource for Australian Literature), usually referred to simply as AustLit, is an internet-based, non-profit collaboration betwee ...

*21. Gornak's Prism (3/3/74) *22.The Voyage (3/10/74) *23.Death by Dreaming (3/24/74) *24.Never Fool With a Gypsy Icon (3/31/74) *25.They (6/2/74) *26.Wings of Death (6/9/74)

References

* Moran, Albert. Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, Allen & Unwin, 1993. p 166-7.

External links

*
''The Evil Touch''
at

{{DEFAULTSORT:Evil Touch, The Nine Network original programming Australian anthology television series 1970s Australian drama television series Australian science fiction television series Australian horror fiction television series Horror fiction television series 1973 Australian television series debuts 1974 Australian television series endings English-language television shows