Nightmare Classics

{{Infobox television

| alt_name = Shelley Duvall's Nightmare Classics

| image =

| caption =

| creator = Shelley Duvall

| starring = Various

| narrated = Linda Hunt

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_seasons = 1

| num_episodes = 4

| executive_producer = Shelley Duvall

| runtime = 60 minutes

| network = Showtime

| first_aired = {{Start date|1989|08|12}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1989|11|26}}

| related = Tall Tales & Legends
Faerie Tale Theatre

}}

Nightmare Classics (also known as Shelley Duvall's Nightmare Classics) is an American horror anthology television series created, produced and executive produced by Shelley Duvall featuring adaptations of well-known horror stories by authors including Henry James, Sheridan Le Fanu, Robert Louis Stevenson and Ambrose Bierce. Following the success of her two previous anthology series – Faerie Tale Theatre and Tall Tales & Legends – both of which were aimed at the elementary-school set, Duvall attempted to branch out to the teen and young adult audience with Nightmare Classics.

Broadcast

Nightmare Classics originally aired on Showtime from August 12 to November 26, 1989. Although planned as a six-episode series, only four were ultimately produced and it was the least successful series that Duvall produced for Showtime.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/08/06/arts/television-shelley-duvall-tries-scaring-up-a-new-audience.html?pagewanted=all|title=TELEVISION; Shelly Duvall Tries Scaring Up A New Audience|website=The New York Times}}

Episodes

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:80%; background:#fff;"
style="background:#39f;"\| No. ! style="background:#39f;"\| Title ! style="background:#39f;"\| Directed by ! style="background:#39f;"\| Original airdate {{Episode list \|Title=The Turn of the Screw \|OriginalAirDate={{Start date\|1989\|08\|12}} \|EpisodeNumber=1 \|DirectedBy= Graeme Clifford \|ShortSummary= A young governess (Amy Irving) on her first assignment at Bly Manor estate is hired to look after two neglected children, who show signs of having been corrupted by the evil influence of the manor's resident ghost (Michael Harris). The governess becomes obsessed with saving the children from what she sees as a mortal threat to their very souls. Cast: Amy Irving, David Hemmings, Micole Mercurio, Olaf Pooley, Balthazar Getty, Michael Harris \|LineColor=3399ff }} {{Episode list \|Title=Carmilla \|OriginalAirDate={{Start date\|1989\|09\|10}} \|EpisodeNumber=2 \|DirectedBy= Gabrielle Beaumont \|ShortSummary= Marie (Ione Skye) is a lonely girl living with her overbearing father (Roy Dotrice) on a plantation during the Civil War era. Their placid lives are invaded when they rescue a sole survivor from a carriage wreck: a mysterious woman named Carmilla (Meg Tilly) who is believed to be a vampire when bodies start turning up with two little holes in the side of their necks. Cast: Ione Skye, Meg Tilly, Roy Dotrice, Roddy McDowall, Armelia McQueen, John Doolittle, Lise Marie Russell \|LineColor=3399ff }} {{Episode list \|Title=The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde \|OriginalAirDate={{Start date\|1989\|10\|29}} \|EpisodeNumber=3 \|DirectedBy= Michael Lindsay-Hogg \|ShortSummary= Henry Jekyll (Anthony Andrews), a shy and unassuming doctor, is obsessed with the idea of separating the good from the evil within humans by using the chemical concoctions he made. He is also obviously attracted to Rebecca (Laura Dern), daughter of the head teacher of the medical school he works for, but the timid doctor just cannot say so until he himself drinks the portion to become Mr. Edward Hyde, handsome and confident gentleman whose wish should never be denied. Cast: Anthony Andrews, Nicholas Guest, George Murdock, Laura Dern, Lisa Langlois, Rue McClanahan \|LineColor=3399ff }} {{Episode list \|Title=The Eyes of the Panther \|OriginalAirDate={{Start date\|1989\|11\|26}} \|EpisodeNumber=4 \|DirectedBy= Noel Black \|ShortSummary= A crusty Old West hermit (John Stockwell) relates the story of the eerie experiences of a Midwestern pioneer family whose home was invaded by a mysterious panther. But in the years that follow, an unnatural curse haunts the family's beautiful daughter Irene (Daphne Zuniga), who finds herself answering the call of primordial, inhuman instincts. Cast: C. Thomas Howell, Daphne Zuniga, John Stockwell, Jeb Brown, Ruth de Sosa, Terry Wills, Nancy Parsons \|LineColor=3399ff }}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width:80%; background:#fff;"

style="background:#39f;"| No.

! style="background:#39f;"| Title

! style="background:#39f;"| Directed by

! style="background:#39f;"| Original airdate

{{Episode list

|Title=The Turn of the Screw

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|08|12}}

|EpisodeNumber=1

|DirectedBy= Graeme Clifford

|ShortSummary= A young governess (Amy Irving) on her first assignment at Bly Manor estate is hired to look after two neglected children, who show signs of having been corrupted by the evil influence of the manor's resident ghost (Michael Harris). The governess becomes obsessed with saving the children from what she sees as a mortal threat to their very souls.
Cast: Amy Irving, David Hemmings, Micole Mercurio, Olaf Pooley, Balthazar Getty, Michael Harris

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=Carmilla

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|09|10}}

|EpisodeNumber=2

|DirectedBy= Gabrielle Beaumont

|ShortSummary= Marie (Ione Skye) is a lonely girl living with her overbearing father (Roy Dotrice) on a plantation during the Civil War era. Their placid lives are invaded when they rescue a sole survivor from a carriage wreck: a mysterious woman named Carmilla (Meg Tilly) who is believed to be a vampire when bodies start turning up with two little holes in the side of their necks.
Cast: Ione Skye, Meg Tilly, Roy Dotrice, Roddy McDowall, Armelia McQueen, John Doolittle, Lise Marie Russell

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|10|29}}

|EpisodeNumber=3

|DirectedBy= Michael Lindsay-Hogg

|ShortSummary= Henry Jekyll (Anthony Andrews), a shy and unassuming doctor, is obsessed with the idea of separating the good from the evil within humans by using the chemical concoctions he made. He is also obviously attracted to Rebecca (Laura Dern), daughter of the head teacher of the medical school he works for, but the timid doctor just cannot say so until he himself drinks the portion to become Mr. Edward Hyde, handsome and confident gentleman whose wish should never be denied.
Cast: Anthony Andrews, Nicholas Guest, George Murdock, Laura Dern, Lisa Langlois, Rue McClanahan

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

{{Episode list

|Title=The Eyes of the Panther

|OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1989|11|26}}

|EpisodeNumber=4

|DirectedBy= Noel Black

|ShortSummary= A crusty Old West hermit (John Stockwell) relates the story of the eerie experiences of a Midwestern pioneer family whose home was invaded by a mysterious panther. But in the years that follow, an unnatural curse haunts the family's beautiful daughter Irene (Daphne Zuniga), who finds herself answering the call of primordial, inhuman instincts.
Cast: C. Thomas Howell, Daphne Zuniga, John Stockwell, Jeb Brown, Ruth de Sosa, Terry Wills, Nancy Parsons

|LineColor=3399ff

}}

Home video

Following their initial broadcast on Showtime, all four episodes of Nightmare Classics were each released as a stand-alone VHS in 1990 by Cannon Video.