Television
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Unproduced projects
Salem's Lot TV spinoff: Bloch penned a script for the pilot of a proposed weekly TV spinoff series that recounted the further adventures of Ben Mears and Mark Petrie. A copy of that pilot script, titled “The Homecoming,” was sold on eBay last week [Sept 2024] for over $850. Click to see a random selection (the only ones available) of script pages: Salem's Lot
"Death Crawls Slowly" for Dial M for Murder. Bloch: "This could have been good. The script I originally wanted to write was turned down by the network – so later I wrote it as a motion picture.” “A pilot script for a Warner Bros. series which was never made. The insistence on a pedestrian approach – and network aversion to any hint of ‘violence’ – foredoomed the project, which by its very nature called for bizarre crimes [and] a melodramatic flamboyance of characterizations. It was written very much ‘under wraps’ – and with a full panel of ‘experts’ to advise as to changes."
"Treasure Hunt" for G.E. True. Bloch: "Much too long – and much too stilted. Not my style at all.” “This is a first draft of a TV show episode that was never filmed. Jack Webb’s ‘True’ series, made at Warner Brothers in 1962-3, lasted only one season – and so did Mr. Webb’s role as head of their television operation. The reasons may perhaps be found in this example, written ‘to order.’ Mr. Webb’s insistence on dialogue and narrative technique which followed his personalized ‘Dragnet’ style is oddly out of place in a story of this sort: this is an example of an assignment a writer takes out of necessity and executes under pressure. As in this instance, it seldom succeeds at any level."
"Linda." Bloch: “Here, in notes, outline and various versions and revisions, are the copious results of an attempt to translate John D. MacDonald’s novel ‘Linda’ into a screenplay. The results – representing compromises with executives and studio personnel, were eminently unsatisfactory, and the project was abandoned. These things happen – but there is, as evidenced here, as much or more work involved in the failures as in the successes.”
"Midnight," pilot episode for Underground. Bloch: “No action on this yet by a network – but it may still be produced."
"Fear No Evil," pilot episode for The Twenty-First Witch. Bloch: "Story treatment and copy of two-hour original motion picture or teleplay for pilot of new series: ‘Fear No Evil. Episode: ‘The Twenty-First Witch.’” The story treatment includes the following note: “My original story treatment for a two-hour film for television on which I worked at Universal Studios in summer and fall of 1969.” The revised story treatment includes the following note: “The same story after suggested revisions on part of Universal producers.” The script includes the following note: “Here is how the treatment evolved into my finished screenplay – which I doubt very much they will have the courage to film, since it is straight fantasy.”
"Death Crawls Slowly" for Dial M for Murder. Bloch: "This could have been good. The script I originally wanted to write was turned down by the network – so later I wrote it as a motion picture.” “A pilot script for a Warner Bros. series which was never made. The insistence on a pedestrian approach – and network aversion to any hint of ‘violence’ – foredoomed the project, which by its very nature called for bizarre crimes [and] a melodramatic flamboyance of characterizations. It was written very much ‘under wraps’ – and with a full panel of ‘experts’ to advise as to changes."
"Treasure Hunt" for G.E. True. Bloch: "Much too long – and much too stilted. Not my style at all.” “This is a first draft of a TV show episode that was never filmed. Jack Webb’s ‘True’ series, made at Warner Brothers in 1962-3, lasted only one season – and so did Mr. Webb’s role as head of their television operation. The reasons may perhaps be found in this example, written ‘to order.’ Mr. Webb’s insistence on dialogue and narrative technique which followed his personalized ‘Dragnet’ style is oddly out of place in a story of this sort: this is an example of an assignment a writer takes out of necessity and executes under pressure. As in this instance, it seldom succeeds at any level."
"Linda." Bloch: “Here, in notes, outline and various versions and revisions, are the copious results of an attempt to translate John D. MacDonald’s novel ‘Linda’ into a screenplay. The results – representing compromises with executives and studio personnel, were eminently unsatisfactory, and the project was abandoned. These things happen – but there is, as evidenced here, as much or more work involved in the failures as in the successes.”
"Midnight," pilot episode for Underground. Bloch: “No action on this yet by a network – but it may still be produced."
"Fear No Evil," pilot episode for The Twenty-First Witch. Bloch: "Story treatment and copy of two-hour original motion picture or teleplay for pilot of new series: ‘Fear No Evil. Episode: ‘The Twenty-First Witch.’” The story treatment includes the following note: “My original story treatment for a two-hour film for television on which I worked at Universal Studios in summer and fall of 1969.” The revised story treatment includes the following note: “The same story after suggested revisions on part of Universal producers.” The script includes the following note: “Here is how the treatment evolved into my finished screenplay – which I doubt very much they will have the courage to film, since it is straight fantasy.”
Background
Bloch’s entrance into writing for television originated when friend Samuel Peeples—at the time a writer of western teleplays for such series as Wanted: Dead or Alive and The Rifleman—requested Bloch to come to Hollywood to write a script for the crime drama, Lock-Up. Bloch’s initial submission was accepted and led to additional assignments.
Bloch worked steadily in the medium throughout the 1960s and 70s, writing teleplays for numerous popular and acclaimed television series. With friends in the business introducing Bloch to executives and producers in the industry, he came to Universal Studios in late 1959 and met the staff producing Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Given that the show had produced two of Bloch’s stories, they asked him to write a script, an adaptation of a Frank Mace story which became “The Cuckoo Clock.” Upon delivery of the script, he was offered subsequent assignments, ultimately writing a total of eight teleplays for Presents. Arguably the most notable of these was his own story, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” This episode is (in)famous for not being broadcast during the series original run for its ending being deemed too gruesome (the implication of Diana Dors being sawn in half). The episode later saw its debut on television when the series went into syndication. Bloch would continue to write for the show after its expansion to an hour in length and rename to The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
During his Hitchcock tenures, he additionally became involved with writing for Thriller (1960-62), a new mystery/suspense anthology series starring Boris Karloff. Through this stint, Bloch first met the famed horror actor, which led to the pair becoming close friends. Bloch wrote a total of seven scripts for Thriller, many adaptations of his own stories. He adapted one story not his own, D.M. Lessing’s “The Black Madonna,” retitled to “The Grim Reaper,” starring William Shatner, which would come to be known as one of the more memorable episodes of the series.
For Night Gallery, Rod Serling’s supernatural-leaning follow-up to his lauded Twilight Zone, Bloch sadly (if ever a show was geared toward his forte!), contributed only one produced entry, adapting August Derleth’s 1939 short, “Logoda’s Heads.” Invited to write a script for the original Star Trek, Bloch ultimately contributed three teleplays: the light-weight entries “Catspaw” and “What are Little Girls Made Of?”, as well as a nod to Jack the Ripper, “Wolf in the Fold.” Here, Bloch transforms “Red Jack” into a non-corporeal entity who takes over the Enterprise’s computer, and thus, control of the ship, before Kirk and Spock save the day.
Bloch additionally wrote the teleplays for two major network “Movies of the Week” – The Cat Creature (1973) and The Dead Don’t Die (1975), the former an original story, the latter, an adaptation of Bloch’s own story of the same name. Both films were directed by Curtis Harrington, a writer and director of primarily low-budget horror and science-fiction films (Night Tide, How Awful About Allan, and others.). Cat Creature was meant as an homage to the spirit of the Val Lewton classic, Cat People (1942), while Dead concerns itself with zombies shambling the streets of Chicago in the 1930s. Neither project left Bloch nor Harrington completely satisfied, due to typical corporate and network intrusion into the scripts.
Bloch worked steadily in the medium throughout the 1960s and 70s, writing teleplays for numerous popular and acclaimed television series. With friends in the business introducing Bloch to executives and producers in the industry, he came to Universal Studios in late 1959 and met the staff producing Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Given that the show had produced two of Bloch’s stories, they asked him to write a script, an adaptation of a Frank Mace story which became “The Cuckoo Clock.” Upon delivery of the script, he was offered subsequent assignments, ultimately writing a total of eight teleplays for Presents. Arguably the most notable of these was his own story, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.” This episode is (in)famous for not being broadcast during the series original run for its ending being deemed too gruesome (the implication of Diana Dors being sawn in half). The episode later saw its debut on television when the series went into syndication. Bloch would continue to write for the show after its expansion to an hour in length and rename to The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
During his Hitchcock tenures, he additionally became involved with writing for Thriller (1960-62), a new mystery/suspense anthology series starring Boris Karloff. Through this stint, Bloch first met the famed horror actor, which led to the pair becoming close friends. Bloch wrote a total of seven scripts for Thriller, many adaptations of his own stories. He adapted one story not his own, D.M. Lessing’s “The Black Madonna,” retitled to “The Grim Reaper,” starring William Shatner, which would come to be known as one of the more memorable episodes of the series.
For Night Gallery, Rod Serling’s supernatural-leaning follow-up to his lauded Twilight Zone, Bloch sadly (if ever a show was geared toward his forte!), contributed only one produced entry, adapting August Derleth’s 1939 short, “Logoda’s Heads.” Invited to write a script for the original Star Trek, Bloch ultimately contributed three teleplays: the light-weight entries “Catspaw” and “What are Little Girls Made Of?”, as well as a nod to Jack the Ripper, “Wolf in the Fold.” Here, Bloch transforms “Red Jack” into a non-corporeal entity who takes over the Enterprise’s computer, and thus, control of the ship, before Kirk and Spock save the day.
Bloch additionally wrote the teleplays for two major network “Movies of the Week” – The Cat Creature (1973) and The Dead Don’t Die (1975), the former an original story, the latter, an adaptation of Bloch’s own story of the same name. Both films were directed by Curtis Harrington, a writer and director of primarily low-budget horror and science-fiction films (Night Tide, How Awful About Allan, and others.). Cat Creature was meant as an homage to the spirit of the Val Lewton classic, Cat People (1942), while Dead concerns itself with zombies shambling the streets of Chicago in the 1930s. Neither project left Bloch nor Harrington completely satisfied, due to typical corporate and network intrusion into the scripts.