Russell Johnson And William Shatner Co-Starred In An Episode Of Boris Karloff's Show
Captain Kirk and the Professor once starred in an episode of an anthology series hosted by Frankenstein's Monster. Just a few years before they landed their most iconic roles in "Star Trek" and "Gilligan's Island," respectively, William Shatner and Russell Johnson appeared in Season 1 of Boris Karloff's "Thriller," one of the best anthology series ever made.
"The Hungry Glass" starred Shatner as photographer Gil Thrasher, who moves to New England with his wife, Marcia (Joanna Heyes). Johnson played Adam Talmadge, the realtor who sells the couple their home. Naturally, there's something wrong with the house. The previous owner, a woman played by Ottola Nesmith, became obsessed with gazing at herself in mirrors, and Gil and Marcia soon begin seeing apparitions reflected in their windows and the many mirrors they discover hidden away in the attic.
Shatner came back for a second episode of NBC's "Thriller" later that season, playing the concerned nephew of a woman who buys a painting of The Grim Reaper that might be connected to the deaths of its previous owners. Shatner would go on to land roles in several horror anthologies during the late '50s and early '60s. In addition to "Thriller," he starred in one of the best episodes of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and more famously "The Twilight Zone." Johnson, a veteran of Westerns on TV and in films, was less prolific in this genre, but he also had credits on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "The Twilight Zone."
Thriller was canceled after two seasons despite critical acclaim and notable stars
William Shatner and Russell Johnson were not the only recognizable stars to appear on "Thriller." Leslie Nielsen, who in his pre-"Airplane!" days was a dramatic actor rather than a comedy icon, starred in the series premiere. Bruce Dern, John Carradine, Mary Tyler Moore, and Rip Torn also appeared in an episode or two. Boris Karloff, who introduced every episode in his spooky-yet-comforting voice, starred in five of the 67 episodes himself.
Ratings for "Thriller" were solid and reception was positive. In Stephen King's 1981 non-fiction book about horror, "Danse Macabre," he said that "Thriller" was "the best horror series ever put on TV." No small praise, yet "Thriller" didn't have as long a run as some of the shows King says it was superior to. It was actually precisely because of one of those shows that "Thriller" met its demise. When "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" became "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," the Master of Suspense didn't want competition from another hour-long anthology series. The second and final season of "Thriller" aired in 1962, whereas "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour" ran for three more years, with its tenth and final season wrapping up in 1965.