I discovered this one a few years ago and since it was from before I was born I obviously never saw it during it's initial run so I can't really gage how this show was viewed at the time, but in spite of some flaws and weak episodes (not a deal breaker because seriously what anthology series didn't have those lol) I found the series to overall be very good on the whole.
It seems the earlier seasons on HBO were a lot more "adult" in terms of it's depictions of sex and violence especially compared to the later seasons which were on a basic cable channel (I think I read it was either AMC or USA network) were the censorship was more strict and they couldn't get away with that. I still enjoyed episodes from the beginning and later seasons.
I'm actually surprised other weaker anthology series from the time like Tales From the Darkside are better remembered than this because not only did The Hitchhiker have much better production values and actors (like the original TZ did) but a lot episodes were very atmospheric and fell into either the horror (more psychological) or morality type of episodes. I don't think there were many sci-fi episodes, but if anyone remembers any please let me know. Although they could be corny at times I still enjoyed Paige Fletcher as The Hitchhiker and his commentary and appearances at the beginning and end of each episode never struck me as overbearing.
Does anyone else here have any familiarity with this series or saw it when it first aired and can shed some light on how popular it was? What do you think are the best episodes? Like I said I thought it was pretty good and since this show was from before I was born and I watched it decades after it aired I'm not biased or blinded by nostalgia
I remember catching reruns on late‑night HBO, it always felt like the sleazier, moodier cousin of Tales from the Darkside. “And If We Dream” really stuck with me. Have you tried the YouTube uploads?
9
Mst3KgfApr 12, 2026
+7
Page Fletcher as the Hitchhiker is what I always pictured Randall Flagg from "The Stand" as looking like.
7
CurvyCupcakesApr 12, 2026
+6
I absolutely loved The Hitchhiker. I grew up watching HBO and I loved all those adult, late night creepy shows. My other favorites were Tales from the Dark Side, Tales from the Crypt, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, there was some shitty show called Freddy’s Nightmares and it was so awful, I couldn’t watch it. They tried to go for a comedy/horror vibe and it just didn’t work for me.
Another show I loved that came out in late 80s was a series called Friday the 13th, it had nothing to do with the Jason slasher franchise. It was about two cousins who ran an antique shop that was full of cursed items. Their uncle owned the shop because he made a deal with the devil and the cousins would do research and hunt down the cursed items to keep them from harming people. So much nostalgia for 80s tv.
6
ItchyGoiterApr 13, 2026
+2
God damn, you just listed all of the same shows I watched (thought not on HBO... Only saw Hitchhiker on USA). I remember I would doze off while watching and it made for the most surreal experience.
2
sacredblasphemiesApr 18, 2026
+2
Yes! Friday the 13th: The Series! Great show!
2
ZweitenMalApr 12, 2026
+5
It was on USA, and I think it was a Canadian production.
5
doublebr13Apr 12, 2026
+1
We never had HBO, so these reruns on USA were the only option I had for these shows. Loved Hitchhiker, Werewolf and others.
1
photoguy423Apr 12, 2026
+1
This was how I watched it. I really enjoyed it.
1
Unclebatman1138Apr 12, 2026
+2
Cavalcade of future recognizable faces, too. As a pubescent boy with HBO, I was a pretty big fan. I bought the series on DVD for c****. Mostly doesn't hold up, but was a lot of nostalgic fun.
2
HeavenlyCreationApr 12, 2026
+3
It’s a great series.
When it was first aired I was lucky enough that my parents paid for HBO.
I’m not sure too many households at that time paid for premium cable channels but being they made 85 episodes, I’d say it was popular. Not MASH popular but premium cable popular.
3
DonatCottenApr 12, 2026
+1
I was extremely impressed with the production values, acting, and sense of atmosphere and dread portrayed in this show! It really blew me away. The only issue is that some episodes had weak writings and endings that were very strange ending not necessarily twists, but stuff that was out of left field that literally made no sense and made me go wtf?!
Regardless I do think it's a very good series and as a younger person who first watched it long after it aired I thought it deserved to be better remembered.
1
Electronic-Body5751Apr 12, 2026
+2
Oh wow i remember this one! My older brother had some episodes recorded on VHS and we used to watch them when parents weren't around because of all the adult content
The production quality was definitely way better than most anthology shows from that era. I think it got overshadowed because it moved between networks so much and the HBO episodes were harder for people to catch in syndication later. The atmospheric horror episodes were really well done though, much better than Tales from Darkside which felt super c**** most of time
2
DonatCottenApr 12, 2026
+1
I agree! The HBO Hitchhiker episodes looked amazing and were cinematic quality especially compared to TFTDS. I was very impressed with production values of the series
1
-KFBR392Apr 12, 2026
+1
Pre-internet that was one of our main sources for jack off material
1
VampireHunterAlexApr 12, 2026
+1
Ive caught an ep or two on Youtube over the years, but ive never been able to really delve into it like I have Darkside or Tales: Where would people rank it among that 80’s Horror Anthology peak?
1
DelcoPAManApr 12, 2026
+1
One of the better 80s anthologies for the reason you stated (nudity). Friday the 13th was disappointing and the revived Alfred Hitchcock was OK but not great.
1
skwmApr 12, 2026
+1
For years I remembered the episode where some guy had Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison tied up in his basement, each attached to an IV drip of heroin, as if it were some fever dream. I was never quite sure if I was making it up or if I really did see it until many years later when I was able to find info on the internet about it.
1
HopsapeApr 12, 2026
+1
There was an episode that haunts me still. There was a guy with his shirt off - he might have been primed for s*** time, I don't remember. There was a bird like a cockatoo or parrot or something on a perch nearby and it poked his pec with a talon causing an arcing stream of uninterrupted blood. He bled so profoundly and the perfect blood arch was so striking that I have never forgotten it. It's been over 30 years and I will never forget it. I hate pet birds to this day.
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