Time Express (1979– )

This was a good effort at creating a Twilight Zone-type of story, using time-travel as the main plot device. Vincent Price starred as the host and principal owner of a train which traveled back and forth in time. As I recall they overlaid a Pullman train stock shot with lots of fog to simulate the mysticism of time-travel.

There were two episodes which I saw, and both were fairly good. The first involved the story of a man whose wife required a bone marrow transplant. Her parents couldn't give it, but it turned out she was adopted. The orphanage records had been lost in a fire, so, Time Express to the rescue! Of course, almost no one in the past believed him except a friendly nun who believed in miracles. The twist (every good story has them!) was that upon learning of his long-lost sister, the unknowing brother doesn't want to give his marrow. Later at the end, however, he shows up and explains that his wife has told him he's going to be a father and "...it didn't seem right to let one life die when a new one is being born." Actually, since I remember the dialogue, it must have had an effect on me!

The second story was about a garbage man who found millions of dollars in cash while emptying cans, and went on to become a financier. He felt guilty about it, because he never knew whose money it was. Time Express allowed him to replay that fortunate incident, and this time he called it in to the police. It turned out that the money was a cash deposit by one mobster to another to pay back a loan! After a confrontation between the gangsters and the sanitation workers, the garbage man still ends up with the money!

While Vincent Price could never measure up to Rod Serling, the show was pretty good. Decent writing, with hints of something else in the background. At one point the conductor is chatting with the engineer, and make mention of the fact that this is all a second chance for them, as their train "went down into that gulley with no chance of ever coming back".

This was a good try, and a worthy entry into the Hall of Almost Series'.