Robert Bloch on TV Part Eighteen: Alfred Hitchcock Presents/The Alfred Hitchcock Hour-Overview, Episode Guide, Rankings

by Jack Seabrook

"The Gloating Place"

Robert Bloch had a hand in ten episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and seven episodes of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. In the fifth season of the half-hour series he had two stories adapted by other writers (“The Cure” and “Madame Mystery”) and adapted another writer’s story himself (“The Cuckoo Clock”). In season six, he adapted two of his own stories (“The Changing Heart” and “The Gloating Place”) and he adapted two stories by other writers (“The Greatest Monster of Them All” and “The Landlady”). In season seven, he adapted two of his own stories (“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “The Big Kick”) and one story by another (“Bad Actor”).

The show expanded to an hour with season eight and Bloch adapted a novel by another writer (“Annabel”). In season nine, he adapted one of his own stories (“A Home Away From Home”) and had another adapted by someone else (“The Sign of Satan”). For the final season, two of Bloch’s stories were adapted by other writers (“Water’s Edge” and  “Final Performance”) and he adapted two stories by others (“The Second Wife” and “Off Season”).

Episodes based on stories by Robert Bloch but with teleplays by other writers:

“The Cure”
“Madame Mystery”
“The Sign of Satan”
“Water’s Edge”
“Final Performance”

Episodes with teleplays by Robert Bloch based on stories by other writers:

“The Cuckoo Clock”
“The Greatest Monster of Them All”
“The Landlady”
“Bad Actor”
“Annabel”
“The Second Wife”
“Off Season”

Episodes where Bloch adapted his own stories:

“The Changing Heart”
“The Gloating Place”
“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
“The Big Kick”
“A Home Away From Home”

All were aired on CBS or NBC except for “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” which was only shown in syndication.

"The Greatest Monster of Them All"

Episode Guide:

Episode title-“The Cure”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 24 January 1960
Teleplay by- Michael Pertwee
Based on-“The Cure” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Playboy October 1957
Notes
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Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Madame Mystery”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 27 March 1960
Teleplay by- William Fay
Based on-“Is Betsey Blake Still Alive?” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine April 1958
Notes
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Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Cuckoo Clock”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 17 April 1960
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“The Man in the Raincoat” by Frank Mace
First print appearance-London Mystery Magazine December 1958
Notes
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Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“The Changing Heart”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 3 January 1961
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“Change of Heart” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-The Arkham Sampler Winter 1948
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Greatest Monster of Them All”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 14 February 1961
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“The Greatest Monster of Them All” by Bryce Walton
First print appearance-Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine May 1959
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

"The Changing Heart"

Episode title-“The Landlady”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 21 February 1961
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“The Landlady” by Roald Dahl
First print appearance-The New Yorker 28 November 1959
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Gloating Place”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 16 May 1961
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“The Gloating Place” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Rogue June 1959
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- syndication only
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Weird Tales January 1949
Notes
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Available on DVD?-Yes

Episode title-“Bad Actor”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 9 January 1962
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“The Geniuses” by Max Franklin (Richard Deming)
First print appearance-Manhunt June 1957
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Big Kick”
Series-Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Broadcast date- 19 June 1962
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“The Big Kick” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Rogue July 1959
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

"Bad Actor"

Episode title-“Annabel”
Series-The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Broadcast date- 1 November 1962
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-This Sweet Sickness by Patricia Highsmith
First print appearance-1960 (novel)
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“A Home Away From Home”
Series-The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Broadcast date- 27 September 1963
Teleplay by- Robert Bloch
Based on-“A Home Away From Home” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine June 1961
Notes
Watch episode-unavailable online
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Sign of Satan”
Series-The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Broadcast date- 8 May 1964
Teleplay by- Barre Lyndon
Based on-“Return to the Sabbath” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Weird Tales July 1938
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“Water’s Edge”
Series-The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Broadcast date-19 October 1964
Teleplay by- Alfred Hayes
Based on-“Water’s Edge” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine September 1956
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

"Annabel"

Episode title-“Final Performance”
Series-The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Broadcast date- 18 January 1965
Teleplay by-Clyde Ware and Lee Kalcheim
Based on-“The Final Performance” by Robert Bloch
First print appearance-Shock September 1960
Notes
Watch episode-unavailable online
Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“The Second Wife”
Series-The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Broadcast date- 26 April 1965
Teleplay by-Robert Bloch
Based on-“The Lonely Heart” by Richard Deming
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine December 1964
Notes
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Available on DVD?-No

Episode title-“Off Season”
Series-The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Broadcast date- 10 May 1965
Teleplay by-Robert Bloch
Based on-“Winter Run” by Edward D. Hoch
First print appearance-Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine January 1965
Notes
Watch episode-unavailable online
Available on DVD?-No

"The Sorcerer's Apprentice"

And finally, rankings (from best to worst):

Alfred Hitchcock Presents:

“The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
“The Landlady”
“The Greatest Monster of Them All”
“The Cure”
“The Cuckoo Clock”
“Madame Mystery”
“The Changing Heart”
“The Big Kick”
“Bad Actor”
“The Gloating Place”

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour:

“Water’s Edge”
“A Home Away From Home”
“Annabel”
“The Second Wife”
“Final Performance”
“Off Season”
“The Sign of Satan”

COMING IN TWO WEEKS: SHATNER MEETS HITCHCOCK!

"The Sign of Satan"