Series synopsis
The Hitchhiker is a Canadian drama crime television series that premiered on HBO on November 23, 1983. It ended on February 22, 1991. It was created by Lewis Chesler, Richard Rothstein, Riff Markowitz. It stars Page Fletcher, Nicholas Campbell, Alexandra Stewart and August Schellenberg.
A young hitchhiker introduces characters who are about to experience a frightening and sometimes supernatural incident of some kind in this moody anthology series.
Premise
A young hitchhiker introduces characters who are about to experience a frightening and sometimes supernatural incident of some kind in this moody anthology series.
Premise: He takes you places you don't want to visit alone.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Page Fletcher as The Hitchhiker
- Nicholas Campbell as The Hitchhiker
- Alexandra Stewart as Jackie Winslow
- August Schellenberg as Bob Ames
- Judy Landers as Frances Packard
- Roberta Weiss as Roseanne Lucas
- Michele Scarabelli as Dr. Ensman
- Klaus Kinski as Kurt Hoffman
Supporting cast
- Susan Blakely as Melody
- Sheila Moore as Mrs. Kinderly
- Michael Madsen as John Hampton
- Ricky Paull Goldin as Peter Baxter
- Bo Hopkins as Lew Bridgeman
- Susan Anspach as Claudia Reynolds
- Fernanda Tavares as Rosa
- John Novak as Man in Black
- Gregg Henry as Jack Rhodes
- Paul Koslo as Rico
- Geraldine Page as Lynette 'Mama' Powers
- Margot Kidder as Jane Reynolds
Guest cast
- Alexandra Stewart as Jackie Winslow
- August Schellenberg as Bob Ames
- Judy Landers as Frances Packard
- Roberta Weiss as Roseanne Lucas
- Michele Scarabelli as Dr. Ensman
- Klaus Kinski as Kurt Hoffman
- Susan Blakely as Melody
- Sheila Moore as Mrs. Kinderly
- Michael Madsen as John Hampton
- Ricky Paull Goldin as Peter Baxter
- Bo Hopkins as Lew Bridgeman
- Susan Anspach as Claudia Reynolds
Episodes
This series spans 4 seasons with 85 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 26 | November 23, 1983 | April 22, 1986 |
| Season 2 | 13 | February 17, 1987 | May 12, 1987 |
| Season 3 | 26 | April 22, 1989 | December 16, 1989 |
| Season 4 | 20 | September 21, 1990 | February 22, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Shattered Vows A gold-digging young man marries a dowager then falls in love with her gorgeous stepdaughter. |
November 23, 1983 |
| 2 |
When Morning Comes Bob is a married advertising executive who enjoys picking up women throughout his travels. After picking up the Hitchhiker, he runs into a beautiful blonde who he ends up spending the night with. After hearing a report on the radio that there is an escaped blonde mental patient named Ann Marie Brown on the loose who enjoys slitting men's throats, Bob becomes convinced that the woman he picked up is really the escaped mental patient, but things are not always as they seem. |
November 30, 1983 |
| 3 |
Split Decision John 'Jake' McElhaney will do anything to make a sale, absolutely anything. Faced with losing his job, he decides to make his next sale really count, and thinks he has it made when he signs on to work for the Packard twins, two women who have problems sharing and so split everything directly down the middle. Frances makes it clear straight away that she likes Jake, but Jake also plays up to Priscilla, hoping to not only sell the house for the two women but sell each of them homes as well. Unfortunately, the bond between the sisters is stronger than any bond they could form with him. |
December 14, 1983 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Perfect Order Simon Hopper is considered a genius in the art world, but the demands for his models are always insanely hard to meet. Christina will do anything to be the model in his next project. But when she does get her chance, it turns out that Simon has raised the bar to a new level. |
February 17, 1987 |
| 2 |
Minuteman Overbearing control freak Jeremy and his long-suffering wife Julie are a squabbling young rich couple who encounter unexpected trouble in the form of a scruffy biker and his pregnant girlfriend while embarking on a road trip to Sunnyvale. Can a surprise journey through time enable the obsessive Jeremy to successfully avert a tragic disaster? |
February 24, 1987 |
| 3 |
Dead Heat A sculptor uses a drifter and his own abused girlfriend to recreate a murder/suicide. |
March 3, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Martyr Deirdre manipulates Jacques into killing her wealthy older husband for her after getting his attention by pretending to be blind, but soon realises that things don't work out the way she planned when Jacques will not go away. |
April 22, 1989 |
| 2 |
In Living Color After photographer Eric Coleman takes pictures of an elderly woman's suicide, he takes on a new assistant named Madeleine, who may have a deeper connection to the dead woman than he could ever guess. |
April 29, 1989 |
| 3 |
Dark Wishes A mentally disturbed nurse concocts an elaborate plan to poison a woman so that she can steal her husband from her. |
July 1, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Fading Away When an ex-marine realises he is all on his own, he becomes convinced that he's on a dangerous mission and has been abandoned by his commanding officers. |
September 21, 1990 |
| 2 |
Tough Guys Don't Whine Mickey Black is a film director with everything going for him until he seduces a woman away from her gangster boyfriend. He promises her all the glory in the world, but things take a dangerous turn when her boyfriend refuses to give her up. |
September 28, 1990 |
| 3 |
Riding the Nightmare A cutthroat career woman who's having an affair with her sister's husband starts suffering from strange nightmares about a white horse symbolizing death. The ensuing melodrama blurs the lines between the psychological and witchcraft. |
October 5, 1990 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | HBO |
|---|---|
| First aired | November 23, 1983 |
| Last aired | February 22, 1991 |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Friday |