Nightfall: CBC's Groundbreaking Horror Radio Anthology
Did You Know? The show's chilling theme was created using a waterphone and cello bow!
Canada's Answer to The Twilight Zone
Airing from 1980-1983 on CBC Radio, Nightfall terrified listeners with its psychological horror stories. Created by Bill Howell, the show stood out for its:
- Unsettling realistic sound effects
- Twist endings that outdid The Outer Limits
- Distinctive Canadian settings (from Toronto alleys to Yukon cabins)
- No-holds-barred approach to horror (CBC's first "parental warning" show)
- Legendary voice actors like Henry Ramer (narrator) and John Stocker (the iconic "falling man")
🎙️ Behind the Screams:
"We used real autopsy recordings for 'The Psychiatrist' episode. The switchboard lit up with complaints!"
- Sound designer David Millar, 1982 interview
✉️
"The script called for a scream, but I told the director that when you suddenly fall, you gasp - you don't scream. That's why the opening is so terrifying."
- John Stocker (the falling man and voice of Beastly in Care Bears), via subscriber Patte
Experience the Terror
🔮 "The Contract" Preview:
LAWYER: "Signing binds you forever, Mr. Carter. There are no expiration clauses."
CARTER: "What's this red ink? It feels... warm."
(Sound: Distant heartbeat grows louder)
Which Canadian radio horror should we cover next?
The Vanishing Point? The Hitchhiker? Email your suggestions like Patte did!
Share Your Memories
"We love hearing from fellow Nightfall enthusiasts! Did you:
- Hear these episodes when they first aired?
- Work on the production?
- Spot an error we should fix?
Interesting comments may be shared in future updates (with your permission).
Listener Memories
Patte
In the opening of "Nightfall" episodes, Henry Ramer was the narrator, and John Stocker was the man who suddenly falls backwards into the abyss. Both Henry and John voiced hundreds of commercials, and John still voices cartoon characters too, notably Beastly in the original 1980s "Care Bears" series. He told me that the script originally called for the "Nightfall" falling man to scream in terror. But he told the director that, when you suddenly find yourself falling, you involuntarily gasp; you don't scream. The director agreed, and that's why the "Nightfall" opening is so terrifying. John played both conjoined twins in the episode "The Repossession". It's one of my favourites!
Added: May 4
James (BC)
"I worked as a CBC intern in '82. The waterphone used for the theme was kept locked in a special case - musicians had to sign it out like library books!"
Added: May 3
Comments may be edited for length/clarity.
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