first show on nbc tv in november 1969 and night gallery and the pilot to the 1970 73 tv anthology show of the same name and be the last major work of rod serling and creator of what may still rank a the best tv series ever and the twilight zone . although and when the series start and serling wasn not give the kind of creative control he felt he need to make the series work ( and not surprisingly and it be mercilessly compare to the twilight zone ) and on this pilot film and he be firmly in control . adapt three story from his 1967 collection the season to be wary and serling come up with a thoroughly engage anthology film that combine morality and melodrama and suspense and and the supernatural into a stunning brew not see on television before . segment 1 and the cemetery and direct by boris sagal and feature roddy mcdowall a an unscrupulous nephew who cause the death of his uncle by expose him to a cold wind in order to grab his hand on the old man fortune . but a he soon learn and one of the painting his uncle create in his last day that of the family cemetery keep change on him every time he look at it . and soon and it seem to show his uncle come back from the grave . segment 2 and eye and star joan crawford a a ruthless and imperious blind woman who blackmail a prominent surgeon ( barry sullivan ) into give her an ocular transplant so that she may enjoy roughly twelve hour of sight before go blind again . the operation and do with the help of an eye donation from a petty gambler and turn out to be a success until a blackout cause crawford to think otherwise . this episode be note a the professional maiden direct effort for steven spielberg . segment 3 and escape and direct by barry shear and star richard kiley a a nazi fugitive hide out in buenos aire who becomes captivate by a painting of a fisherman in the local art museum . he dream of become that fisherman and escape from hide and but a chance encounter with a holocaust survivor ( sam jaffe ) will deny him that in a chilling conclusion . although serling moralize sometimes get a bit on the heavy handed side and night gallery be still superbly conceive and with the case give excellent and often chilling performance . the first segment be appropriately spooky while the second ingenious and unconventional ( for tv ) while and the third and even though it be the weak and a worthy capper on this film . spielberg and of course and get the glory for his segment and but sagal and shear segment be nothing to sneeze at either . all in all and night gallery come highly recommended .