The Leeches

Everything is becoming more and more dramatic, the alien storylines intertwine with the terrestrial dramas. The whole situation is much complicated, the characters are more and more complex. "Life is no Sunday school picnic, you take what you can get when you can get it...", says one of the characters, and it's so true, I've met myself, in real life, people like that...

Writer Daniel B. Ullman had to have snagged the idea for this weird story (or at least part of it) from the cult sci fi, EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS (1956). A scary what if, discussed to this day among theorists who believe aliens from outer space have the ability to steal a victim's brain for research and knowledge.

David comes to the aid of Warren Donneghan (Arthur Hill), a noted scientist who relates the alarming story about aliens kidnapping several of his colleagues. Peter Mark Richman (Tom), usually cast as villains, plays a heroic part, joining David in a slick plan that would allow Warren to be kidnapped himself (a fairly bold move), thus following the aliens to their laboratory. They want his brain!

If you saw this in EARTH VS. THE FLYING SAUCERS, it was a fairly creepy experience, perfect material for this series.

The supporting cast is a must see.

Robert H. Harris makes a memorable addition. He either played desperate victims or sly villains. Theodore Marcuse (as Noel Markham), known for playing eccentric, over the top baddies is also a welcome surprise. Diana Van der Vils plays Hill's wife. She later appeared in soap operas; RYANS HOPE. Marcuse's career was cut short due to a fatal accident not too long after this episode. He is missed.

Intriguing material by Ullman, making you think! He later wrote many stories for the FUGITIVE and MANNIX. SEASON 1 EPISODE 4 remastered dvd box set. First season collectors edition which has become a cult item. Thanks METV for running these golden oldies.

A suspenseful segment early in the series, with that ominous title. Arthur Hill, future "Andromeda Strain" star is perfect as the central character, with the screenplay by Danile Ullmann and direction by Paul Wendkos (who similarly had the wonderful "The Mephisto Waltz" in his future) turning up the paranoia quotient effectively. Added touch are scary special effects when Thinnes & Richman's car is destroyed.

Those nasty invaders are putting leading industrialists like Arthur Hill and Robert H. Harris through the ringer, in frightening scenes of draining their brains of useful information. Roy Thinnes and Peter Mark Richman are there to save the day, at least for another week, as those pesky invaders don't give up easily.

Larry Cohen's clever writing about conspiracy theories decades ago, not unlike Oliver Stone's, was a lot of fun. Who would have thought that literally millions of people would believe this sort of strange nonsense, not as entertaining fiction but as some sort of alternate reality we're supposedly living in. I'm still waiting to wake up from the nightmare that occurred in 2016. And my name coincidentally is Larry Cohn, a longtime fan!

In "The Leeches", some of the top scientific minds have disappeared. Warren Donnaghan (Arthur Hill) thinks he might be next. But David has an audacious plan....for Warren to let himself be kidnapped so he and Warren's friend, Tom (Peter Mark Richmond), can follow them to their hideout. This will mean using a transceiver to track Warren. Well, he is soon kidnapped and the pair try to follow...but the transceiver is eventually discovered and the pair have to use guesswork and hope for some luck to find him and the kidnapped men.

This is a very solid and enjoyable episode. Well worth seeing due to some brilliant writing and two excellent guest stars.