Vanishing Point (CBC)
Vanishing Point is the title of a Canadian radio drama series produced and aired by CBC Radio from 1984 to 1986, and then under a variety of different subtitles until 1992. Created and produced by Bill Lane, Vanishing Point was the CBC’s follow-up to Nightfall, which had instilled new life into its many regional drama centers. Like that series, Vanishing Point drew from the CBC's entire coast to coast network, gathering together the CBC's finest production, engineering, writing, and acting talent to mount one of the better radio dramas in CBC history.
While primarily a science fiction series, the anthology presented a wide range of genres including thriller, horror, detective, psychological drama, comedy and even the occasional musical. A number of episodes were adaptations of short stories from famous authors like Ray Bradbury, Roald Dahl or Evelyn Waugh, but many were original plays from Canada’s top talent. Bill Lane workshopped plays from the winners of various Canadian literary competitions as a way of “reaching an audience by developing the talents of new playwrights.”
Format
The regular series ran for two seasons and began with a twice-a-week schedule, with a new episode airing each Friday on CBC-AM, and a re-run the following Monday on CBC Stereo.The show took a hiatus in the summer of 1986 and returning in September with a six-episode adventure called The Black Persian, followed by a miniseries of modernized Nathaniel Hawthorne adaptations, setting a new direction for the series. Now Vanishing Point would act more as an umbrella program under which shorter miniseries would be developed. Some were serialized adaptations of classic science fiction works from authors like Arthur C. Clarke and Ursula K. Le Guin, while most were mini-anthologies, linked by a writer or theme. While still being promoted as Vanishing Point, these series all featured a unique title and opening. In some cases, two subseries ran simultaneously on different days of the week, creating considerable confusion for radio historians. Things continued like this for several years until Vanishing Point went off the air for good in January, 1992.
Episodes
Below is a full list of the first two seasons of Vanishing Point, followed by highlights from its more irregular later run. While the series repeated episodes quite a bit, most of these reruns aren't listed except when they help clarify. All episodes listed are around thirty minutes long.# | Title | Notes | Airdate |
1 | The Testing Of Stanley Teagarden | On holiday in Jamaica, a woman finds herself intrigued by a fellow traveler and his obsession with perfecting a personality test. But the more questions she asks, the more terrifying the answers become. Written by Tim Wynne-Jones. | October 5, 1984 |
2 | Disappearance | A bartender's quest for spiritual enlightenment leads him to question the importance of the material world. But as he finds himself plagued by a host of baffling disappearances, he - and the listener - must finally question the nature of reality itself. Written by David Helwig | October 12, 1984 |
3 | The Rescue | A pair of marine biologists struggle to connect with their autistic son. Could their solution be swimming right in front of them? Written by Rafael Vigod | October 19, 1984 |
4 | Death And The Compass | The mysterious murder of a Talmudic priest sends world famous Detective Lonnrot down a twisted path. Adapted by Alberto Manguel from the short story by Argentine writer and poet Jorge Luis Borges | October 26, 1984 |
5 | Cage Of Light | The year is 2116 and a mission to find intelligent life in the universe has gone awry when the sole survivor returns with no memory of his journey. Now a jury of scientists must go on their own mission: into his subconscious. Written by Bill Gray | November 2, 1984 |
6 | The Playground | The decision to enroll his son in a new play center forces a man to dig back into the pain of his own childhood. If only there were a way to spare his son the same trauma… Adaptation of Ray Bradbury's short story, dramatized by Martin Lager | November 2, 1984 |
7 | The Bailiff And The Women | After a hard day's work in the Department of Social Welfare, it's a perfectly normal evening for Adrian Toope. That is, until he finds himself transported to a dream court, charged with a lifetime of crime. An acerbic work by Michael Cook | November 9, 1984 |
8 | The Quickening | Laura and Peter are the perfect couple; everyone tells them so. But after an evening of rising tensions among their upwardly mobile crowd, their relationship suddenly takes an irreversible turn. The results are both absurd and shocking in this powerful first venture into radio by Judith Thompson, the author of the stage plays The Crackwalker and White Biting Dog | November 16, 1984 |
9 | The Golden Triangle | Convinced his ex-wife has become an exotic dancer in the red light district, a bitter misogynist makes his best friend an indecent proposal. Written by Lawrence Russell | November 23, 1984 |
10 | The Silenian Test | When a fleet of alien spacecrafts appear in Earth’s atmosphere, they bring the promise of an extraordinary new peace... and for one man, a horrifying sacrifice. Written by David Lewis Stein | November 30, 1984 |
11 | Teenage Catalogue Model | A young girl’s disappearance kicks off a tense game of cat and mouse between a shrewd police detective and a peculiar older gentleman. Written by Kent Thompson | December 7, 1984 |
12 | How Love Came To Professor Guildea | A man of science is forced to question everything he believes when he finds himself pursued by a supernatural being. Robert Hichens' short story, dramatized by John Douglas | December 14, 1984 |
13 | The Cave | W. D. Valgardson narrates this autobiographical tale about his Icelandic girlfriend and the mysterious cave that’s obsessed her family for generations. Written by and starring W. D. Valgardson | December 21, 1984 |
14 | The Lost Door | A middle aged man discovers his home has vanished and he's lost proof of his existence. Written by Steve Petch | December 28, 1984 |
15 | The Blue Devil | A colony of women has survived a nuclear holocaust to create a new, matriarchal society, a world deliberately devoid of men. Written by Charles Tidler | January 4, 1985 |
16 | Point Of Departure | Before leaving for a sun holiday, a woman is questioned by police about the husband she hasn't seen for five years. Written by Rachel Wyatt | January 11, 1985 |
17 | Skin | A grasping art dealer spots the opportunity of a lifetime when he discovers a new work from a long-dead artist. Only problem? It’s tattooed to an old man’s back. Adaptation of Roald Dahl's macabre short story, dramatized by Arthur Samuels | January 25, 1985 |
18 | Phase Three | Convinced he’s about to be replaced by a robot, an assembly line worker turns to desperate measures to ensure his family's financial security. Written by Bradd Burningham | February 1, 1985 |
19 | The Addict | When her doctor refuses to prescribe any more pain medication, a paralegal falls into a downward spiral of crime, prostitution and maybe even murder. Written by George Ryga | February 8, 1985 |
20 | Startex, B16-k | An outrageous satire about a “smart” coffee maker that first takes over a couple’s kitchen — then the world. Written by John Palmer | February 15, 1985 |
21 | Meteor | Earth is being bombarded with meteor showers laden with the stardust of vanished solar systems. The earth has grown accustomed to these intrusions, humans have not. Adaptation of John Wyndham's short story, dramatized by David L. W. Pitt | February 22, 1985 |
22 | Zeppi's Machine | A Trinidadian shop owner fights modernity by clinging to his folk remedies and received wisdom. But after a local robbery, will he turn to a computer to solve the crime? Written by Samuel Selvon | March 1, 1985 |
23 | Evaluation | Two pilots, grounded in the frozen North by bad weather, succumb to the lure of a strange Inuit woman. Written by Steven Freygood | March 15, 1985 |
24 | Free To A Good Home | Tom and Nancy promise one of the kittens they've advertised to their first caller. But the caller phoned before the newspaper ad even appeared, and seems to have an uncanny knowledge of the kitten's activities. Written by Paul Milliken | March 22, 1985 |
25 | Uluru | On holiday in the Australian outback, a careless tourist mocks aboriginal customs and sacred sites. She’s about to discover some ancient customs never went out of style… Written by Colleen Curran | March 29, 1985 |
26 | The Third Bank Of The River | A Brazilian tells the story of his father who decided to leave their family and the whole society to live within a small canoe on a huge river. Adaptation of João Guimarães Rosa's moving short story, dramatized by Whitney Smith | April 5, 1985 |
27 | Unlived Lives | A series of creepy phone calls and mysterious letters force a mild-mannered theater owner to reconsider the choices he’s made in life. Written by David Helwig | April 12, 1985 |
28 | Ground Zero | Terrified he will lose everyone he loves in a nuclear holocaust, an advertising exec becomes obsessed with keeping his family safe. But could his solution be worse than the problem? Written by Bryan Wade | April 19, 1985 |
29 | Messages | A singer's telephone answering machine decides to take a hand in improving her career. Written by David King | April 26, 1985 |
30 | The Shining Path | Larry’s sleepwalking has been getting worse but his therapist doesn’t think it’s anything to worry about. Maybe he’ll change his mind when his wife is brutally murdered in the middle of the night. Written by Steve Petch | May 3, 1985 |
31 | The Yellow Wallpaper | Charlotte Perkins Gilman's classic tale of isolation and madness. Starring Mary Vingoe, who originally adapted this version for the stage at Toronto's Nightwood Theatre in 1981. | May 10, 1985 |
32 | The Woman In Black Velvet | A woman settling in Africa soon discovers she has much to learn about this strange new world… and the one beyond. Adaptation of “Joseph and His Brother,” Audrey Thomas’ eerie ghost story about neocolonialism. Music composed and performed by Obo Addy | May 17, 1985 |
33 | Seeing God | Struggling with depression, a young mother checks herself into a cutting-edge psychiatric clinic. But she may not be ready for Dr. Cameron’s more radical techniques. Based on the real-life psychological and mind control experiments of Dr. Ewan Cameron, whose work was funded by the CIA's MK Ultra program. Written by Carol Bolt. Final episode of Vanishing Points first season, replaced for the summer by a 13-week run of ZBS' The Cabinet of Dr. Fritz then a few episodes of ZBS' The Taj Express | May 24, 1985 |
34 | The Black Serpent | Vacationing on a Greek island, a woman has an encounter with a goddess. Written by Steve Petch. First episode of Vanishing Points second season. | September 30, 1985 |
35 | Nightmare In Rabbit City | An intergalactic rock opera about star-crossed lovers from warring planets. Text, music and lyrics by Keith McNair and performed by his musical group Sweet Lips | October 7, 1985 |
36 | The Enormous Radio | A couple in an apartment acquire an unusual radio which picks up conversations from their neighbors in the building. Could anyone resist the temptation to learn all their neighbors' secrets? Adaptation of John Cheever's short story, dramatized by Tim Wynne-Jones | October 14, 1985 |
37 | Curse Of The Unnamed Planet | An alien scout, disguised as a human child, is stranded on Earth. Later expanded into a four-part Vanishing Point miniseries in the Spring of 1987. Starring Saul Rubinek Written by Alfred Silver | October 21, 1985 |
38 | Secret Ceremony | A case of mistaken identity lands an aging prostitute in the ornate home of a mentality disabled young woman. Playing along as the woman’s deceased mother, she soon discovers Mom isn’t the only skeleton in this family’s closet. Adaptation of Marco Denevi’s short story "Ceremonia secreta" dramatized by Alberto Manguel | October 28, 1985 |
39 | In The Groove | On a motorcycle road trip, a man and his son meet a worker at a roadside diner who claims to have a dead girl's memories. Adapted from Audrey Thomas's short story | November 4, 1985 |
40 | Soft Landscape | A couple find themselves in trouble when they engage a strange pair of architects to build their dream house. Starring Saul Rubinek Written by Rachel Wyatt | November 11, 1985 |
41 | The Nine Billion Names Of God | A computer programmer is hired by monks in Nepal to help them collect every possible name for the Almighty. A laughable project, with not so laughable consequences... Adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's short story | November 18, 1985 |
42 | Shoot The Unicorn | A photojournalist tracks down a lost Amazonian tribe. Written by Charles Tidler | November 25, 1985 |
43 | The Language Of The Flowers | A keen gardener becomes obsessed with a strange, exotic orchid. Adaptation of Hugh Atkinson's novella | December 2, 1985 |
44 | The Last 30 Days Of Charles L. Danforth | An accountant believes he and everyone around him are slowly turning into fish. Written by Clem Martini | December 9, 1985 |
45 | Past Imperfect | An inventor's ruthless, self-seeking nephew turns the tables on him with the aid of his new time machine. But time is not something easily trifled with... Written by John Douglas | December 16, 1985 |
46 | The Count's Wife | Giorgio's young wife Lucina starts to sprout wings. Adaptation of Dino Buzzati's short story, dramatized by Cindy Bisaillon | December 23, 1985 |
47 | Children's Eyes | A visit to his aging parents sends a man into a downward spiral, obsessing over his father’s grotesque physical ailments. But what’s real and what’s in his mind? Written by Dennis Foon | December 30, 1985 |
48 | Split Second | A woman returns home from a walk to find strangers living in her house, and no-one knows who she is. Adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's short story, dramatized by Desmond Scott | January 6, 1986 |
49 | Mom's Home Cooking | A busload of senior citizens on a Canadian “mystery tour” get a whole lot more than they bargained for. Written by Kent Thompson | January 13, 1986 |
50 | A Kissing Way | After-work drinks become a terrifying fight for survival when a young woman’s coworker turns out to be an unhinged psychopath. Written by Judith Thompson | January 20, 1986 |
51 | The Man Who Liked Dickens | Imagine the great relief of Mr. Henry, to be rescued in remotest Amazonas from an ill-fated jungle expedition. And imagine the great delight of Mr. McMaster, his reclusive host, at finding someone to share the pleasures of his small but precious library... Adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's tale of jungle terror, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | January 27, 1986 |
52 | Snow Shadow Area | The storm of the century and a series of child mutilations send an anxious father to the brink of madness. Written by Lawrence Russell | February 3, 1986 |
53 | A Small, Good Thing | Adaptation of Raymond Carver's heartbreaking short story about a car accident and a forgotten birthday cake. Dramatized by Steve Petch | February 10, 1986 |
54 | I'm A Stranger Here Myself | After giving birth, a new mother becomes convinced she is actually an alien. Written by | February 17, 1986 |
55 | Looking For A Quiet Place | Is Mary's problem noise, or Nick? Written by Rachel Wyatt | February 24, 1986 |
56 | Azure Blue | A married couple's long-simmering hatred for one another boils over when an unexpected tragedy strikes. Is this exactly the change they've always needed? Written by Lawrence Jeffery | March 3, 1986 |
57 | Antimony | Romance does not survive a woman's cryogenic freezing when she is revived in the future. Adaptation of Spider Robinson's story, dramatized by Kent Stetson | March 10, 1986 |
58 | All The Way | An obsessive young actor walks the line between illusion and reality when he takes a leading role in a staged crime. Written by Bill Gray | March 17, 1986 |
59 | A Silent Agreement | Like father, like son. Henry Worring wants only what's best for his son -- so why does Tom insist on doing things his own way? And why, on the eve of Tom's visit home, does Henry feel so unaccountably apprehensive? An eerie original story. Written by Hans Böggild | March 24, 1986 |
60 | The Ultimate Threshold | On the Planet Sym-Kri there stands the House of Death, built by a master mechanic named Velt. Now Velt himself stands before that final door to face the challenge of his own creation. A paradoxical story by Herman Maximov, an important writer of science fiction from the Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan. Dramatized by Seth Feldman | March 31, 1986 |
61 | The Rising Of The North | Children's show 'What If?' examines the US President's radical plan to tackle his country's water shortage. Written by Michael Riordan | May 5, 1986 |
62 | Death Of A Physicist | A physicist attempts to calculate the best way to join a loved one in the afterlife. Written by Christina Meeker & Peter Schultz | May 12, 1986 |
63 | A Communicable Disease | An outbreak of a new, fatal disease seems to affect only yuppies. Written by Larry Fineberg | May 19, 1986 |
64 | Closing Night | The director of a traveling theatre company encounters a strangely familiar ghost in a rundown hotel. Written by Warren Graves | May 26, 1986 |
65 | The Right One | On his wedding day, a reluctant groom weighs his options. Written by Bryan Wade, who was then commissioned by the Blyth Festival of Ontario to expand it into a stage play in 1989. | June 2, 1986 |
66 | The Doctor of the Soul | A renowned psychiatrist takes on a new patient and she’s soon working her way under his skin... and into his dreams. Written by David Helwig | June 9, 1986 |
67 | The Most Beautiful Woman in Town | A tobacco-stained writer finds himself consumed by the passion and chaos of a self-destructive street prostitute. Adaptation of Charles Bukowski's short story, dramatized by & and starring Mina. | June 16, 1986 |
68 | Open Wide | An anxious man’s first trip to the dentist in years sets off a nightmarish chain of events. Recorded with "Kunstkopf binaural sound" for an immersive, stereo experience. Written by Paul Milliken | June 23, 1986 |
69 | Certain Distant Suns | Hannah's aunt Bessie suffers the consequences when she loses her belief in just about everything. Written by Joanne Greenberg. Final episode of Vanishing Points second season, they run a mix of reruns and Nightfall episodes over the summer. | June 30, 1986 |
XX | The African | The Black Persian #1: A fantastic mystery adventure set in 19th-century Africa. Written by Steve Petch. This episode begins Vanishing Points third season, shifting the series towards serialized storytelling and short-run miniseries. It continues its twice-a-week broadcast schedule, sometimes premiering new episodes on Mondays, sometimes on Fridays. | September 29, 1986 |
XX | Journey to the Interior | The Black Persian #2: Written by Steve Petch | October 6, 1986 |
XX | A Thousand Nights | The Black Persian #3: McRae awakens in the camp of the Tuareg women, the people of the veil… and discovers himself mistaken for one of the Persian Brotherhood of Assassins. Written by Steve Petch | October 13, 1986 |
XX | The Shifting Sands | The Black Persian #4: Written by Steve Petch | October 20, 1986 |
XX | The Dark Chamber | The Black Persian #5: Written by Steve Petch | October 27, 1986 |
XX | The Sacred Precinct | The Black Persian #6: McRae's quest takes him from a genteel English tour boat, to the majestic pyramids, to the bathhouses of Cairo, to an extraordinary, long-awaited meeting. Conclusion. Written by Steve Petch | November 3, 1986 |
XX | Radio Free Imagination | Fifty years in the future, radio has gone underground. The Crystal Creeps are secretly broadcasting treasures from the CBC Archives... and the Media Monitors are after them. It's Freddy Bondhead's mission to infiltrate the enemy.... An offbeat celebration of 50 years of CBC broadcasting — and of the radio medium itself. Written by David Lewis Stein | November 10, 1986 |
XX | The Artist of the Beautiful | Thrice Told Tales #1: A series of dramas freely adapted from Nathaniel Hawthorne. From Haitian voodoo... to a nuclear-winter garden... to a microcomputer butterfly... to a bizarre gift bringing dubious good fortune... this eccentric mini-anthology imaginatively explores the radio medium and finds new-wave twists in some old-fashioned stories. In this installment, Owen Warland is a microelectronics genius famous for inventing the first commercially viable freestanding domestic robot. Unimpressed with his achievement, Owen rejects the practical world and its material rewards to pursue the making of his own private Frankenstein. Instead of a monster that's big and ugly, he attempts in the form of a miniature butterfly to create life that is small and beautiful: Adapted by Charles Tidler from Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story | November 17, 1986 |
XX | Never Marry a Spider | Thrice Told Tales #2: Did you hear the one about the man who left home one day, without a word to his wife, and turned up again 20 years later? Sure, it's easy to go out the back door of life - but watch that it doesn't slam shut. Adapted by Charles Tidler from Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story | November 24, 1986 |
XX | Rappaccini’s Daughter | Thrice Told Tales #3: After a lifetime's work helping her father breed plants which can withstand a nuclear winter, Professor Rappaccini's daughter has become toxic. Adapted by Charles Tidler from Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story | December 1, 1986 |
XX | The Headless Clown | Thrice Told Tales #4: An unemployed cobbler's luck turns when he comes into possession of a talking clown-head doll. Adapted by Charles Tidler from Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story | December 8, 1986 |
XX | Deep Desire | Thrice Told Tales #5: A television evangelist believes he is possessed by a demon snake. Adapted by Charles Tidler from Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story | December 15, 1986 |
XX | Strange Child | Thrice Told Tales #6: A science fiction writer's young daughter doesn't seem the same following an encounter with a UFO. Adapted by Charles Tidler from Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story | December 22, 1986 |
XX | Blood Music Part 1 of 3 | A scientist injects himself with test-tube genes that give each of his blood cells the ability to think. As the cells multiply, societies develop within him and eventually escape to the outside world. The highly intelligent cells discover subatomic truths, thus acquiring the power of gods. Will they decide it's time to redo the world? Greg Bear's gripping science fiction novel adapted by Toronto playwright Clinton Bomphray | January 2, 1987 |
XX | Blood Music Part 2 of 3 | Second of a three-part dramatization of Greg Bear's stunning work of speculative fiction concerning the creation of "intelligent cells" capable of taking over an entire body. Adapted by Clinton Bomphray | January 9, 1987 |
XX | Blood Music Part 3 of 3 | Conclusion of a three-part dramatization of Greg Bear's novel, adapted by Clinton Bomphray | January 16, 1987 |
XX | A Few Words From Harold | Escape Routes #1: An eccentric collection of original stories by leading radio dramatist Rachel Wyatt. The thought of escape is appealing. We've all wanted to escape sometimes from aspects of life that are unpleasant or difficult or just plain dull. But for some people, escape takes unusual forms-with unexpected results. In this first installment — Harold was a nice guy: kind to his wife, honest in his business dealings, polite to people he disliked. In his spare time he enjoyed reading biographies of the great and not -so -great. But he couldn't help noticing that his own life lacked those vital elements of a good life: passion, striking coincidences, heroic moments, sudden wealth, startling revelations. Then Harold decided to change all that... Written by Rachel Wyatt | January 23, 1987 |
XX | Everything She Wants | Escape Routes #2: If you’ve ever seen one of those movie chase scenes where the runner keeps throwing blocks in the path of his pursuer, you’ll understand why Steve kept buying extravagant gifts for Lisa. It was his way of not having to say “I love you.” He may have gone a bit overboard… but can you fault a guy who tries to give his wife everything she wants? Written by Rachel Wyatt | January 30, 1987 |
XX | Looking for a Quiet Place | Escape Routes #3: Nick loved Mary. He also loved his stereo, his motorbike and all the wonderful noisy gadgetry that made up their life together. Mary was crazy about Nick -- but she wanted a little peace and quiet. Was that too much to ask? Written by Rachel Wyatt | February 6, 1987 |
XX | Ultimate Destination | Escape Routes #4: Written by Rachel Wyatt | February 13, 1987 |
XX | Tango on Two Continents | Written by Paul Thompson and John Jarvis | February 16, 1987 |
XX | Strange Archaeology | Fingerprints #1: A series of original mysteries, dramatized from the 1984 Crime Writers of Canada story collection also titled Fingerprints. These cleverly crafted tales range in style from the comic to the philosophical, each as individual as a fingerprint. In this first installment, the death of a beautiful woman forces Lieutenant Boruvka to reopen a case he thought he’d solved 11 years ago. And the most meaningful clue comes from a crime five centuries old… Adaptation of Josef Skvorecky, dramatized by Paul Wilson | February 20, 1987 |
XX | A Natural Death | Fingerprints #2: Emily Forbes’ weekdays unfold in an unvarying routine. She breakfasts with the newspaper at eight, tidies from nine to eleven, then shops until her one o’clock lunch. Between lunch and tea she plans to murder her daughter-in-law… An ironic tale by the London, Ontario mystery writer and reviewer Sandra Woodruff, dramatized by Colleen Curran | February 27, 1987 |
XX | My Vacation from the Numbers Racket | Fingerprints #3: “Dear Benny: You’ll be surprised to hear that your father and I are in Sarasota. I meant to send you a postcard from Miami, but things just happened too fast. Right from the beginning, this winter we’ve spent in Florida…” This story by the creator of the acclaimed Benny Cooperman novels features Benny’s mother. Adaptation of Howard Engel's short story, dramatized by | March 6, 1987 |
XX | The Capitalist | Fingerprints #4: A cold November night. Not much action at the gas pumps, but Ryan and his Uncle Gordon have to mind the station anyway. No gloves, no hat, no car — Ryan has plenty to complain about. Maybe he’ll just teach that snotty welfare worker what it’s like to have nothing… A crafty little story from British Columbia novelist Marion Crook, dramatized by Paul Milliken | March 13, 1987 |
XX | McGowney's Miracle | Fingerprints #5: Adapted from a story by Margaret Millar | March 20, 1987 |
XX | St. Anthony's Man | Fingerprints #6: Adapted from a story by Tim Wynne-Jones | March 27, 1987 |
XX | Mardi Gras | Written by | April 3, 1987 |
XX | Lucky Girl | Second prize winner of the CBC Literary Competition, was inspired to write the play after spending time in rural Alberta's small-town country and western bars, which he referred to as "a dramatic goldmine." In 1989, Pengilly expanded it into a stage play at the Red Deer College Arts Theatre in Alberta, Canada, where it featured a live country band on the stage, playing songs written especially for the show. It also featured actors entering the set through a larger-than-life jukebox. | April 10, 1987 |
XX | Mortal | With her father hospitalized and her relationship in critical condition, a woman is forced to make some impossible choices as we’re given a front row seat to her darkest thoughts. Written by Cordelia Strube | April 17, 1987 |
XX | The Truth About Pyecraft | The Menu is the Venue #1: A collection of dark stories about food. The first installment is an adaptation of H. G. Wells' humorous story about an obese man's extreme attempt at weight loss. | April 24, 1987 |
XX | Brownies | The Menu is the Venue #2: Friday night: Doreen’s old fashioned brownies, walnut-studded, thickly iced. Saturday, fresh pancakes with Lily’s famous blueberry syrup. Sunday, the all-you-can-eat buffet at the Royal Restaurant. Monday, hot chelsea buns… and this week, a special thrill in the mail: the long-awaited Treat of the Month. Mother and the girls enjoy a life of delicious routine — until Doreen perversely disrupts it. A contemporary gothic comedy by award-winning writer Linda Zwicker. | May 1, 1986 |
XX | Food for Thought | The Menu is the Venue #3: Tyler Crawford - one-time space prospector, daring drillship commander. Once he chased asteroids, gambling with his life; now he plays a different sort of odds, grounded in a prison of fat. Does that make him any less of a man? And how can that imprisoning wall of blubber really be his ticket to freedom? An original science fiction story with a twist. Written by Henry Mietkiewicz | May 8, 1987 |
XX | Curse of the Unnamed Planet | The Unnamed Planet Tetralogy #1: Mix sci-fi satire with pick-up bar banter and you’ve got The Unnamed Planet Tetralogy, an alien’s view of Earth. In this first installment, a drink to forget turns into a night to remember as Flanno recalls marooned Scout-Agent X-12’s horrific reports from primitive Unnamed Planet… the place of only two sexes! Starring Saul Rubinek. Written by Alfred Silver | May 15, 1987 |
XX | Return to the Unnamed Planet | The Unnamed Planet Tetralogy #2: An unauthorized rescue mission in a stolen space pod lands the bizarre quintet on the loathsome Unnamed Planet. Step one is transmogrification into the planet’s dominant species… but with a power-mad bardroid at the console controls, the results are near disastrous. Starring Saul Rubinek. Written by Alfred Silver | May 22, 1987 |
XX | Rescue on the Unnamed Planet | The Unnamed Planet Tetralogy #3: The bardroid’s inept transmogrification leads to further comic trouble on the Unnamed Planet. Then an accidental rescue turns into an unexpected reunion, as the Ecologizer appears on the scene. Starring Saul Rubinek. Written by Alfred Silver | May 29, 1987 |
XX | Revenge of the Unnamed Planet | The Unnamed Planet Tetralogy #4: The final installment. Starring Saul Rubinek. Written by Alfred Silver | June 5, 1987 |
XX | The Dispossessed Part 1 of 6 | Shevek, the greatest scientist of the age, travels from his home planet of Anarres to the neighbouring planet of Urras. He is the first visitor from Anarres in two hundred years and suffers a profound culture shock on arrival. Unbeknown to Shevek, the authorities on Urras have an ulterior motive for inviting the great man. Based on the novel by Ursula K. Le Guin | June 12, 1987 |
XX | The Dispossessed Part 2 of 6 | A flashback to his youth finds Shevek planting trees in the desert, as part of a work gang on his anarcho-syndicalist planet. Later, he attends the physics institute and finds that some citizens don't put the needs of society ahead of their own personal gain. | June 19, 1987 |
XX | The Dispossessed Part 3 of 6 | Shevek attends a party and learns more about the class-based, sexist and capitalist society of Urras. He receives a note urging him to meet with the opposition anarchist underground. | June 26, 1987 |
XX | The Dispossessed Part 4 of 6 | Following rebellion on the outer planets, Urras is in a state of emergency. Shevek is under pressure to complete his Theory of Simultaneity, which will allow faster than light travel and enable the government to crush the rebellion. In a flashback, we find Shevek and his family battling drought and famine on Anarres. | July 3, 1987 |
XX | The Dispossessed - Part 5 of 6 | Escaping house arrest, Shevek joins the anarchist-socialist resistance in an uprising against the police state. | July 10, 1987 |
XX | The Dispossessed - Part 6 of 6 | The uprising on Urras is viciously suppressed by the authorities. Shevek takes refuge in the Terran embassy, where he is assured of safe passage back to Anarres. He completes his Theory of Simultaneity and gives it away freely to all worlds, such that none will have an advantage over the others. Conclusion of The Dispossessed and Vanishing Point’s third season. It goes on hiatus, replaced by ZBS' The Adventures of Ruby. | July 17, 1987 |
XX | Alligators in the Lake | A low-rent P.I. opens his door to the wrong client and soon finds himself sucked deep into the delusional swamp of a wealthy dermatologist and his paranoid wife. Written by Sally Clark | October 19, 1987 |
XX | Journey to a Secret Sea | The discovery of an underground ocean sends a pair of oceanographers trekking into the darkest corners of the earth... and their own souls. Written by Geoffrey Ursell | October 26, 1987 |
XX | Hair of the Dog | When a radio director makes the mistake of declaring war on the station’s veteran sound effects man, she soon discovers he has more in his arsenal than rusty hinges and coconut shells. Written by J.J. McColl | November 23, 1987 |
XX | The Rawhide Hour | Meet Roy Boy Long, a radio DJ and former rodeo clown who’s always quick on the draw with a tall tale or a wild sound effect in ’s spiritual sequel to his radio play "Lucky Girl" which played on Vanishing Point in April, 1987. | November 30, 1987 |
XX | Freefall | - | December 7, 1987 |
XX | Faceoffs | Written by Carol Shields | December 14, 1987 |
XX | Fleshtone | A series of unexplained supernovae cause an astronomer to rethink his views on religion in this surprisingly sweet Christmas episode. Written by Bill Van Luven | December 21, 1987 |
XX | Mr. Grendelton Crashes A Party | An alien from another dimension gatecrashes a party in an attempt to find his way home. Written by Tim Wynne-Jones | December 28, 1987 |
XX | Rosa | The Valley of the Shadow: A Trilogy by Audrey Thomas | January 4, 1988 |
XX | Mr. Johnson | The Valley of the Shadow #2: Written by Audrey Thomas | January 11, 1988 |
XX | Illusions | The Valley of the Shadow #3: Written by Audrey Thomas | January 18, 1988 |
XX | Vitamins | Adaptation of Raymond Carver's short story | February 1, 1988 |
XX | Cathedral | Adaptation of Raymond Carver's short story | February 8, 1988 |
XX | The Smyth-Joneses | A comedy set in Lower Westmount and produced in Montreal. Written by Colleen Curran | February 15, 1988 |
XX | The Man Who Thought Ian Tyson Was God | Written by Alfred Silver | February 29, 1988 |
XX | The Word for World is Forest Part 1 of 3 | Adaptation of the novella by Ursula K. Le Guin | March 18, 1988 |
XX | The Word for World is Forest Part 2 of 3 | Adaptation of the novella by Ursula K. Le Guin | March 25, 1988 |
XX | Train to Montreal | Written by Dionne Brand | March 28, 1988 |
XX | The Word for World is Forest Part 3 of 3 | Adaptation of the novella by Ursula K. Le Guin | April 1, 1988 |
XX | Dancing | Written by Neil Bissoondath | April 4, 1988 |
XX | Drifter | Written by David Widdicombe | April 15, 1988 |
XX | Earth Culture | Written by Keith McNair | April 18, 1988 |
XX | Dirty Hands | Written by Michael Riordan | April 22, 1988 |
XX | The Rat Agenda | Written by Michael Riordan | April 29, 1988 |
XX | Can You Hear Me? | Written by Michael Riordan | May 6, 1988 |
XX | Rubber Ball | A whimsical fable about a poet who goes over Niagara Falls in a rubber ball. Adaptation of Victor-Lévy Beaulieu's story, dramatized by Dave Carley | May 13, 1988 |
XX | Somebody Talking to You | A media consultant chases down "addictive cassettes" that somehow hook the listener, then make them disappear completely. All that's left of them? A voice on a cassette. Written by Jeff Green and originally released as part of his Soundings Canadian radio drama series | May 16, 1988 |
XX | Restoration | Written by Frank Moher | May 20, 1988 |
XX | Scar Tissue | Written by Cordelia Strube | May 27, 1988 |
XX | The Baby | Written by | June 3, 1988 |
XX | Daddy | Story of a man who suddenly develops amnesia. Written by Vassilis Alexakis | June 10, 1988 |
XX | The Sight | A man’s housekeeper knows things about him that he doesn’t know himself. Written by Brian Moore | June 17, 1988 |
XX | The Unknown Soldier | An unusual Vietnam War story. Written by David Widdicombe | June 20, 1988 |
XX | Speechless | Written by David Swick | June 24, 1988 |
XX | When the Bough Breaks | June 27, 1988 | |
XX | Story of King Kong | Final episode of Vanishing Point’s fourth season. ZBS' Dreams of Rio from Thomas Lopez runs as the summer replacement | July 7, 1988 |
XX | The African | The Black Persian #1: An early return for season five of Vanishing Point with a rerun of Steve Petch’s 6-episode serial set in 19th-century Africa. Only this time it’s followed by 6 new episodes. Written by Steve Petch | August 12, 1988 |
XX | Journey to the Interior | The Black Persian #2: Repeat | August 19, 1988 |
XX | A Thousand Nights | The Black Persian #3: Repeat | August 26, 1988 |
XX | The Shifting Sands | The Black Persian #4: Repeat | September 2, 1988 |
XX | The Sacred Precinct | The Black Persian #5: Repeat | September 15, 1988 |
XX | The Dark Chamber | The Black Persian #6: Repeat | October 3, 1988 |
XX | The Deceivers | The Black Persian #7: New episodes begin. Written by Steve Petch | October 10, 1988 |
XX | The Road | The Black Persian #8: Written by Steve Petch | October 17, 1988 |
XX | The Goddess | The Black Persian #9: Written by Steve Petch | October 24, 1988 |
XX | Sanctuary | The Black Persian #10: Written by Steve Petch | October 31, 1988 |
XX | Dark Waters | The Black Persian #11: Written by Steve Petch | November 7, 1988 |
XX | Escapement | The Stories of J. G. Ballard #1: A man becomes trapped in a time loop. Based on the short story by J. G. Ballard | November 14, 1988 |
XX | The Man Who Collected Women | New Alberta Voices #1: Series featuring winners of the second annual Write for Radio competition sponsored by the CBC and the Alberta Department of Culture and Multiculturalism. Written by Rose Scollard, she won first prize for this play. Vanishing Point has begun running on Sundays and Mondays rather than Fridays and Mondays. | November 20, 1988 |
XX | Dead Astronaut | The Stories of J. G. Ballard #2 | November 21, 1988 |
XX | King Of Another Place | New Alberta Voices #2: A mentally ill man believes he can save the world from disaster. Written by Brad Fraser & Geoffrey Hershfield | November 27, 1988 |
XX | The Cloud Sculptors of Coral D | The Stories of J. G. Ballard #3: A group of artistic pilots carve cloud sculptures with gliders. Based on the short story by J. G. Ballard | November 28, 1988 |
XX | The Dinosaur Connection | New Alberta Voices #3: On a post-apocalyptic Earth, a technician on an expedition from a domed city meets 'outlanders' for the first time. Written by Cecilia Fry | December 4, 1988 |
XX | Low Flying Aircraft | The Stories of J. G. Ballard #4: In a world in which the population has fallen dramatically as more and more babies are born deformed, Forrester and his wife Judith await news of her latest pregnancy. Based on the short story by J. G. Ballard | December 5, 1988 |
XX | A Question of Re-entry | The Stories of J. G. Ballard #5: An investigator, searching for a missing astronaut in the Amazon Jungle, gets caught up in a power struggle between a missionary, who has gone native, and a witch doctor's son. Based on the short story by J. G. Ballard | December 12, 1988 |
XX | News From The Sun | The Stories of J. G. Ballard #6: In a near future world, a mysterious mental plague causes people to enter fugue states for increasing lengths of time. Based on the short story by J. G. Ballard | December 19, 1988 |
XX | Having A Wonderful Time | The Stories of J. G. Ballard #7: A couple's luxury holiday in the Canary Islands just seems to go on and on and on… Based on the short story by J. G. Ballard | December 26, 1988 |
XX | The Best Show on Television | Fables of the Near Future #1: Written by David Widdicombe | January 2, 1989 |
XX | Project: Gemini | Fables of the Near Future #2: An experimental program pairs up elderly people as housemates. Written by Paul Milliken | January 9, 1989 |
XX | Marooned | Fables of the Near Future #3: Shopping malls are getting bigger and better all the time. Once you're inside, you might never want to leave... Written by Steven Freygood | January 16, 1989 |
XX | Satan's Children | Fables of the Near Future #4: Adaptation of Spider Robinson’s short story | January 23, 1989 |
XX | Harvest of the Sun | Fables of the Near Future #5: A futuristic story set on the Prairies. Written by | January 30, 1989 |
XX | Of Machines and Men | Fables of the Near Future #6: Written by David Widdicombe | February 6, 1989 |
XX | The Chosen | Fables of the Near Future #7: Written by Rose Scollard | February 13, 1989 |
XX | Vanishing Child | Fables of the Near Future #8: Written by Raymond Storey | February 20, 1989 |
XX | Jade Spirit | Written by Susan Mayse | March 12, 1989 |
XX | Marriage Guidance | The Doctor's Casebook #1: A wildly comic exposé of medicine on the run, starring Steven Bush as a doctor who just can’t rest on his laurels. Written by Rachel Wyatt | April 17, 1989 |
XX | Empty Waiting Room | The Doctor's Casebook #2: Written by Rachel Wyatt | April 24, 1989 |
XX | A Healthy Way to Die | The Doctor's Casebook #3: Written by Rachel Wyatt | May 1, 1989 |
XX | Nothing Like Sea Air | The Doctor's Casebook #4: Written by Rachel Wyatt | May 8, 1989 |
XX | A Case in Point | The Doctor's Casebook #5: Written by Rachel Wyatt | May 15, 1989 |
XX | A Way With Children | The Doctor's Casebook #6: Written by Rachel Wyatt | May 22, 1989 |
XX | Marco | Pocket Musicals #1: First of a two-part portrait of Marco Solares, legendary singer/songwriter turned revolutionary. Written by | June 5, 1989 |
XX | The Curve of Heaven | Pocket Musicals #2: Written by Larry Fineberg | June 12, 1989 |
XX | Marco Part 2 | Pocket Musicals #3: Conclusion of a two-part portrait of Marco Solares, legendary singer/songwriter turned revolutionary. Written by | June 19, 1989 |
XX | The Man Who Went Home Again | Time Again #1: Written by Charles Tidler | September 11, 1989 |
XX | The Ravine | Time Again #2: Written by David Bolt | September 18, 1989 |
XX | Sightseeing | Time Again #3: Adaption of David Bolt’s short story, dramatized by | September 25, 1989 |
XX | Past Due | Written by Cordelia Strube | October 2, 1989 |
XX | On the Beach | Journey | October 6, 1989 |
XX | Train | Journey | October 9, 1989 |
XX | Flight | Journey: Written by James Dunnison | October 16, 1989 |
XX | Lisdoonvarna | Journey | October 23, 1989 |
XX | The South | Journey: Adaptation of Jorge Luis Borges's short story, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | October 30, 1989 |
XX | Song of the Mahgreb | Journey: Written by Lawrence Russell | November 13 1989 |
XX | Childhood's End Part 1 of 5 | Adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's novel, dramatized by David Lewis Stein | November 20, 1989 |
XX | Childhood's End Part 2 of 5 | Adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's novel, dramatized by David Lewis Stein | November 27, 1989 |
XX | Childhood's End Part 3 of 5 | Adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's novel, dramatized by David Lewis Stein | December 4, 1989 |
XX | Childhood's End Part 4 of 5 | Adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's novel, dramatized by David Lewis Stein | December 11, 1989 |
XX | Childhood's End Part 5 of 5 | Adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's novel, dramatized by David Lewis Stein | December 18, 1989 |
XX | Babysitter | Urban Legends #1: Written by J. J. McColl | January 1, 1990 |
XX | Whiteout | Urban Legends #2: The tale of a mysterious hitchhiker. Written by David Bolt | January 8, 1990 |
XX | The Pet | Urban Legends #3: Written by David Widdicombe | January 15, 1990 |
XX | Turns for the Worst | Urban Legends #4: Written by Sherman Snukal | January 22, 1990 |
XX | 11:52 | Urban Legends #5: Written by Bill Van Luven | January 29, 1990 |
XX | Monster in the Sewer | Urban Legends #6: Written by David Widdicombe | February 5, 1990 |
XX | Kiss the Bride Goodbye | Urban Legends #7: Written by Colleen Curran | February 12, 1990 |
XX | Trespassing | Urban Legends #8: Written by Patricia Ludwick | February 19, 1990 |
XX | Island at Noon | The Stories of Julio Cortázar #1: Adaptation of Julio Cortázar's short story, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | February 26, 1990 |
XX | Instructions For John Howell | The Stories of Julio Cortázar #2: Adaptation of Julio Cortázar's short story, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | March 5, 1990 |
XX | After Lunch | The Stories of Julio Cortázar #3: Adaptation of Julio Cortázar's short story, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | March 12, 1990 |
XX | Southern Thruway | The Stories of Julio Cortázar #4: Adaptation of Julio Cortázar's short story, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | March 19, 1990 |
XX | Summer | The Stories of Julio Cortázar #5: Adaptation of Julio Cortázar's short story, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | March 26, 1990 |
XX | Press Clippings | The Stories of Julio Cortázar #6: Adaptation of Julio Cortázar's short story, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | April 2, 1990 |
XX | Blowup | The Stories of Julio Cortázar #7: Adaptation of Julio Cortázar's short story, dramatized by Alberto Manguel | April 9, 1990 |
XX | Timbuktu | Getting There #1: Written by Audrey Thomas | April 16, 1990 |
XX | And the Ship Sailed On | Getting There #2: Written by Audrey Thomas | April 23, 1990 |
XX | People in Glass Houses | Getting There #3: Written by Audrey Thomas | April 30, 1990 |
XX | Sleep Enders | New Alberta Voices: Written by Fran Kimmel | May 7, 1990 |
XX | Meeting with Mr. Skunk | New Alberta Voices: Written by James Galbraith | May 14, 1990 |
XX | Honey Cat | New Alberta Voices: Written by . Final episode of Vanishing Point’s fifth season. The series goes on hiatus for a 14-week run of The Best of Vanishing Point | May 21, 1990 |
XX | Marriage Guidance | The Doctor's Casebook #1: Written by Rachel Wyatt. Vanishing Point opens its sixth season with reruns of two miniseries — The Doctor’s Casebook and The Black Persian — running simultaneously on two different days of the week. Both series also include new episodes building off the initial run. | September 2, 1990 |
XX | The African | The Black Persian #1: Repeat | September 3, 1990 |
XX | Empty Waiting Room | The Doctor's Casebook #2: Repeat | September 9, 1990 |
XX | Journey to the Interior | The Black Persian #2: Repeat | September 10, 1990 |
XX | A Healthy Way to Die | The Doctor's Casebook #3: Repeat | September 16, 1990 |
XX | A Thousand Nights | The Black Persian #3: Repeat | September 17 1990 |
XX | Nothing Like Sea Air | The Doctor's Casebook #4: Repeat | September 23, 1990 |
XX | The Shifting Sands | The Black Persian #4: Repeat | September 24, 1990 |
XX | A Case in Point | The Doctor's Casebook #5: Repeat | September 30, 1990 |
XX | The Sacred Precinct | The Black Persian #5: Repeat | October 1, 1990 |
XX | A Way With Children | The Doctor's Casebook #6: Repeat | October 7, 1990 |
XX | The Dark Chamber | The Black Persian #6: Repeat | October 8, 1990 |
XX | Health Service | The Doctor's Casebook #7: New episodes begin. Written by Rachel Wyatt | October 14, 1990 |
XX | The Deceivers | The Black Persian #7: Repeat | October 15, 1990 |
XX | Charity Begins | The Doctor's Casebook #8: Written by Rachel Wyatt | October 21, 1990 |
XX | The Road | The Black Persian #8: Repeat | October 22, 1990 |
XX | Paradise | The Doctor's Casebook #9: Written by Rachel Wyatt. Final episode of current run of The Doctor’s Casebook as Vanishing Point switches back to a once-a-week format. Doctor’s Casebook will return in 1991. | October 28, 1990 |
XX | The Goddess | The Black Persian #9: Repeat | November 5, 1990 |
XX | Sanctuary | The Black Persian #10: Repeat | November 12, 1990 |
XX | Dark Waters | The Black Persian #11: Repeat | November 19, 1990 |
XX | Under the Waves | The Black Persian #12: New episodes begin. Written by Steve Petch | November 26, 1990 |
XX | The Island | The Black Persian #13: Written by Steve Petch | December 3, 1990 |
XX | The Living Dead | The Black Persian #14: Written by Steve Petch | December 10, 1990 |
XX | On Becoming a Widow | New Manitoba Voices: Written by Bill Harrar | January 7, 1991 |
XX | The Last Chance Saloon | New Manitoba Voices: Written by Craig Dix | January 14, 1991 |
XX | The Elysian Fields | New Manitoba Voices: Written by Ruth Andrishak and Nancy McKinnon | January 21, 1991 |
XX | Last of the Great Rock Legends | Written by David Widdicombe | July 15, 1991 |
XX | Oh, for the Love of an Intelligent Building | Fables of the Near Future: Written by James Waller | August 5, 1991 |
XX | Stepping Onto the Future | Fables of the Near Future: Written by Jean Yoon | August 12, 1991 |
XX | The Last Mailman | Fables of the Near Future: Written by Paul Milliken | August 26, 1991 |
XX | Espresso | Fables of the Near Future: Written by | September 2, 1991 |
XX | Hide and Seek | Fables of the Near Future: Written by C. Davidson and S. Brown | September 9, 1991 |
XX | Love on a Colder Planet Part 1 | Written by Jeff Rosen | September 23, 1991 |
XX | Love on a Colder Planet Part 2 | Written by Jeff Rosen | September 30, 1991 |
XX | Love on a Colder Planet Part 3 | Written by Jeff Rosen. Vanishing Point switches back to Friday nights on CBC-AM. | October 11, 1991 |
XX | The Woman Who Loved Pumpkins | The Doctor's Casebook: Written by Rachel Wyatt | October 18, 1991 |
XX | That Family Feeling | The Doctor's Casebook: Written by Rachel Wyatt | October 25, 1991 |
XX | To Sea in a Pea-Green Boat | The Doctor's Casebook: Written by Rachel Wyatt | November 1, 1991 |
XX | The Man Who Dreamed in Djemma el Fna | In the Dream Time #1: Plays about dreams and dreaming. In this installment, a young man dreams of losing himself in the “real” Morocco, but the dream comes frighteningly true when he reaches Djemma el Fna — the “assembly of the dead.” Written by Steve Petch | November 8, 1991 |
XX | Feast of the Dead | In the Dream Time #2: The story of an Indian man who rejects his past until he takes a journey out of the city. Written by Daniel David Moses | November 15, 1991 |
XX | Final Exam | In the Dream Time #3: Written by Wes Schreiber | November 22, 1991 |
XX | The Shout | In the Dream Time #4: Adaptation of Robert Graves' short story | November 29, 1991 |
XX | The Bear | In the Dream Time #5: Written by | December 6, 1991 |
XX | A Dream Within | In the Dream Time #6: Written by James R. Wallen | December 13, 1991 |
XX | Dream a Little Dream of Me | In the Dream Time #7: Written by David Widdicombe | December 20, 1991 |
XX | Between the Seconds | In the Dream Time #8: A fascintating story about a woman who “slips between the cracks of time” when the second-hand stops on the operating room clock. Written by Patricia Ludwick | December 27, 1991 |
XX | Digging to Demeter | In the Dream Time #9: A woman’s dig on a Greek island unexpectedly unearths memories of a dead daughter and starts the woman on a voyage of recovery paralleling that of Demeter. Written by Patricia Bradbury. Final episode of the series. | January 3, 1992 |
XX | Fanta Film | An international, multi-lingual production from RAI -- Italian Public Radio | Date Unknown |