From what I understand, this was a pilot attempt from Dan Curtis for another supernatural mystery series like The Night Stalker. Unfortunately, this one stars Roy Thinnes, who looked bored out of his skull in almost every scene. His monotone delivery and smug performance come close to ruining this for me. Combine that with a story that felt thin, a "mystery" that wasn't very mysterious, and an abrupt and less than satisfying ending, and I'm not surprised that NBC didn't pick it up.
All the other performances are pretty decent, with Angie Dickinson and Claude Akins carrying most of the weight. Great filming locations, an okay "monster," and a pretty decent score added entertainment value for me as well.
I'm a big fan of The Night Stalker and was hoping for something similar. To an extent, this is, but it's nowhere near as good.
Review of The Norliss Tapes
