Cain’s Hundred
Starring: Peter Mark Richman, Carol Rossen
First Aired: September 19, 1961
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $150,000 per episode*
Cain’s Hundred is a crime drama with a plot that is unlike many other crime dramas from the time period. Peter Mark Richman starred in the show, which had over twenty writers on board. Richman portrayed a former Mafia member who married and wanted to “go straight” after his marriage. The Mafia took exception to this and placed a hit on Richman. Richman wanted vengeance and teamed up with the FBI to take down one-hundred of the mob’s deadliest members when the gunman inadvertently shot his fiancée. The show lasted for one season and thirty episodes.
Cain’s Hundred
Darkroom
Starring: Helen Hunt, Billy Crystal, Claude Akins, June Lockhart, Brian Dennehy, Richard Anderson, Carole Cook, Lawrence Pressman
First Aired: November 7, 1981
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $300,000 per episode*
Darkroom, which aired from November 27, 1981 to January 15, 1982, appears to have been a source of inspiration for AHS. Darkroom is a thriller that aired on ABC and was produced by Universal. It contained anthological storylines. Each episode had two horror/thriller plots. James Coburn hosted the wraparound for the episode. Each story in Darkroom included new performers (different than AHS). There were seven episodes and sixteen segments in the show. Helen Hunt, Billy Crystal, Claude Akins, June Lockhart, Brian Dennehy, Richard Anderson, Carole Cook, Lawrence Pressman, and a slew of other notable actors starred on Darkroom.
Darkroom
