This dark anthology series from the mid-80s was one of HBO''s early successful ventures in original programming, and can be seen as a precursor to HBO''s even-more-successful Tales from the Crypt. This two-disc anthology contains 10 episodes from the series. As with most programs of this type, individual episodes vary in interest and quality, but the selections included here give the viewer a good feel for what the show was all about. While fans of the show may lament that the DVD debut of The Hitchhiker isn't in the form of a full season boxed set, they''ll still find a lot to love in the five hours included here.

The Hitchhiker is sort of a Twilight Zone for grown-ups; the typical episode tells an ironic story of some despicable lout getting his or her just desserts, with healthy does of sex and violence tossed in for good measure. Each segment is hosted by the hitchhiker of the title (Page Fletcher), who introduces each story a la Rod Serling, and wraps things up with a moral before moseying back down the road. Bland pretty-boy Fletcher doesn''t really have much personality, and the concept of having a hitchhiker as the title character has nothing to do with any of the stories, but the show''s stylish and well-produced. Unlike many modern anthology series, The Hitchhiker managed to attract a lot of fairly well-known directors (such as Phillip Noyce and Paul Verhoven) and actors (Kirstie Alley, Helen Hunt, Willem Defoe, etc). Granted, some appear here before they were big stars, but their talent is evident, and helps raise most of these episodes above the usual TV horror fare. Though none of the episodes come close to the creativity of The Twilight Zone, most offer some trashy fun. There are a few clunkers; Paul Verhoven''s ""Last Scene"," about an actress who''s seemingly stalked by a masked figure, is a predictable shaggy dog story, and ""The Miracle of Alice Ames"," featuring Joe Pantoliano as a minister who raises money by pimping wayward girls, goes nowhere. Most of the others are pretty entertaining. I especially liked Gary Busey as an evangelist with a dark secret in ""KGOD"" (it''s probably the scariest of the lot). Also really good is ""Man''s Best Friend"," which features Michael O''Keefe as a self-centered young man who is befriended by an extremely protective dog (or is he?), and ""In the Name of Love"," in which an unhinged female assassin falls in love with the wrong guy...it has a nice twist ending which might have made Rod Serling smile.

This is a TV show, so the episodes are presented in their original 4:3 fullscreen versions. The quality of the picture transfers run hot and cold. Some have aged pretty well, while others are occasionally grainy, look washed-out, or contain some noticeable scratches. Then again, the show is nearly twenty years old, so I guess it''s to be expected. The audio transfer is rendered in both 2.0 stereo and original mono versions, and it''s serviceable. It may not bring out the best in your home theater system, but it''s fairly clean and distortion free.

The only extras offered are audio commentaries for 5 of the episodes, which include directors Paul Verhoven, Phillip Noyce and Carl Schenkel. I listened to 3 of them, and they aren''t bad. I imagine die-hard fans of the show or these individual directors will appreciate them more then I did. Similar Programs and/or Movies: The Twilight Zone, Tales from the Darkside, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Creepshow, Tales from the Crypt, Red Shoe Diaries

This set of Hitchhiker episodes may not be exactly what fans of the show were hoping for, but it does serve as a good introduction to the series, with a pretty decent selection of episodes. It''s no Twilight Zone, but it''s good lurid fun.