The Hitchhiker The Legendary Billy B. (1983–1991) Online

Clearly this episode from the 1987 season is one of the better ones it's suspenseful, edgy, creepy, and mysterious and clearly well done. It's really one of my favorites "The Legendary Billy B." features well known actress Kirstie Alley as an all to eager and nosey win at all cost tabloid scoop reporter Jane L. and I mean this woman will do anything to get a story even if it means destroying the life or career of a person. All that matters is a hot story for the press that sells. One day she receives word from a co-worker that a supposed legend of rock named Billy Baltimore who's thought to be deceased has been reported alive and pictured in recent photos. So being eager and wanting a hot story she along with her co-worker travel to the home of the rock legend, once inside they make a weird and freaky discovery of life a real bone chilling sighting! Great episode I enjoy it time after time that I view it because it shows that being nosey can bite you back it's better to stay out of people's secrets and many things are left not to be discovered and better to be left alone.

While I do believe that many will find Kirstie Alley difficult to stomach, taking a shot at her performance here, I think it should be taken into account that her character is purposely offensive, off-putting, and repulsive. She's one of those rag-hounds who will do anything despicable, irredeemable, and inexcusable if it means getting a front page story/headlines needed to secure a mink coat and make it into the big-time as a major league tabloids-journalist. Right out of the chute we see her behind the bushes with her guilt-ridden photographer, Hodie (Andy Summers, who I think properly parlays the grueling professional toll and internal struggle one faces in an industry that requires using your talents to besmirch, destroy, or degrade celebs and pop culture stars), peeping into the personal affairs (sexual, in this case) of a tabloid darling and uncovering a scandalous, incestuous affair. Their morally irresponsible work results in the man's wife committing suicide. Instead of being bothered by the suicide itself, Alley's Jane L has a hissy fit because she didn't break the story of the dead first herself! When Jane L realizes Hodie may have photos of his idol--an acid rocker from the 60s who it was assumed died from a gut shot wound injury while performing on-stage--she's more than a bit excited about a potential story of the rock star staging his death so that his records would soar and thrive because of the notoriety. Instigating an intrusion into the mansion of this rocker will lead her and Hodie to discover what they think is the legendary Billy B (Brad Dourif, doing what he does best, taking the episode clear away from the star when he shows up), but it is in fact his son. Dourif even has an exact replica of the hotel room trashed by Billy B attributable to his last night on stage! Dourif carries on with them as if he were his pops, but this charade doesn't fool Hodie who soon proves he's a fraud, using taped music to mimic Billy B. The rest of the episode has Dourif and his muscle, Watchman (John 'Bear' Curtis) making sure their "visitors" (intruders) are kept from dishing the dirt to a public that would feast on such wacky details as an old man kept alive but unable to truly live thanks to the inability to function without drugs, unable to speak or really coherently carry on a conversation (trust me, Jane L tries to get him to talk!). What awaits Jane L (and Hodie, for that matter, although, in my mind, he got off easy compared to what his employer will continue to suffer) is quite grim indeed. The ending, while a bit off-the-wall, is fitting for the lech that is Jane L.

This could've been a pretty interesting episode. In the right role, Kirstie Alley is a pretty fair actress. This was clearly not the right role. As out-for-herself reporter Jane L., she came across as though she wanted every line to stand out. In other words, she over acted.

Andy Summers, legendary Police guitarist, and the man who supplied the original music for this episode, was a fine counterbalance to Alley's annoyingly over-the-top performance. His little swing on Billy B's guitar was a nice added bonus.

Brad Dourif did the best job with his role as Billy Baltimore Jr. I've seen him act in several different movies and have never been disappointed. Standing in for his supposedly dead father, Billy Jr. did the 60's thing with a lot of flair.

On the whole, this was far from the strongest episode in The Hitchhiker series. However the positives, though barely, outweigh the negatives.

Eager and unscrupulous tabloid newspaper reporter Jane L. (deliciously played to the amusing obnoxious hilt by Kirstie Alley) will go to any length to dig up a juicy scoop. Jane L. gets in way over her head when she snoops around a remote rural mansion in search of Billy Baltimore, a legendary 60's acid rock guitarist who reportedly died twenty years ago. Director Chris Thomson, working from a neat and offbeat script by L.M. Kit Carson, relates the absorbing story at a quick pace, ably builds an arrestingly edgy and mysterious mood, milks a good deal of tension from the unusual premise, and delivers one sweetly ironic doozy of a grim and creepy surprise twist ending. Alley attacks her part with tremendous (and often hilarious) lip-smacking aplomb ("Bango!"); it's a treat to watch her ruthless bitch character get her rightful comeuppance at the conclusion. Andy Summers lends sound support as photographer and hardcore 60's rock buff Hodie and even gets to do a regrettably brief, yet still blistering electric guitar solo. Moreover, the always quirky and entertaining Brad Dourif almost steals the whole show with his marvelously eccentric portrayal of Billy Baltimore's flipped-out long-haired hippie son Billy Jr. Ron Orieux's sharp cinematography gives this episode a pleasing glossy look. The shivery score by Shuki Levy and Haim Saban adds an extra ominous buzz to the already freaky proceedings. Well worth a watch.

A tabloid reporter (Kirstie Alley) will go to any length necessary to dig up the dirt on legendary rock musician Billy Baltimore, who's supposedly been dead for the last 20 years. This episode pretty much sucked, no one in it was relatable so you didn't really give a damn what happened to any of them thus removing any trace of tension. It really didn't help matters that Alley's acting abilities, or in this case, lack there of, was grating beyond belief. The Hitchhiker series had some pretty good shows, this was definitely not one of them. This is one of the episodes that can be found on disc 2 of Volume 1 of the US release.

My Grade: D-