Grey Matter (TV show)

Television show: “Grey Matter”
Television series: “Creepshow” season one
First episode of season one . Twelve episodes in total.
Genre: Horror anthology
Episode directed by: Greg Nicotero
Script wrote by: Bryan Willinger and Phillip Blesi
Based on a short story wrote by: Stephen King. First published in “Cavalier” magazine in October, 1973. Also collected in Stephen King “Night Shift “collection.
About 25 minutes long as episode


Reviewed by Allen Klingelhoets


I first read “Grey Matter” in collection of Stephen King short stories called “Night Shift”. The story was only about 12 pages long. I always thought would make great “Twilight Zone” like episode if filmed. There really was not enough story for full movie. I did not see show when premiered September 26th, 2019 on “Shudder” streaming service. I was glad to notice DVD at library on check out shelf. The television show starred Christopher Nathan as Jessie Boyd. Adrianne Bordeau. Adrianne was in first theater “Creepshow” movie in story called “The Crate”.

The movie gives hints to many other characters in Stephen King stories. I saw cameo pictures of lost pets like “Cujo” from Castle Rock novel. The cat Church from “Pet Semetery”. Probably more but just did not recognize.

The story tell about town with huge storm coming into area. I think in Maine. The store which is one of two locations shown in story is over run with people buying supplies. I think summer storm. I did not see snow. A boy comes to store late. His name in story is Timothy Grier. He has come to store to buy case of beer for his father Richie. The case of beer has some sort of mold growing on outside of cased cardboard bottled beer. The boy explains that he does not want to bring case to his father. Several others in store take time to deliver beer to Ritchie. The boy stays behind and tell Dixie Parmalee who in real life is Adrianne. Timothy tells how his father had been drinking lots of beer. One case had some sort of grey matter inside bottle. Richie got very sick from beer. He craved more beer and then started to mutate into some sort slimy creature. He also required more beer. Than cravings went to more horrible things like lost dogs and two twin girls shown missing in opening credits segment. Timothy supplied to his father who was in mutated form. It was some sort of love for his parent. The episode is horror. There was rather gruesome conclusion. The story on DVD was fairly true to story told in 1973. The addition of comments about Cujo and Church the cat were of course updated to make more current. I think show was told in 1960’s. There was also a bonus feature section that talked about all twelve episodes and even audio commentaries section.

I think teen to adult viewing age.



Allen Klingelhoets