User:Movieman1901/Bigalow's Last Smoke

Bigalow's Last Smoke is the 1984 title of an episode from the 1980s TV anthology, Tales From The Darkside. It was the 22nd episode of 24 in the first of the Tales season. It stared well known American actor, Sam Anderson who played Dr. Synapsis, a calm 'doctor' who only appeared on the television of the patient, Bigalow, played by Richard Romanus.

Mr. Bigalow unkowningly signed a contract to help him quit smoking cigarettes some time in the past. The episode starts with an older alarm clock with the round dials rolls over to 7:30 in the morning. Bigalow awakes and reaches for a cigarette only to find that they're gone. When he opens his blinds, he sees that all the windows and doors have been barred like a jail cell. He's inside a prison designed to look like his apartment. Dr. Synapsis appears on his TV and tells bigalow that he can leave once he's quit smoking.

Cigarettes appear so that he can smoke if he wants, but as soon as he lights his cigarette, an alarm rings and a female voice tells him that punishment will stop when cigarette is extinguished. Since this was a 'for tv' show, the punishment was that everthing in his simulated apartment vanished, except for the dramatically oversized smoke detector mounted on the ceiling.

In one instance, Bigalow's frustration causes him to lash out at the alarm, he trashes it, only to notice a brand new smoke alarm. He also breaks a hole in the wall and meets another 'patient' and they make deals to swap matches for cigarettes, Bigalow ends up giving up a whole pack, less one cigarette, in exchange for a stick match.

The final scene ends with Bigalow waking up, his apartment totally restored, and he thinks the whole thing was a dream. He reaches for a cigarette, and the realizes he doesn't need one. He walks to the kitchen, gets some coffee, and then Dr. Synapsis appears on his TV and the episode ends with the Dr. praising Bigalow for quitting smoking, "Now lets work on your caffine addiction, Mr. Bigalow."