| Runtime: | 180 minutes |
| Teleplay: | Tom Holland |
| Director: | Tom Holland |
| Music: | Vladimir Horunzhy |
| Country: | United States |
| Num Episodes: | 2 |
| Network: | ABC |
| Company: | Laurel Entertainment |
The Langoliers is a horror miniseries consisting of two parts of 1½ hours each. It was directed and written by Tom Holland and based on the novella by Stephen King from the four-part anthology book Four Past Midnight. The series was produced by Mitchell Galin and David R. Kappes, for Laurel Entertainment, Inc. The miniseries originally aired May 14–15, 1995 on the ABC network.
During a red-eye flight from Los Angeles to Boston, several passengers awaken to find that the rest have disappeared, leaving behind personal belongings and even surgical implants. Those remaining are pilot Brian Engle, deadheading on the flight, MI6 assassin Nick Hopewell, schoolteacher Laurel Stevenson, tool and die worker Don Gaffney, violinist Albert Kaussner, troubled teen Bethany Sims, mystery author Bob Jenkins, blind girl Dinah Bellman, sleepy businessman Rudy Warwick, and Type A bond trader Craig Toomy. Brian and Nick find the cockpit empty and Brian takes the controls. Craig demands an explanation and then has a psychotic episode that enables Dinah, a telepath, to enter his thoughts.
After failing to establish communication with either air traffic control or other flights, Brian lands at Bangor International Airport, where the group finds the airport deserted and without power. They soon discover that everything around them is dull and lifeless, with matches failing to light, sounds lacking echo, and food having no taste. Dinah reports hearing a strange crackling sound in the distance, while Bob deduces that the plane passed through a time rip, shifting their frame-of-existence into the past, where it is empty of people and activity, and potential energy has been spent. Craig, experiencing hallucinations of his abusive father, finds a gun in an airport locker and takes Bethany hostage. Albert counterattacks and is shot, but the bullet falls harmlessly to the ground. Nick ties Craig's arms and says that they must find a way to leave before the source of the noise arrives. While restrained, Craig tells Dinah that his father warned him about the Langoliers, monsters that chase and eat lazy children.
Albert discovers that "present time" is still on the plane, and objects brought from the airport regain normal behavior after a short time on board. He reasons that if they refuel the plane, the jet fuel will regain potency. Craig escapes his restraints and stabs Dinah and Don, killing the latter, before Albert knocks him unconscious. Dinah receives first aid and is brought onto the plane, telling Nick that Craig must not be killed. Brian refuels the plane and Dinah creates a vision of Craig's meeting in Boston to lure him to the tarmac. The origin of the noise is finally revealed when saw-toothed monsters appear, devouring everything in sight. Craig recognizes them as the Langoliers and flees in terror, drawing them away from the plane, until they catch up and eat him. The other passengers board and the plane takes off while the Langoliers consume every trace of the past.
Dinah succumbs to her wound on the plane. As the flight approaches the time rip, Bob realizes that they cannot go through it while conscious. Brian can lower the cabin pressure to put them to sleep, but someone must restore pressure at the last moment. Nick, seeing an opportunity for redemption, volunteers to do so and vanishes as the plane passes through the rip. Brian awakens shortly after to land the plane in Los Angeles. Upon landing, the passengers find that the airport is vibrant but again empty. They conclude that they have arrived a few minutes into the future and wait for other people to blur into view, then take a joyful walk outside.
On her role of Laurel, Patricia Wettig thought she was moving away from roles which had stereotyped her with "sensitive listener roles", although conceded that she "should probably resign myself to it". Maberly secured the role after an unexpected call requesting her to attend an audition in New York with a day's notice, while she was in England. She was taught how to act blind and use a cane by Sue Martin, herself registered as legally blind.
The cast plus extras exceeded 150 people.
For scenes on the plane, the production team acquired a retired Lockheed L-1011 TriStar aircraft from Japan which was cut up into several pieces and transported to set, where it was re-assembled to appear intact. At the time, there was no other similar mock-up anywhere else in the country, which allowed the possibility of being rented for other purposes post-production. The cockpit was removed and attached to a hydraulic apparatus which could be manoeuvred in a manner to simulate wind turbulence.[1]
The miniseries was filmed almost entirely in and around the Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine (author King's hometown) during the summer of 1994.[2] Producer David Kappes noted that the crew considered using an airport in Pittsburgh and a newly opened one in Denver, both of which were closed and therefore suitable for filming, but decided against them due to a desire to bring reality to the story and film in the airport where the series takes place. The film crew used a Cold War–era bomber hangar, which was considered convenient for the cast and crew, however suffered issues with noise and heat, necessitating a large air conditioning unit. A second L-1011 airliner, which had been retired from Trans World Airlines and rescued for filming purposes, was used for take-off and landing shots.[1]
Filming days lasted between 12 and 15 hours, with actors typically working six days a week.[1] Final scenes were shot in a functional waiting area within the airport.[3]
Real passengers were able to observe rehearsals although numerous close encounters between actors and tourists were reported. Due to jet noise from aircraft, a considerable budget was provided to re-record voices and over-loop in post-production.[3]
Filming wrapped in September 1994, around two months after production began. The cost to produce the miniseries according to Charles Miller, production manager, was estimated in the region of $3 million to $5 million, although costs were kept lower due to the compact location of the airport and set. The cast and crew stayed in the Bangor Airport Marriot Hotel, filling 40 rooms.[3] The numbers of cast and crew exceeded 130, as well as roughly 175 extras who all lived locally.[1]
Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly gave it a "B" rating, calling it an episode of The Twilight Zone stretched out to four hours, [but] nonetheless does have its moments.[6] TV Guide gave it one out of five stars, calling it tedious and boring, criticizing its "dull" script, "cardboard characters", "ludicrous special effects", and its "dishwatery cast, [with the sole exception of] Pinchot, who rolls his eyes like an alien thespian from the Planet Ham".[7] Variety found the first three hours of the series work well, but that it falls apart when the monster is revealed.[8] The book Stephen King Films FAQ asserted that Bronson Pinchot "chews more scenery than all of the Langoliers put together".[9]
The series did very well for ABC, finishing among the top five in the weekly ratings.[10]
In 2021, Greek experimental filmmaker Aristototelis Maragkos reanimated the TV movie into an experimental feature titled The Timekeepers of Eternity.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15]