ID this anthology tv series

Cafe Society
1

It would have been on within the past 5 years I think, and was on NBC.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately) I only remember only one of the stories, but it was a great one:

A military guy just lost his wife and kid in a divorce and he’s rather bummed about the whole thing. He suddenly gets a phone call and is summoned by the military to some desert where a mysterious dome has suddenly appeared. Inside the dome is a peaceful country setting with a cottage and stream and tire swing, and living inside is a woman, her son, and her father, who liked to relax on the front stoop.

The military examines the dome and is seeking to learn about it when something somehow falls through it into this alternate world. Based on this, they set up a machine to regularly shoot ice cubes into the dome to see if they can determine the timing of when the dome allows passage. Of course during this whole time, the protagonist sees this simple life with a happy family and longs to be with them.

At one point, an ice cube slips through the barrier, and as it does, the military guy runs into to the dome walls and slips through onto the inside. He meets the family who seem to be shocked, but pleased to have this man among them. As they gather around him, their jaws distend and with giant fangs, they tear the man to shreds, eating him.

The story ends with the boy banging on the dome walls with the former military guy’s leg bone, peering outside. The old man reads from some black book, and just like that, the dome vanishes.

It is unlikely that I will ever be able to get this on DVD, but I found this particular story very dark and enjoyable and would love the chance to see it again.

2

I don’t know what anthology series that was, but I’ve read the short story that it’s based on.

3

I actually remember watching the first half of it, before the cool ending. The ice cubes in particular ring a bell. I’d be interested in finding out what it was, myself. I seem to recall it being aired on the Scifi channel. Could have been a rerun of an NBC show.

Wish I’d seen the end now. :slight_smile:

4

I remember it too, but I don’t recall the series title. I asked over at the horror board – someone will know.

5

Tom Piccirilli is not only a gifted writer, he remembers stuff.

It’s from Night Visions, and the title is A View From a Window.

Edited to add the story is by Bob Leman. I should have remembered this. His collection Feesters in the Lake has some of the best SF, fantasy, and horror I’ve ever read. He just died last year.

6

Awesome, thank you! I’ll pick up the book as well as I should have expected it was based on a story but had no clue for certain.

7

It’s a small press book, $40 from Midnight House Publishing. I usually don’t pay that much for a book, but this one was definitely worth it.

I don’t think this particular story is in that collection though.

8

I should have checked before I posted. The story is in the book – the title is The Window.