When TV movies could be absolute gems

Sure, there was a lot of garbage, but some made-for-TV movies in the 1970s were amazing. Who can forget "The Night Stalker" (1972)? That was all anybody talked about at school the next day, and my Dad said ditto for at work.

One that literally haunted me for years, was "Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol" (1972). Star Martin Landau gave it his all in the first Vietnam vet movie I can remember understanding. Was he crazy? Was the government hiding everything? What the hell happened to the entire town of Charles, Vermont?!? The final shot of the movie was unforgettable.

My favorite, though, was and is "Duel" (1971), directed by then-unknown Steven Spielberg. Again, there was such a huge buzz everywhere the day after it was first aired. I highly recommend watching a recent DVD/Blu ray that has the interview with Spielberg and other special features. The movie was shot in about 12 days.

What were some of your favorites? Edited to add: I'm talking about movies, not mini-series -- maybe another post about those?