Cross the threshold!
You are about to enter another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound, but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone.
The Twilight Zone—Season 1 is a science-fiction horror anthology series. It aired from October 2, 1959 to July 1, 1960 on CBS. It won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing.
I love The Twilight Zone. Growing up, it was a staple on over-the-air stations with UHF channels running marathons on holiday weekends. I can remember spending the day binging episode after episode…always hoping for a favorite or an unseen episode. After years and years and multiple viewings, The Twilight Zone still might be one of the all-time best shows ever made.
Sometimes even Rod gets to enter the Twilight Zone
Rod Serling kicks off his amazing series with an incredible first season. The Twilight Zone took the viewers into some of the best science fiction in the relatively new medium of TV (a device which was only science fiction itself fifty years before). It helped that he had incredibly strong writing for the season with a wide range of episodes that can go from humorous like “Mr. Beavis” to tragic like “Time Enough at Last”. This wide variety allows a large number of people to associate with the episode, and if you don’t like the episode there is a good chance you’ll like the next one. Sometimes even Rod Serling gets involved in episodes like “A World of His Own.” The season is full of great episodes and even the older ones are quite original.
There is also just some strangeness with the early episodes of the series. The series has the original opening and not the opening that is generally associated with the show. The word robot also seems to cause a problem with people making it almost one syllable with the emphasis on the “bot” (check out “The Lonely” for that…it shows up elsewhere in the series). It is an acceptable alternate pronunciation but it just sounds weird. With the newness of this science fiction, sometimes they over explain some ideas that we take for granted. Also with many of the full series releases, you get the advertisements for other shows on the network which can be fun.
Nope nothing terrifying about living mannikins haunting your dreams…
The series also employed well known actors, but it also was a means for up-and-coming actors. Like leaving stage for film, leaving film for TV was not always the smart thing to do for actors when The Twilight Zone was made. Many of the stars of the series (that they do get) are character actors, but they are the top of the top character actors that you will recognize…even in small cameos.
Serling also helped by having the shows look great. It came from smartly writing stories that could be adapted for television at a small price. Locations like Death Valley, easy backlot sets, and simple buildings sometimes actually added to the plot. The series (even episodes set in the past) seemed to be really future based…to the point of sterility. Serling seemed to recognize this and used it to help his budget.
Check out the first season of The Twilight Zone…It is so worth it. Sure, they have some pretty predictable twists, but it is always fun even if you see them coming. If you’ve seen the episodes come back and watch them…with great (and affordable) collections you can own the whole series…and with such a famous and influential series, there are fiction and non-fiction for fans…enter another dimension…it is a must!
The Twilight Zone—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“Where Is Everybody?”
1.1 Where Is Everybody? (Episode #1) Airdate: 10/02/59
A man (Earl Holliman) finds himself with amnesia in a town that appears empty. As the man searches for clues to his identity, he wonders where everyone has disappeared to.
“One for the Angels”
1.2 One for the Angels (Episode #2) Airdate: 10/09/59
Lou Bookman (Ed Wynn) finds himself visited by Death (Murray Hamilton) and is informed that he will die at midnight. When Lou tells Death that he always wanted to make one big pitch, Death grants him a delay of death, but it could cost someone else he knows their life.
“Mr. Denton on Doomsday”
1.3 Mr. Denton on Doomsday (Episode #3) Airdate: 10/16/59
Al Denton (Dan Duryea) is a former gunslinger and the town drunk. Harassed by Dan Hotaling (Martin Landau) and his gang, Denton’s luck changes when he finds a gun. As Denton sobers up, new challengers show up to fight him again. When Denton is challenged by Pete Grant (Doug McClure) and the only chance he might have is from a potion sold to him by a travelling vender named Henry J. Fate (Malcolm Atterbury).
“The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine”
1.4 The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine (Episode #4) Airdate: 10/23/59
Barbara Trenton (Ida Lupino) is a down and out actress whose heyday has passed. When her manager is unable to find work for her, Barbara becomes a recluse trapped in her old films.
“Walking Distance”
1.5 Walking Distance (Episode #5) Airdate: 10/30/59
Martin Sloan (Gig Young) tries to escape the city and finds himself at his old hometown. When Martin realizes that his old town is exactly as he left it, he discovers he’s in the past. Now Martin is trying to fixes the mistakes in his life.
“Escape Clause”
1.6 Escape Clause (Episode #6) Airdate 11/06/59
A hypochondriac named Walter Bedeker (David Wayne) trades his soul to the devil (Thomas Gomez) in exchange for immortal life, but finds without fear of death, the thrill of life is gone.
“The Lonely”
1.7 The Lonely (Episode #7) Airdate: 11/13/59
James A. Corry (Jack Warden) is isolated on a planet for murdering in self-defense. When his quarterly shipment is brought, Corry discovers his captor has given him a gift…a robotic woman named Alicia (Jean Marsh).
“Time Enough at Last”
1.8 Time Enough at Last (Episode #8) Airdate: 11/20/59
Henry Bemis (Burgess Meredith) loves to read but is never allowed to do it between his work at the bank and his nagging wife. When a bomb goes off destroying the population of Earth, Bemis finds himself the only survivor since he was reading in the bank vault. With everyone dead, Bemis finally has all the time in the world…or does he?
“Perchance to Dream”
1.9 Perchance to Dream (Episode #9) Airdate: 11/27/59
Edward Hall (Richard Conte) is sick. He goes to Dr. Eliot Rathmann (John Larch) for help and the warning that if he falls asleep, he will die.
“Judgment Night”
1.10 Judgment Night (Episode #10) Airdate: 12/04/59
Carl Lanser (Nehemiah Persoff) finds himself on a ship in 1942. He remembers who he is but can’t remember why he is on the ship. With his clouded past, Lanser questions why he’s suffering déjà vu and a sense of dread…does his fear indicate there could be a U-Boat lurking in the darkness?
“And When the Sky Was Opened”
1.11 And When the Sky Was Opened (Episode #11) Airdate: 12/11/59
Three pilots return from an experiment flight from space. When Clegg Forbes (Rod Taylor) returns to the hospital the next day, no one seems to remember the third pilot Ed Harrington (Charles Aidman). As Clegg tries to find proof of Harrington’s existence, he wonders if they were supposed to return from the mission at all.
“What You Need”
1.12 What You Need (Episode #12) Airdate: 12/25/59
A salesman named Pedott (Ernest Truex) who seems to know exactly what everyone needs is targeted by career criminal named Fred Renard (Steve Cochran) in a bar. When Renard starts making demands of Pedott, Pedott is forced to give in…but could it lead to his death?
“The Four of Us Are Dying”
1.13 The Four of Us Are Dying (Episode #13) Airdate: 01/01/60
A con-man named Arch Hammer (Harry Townes) can change his face to look like anyone else. With his power, he uses it to his own advantage, no matter who gets hurt.
“Third from the Sun”
1.14 Third from the Sun (Episode #14) Airdate: 01/08/60
Two families on a doomed planet plan a reckless escape in an experimental ship. The goal is to reach an habitable planet, but getting to the ship might be the challenge.
“I Shot an Arrow into the Air”
1.15 I Shot an Arrow into the Air (Episode #15) Airdate: 01/15/60
Three astronauts crash on a desert planet after a flight. When disputes begin over water it becomes a fight for survival among the astronauts.
“The Hitch-Hiker”
1.16 The Hitch-Hiker (Episode #16) Airdate: 01/22/60
Nan Adams (Inger Stevens) is travelling across country to California. She is haunted by a hitchhiker (Leonard Strong) who seems to be at every turn. Can Nan escape the man and what does he want with her.
“The Fever”
1.17 The Fever (Episode #17) Airdate: 01/29/60
Flora and Franklin Gibbs (Vivi Janiss and Everett Sloan) have won a trip to Las Vegas. Franklin sees gambling as a sin, but soon finds that the temptation might be stronger than his virtue.
“The Last Flight”
1.18 The Last Flight (Episode #18) Airdate: 01/05/60
A World War I British pilot named Decker (Kenneth Haigh) lands on an American airfield in France to learn it is present day. When the pilot learns that a man he abandoned in a dogfight is supposed to arrive, Decker realizes he must find a way to right history.
“The Purple Testament”
1.19 The Purple Testament (Episode #19) Airdate: 02/12/60
A soldier named Fitzgerald (William Reynolds) can see the face of death on those he is fighting with. When he sees death on the face of his fellow soldier Captain Phil Riker (Dick York) can it be prevented or is fate something that cannot be changed.
“Elegy”
1.20 Elegy (Episode #20) Airdate: 02/19/60
Three astronauts (Jeff Morrow, Don Dubbins, Kevin Hagen) become lost in space and land on a planet remarkably like Earth. When the astronauts discover everyone in the town appears to be frozen in time, they question why one old man named Jeremy Wickwire (Cecil Kellaway) seems to be the only one moving.
“Mirror Image”
1.21 Mirror Image (Episode #21) Airdate: 02/26/60
Millicent Barnes (Vera Miles) finds herself stuck at a bus station but finds everyone keeps telling her that she’s been there before. When she begins to question her sanity, Paul Grinstead (Martin Milner) tries to help her determine if something else is occurring.
“The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”
1.22 The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street (Episode #22) Airdate: 03/04/60
When all electronics, vehicles, and phones stop working on Maple Street, the people begin to question if it could be part of an alien invasion. As the people begin to panic, Steve Brand (Claude Akins) tries to maintain the peace, but the worst is still to come.
“A World of Difference”
1.23 A World of Difference (Episode #23) Airdate: 03/11/60
Arthur Curtis (Howard Duff) has a happy life, but when he discovers himself on a set, he is told that life is a lie. Arthur Curtis is an actor named Gerry Reagan…or Gerry Reagan is Arthur Curtis.
“Long Live Walter Jameson”
1.24 Long Live Walter Jameson (Episode #24) Airdate: 03/18/60
Walter Jameson (Kevin McCarthy) is one of the best teachers of history. He seems to make it come alive with vivid descriptions of events as if he was there. When Professor Kittridge (Edgar Stehli) realizes Jameson has experienced the events, he tries to find a way to prevent him from marrying his daughter.
“People Are Alike All Over”
1.25 People Are Alike All Over (Episode #25) Airdate: 03/25/60
A biologist and astronaut’s trip to Mars ends in disaster when their ship crashes. Sam Conrad (Roddy McDowall) fines that Martians are just like humans as they provide him a home, but they may be too much like humans.
“Execution”
1.26 Execution (Episode #26) Airdate: 04/01/60
Criminal Joe Caswell (Albert Salmi) is prepared for execution for murder in the Old West but finds a reprieve when he is pulled to the future by a scientist named Professor Manion (Russell Johnson). Caswell might have escaped his fate in the past, but death has habit of catching up to people.
“The Big Tall Wish”
1.27 The Big Tall Wish (Episode #27) Airdate: 04/08/60
A broken down fighter named Bolie (Ivan Dixon) prepares for his last chance fight but finds a young boy named Henry Jackson (Stephen Perry) is willing to make a “big tall wish” for him. Will Henry Jackson’s wish for Bolie be enough to turn Bolie into a believer?
“A Nice Place to Visit”
1.28 A Nice Place to Visit (Episode #28) Airdate: 04/15/60
A career criminal named Rocky Valentine (Larry Blynden) finds himself in afterlife. He can have whatever he wants from his servant named Mr. Pip (Sebastian Cabot)…but looks can be deceiving.
“Nightmare as a Child”
1.29 Nightmare as a Child (Episode #29) Airdate: 04/29/60
A school teacher named Helen Foley (Janice Rule) is visited by a strange girl named Markie (Terry Burnham) who seems to know everything about her. When Markie comes with a warning to Helen, another visitor from the past named Peter Selden (Shepperd Strudwick) may hold the answers to Markie’s origin.
“A Stop at Willoughby”
1.30 A Stop at Willoughby (Episode #30) Airdate: 05/06/60
Gart Williams (James Daly) is in a high pressure job…always expected to push, push, push. As the pressure grows, Gart begins to hate his life, and his wife (Patricia Donahue) just wants more. As he rides the train to and from work in the city, Gart learns of a town called Willoughby that seems to exist in an eternal summer day. Will Gart give up his life and have the courage to get off?
“The Chaser”
1.31 The Chaser (Episode #31) Airdate: 05/13/60
Roger Shackleforth (George Grizzard) has a love for Leila (Patricia Barry), but Leila could not care any less about him. When Roger learns of a mysterious man named Professor A. Daemon (John McIntire), Daemon offers him a love potion…with miserable consequences.
“A Passage for Trumpet”
1.32 A Passage for Trumpet (Episode #32) Airdate: 05/20/60
Joey Crown (Jack Klugman) is a down and out trumpet player with a drinking problem. When he steps in front of a truck, Joey finds himself in a world where no one can see him…except a mysterious man named Gabe (John Anderson).
“Mr. Bevis”
1.33 Mr. Bevis (Episode #33) Airdate: 06/03/60
Mr. Bevis (Orson Bean) is a bit eccentric. He drives an old car, likes Christmas carols, models, and zither music. When Bevis loses his home, his car, and his job all in the same day, Mr. Bevis’ guardian angel (Henry Jones) decides to step in and help Bevis, whether he likes it or not.
“The After Hours”
1.34 The After Hours (Episode #34) Airdate: 06/10/60
A woman named Marsha White (Anne Francis) comes to a department store for a golden thimble and encounters a strange saleswoman (Elizabeth Allen) on a floor she is told cannot exist. When Marsha is accidentally locked in at night as the store closes, her nightmares come to life.
“The Mighty Casey”
1.35 The Mighty Casey (Episode #35) Airdate: 06/17/60
A down-and-out baseball manager named Mouth McGarry (Jack Warden) finds that the Hoboken Zephyrs might be his last chance. When Dr. Stillman (Abraham Sofaer) comes to Mouth with a robotic baseball player named Casey (Robert Sorrells), Casey could be what the Hoboken Zephyrs need…if he has a heart.
“A World of His Own”
1.36 A World of His Own (Episode #36) Airdate: 07/01/60
A writer named Gregory West (Keenan Wynn) is caught by his wife (Phyllis Kirk) having an affair with a young woman named Mary (Mary LaRoche). When West reveals the woman isn’t real, he tries to convince his wife that Mary is just one of his creations.
Related Links:
The Twilight Zone—Season 2 Review and Complete Episode Guide
The Twilight Zone—Season 3 Review and Complete Episode Guide
The Twilight Zone—Season 4 Review and Complete Episode Guide
The Twilight Zone—Season 5 Review and Complete Episode Guide
