Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 08:06 AM PST

Oh.. and the ever wonderful Jason Graae was "caught" on camera... click on my name to see a picture from the recent Mack and Mabel concert. He's posing with the ever lovely Debbie Gravitte

Posted by Craig @ 04/02/2003 08:10 AM PST

Great photos, Craig...AND Mr Douglas Sills as well!

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 08:24 AM PST

Messrs. Panaro, Sills and Graae together in the same room at the same time. Yummeee!

Posted by Jay @ 04/02/2003 08:32 AM PST

Dear Reader Laura--

I just read your little announcement from yesterday's posts. Mazel tov!

Dear BK--

Regarding the screening of TFNM at the Egyptian: There is no Friday May 28 this year. Do you mean Wednesday May 28 or Friday May 30? If I am town, I certainly plan to be there!

Posted by Jay @ 04/02/2003 08:35 AM PST

Every episode I thought of was actually from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Actually "Twilight Zone" was on during a time where I had very little time for television so I can't remember a specific one.

Okay - April Fool's Day is over. Is Dear Reader Laura really expecting a little one or was it an April Fool's gag?

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/02/2003 08:39 AM PST

In the Twilight Zone there IS Friday, May 28, 2003.

Posted by Rod Serling @ 04/02/2003 08:43 AM PST

Dear Reader Craig has already mentioned my favorite Twilight Zone episode, which is the one with Burgess Merideth and the books. Another one that has remained stuck in my memory, even though I was very young when I saw it, portrayed a couple waking up in a strange room after a bender the night before. The town they find themselves in is eerily deserted, and everything around them is fake (i.e., false cabinet fronts, non-working faucets, etc.) Eventually, they find themselves at a train station and board a train, which mysteriously starts moving. The train returns to the very station from which they departed.

Am I supposed to give away the ending here?

Posted by Jay @ 04/02/2003 09:00 AM PST

For those who might have missed it in Ken Mandelbaum's column this morning, I offer this little bit of news:

"Dance of the Vampires may have gone unrecorded, but on Monday, Sh-K-Boom Records will make the Broadway cast recording of Michel Legrand's Amour."

Good news for all Melissa Errico fans!

Posted by Dave @ 04/02/2003 09:11 AM PST

Gotcha!

Posted by Laura @ 04/02/2003 09:21 AM PST

One of my earliest Twilight Zone memories (and also one of my favourites) is an episode called "The Silence" , in which a man wagers that another man cannot be silent for a year.

And, of course, the episode that has already been mentioned by a few, "Time Enough at Last", where Mr. Henry Bemis gets his chance to read as much as he wants...or does he?

Posted by Dave @ 04/02/2003 09:22 AM PST

Hello all. . . I have received
many suggestions from a pal
to get myself online and post. .
. soooo. . . .

Twilight Zone -- the one where
the various, oddly dressed
people find themselves in a
tall round room; the ballerina,
the cowboy, the clown etc.
When they make a human
ladder to the top, one falls over
the side, only to be picked up
by the bell ringing Santa and
placed back inside the barrel.
Creepy.

Posted by Kurt @ 04/02/2003 09:28 AM PST

Dear Reader Laura:

Touchee. I thought something might be up when I didn't see any commentary from Dear Reader Sandra on the matter.

Posted by Jay @ 04/02/2003 09:30 AM PST

Oops, it is Wednesday the 28th, not Friday. Welcome Kurt.

Posted by bk @ 04/02/2003 09:31 AM PST

Welcome, Kurt. :)

Laura, you sly puss, you... ;)

Fave TZs:

1) The one where the people are trapped in a diner and at the end, the counterman is revealed to be a Martian (he takes off his paper hat and he has a third eye in the center of his forehead!)

2) I know this will sound like sucking up, but really it's not. The one in which Dear Reader Susan Gordon appeared as a little girl with a disability (a leg brace?) who is friends with a kindly old gentleman (he was on Spin and Marty as Marty's British-but-not-really butler) who is really the ruler of a distant planet. This is also my mother's favorite TZ of all time; she says when she first saw it, she really identified with the little girl Susan played.

3) The one where an entire neighborhood whips itself up into an hysterical frenzy when they think they're being invaded by aliens. This episode helped form a lot of my beliefs about human nature that I hold to this day.

I don't want to p*** anybody off, but I HATE the Burgess Meredith one! It's TOO DAMN EFFECTIVE! I was really really depressed when I viewed that episode at around age 11. I finally had to make up my own alternate ending to the episode in order to make the feeling of gloomy fatalism lift from me! Any episode that can do that to a relatively happy-go-lucky 11-year-old is EVIL. ;)

Posted by Lulu @ 04/02/2003 09:47 AM PST

A Stop at Willoughby
To Serve Man
The Midnight Sun
The Invaders

Posted by steveg @ 04/02/2003 09:48 AM PST

I looked up a TZ episode guide and found this information about #3 on my list:

"The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"

(closing monologue by RS): "The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own - for the children, and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is that these things cannot be confined to the Twilight Zone."

Pretty timeless, huh?

Posted by Lulu @ 04/02/2003 09:55 AM PST

Oooh. . . and that one where
the store mannequins come to
life. . . oh and the one where
the girl is being pressed to
pick her new body. . . oh oh oh
and the one where the
bandages are being removed
and all we get to see for the
entire episode are medical
staff from the neck down.

Creeeeeepy

Posted by Kurt @ 04/02/2003 09:56 AM PST

Oh, and of course the one with Billy Mumy wishing people into the cornfield! ;) What kid hasn't fantasized about making the adults kowtow?

Kid: She was thinking bad thoughts about me, so I wished her into the cornfield.

Dad (through gritted teeth and plastered-on smile): And it's good you did that! It's REAL good!

Wasn't that one called "It's a Good Life"?

Posted by Lulu @ 04/02/2003 10:01 AM PST

Ah, The Twilight Zone. When I was growing up in DC, the local broadcast station would should two episodes every night at 10:00 - or maybe it was 11:00. I was a faithful viewer, unfortunately, I can't really remember too many specific episodes. *And I just wish the DVDs were cheaper...

I always remember the one where the group of people find a camera that takes pictures in the future... When they realize just how many bodies are lying on the sidewalk down on the street...

As for the Burgess Meredith one... I don't think I've ever seen this one all the way through. I always seemed to catch the last five to ten minutes. Guess this would be a good one to catch on DVD...

And wasn't there one that opened with a gentleman buying a newspaper, and the quarter lands on it's side -???

-sorry to be so vague...

Otherwise, it's a beautiful day here in Richmond. I'd run today, but since I ran the past two days... Don't want to push it. But I will treat myself to a nice walk in a little bit.

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 04/02/2003 10:21 AM PST

Mr BK and fellow H/K - I would like to introduce my friend Kurt who is now posting here. He was one of the actors featured in STONES IN HIS POCKETS that I worked on last month. He is a Sondheim aficionado and introduced me to many SS scores.

We have done many shows together, my favorite being LLOYD'S PRAYER.

And as you can tell, a TZ fan. Now if I can only get Suzanne in here....

AND how could I have forgotten Susan's TZ episode...grrrrrrrrrr....

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 10:33 AM PST

Jose - I love the camera episode as well...Jeanne Carson is terrific.

Oh, and just because Kurt is a friend of mine - don't hold that against him. 8-D

"It's a cookbook!!"

Mr. BK, you have touched a nerve with us here.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 10:35 AM PST

I too changed the ending to the Burgess Meredith episode. In my mind I had him finding another pair of glasses. Many of the episodes gave me nightmares-still can in fact. Yet, there too many wonderful episodes to mention them all. A few by name are, Perchance to Dream, What you Need,and And When the Sky Was Opened. My all time favorite is Two with Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery, beautiful with dark hair, as the survivors of opposite armies in a deserted town. My second favorite is
The Fugitive with Susan. I have fond memories of when the episode aired as we were friends even then. Interestingly, last I talked to Susan The Fugitive just happened to be playing on my tv when I turned it on. We of course decided to watch it.

Posted by Jane @ 04/02/2003 11:06 AM PST

Nice photos, Craig....my goodness gracious me but Jerry Herman looks well-embal...errr...ummm...preserved!

TZ: Kick the Can; To Serve Man; the one in which a man flips a quarter into a box and it stands on end and for the rest of the day, he can read minds...

R

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 04/02/2003 11:13 AM PST

Jane: So glad to hear I'm not the only one who did that with the Burgess Meredith episode! I wasn't happy enough to have him just *find* a pair of glasses...I actually had to have a role in the episode as a little girl who inexplicably knows how to make glasses. Yes, I know I was a strange kid.

The weird thing is that after I grew up, I did work as an optician for about a year...

Posted by Lulu @ 04/02/2003 11:24 AM PST

And why would you think that is weird?

You would be a site for sore eyes.

Posted by Rufus T Firefly @ 04/02/2003 11:27 AM PST

Jrand52:

I never met Rod Serling, but I had a cousin (she passed away about two years ago) who did the casting for many Twilight Zone episodes. My cousin maintained a close friendship with Rod Serling until he died, and she always spoke very highly of him.

(My cousin also did the casting for Gilligan's Island, which, for a long time, I thought was a more impressive credential than her work on Twilight Zone. Thankfully, I've come to my senses.)

Posted by Jay @ 04/02/2003 11:33 AM PST

Jennifer, are you here? Since you're a Trading Spaces-phile (I still have yet to see an episode), I thought you'd like to get the scoop on a recently aired episode. The homeowner posted their REAL reaction (even though on the show they pretended to be happy) to the Trading Spaces message board (I stumbled on it as a link in a newsgroup unrelated to TS). I snipped the best parts, which appear below:

The slipcovers on the couches (which I had previously reupholstered myself) were the disgusting, store-bought, elastic-bunched-up-arm things you find at K-Mart. On top of that, they weren't even put on well...they were sloppy and loose.

The "treatment" of the pot shelves...I don't know what to say. Plastic wheat grass (right into the garbage) and poorly painted terra cotta pots (likewise, garbage)? How many years of school did Gen go through to come up with that? I know some of you liked them, but the hanging grape lights were actually made of plastic beads and were dwarfed by the scale of the room (you're welcome to dig through our...you guessed it, garbage).

Another note about the lights..the grape lights and the little uplights on the pot shelves actually ended in a jumble of cords just out of sight of the cameras. The outlet they plugged into? Oh, it was around the corner in the bathroom. But really, the door only had to be left open 1 or 2 inches, so I guess that wasn't really THAT big a deal.

Nice, huh? :)

Posted by Lulu @ 04/02/2003 11:53 AM PST

Hmmmmmm...was that Ruth Burch?

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 11:55 AM PST

Mildred Gusse.

Posted by Jay @ 04/02/2003 11:59 AM PST

Wow - I have heard that name as well... Burch was at Desilu now that I think about it.

Rod Serling came to MY town...my own little town, Mooresville Indiana, when he was doing some reality series and they were shooting material about John Dillinger. I watched him stand on the steps of a church and spout some misinformation about JD. He was rushed but stopped to talk briefly to all of us. We hadn't been told he was coming, but tv cameras always draw a crowd....

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 12:02 PM PST

I saw that episode of Trading Spaces, and I'm not surprised that the homeowners opted to junk the room after the "designer" left. Genevieve lacks even a hint of common sense, let alone style. The room she destroy...eh, designed that week was so completely impractical, not to mention hideous, that I was surprised that the homeowners reacted as calmly as they did. It seemed obvious, however, that they were not pleased.

Posted by Dave @ 04/02/2003 12:03 PM PST

I meant to post this earlier...

Lincoln Center is bring back William Finn's ELEGIES with the same cast for 7 performances only from 4/14 TO 4/19. This time it is a solid week, not scattered weekends. They've doubled the price, but even $40 is still cheap for performances of this quality. If you are in the NYC area I urge you to see this wonderful show. You won't be sorry.

(And no - unlike some other shows at some other sites, I am not on the payroll of Lincoln Center, William Finn or anyone having anything to do with the show. Check out my comments in the archives for 3/24.)

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/02/2003 12:03 PM PST

Lulu,I love your solution to the "glasses" problem. I don't think you were strange, just very creative and self-confident.

Posted by Jane @ 04/02/2003 12:22 PM PST

"Welcome Kurt".
I know nothing of the "Twilight Zone" (I may be living in it though).

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 04/02/2003 12:23 PM PST

Lulu, yes I'm here. That sounds like last week's episode where Gen did the purple paints above the fire place.

I actually didn't like that room at all. I did like the varnished table and fireplace. But I hated the purple paint, and the slipcovers.

I don't understand though why somebody would pretend to like a room. They seemed very happy.

Jennifer

Posted by Jennifer @ 04/02/2003 12:37 PM PST

Just chatted with our very own chat guest tonight, Alison Fraser and she is looking forward to your excellent questions. I hope to see you all there...

Posted by Craig @ 04/02/2003 12:45 PM PST

Since I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet, I suppose I'll tell you what my all-time favorite TZ is: Walking Distance, with Gig Young and Ronny Howard - where the older man finds himself back in his home town and nothing has changed since he was a boy. It's tremendously moving and the score by Bernard Herrmann is one of his greats.

Posted by bk @ 04/02/2003 12:45 PM PST

It's 81 degrees! YEAH!

I really wish I could be at the chat tonight with Miss Fraser. I've always loved her very unique voice - and I mean that in every good sense of the word "unique". Please send her my best. -Hopefully, we'll get through The Trip tonight.

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 04/02/2003 12:50 PM PST

Jane: Thanks for the compliment. :) I wish I could remember, though, how I explained it to myself that an 11-year-old somehow knew how to make glasses (with no equipment, yet!). LOL.

Jennifer: In answer to your thoughts about why anybody would pretend to like a room -- the homeowner wrote that the reveal is "overwhelming" and also that she and her husband are "nice people" and so they didn't have the heart to make a fuss at the time. Speaking for myself, I totally understand this reaction. I have a lot of midwestern NICENESS in me (to a point where it's no longer healthy, and you find yourself practically nursing an ulcer for fear of ever saying or doing something that might rock the boat). People who haven't had it drilled into their heads that they must, above all else, be NICE can never understand why other people willingly stand there grinding their teeth down to nubbins as they say, "Oh, my goodness, I am so PLEASED. Really!" But since I have the Niceness Bug, I can totally understand the homeowner's reasons. :)

Posted by Lulu @ 04/02/2003 12:51 PM PST

For those of us who don't have a clue who Alison Fraser is, is there some bio posted somewhere?

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 04/02/2003 12:52 PM PST

Walking Distance is one of the most moving half-hours of television ever.

Posted by Phil @ 04/02/2003 12:53 PM PST

Jennifer, did it also strike you as odd that Genevieve described that purple mess as a "seating area"? Who in the world would be sitting up there? Not to mention, there is a couch at ground level on the opposite wall. Does she expect that people will be sitting on that couch, having a conversation with the people sitting on the Great Purple Mountain?

Posted by Dave @ 04/02/2003 12:58 PM PST

Ron..

Why check the unseemly interview archives of course.. .Bruce interviewed her a bit ago and there is a ton of great stuff in that interview!!!

Posted by Craig @ 04/02/2003 01:05 PM PST

Answering my own question, and for any one else who did not know about Ms. Fraser, please follow this URL to her very informative website:

http://www.alisonfraser.com/bio.htm

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 04/02/2003 01:08 PM PST

Thanks, Craig....another source overlooked by moi!

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 04/02/2003 01:08 PM PST

Dave wrote:
Jennifer, did it also strike you as odd that Genevieve described that purple mess as a "seating area"? Who in the world would be sitting up there? Not to mention, there is a couch at ground level on the opposite wall. Does she expect that people will be sitting on that couch, having a conversation with the people sitting on the Great Purple Mountain?

Ha ha. That is too funny. For those who don't know what we're talking about, Genevieve painted the area above the fireplace (the ledge and wall up to the ceiling) purple. She then put cushions up there (it was very high up).

I wonder how people were supposed to get up there.

I actually really like Gen. I think she's nice, fun and silly. I sometimes like what she does. But I often find things that I really dislike. But I also find that with Frank. I think he's great. Just don't let him touch my house!

Jennifer

Posted by Jennifer @ 04/02/2003 01:12 PM PST

Ron..

And an interesting aside is.. I designed her website. I was going to post that link.. but thought you might enjoy reading the interview she did with Bruce instead LOL

Posted by Craig @ 04/02/2003 01:17 PM PST

Lulu, re: Trading Spaces and why people act nice when they hate their room.

I get why someone wouldn't be rude and nasty if they didn't like their room. But you can usually tell when people like what they see. They are happy, say they love the room ...

I guess, I might expect someone who hated their room to just smile and not say anything. But I wouldn't expect them to say they really like it.

If I recall, Vern did the other room and it was really lovely (lemon and striped walls, with blue couches). Those people loved the room. But when they showed Gen's room the couple acted like they liked it. They told their friends they liked it. I guess I just don't understand why they had to lie.

I also understand that it is probably quite overwhelming.

And I also think that the producers can edit the reveal however they want to. I remember seeing a live reveal on the Today show last year. And it was nowhere near the same thing when they showed it on Trading Spaces.

oh well. Yep, I'm addicted.

But don't even get me started on my other favorite tv shows!

Jennifer

Posted by Jennifer @ 04/02/2003 01:19 PM PST

Jennifer: Well, like I said, I didn't even see the episode in question, so I can't even offer any trenchant observations about the couple's reaction. "Overwhelming" and "nice people" was the explanation that the homeowner gave. I can see your point about it being odd if they went to great lengths to weave an elaborate fiction about loving it. Why not, as you said, just smile and say "Oh, how nice"? But then again, some people on the message board responded to the homeowner's post with "OMG, I KNEW you guys hated it!" So who knows? Their "happy-happy" reaction seems to have struck some people as being genuine and others as being false. Maybe there was a glint of panic in their eyes that you blinked and missed. LOL.

I just know that this anecdote reinforces my gut feeling that I would NEVER go on that show if offered the chance. :)

Posted by Lulu @ 04/02/2003 01:27 PM PST

An interesting website, Craig, but you might update it since Rusty passed away.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/02/2003 01:29 PM PST

Gen is actually one of my favorite designers...but when she is bad...she is BIG BAD! Vern and Edward are still my favorites.

Walking Distance with Gig Young. I think Gig Young is a vastly under-rated performer. He is so good in THAT TOUCH OF MINK with Doris and Cary, that I wish he had been in the Big Three with Doris and Rock instead of Tony Randall....bleh!

Gig with Doris and Clark Gable in TEACHER'S PET what a guy! With Gig it would have been a real choice...with Tony there was no OTHER choice!

He also played a great part in a TV series based on some John O'Hara stories called GIBBSVILLE that I really liked. And of course, Gig's second wife was Sophie Rosenstein - who was Frances Farmer's drama teacher at University of Washington. In fact Frances got Sophie her job first at WB - before she moved over to Universal International.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 01:34 PM PST

I never saw Twilight Zone. My parents thought it was too scary.

Posted by Laura @ 04/02/2003 01:52 PM PST

Laura - maybe your parents were right. There were images on TZ that - as you can tell - stay with you forever.

But most of all, there were ideas!!!!

For a couple of seasons on late Friday night (no school...you can stay up late) Tz was followed by a show like You Are There are something...a documentary show that was very political and explained the world situation. Sometimes it was followed by Person to Person...and I think at least one season it was followed by Alfred Hitchcock...so that was SOME night! LOL

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 02:13 PM PST

jrand: Wasn't You Are There hosted by Edward R. Murrow? I saw part of an episode once in a Communications class; the professor considered it a milestone.

Posted by Lulu @ 04/02/2003 02:15 PM PST

Yes.

And speaking as one who saw I LOVE LUCY in its original run, I will say no more.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 02:20 PM PST

My favorite two Twilight Zone stories are not from the original series. In fact, one isn't from Twilight Zone at all, but from Serling's next series, Night Gallery. (You may remember this series, where Serling introduced the stories on-camera instead of as a disembodied voice. Dang, he had amazing eyebrows.) But I've long felt that Serling's real contribution wasn't in his individual stories, but in the form itself.

The Night Gallery episode was "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes," based on a story by Margaret St. Clair. It starred Clint Howard as the title boy, back when he was very blond and still had his youthful hairline. The boy was able to predict the future, but only about things he knew of and understood. And one day he refused to predict the future, but then changed his mind and told the world that everything was going to be wonderful, that everyone would be happy at last. The mix of this happy messsage, with his generous love for everyone, countered by the truth the little boy knew was one of the most chilling moments I can remember seeing in fictional television.

The second great Twilight Zone story came from the revival series of '85. Written by Alan Brennert and directed by Wes Craven, "Her Pilgrim Soul" was later rewritten by Brennert and Alan Menken as the second story of the off-Broadway musical "Weird Romance." Kristopher Tabori and Anne Twomey starred in this amazing mix of science, ghosts and reincarnation, and true lasting love. The TZ version of the story used the full hour, and was a real tear-jerker for me, in the happiest sense. If you've never seen the episode, I strongly advise seeking out the musical version. It will give you happy tears, I promise.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 04/02/2003 02:24 PM PST

Favorite TZs:

22 - A stripper finds herself at a hospital morgue with a creepy nurse who informs her there's "Room for one more, honey."

"The 16 MM Shrine" - Ida Lupino plays a has-been Hollywood star who enjoys watching her old movies.

"Nick of Time" - William Shatner and Pat Breslin are a couple who keep feeding pennies into a machine that can predict the future.

"A Thing About Machines" - Machines turn the tables on Richard Hayden.

"Talking Tina" - Telly Savalas finds himself threatened by a talking doll.

"The Dummy" - Cliff Robertson's dummy has a mind of its own.

Plus several other that have already been mentioned: "Walking Distnace," "Eye of the Beholder," "To Serve Man," "The Inavders," "The After Hours."

Posted by Matt H. @ 04/02/2003 02:34 PM PST

Sorry for the long post. Trying to mention ones that haven't been posted yet.

There are so many TZ episodes that are brilliant and the reason why the last revival failed and possible the current one which I have seen only once (it was sequel to the Bill Mumy episode It's a Good Life and a remake of the Monsters are Out on Maple Street) was that I felt that stories did not have the irony or even the moral messages that could be found in the original episodes. An excellent example was the episode Wordplay. Where a man slowly finds out that English is no longer spoken and he has to learn from the beginning a new language. What was missing was why this should happen to him. Perhaps if he was a word or grammar fanatic always correcting everyone it would make more sense.

Of course not every episode of TZ were classic but they were far superior to what is on TV today.

One of my favorites was actually a short film that was bought for ther series. It went on to win an Academy Award. It is called "An Occurance At Owl Creek Bridge".

Others include Bill Shatner in an airplane who is the only person who sees the gremlin on the wing trying to destroy the plane. Nioghtmare at 20,000ft.

A mute Agnes Moorehead trapped in her house besiged by aliens. The twist ending makes this classic episode even more sweeter. The Invaders ?

The pilot episode called Where Is Everyone is another episode that has a great ending.

Inger Stevens in the Hitchhiker. She plays a woman who while driving home sees the same hitchhiker as she travels the highway.

Third From the Sun a great sci fi story where two families try to escape a planet's pending doom.

Jack Klugman gives an outstanding performance in A Passage For a Trumpet. An excellent example of what the Twilight Zone is all about.

A Penny For Your Thoughts about an ordinary who flips a coin into a box and it stands on end and he can suddenly hear everyone's thoughts. A great comedic story that has been ripped off many times since. (Including "adult entertainment" videos/)

Death Heads Revisted. A Nazi returns to the camp where he was the commandant. He meets an eldery man who was one of the inmates there.He is put on trial for his war crimes. (This was written less than 25 years after WWW2)

Little Girl Lost. A girl rolls off her bed and into another dimension. They try to rescue her before the being in the dimension gets and the portal closes up. Ripped off for Poltergeist.

The Passage of Lady Anne was one of the hour episodes, but it could have been a lot better at 1/2 hour still an enjoyable show to watch especially with great turns by the veteran cast.

I Sing the Body Electric by Ray Bradbury which has been remade twice. As an afterschool special when they made them and on the ist revival of TZ.

and a few of from the 1st revival that were worthwhile. Danny Kaye in Paladin of the Lost Hour which was on his last acting appearances. I liked it even though it is credited to Allan Smithee, William Freidkin's Nightcrawlers of you can see it uncut. I believe it is considered to be one most violent of the TZ. And one more that I remember but have never seen since it first aired. I believe it was shown when it was part of the 1 hour format and it ran longer than a 1/2 hour and couldn't be edited to put into syndication. It was called a Matter of Minutes. A couple wake up and find that they are a few minutes behind real time. They see blue clad figures constructing time and space that will be used for that moment. Finally Shatterday written by Harlan Ellison and starring Bruce Willis in a top notch performance/

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 04/02/2003 03:26 PM PST

"You Are There" was indeed with Walter Cronkite but it was never on Friday nights. It was on late Sunday afternoon/early Sunday evening.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/02/2003 03:28 PM PST

Live Celebrity Chat with Alison Fraser begins in two count them two hours - remember, be there ten minutes early.

Posted by bk @ 04/02/2003 03:41 PM PST

A treasure trove of Twilight Zone trivia:

http://www.thetzsite.com

Posted by Jay @ 04/02/2003 03:45 PM PST

I'm not sure yet if I will be able to attend the chat.

Btw, this might surprise BK since he calls me a tv addict, but I've never seen the TZ.

Posted by Jennifer @ 04/02/2003 03:55 PM PST

I forgot about Little Girl Lost-loved that episode. Was it Night Gallery that had the episode where the old Nazi standing in an art gallery wishes he is in the painting of a row boat on a lake?

Posted by Jane @ 04/02/2003 04:08 PM PST

My favorite TZs were also the gremlin on the airplane wing (wasn't that one remade with John Lithgow?) and Maple Street.

Posted by KT @ 04/02/2003 04:18 PM PST

You are right Bill. It wasn't You Are There - it was a similar show called Eyewitness to History!

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/02/2003 04:29 PM PST

"Why don't you get out of here, Finchley?"

Posted by Spanish Dancing Lady on the Television Set @ 04/02/2003 04:29 PM PST

Jennifer "I've never seen the TZ" needs to be bitch-slapped from here to eternity.

Now, tell your friends and neighbors to come for the live chat - we want a nice full room for Ms. Fraser, plus she's a barrel of laughs and it will be fun.

Posted by bk @ 04/02/2003 04:31 PM PST

I hope this is a temporary lull and that we'll see many of you in just one half hour.

Posted by bk @ 04/02/2003 05:08 PM PST

15 minutes to the live chat! Remember, Bruce is requesting that every go into the room at 8:50 (est)

see you all there!

Posted by Craig @ 04/02/2003 05:22 PM PST

LIVE CHAT IS OPEN!

Posted by Craig @ 04/02/2003 05:36 PM PST

Unfortunately, I can't be at the chat tonight. I couldn't be at the Melissa Errico chat either. :-( I'm just about to leave to see a local production of The Who's "Tommy" and my ticket has already been paid for.

Some of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes (most have already been mentioned):

*Anne Francis with the thimble
*Billy Mumy and the cornfield
*Burgess Meredith and the books
*The Aliens and the cookbook
*The one with the old couple who both want to get newer, younger bodies, but they only have enough money for one of them to get it done. They end up both staying old so that they can die together.
*William Shatner and the gremlin on the airplane wing
*William Shatner and the penny-eating future-predicting tabletop fortuneteller
*The one with the beautiful woman who is hated and feared because, where they are, she's really ugly
*The one with Lois Nettleton and the earth is moving closer to the sun, but it's really not.

About "Weird Romance," the musical. The first story, "The Girl Who Was Plugged In," was on the "Outer Limits" series remake a few years ago. I don't remember her name, but the young actress who played the older daughter from "The Nanny" played the attractive body/shell/host. I don't remember who played the "operator" (the Ellen Greene part).

Posted by George @ 04/02/2003 05:37 PM PST

Of course, my absolute FAVORITE Twilight Zone is The Manhattan Transfer's "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone!" :-)

Have a great chat!

Posted by George @ 04/02/2003 05:46 PM PST

We had a great chat with Alison Fraser. Who would have known that in her spare time she's president of the Barry Williams Fan Club!

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 04/02/2003 07:06 PM PST

For the record, I had a very
Brady October working on a show
with Barry Williams, and really
liked him. On the other hand, I
did not have to romance, romance
him every night.

Posted by Ludlow29 @ 04/02/2003 08:29 PM PST

For the record, I had a very
Brady October working on a show
with Barry Williams, and really
liked him (He was great in the
show, SLAY IT WITH MUSIC). On
the other hand, I did not have to
romance, romance him every night

Posted by Ludlow29 @ 04/02/2003 08:33 PM PST

Warning - very long post!

Below are my favorite episodes, along with brief descriptions of each. Also, click on my name for a link to TV TOME's Twilight Zone episode guide. You should also click on their homepage, as you can find info about hundred's of other television shows there!

Time Enough at Last

Bank teller Henry Bemis loves to read. He sneaks into the vault at lunchtime to read and is knocked unconscious by a shockwave. When he wakes up, he discovers a nuclear war has destroyed the Earth. He decides to commit suicide until he sees a library. This is paradise to him, and he begins to organize books to read for years to come. Just as he settles down to read his glasses slip from his face and smash, forever trapping him in a blurry world.

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street

After what is believed to be a meteor flies overhead, Maple Street experiences a total power failure. Pete Van Horn leaves to find what is going on. Tommy, a reader of sci-fi, says human- looking aliens have infiltrated Maple Street. No one takes this seriously until Mr. Goodman's car cranks for a few seconds. Suspicion falls on him, made stronger by a neighbor's memory of seeing him looking up at the stars at night. Everyone begins to panic as the evening approaches. When a mysterious figure walks towards them in the dark, Charlie Farnsworth takes a neighbor's rifle and fires. The mysterious figure turns out to be the returning Pete Van Horn. Charlie is then accused of being the alien, then Tommy, then total madness breaks out. As various house lights flash on and off, rioting breaks out. Two nearby aliens watch these events. One tells the other that by manipulating electricity, it is easy to turn neighbor against neighbor. Maple Street is only the beginning.

People Are Alike All Over

Marcusson, the optimist that believes people are alike all over, is killed when their ship crashes on Mars. Conrad is terrified when he hears someone banging on the outside of the ship. He is relieved when he sees that the martians are human looking, but telepathic. The next day, the Martians give Conrad a home of his own. Left alone, he quickly realizes there are no windows and all the doors are locked. Suddenly, a wall slides up, revealing bars through which a crowd of Martians stand. Conrad then realizes he is in a zoo. He cries out, "Marcusson, you were right - people are alike everywhere."

Nightmare As A Child

Schoolteacher Helen Foley finds a strange and very serious little girl on the stairs outside her apartment. The little girl seems to know her, and tries to jog her memory about a man she saw earlier that day. The man arrives at Helen's door and Markie runs out the back way. The man is Peter Selden, who worked for Helen's mother when Helen was a child, and claimed to be the first to find her mother after she was murdered. Helen witnessed the murder but has blocked it out. She mentions Markie, and Selden tells her that was her nickname as a child, and shows her an old photo of herself. She then realizes that she and Markie are one and the same. Selden leaves, and Markie reappears. She tells Helen she is Helen, and that she is there to force her to remember her mother's murder. Selden returns and confesses to the murder, and say he has tracked down the only witness to his crime. She manages to run into the hallway and push Selden down the stairs to his death. Markie was a part of Helen that did remember the murder, and was trying to remind her conscious self of it.

The Man in The Bottle

After buying a bottle from an old lady, Arthur Castle is surprised to see a genie appear in modern dress. The genie informs him he has four wishes. Not believing, Arthur wishes for a cracked glass display case to be repaired. Instantly it is fixed. His next wish is somewhat larger - a million dollars. But after giving money to the needy in his neighborhood, the IRS takes all but five dollars. He thinks his third wish is foolproof - to be the ruler of a foreign country in the twentieth century, one that can't be voted out of office. His wish comes true, but not as he expected; he is in Germany, at the end of WW II, and he is Adolf Hitler. He uses his fourth wish to make everything like it was. He's back where he started, but somewhat happier with things

The Eye Of The Beholder

Janet Tyler anxiously awaits the outcome of her latest surgery. Janet, who's abnormal face has made her an outcast, has had her eleventh hospital visit - the maximum allowed by the State. If it didn't succeed, she will be sent to live in a village where others of her kind are segregated. As her bandages are removed, she is revealed to be very beautiful. The doctor draws back in horror. As the lights come on we see the others, their faces are misshapen and deformed. As Janet runs from her room crying, she runs into another of her kind, a handsome man named Walter Smith. He is in charge of an outcast village, and he assures her that she will eventually feel she belongs. He tells her to remember the old saying: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Night of The Meek

Corwin is fired on Christmas Eve by Dundee, the store manager, after arriving drunk for work. He walks around, still in his Santa suit, until he finds a bag. It gives out any item that's asked of it. Corwin proceeds to pass gifts out to everyone. Officer Flaherty suspects the merchandise is stolen, and takes him to the police station. Mr. Dundee is there, and tries to find the "stolen merchandise" in the bag, but all he finds is a stray cat and some garbage. Corwin passes out gifts the rest of the night, until the bag is empty. Burt, a friendly bum, points out that Corwin has taken no gift for himself. Corwin replies that his only wish is to do this every year. His wish is granted: In an alley he finds an elf, sleigh and reindeer wiating to take him to the North Pole.

The Invaders

The woman goes up to her roof to investigate a noise, and finds a flying saucer with two tiny, robot-like creatures emerging from it. The creatures torment the woman, until finally she grabs and batters one of the creatures into lifelessness. With an ax she destroys the saucer. Before the final creature is killed he sends a message to his home planet not to send any more ships to this planet. The lettering on the side of the saucer reads "U.S. Air Force."

Long Distance Call

Grandma Bayles gives her five year-old grandson a toy phone for his birthday. Soon after she dies, and Billy is very upset. He quickly seems better while spending all his time talking into the toy phone. He tells his parents that Grandma is on the phone, and that she is lonely and wants him to come visit. His parent's dismiss this as a child's imagination, until he throws himself in front of a car. Billy tells his parent's that "someone" told him to do it. Late one night, his mother, hearing him talking on the toy phone, rushes in and grabs the phone - and hears breathing on the other end. Billy runs out of the house and tries to drown himself in the fish pond. A fire rescue team has no luck at reviving him. His father goes into his room and picks up the phone, and begins to plead with his mother to let Billy live. He tells her that if she really loves Billy she would allow him to grow up. Suddenly, Billy begins to respond.

The Mind And The Matter

Archibald Beechcroft hates people. An office boy, after spilling coffee on him, offers him a book on mind power. After reading it, Beechcroft is convinced that he can will anything to happen. He proves it by making his landlady disappear. The next day he finds his office empty. He decides to repopulate the world with duplicates of himself. He soon finds that they are all unhappy complainers. He finally admits, "A lot of me is just as bad as a lot of them." A little more tolerant of others, he returns the world to that way it was.

The Obsolete Man

In a future society, all books and religion have been banned. Romney Wordsworth is a God-fearing librarian who has been judged obsolete by a chancellor of the State. He is granted three requests: only his assassin will know his method of death, that he die at midnight the next day, and that he have an audience. Forty-five minutes before his scheduled death, he invites the Chancellor to his room. He then informs the Chancellor that he has chosen to be killed by a bomb set to explode at midnight, he then locks the Chancellor in his room. A TV camera is broadcasting all that happens - and Wordsworth will prove who's will is stronger, his or the State's. The Chancellor is calm at first, but as the minutes tick by he begins to panic. He finally cries out, "In the name of God, let me out!" Wordsworth hands him the key, and the Chancellor runs from the room just as it explodes. When the Chancellor returns to his court, he finds he has been judged obsolete and replaced. Loyal members of the State surround him and tear him to pieces.

The Hunt

Hyder Simpson and his dog Rip dive into a lake after a raccoon. Only the raccoon emerges. He and Rip awaken the next morning next to the lake. When he gets home he finds that no one can see or hear him, not even his wife - they all think he's dead. He finds a fence beside the graveyard and follows it to a gate. The man at the gate tells him it is the gate to Heaven, but dogs aren't allowed. Hyder takes Rip and leaves. Further down the road he meets an angel. The angel explains that the gate was actually the gate to Hell, and Rip wasn't allowed in because he could have smelled the brimstone.

To Serve Man

The Kanamits arrive on Earth, and immediately start helping man. They appear totally trustworthy and full of goodwill. This idea is backed up when they leave a book titled "To Serve Man" at the U.N. Michael Chambers, a decoding expert, along with thousands of other people book passage to the Kanamit's home panet. Meanwhile, Michael's assistant Pat is trying to decode the book left by the Kanamits. As Michael is boarding the Kanamit spacecraft, Pat runs up and tells Michael she has finished translating the book - it's a cookbook! Michael tries to escape, but is forced back inside by a Kanamit, and the craft leaves.

The Fugitive

Two men are looking for Ben, an old man with the ability to change his form. Ben tells Jenny, a friend of his with a leg brace, that he is a fugitive from outer space. Before he leaves, he uses a device to fix Jenny's leg. When the men pursuing Ben arrive, they use a similar device to make Jenny ill. The trap works, and Ben returns and cures Jenny. It turns out Ben is not a criminal, but a ruler of a planet, and the men were sent to convince him to return. He agrees, but they refuse to let him take Jenny. Jenny has a plan; they ask for a moment alone to say goodbye. When the men return they find two Jennys. Unable to tell which one is real, they take both.

The Changing of The Guard

After fifty-one years of teaching, Professor Ellis Fowler is informed he is to be forcibly retired. He decides his teaching has never made a difference, he takes a pistol to the school and plans to shoot himself. Inside the school he hears a bell, and enters a classroom. There he sees ghosts of some of his now-deceased students. They convince him that he did make a difference in their lives. He returns home knowing that he did make a difference, and ready to accept retirement.

Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

Mr. Wilson sees a creature on the wing of his airplane, but no one believes him. Seeing that the creature is about to destroy the engine, he takes a sleeping policeman's gun, opens a hatch, and empties the gun into the creature. It is hit and gets swept off the wing. Mr. Wilson is taken off the plane in a straitjacket, convinced that he saved the plane. Serling's ending hints that the proof of the creature was later found.

Living Doll

Erich Streator doesn't like the new doll his wife has bought for his step-daughter. His dislike grows when the doll tells him she doesn't like him. After trying to get rid of the doll, he agrees to let his step-daughter keep it. Investigating a noise one night, he trips over the doll on the stairs and falls to his death.

Posted by Ray @ 04/02/2003 09:12 PM PST

The Changing of The Guard is one my favorites. Also, I have an especially strong fondness for The Fugitive. Additionally, seeing the name "Ray" in the previous post reminds me of something another Ray once wrote:

I wish my life was a non-stop Hollywood movie show
A fantasy world of celluloid villains and heroes
Because celluloid heroes never feel any pain
And celluloid heroes never really die

Posted by Phil (w/help from Ray Davies) @ 04/02/2003 09:56 PM PST

BTW, Bruce, your estimation of Walking Distance is on the mark -- it is "one of the most moving half-hours of television ever".

Posted by Phil @ 04/02/2003 10:08 PM PST

Chat with Miss Alison Fraser was a lot of fun. Thanks for arranging and conducting it, BK & Craig!

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/03/2003 02:16 AM PST

Oh, early (late) post. Does anyone read these?

I must add "On Thursday We Leave for Home" with James Whitmore:

A civilization stranded on a hot asteroid is finally rescued after thirty years. However, the leader of the civilization has trouble letting go of his people. He tries to convince them not to return to Earth and then he tries to destroy the rescue ship. Eventually he is left behind and comes to his senses moments too late.

I found the ending infinitely sad at the time, and it still haunts me. The feeling of realizing an instant later that you have made the wrong decision and there is no way to undo it... such a horrible feeling.

Posted by William F. Orr @ 04/03/2003 05:05 AM PST

I can't remember the title of the episode without consulting my TZ COMPANION (great book, BTW, if anyone's interested), but it was the one about a jet plane getting caught in the Gulf Stream and being thrown back in time to the prehistoric era. They try to find the Gulf Stream current again to go forward in time, and they do, but sadly not far enough. They end up at the 1939 New York World's Fair.

Posted by Matt H. @ 04/03/2003 06:31 AM PST

Yes, we read them...LOL

Both great episodes, gentlemen.

I remember Rod Serling's closer on the airliner was something like...if you hear a jet plane overhead, look up and say a prayer, it just might be Flight 66 trying to get home. 8-D

Posted by Jrand52 @ 04/03/2003 07:17 AM PST