Twilight Zone Definitive Edition (1 Viewer)

[Wiseguy]

Ironically the only other "Christmas" episode of the original Twilight Zone series was one that was also one of its finest: "Five Characters in Search of an Exit". Only it wasn't until the end of the story when we realize it was X-Mas when the Major escapes from the Salvation Army toy barrell!

"The Changing of the Guard" was also set at Christmas time even though it was broadcast in June.
And "What You Need" was aired around Christmas and even though the episode itself does not mention Christmas, the promo shows Rod Serling with a bunch of wrapped Christmas presents.

 

[Wiseguy]

"...and a merry Christmas to each and all."
Have any of us ever actually heard that line in the episode? Or are we reading it in the Zicree book and assuming it's been cut out? Maybe it was scripted, but not actually spoken in original narration. Or... is it possible that the line was excised (i.e. physically removed from the negative) after its initial broadcast, since the episode would likely be repeated outside of the holiday season? We now know that opening titles were shuffled around at the negative level for repeat telecasts, which lends my theory a bit of weight.
Or hey, I could be completely wrong. I haven't watched the episode in years, so I don't remember... Can anyone check the previous DVD? Or the Columbia House tape? Or a home recording?
We know for a fact that Image sourced the new DVDs from the original negatives. Why on earth would they delete part of the Serling narration? Given the care they've put into these sets, it seems highly unlikely. Perhaps one of our "inside men" can comment...?

Yes, I have heard the line as many undoubtedly have as well. It was on the original syndicated versions back in the sixties and seventies. It wasn't until sometime in the eighties or perhaps when Sci-Fi got the rights that the line was removed (and also for VHS like Columbia House and that cheapie red and green covered edition) and DVD.
And not only was the audio line removed but the corresponding video as well, as the episode fades out before the starfield even has a chance to take over from the last scene.
As far as I can tell, it wasn't removed because of holiday reasons but for some political correctness nonsense because not all viewers are Christians and we can't take the chance that a 50-year old holiday greeting might upset some people who don't celebrate Christmas. I still have an audio recording from either 1980 or 1986 with the Merry Christmas still on it. It may have been removed for the CBS rerun but why? Anyone watching it could see it was a Christmas episode. In any case it was on the syndicated version until Sci-Fi got the rights.
Also, the Zicree book came out (at least the 1st edition) before the line was edited so it is not mentioned there.

 

[Wiseguy]

Dave, this version was Herrmann's opening theme was recorded especially for "The Lonely" (note that the instrumentation matches the score). I knew of its existence, but had never heard it until now. The fact that it's on the DVD at all suggests that it was originally broadcast, then changed for the repeat. Its inclusion on the DVD absolutely made my day.

I first heard this theme on a syndicated run on a local station in the mid-eighties. To my knowledge, I had not heard it before in reruns, but I may be wrong. I have also seen it on the Sci-Fi Channel. The Columbia House version has the standard first season music.
I was thinking that since this episode was #2, then maybe "Where Is Everybody?" should also have this theme.
#1 "Where Is Everybody?" has the season two opening on reruns and Columbia House. The "Treasures" video has the standard first season music but they may have restored the wrong theme.
#2 "The Lonely" has the alternate theme on Sci-Fi (at least on the uncut airings) and reruns but the standard theme on Columbia House.
#3 "Escape Clause" has the standard theme but a longer version closer to the Varese Sarabande soundtrack version. This would seem to be the first episode with this theme since they immediately realized it was too long for the credits and introduced a shorter version for the following episode #4 Judgement Night.
Which brings me back to the question of which theme should be associated with "Where Is Everybody?" Why would they start with the final version of the theme then try out two other themes (including a longer version which didn't fit the credits) before returning to the "final" version. Or did they start off with the alternate version (even if it had been composed for "The Lonely" it would have existed before the airdate of "Where Is Everybody?")
Another question is whether the mid-episode ID's (the ones with the cave, etc.) are included. "The Lonely" is unique in that the music of the episode itself continues onto the ID. If the ID is cut (as it is on cut reruns, Columbia House, etc.) then a part of the soundtrack is cut as well.

 

[Wiseguy]

Here's another thing, and this also applies to all CBS series from that period (including GUNSMOKE and Rawhide): The production code #. Everyone knows that episodes of a show never air in the order in which they were filmed. The Twilight Zone was no exception, and as always this can be seen in the end credits. For example, "Long Live Walter Jameson" with ID # 173-3621 first aired a week before "People Are Alike All Over" (#173-3613) in March 1960. In this case I would interpret that to mean that Kevin McCarthy's show was the 21st produced during TZ's first season and Roddy MacDowall's was the 13th.
There is one flaw in my theory: "Execution" is 173-3628 and has a 1960 copyright. "The Big Tall Wish" was filmed in 1959 and is 173-3630. Go figure!

With an anthology series like this it really doesn't matter what order you watch them in. By the way, "The After Hours" was 173-3637 and there were only 36 episodes produced in the first year.

I've just noticed something interesting (to me, anyway). I've known for years that "Nothing in the Dark" and "The Grave" are actually second-season episodes (the production numbers and closing credits are in the second season style and the titles/writers/directors don't appear at the beginning of act 1).
This makes the episode count for the first three seasons as 36/31/35 which sounds more sensible than 36/29/37. If they wanted to save money in the second season by producing fewer episodes than why make more in the third than the first?
But as noted above, there are 36 episodes in the first season but the last production number is 37, one episode number is skipped, #173-3606. There is nothing really unusual about this, other CBS-produced programs such as Hawaii Five-0 and The Wild Wild West have skipped numbers.
But then I noticed there is a 173-3606. It is "A Most Unusual Camera" from the second season. Does this mean it was actually filmed during the first season between "Walking Distance" and "The Last Flight"? Why else would that production number be used?
There are 61 filmed episodes in the first two seasons using the same production number style. There is a number 173-3662 since number 173-3652 was skipped. Or should that be the number for "A Most Unusual Camera" and someone made a mistake and used an old skipped number for some reason?

 

[TravisR]

But then I noticed there is a 173-3606. It is "A Most Unusual Camera" from the second season. Does this mean it was actually filmed during the first season between "Walking Distance" and "The Last Flight"? Why else would that production number be used?

Looking at Martin Grams' book, The Twilight Zone: Unlocking The Door To A Television Classic, A Most Unusual Camera was script #6 (dated April 23, 1959) and intended to be filmed for the first season but the script was shelved. The next season, Serling revised the script (still bearing the 3606 production number) and it was shot on October 17 to 19, 1960.
Anyone who is interested in weird little TZ trivia like that should definitely check Grams' book. At $45, it's pretty expensive but immensely detailed.

 

[Statskeeper]

Both the Blu and DVD editions are on sale for 60% off this week on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=pe_196050_27542390_pe_button/?rh=i%3Amovies-tv&hidden-keywords=B000H5U5EE%7CB007I8KXQ8&ie=UTF8

 

[Ruz-El]

Are the blurays worth the upgrades? any additional features or anything missing from the DVDs?

 

For me they were. The dvds were missing some of Serling's next week trailers. The blu rays have all of them. The picture is better on the episodes too. Also, Night of the Meek has the original "Merry Christmas" line from Serling, formerly missing, and Cavender is Coming can be viewed with or without the laugh track.

 

[TravisR]

Are the blurays worth the upgrades? any additional features or anything missing from the DVDs?

Some loser with no life compiled a complete list of what wasn't ported over in the TZ review threads:

I went through all of the DVD season sets and compared them to the Blu-rays. As far as I'm concerned, this is a DEFINITIVE list of the missing features: S1 missing special features: Time Enough At Last- The Drew Carey Show Clip (0:45) The Might Casey- photo gallery (5 pictures) Photo Gallery (24) Serling Game Show photos (2) Comic Book (DVD-ROM) S1 special features now on a different set: Netherlands Sales Pitch (4:34) NOW ON THE S5 BLU-RAY SET Liar’s Club (2:32) NOW ON THE S3 BLU-RAY SET Rod Serling Blooper (0:12) NOW ON THE S4 BLU-RAY SET Billboards (3)- 1. “brought to you by Sanka” 2. “brought to you by Kimberly Clark” Kleenex (with drawing of Tissues, Towels, Napkins and Toilet Paper) 3. "was brought to you by Kimberly Clark" Kleenex (animated) ALL THREE NOW ON THE S5 BLU-RAY SET S2 missing special features: Twenty-Two- script (DVD-ROM) The Jack Benny Show clip (5:10) Billboards (10)- Veto Deodorant: “has brought you” (billboard #11 on the DVD set) - Chesterfield Kings: “is brought to you by...” '21/20’ (billboard #12 on the DVD set) - Chesterfield Kings: “has been brought to you by...” ‘Tabaccos Too Mild To Filter’ (billboard #13 on the DVD set) - Contac: “is brought to you by..." (billboard #14 on the DVD set) - Arrid: “has been brought to you by...” (billboard #15 on the DVD set) - Palmolive Soap: “brings you...” (billboard #16 on the DVD set) - Palmolive Rapid Shave: “has brought you...” (billboard #17 on the DVD set) - Sanka Coffee: “is brought to you...” ‘...whole new blend of the world's finest coffees...’ (billboard #20 on the DVD set) - Sanka Coffee: “brought to you...” '...whole new blend of the world's finest coffees...’ (billboard #21 on the DVD set) - Oasis Cigarettes: Rod Serling (billboard #23 on the DVD set) Photo Gallery (32) Comic Book (DVD-ROM) S2 special features now on a different set: The Mike Wallace Interview (21:00) NOW ON THE S5 BLU-RAY SET Tell It To Groucho clip (15:10) NOW ON THE S3 BLU-RAY SET S3 missing special features: It’s A Good Life: It’s Still A Good Life clip (1:09) and commentary by Bill Mumy Sci-Fi Channel Marathon spots (5:13) Night Gallery promo spots - Promos (2:36) - Bumpers (4:23) - Teasers (0:30) - Intro (2:58) - Station IDs (7:19) Photo Gallery (38) Comic Book (DVD-ROM) S4 missing special features: Miniature: color scenes from syndicated version (18:16) Billboards (1)- Micrin and Pretty Perm: “brought to you by...” *narrator says the product names reversed from the order they are shown* (billboard #23 on the DVD set) Photo Gallery (17) Comic Book (DVD-ROM) S5 missing special features: Highlights from the Museum Of Television And Radio (11:24) Photo Gallery (61) Rod Serling: Submitted For Your Approval 1:26:17

The additions that Eric mentioned and the upgrade in picture quality more than make up for the very minor things that aren't carried over in my opinion.

 

[Craig Beam]

The omission of the American Masters Serling documentary is a major bummer (I was hoping it would get the high-def treatment). Having said that, the blu-ray sets are essential purchases for any true TZ fan. They're that amazing.

 

[David_B_K]

The omission of the American Masters Serling documentary is a major bummer (I was hoping it would get the high-def treatment). Having said that, the blu-ray sets are essential purchases for any true TZ fan. They're that amazing.

So the documentary is not included in the Complete Blu-ray set? I thought it was left out of the original sets but included in the complete set. However, Amazon has the reviews for every release of Twilight Zone jumbled together; so I may have read a review of the DVD. I bought the show as separate Blu-ray sets, and assumed I was missing something for having bought it that way. I have season 5 on DVD just for the documentary. For those that don't have TZ on Blu-ray yet, the increase in quality from the DVDs to Blu-ray is quite noticeable; so ignore the reviews that say "barely worth the upgrade". The current price is a great deal. I know I paid a lot more by buying individual sets.

 

[Ruz-El]

Thanks for that list Travis. I'm still on the fence. I'll probably still hold out and keep the DVDs. They look great, certainly better then they did on TV when I first saw them anyways.

 

[TravisR]

So the documentary is not included in the Complete Blu-ray set? I thought it was left out of the original sets but included in the complete set.

I don't have the series set but as far as I know, the series set is just the 5 individual seasons in one box. I sold off my DVDs on eBay and picked up a copy of the American Masters doc DVD on its own (for about $10) to make up for its exclusion on the Blu-rays.

Thanks for that list Travis.

Sure thing. I'm glad to post it in as many revived or new TZ threads as possible so the info is always easily accessible.

 

[Charles Smith]

I did the same, bought a standalone copy of the documentary and -- a little wistfully, to be sure -- never looked back at the rest of those DVDs which we cherished so highly just a few years back. The Blu-rays? Like night and day.

 

[Dave Jessup]

About 35 years ago I was the first student archivist at Ithaca College's Rod Serling Archives. Consisting then of his scripts for the show plus an incomplete set of 16mm prints of episodes, I was charged with preservation and organization (Mr. Zicree was researching his book around then, so there was precious little information widely available). The 16mms were either syndication prints (complete shows, but no commercials) or CBS network reference prints (the half hour as aired: commercials, bumpers, "next week" promos, etc). Those ref prints got circulated in the industry - casting directors used them as audition material, for example. (Cans bearing multiple labels for send-outs were interesting to see.) "The Lonely" in its original network airing was one of the reference prints I saw. It had the standard Bernard Herrmann opening theme - not the "alternate" as on the Definitive Edition DVDs. Same holds true for the "summer rerun" - some years back I bought a discarded syndication print which I still hold; the negative is derived from the summer repeat. (This was when the only available video copies were edited, and I wanted that mid-show music sting complete!) As for "Night Of The Meek" - kinescopes made from the original-airing videotape were complete, and were easy to see until Viacom stopped distributing via 16mm film. As far as can be determined, when "Night" was repeated the following summer (!), CBS (either electronically or physically) edited their broadcast tape to remove Serling's "out of season" reference at the end. That tape is what was used for the "direct-transfer" copies that circulated via VHS, DVD, etc. (I haven't yet seen the Blu-Ray restoration.)

 

[TravisR]

"The Lonely" in its original network airing was one of the reference prints I saw. It had the standard Bernard Herrmann opening theme - not the "alternate" as on the Definitive Edition DVDs. Same holds true for the "summer rerun" - some years back I bought a discarded syndication print which I still hold; the negative is derived from the summer repeat. (This was when the only available video copies were edited, and I wanted that mid-show music sting complete!)

I believe that the only episode that had the 'non-Herrmann' intro on the Definitive DVDs was Mr. Denton On Doomsday and that was corrected to the original intro for Blu-ray.

As far as can be determined, when "Night" was repeated the following summer (!), CBS (either electronically or physically) edited their broadcast tape to remove Serling's "out of season" reference at the end. That tape is what was used for the "direct-transfer" copies that circulated via VHS, DVD, etc. (I haven't yet seen the Blu-Ray restoration.)

The original line is restored on the Blu-ray.

 

[Charles Smith]

Fascinating stuff. Seriously. Keep it coming.

 

[Wiseguy]

But the line WAS included on the original syndicated episodes from the 1960's to the 1980's at least. It was only when the episode started to appear on VHS (official and non-official releases) and the Sci-Fi Channel [and after the politically-correct movement started] that the line was edited out once again.

 

[Wiseguy]

"The Lonely" in its original network airing was one of the reference prints I saw. It had the standard Bernard Herrmann opening theme - not the "alternate" as on the Definitive Edition DVDs. Same holds true for the "summer rerun" - some years back I bought a discarded syndication print which I still hold; the negative is derived from the summer repeat. (This was when the only available video copies were edited, and I wanted that mid-show music sting complete!)

I first saw (heard) the alternate on the regular syndicated version in the 1980's on a local station (I still have it on an old videotape). I was surprised to hear it as I don't think I heard it before in the syndicated episodes.

 

[DeWilson]

"The Lonely" in its original network airing was one of the reference prints I saw. It had the standard Bernard Herrmann opening theme - not the "alternate" as on the Definitive Edition DVDs. Same holds true for the "summer rerun" - some years back I bought a discarded syndication print which I still hold; the negative is derived from the summer repeat. (This was when the only available video copies were edited, and I wanted that mid-show music sting complete!)

Why was it changed in the first place?