The Twilight Zone (1 Viewer)

[Osato]

Anyone know what the deal is with season 2 of the CBS AA show? I see it's MOD on blu-ray and supposed to be released this Tuesday, but I don't see it for sale anywhere.

I bought the set on iTunes.

I recall that the hour long episodes season was missing from one of the streaming services.

 

[Osato]

Hey Jerry. Yeah, it’s region B, I wanted to get a copy while I could. I’ll see if I can make it workout.

I bought a region free Blu Ray player in 2014 for watching the Persuaders Blu ray set. It’s great to have one.

 

[jayembee]

I bought the set on iTunes.

I recall that the hour long episodes season was missing from one of the streaming services.

Sam was referring to the current version, on CBS All Access, not the original series.

 

[Osato]

Sam was referring to the current version, on CBS All Access, not the original series.

Ah. Yes I see that now.

 

[Wiseguy]

I watched A Passage for Trumpet. That’s an odd one for me because I could never get into it to watch it all the way through and if I had, I don’t remember how it ended. I liked it this time around though. Klugman is a good actor but in the past, I found it hard to watch his episodes except A Game of Pool. But I’m glad I watched Trumpet. It was another redemption story. Nice trick they used to show he could not see his reflection. Though I read his reflection is seen on the juke box and box office. I like how it ends as he’s given a choice and realizes he wants life and to play the trumpet. He realized that music was important to him, more then the booze. And when he meets the girl on the roof, it gives him new life!

Incidentally, "A Passage for Trumpet" is one of two first-season episodes that still have the incorrect opening after CBS finally removed the second-season openings from those that had originally been rerun during the summer after the second season. Originally "Passage" was broadcast with the "eye" opening (the first with that opening). When CBS restored the openings they incorrectly put the original longer opening (the "eye" opening episodes did not credit U.P.A. in the closing credits).

The opposite happened to "Mr. Denton on Doomsday," which had been rerun late in the first season after the eye opening had been introduced. The episode still features the eye opening even though it was originally broadcast with the longer U.P.A. opening.

And just to be extremely picky, five early first season episodes had silent mid-episode bumpers. At some time CBS decided all the episodes needed to be consistent and dubbed the two-note music from Bernard Herrmann's "Where Is Everybody?" score. The episodes with the originally silent bumpers were "Where Is Everybody?," "One for the Angels," "Mr. Denton on Doomsday," "Walking Distance" and "Escape Clause." The silent bumper with overlapping music on "The Lonely" is featured correctly.

 

[Harry-N]

I wish my memory was that good...

 

[Osato]

I’ve taken a break on season 1 and need to get back to watching them. Just busy and other things I’ve been watching.

When I watch them I usually watch 2 episodes.

 

[Lord Dalek]

Incidentally, "A Passage for Trumpet" is one of two first-season episodes that still have the incorrect opening after CBS finally removed the second-season openings from those that had originally been rerun during the summer after the second season. Originally "Passage" was broadcast with the "eye" opening (the first with that opening). When CBS restored the openings they incorrectly put the original longer opening (the "eye" opening episodes did not credit U.P.A. in the closing credits).

Apparently that intro was literally spliced in at the last minute. The original 3-track mag master (which was the primary sound source used for the hd remasters) uses the old one.

 

[Wiseguy]

Apparently that intro was literally spliced in at the last minute. The original 3-track mag master (which was the primary sound source used for the hd remasters) uses the old one.

There are three indicators that an episode has the eye opening:

1) the opening itself
2) the light-bulb starfield instead of the animated one at the end
3) no U.P.A. credit in the closing credits

Since my copy of "A Passage for Trumpet" features 2) and 3) (which I doubt would be changed even if the opening was changed), then as far as I'm concerned it should have the eye opening.

 

[Lord Dalek]

There are three indicators that an episode has the eye opening:

1) the opening itself
2) the light-bulb starfield instead of the animated one at the end
3) no U.P.A. credit in the closing credits

Since my copy of "A Passage for Trumpet" features 2) and 3) (which I doubt would be changed even if the opening was changed), then as far as I'm concerned it should have the eye opening.

The thing is they couldn't restore it if they wanted to. That intro's sound source only existed on the optical track which was permanently junked when the neg got altered in the summer 61 reruns.

 

[Wiseguy]

The thing is they couldn't restore it if they wanted to. That intro's sound source only existed on the optical track which was permanently junked when the neg got altered in the summer 61 reruns.

I don't understand what you're saying. All the first-season episodes which had the second-season opening for decades have been restored* including episodes which originally featured the eye opening such as "A World of His Own."

My only point is that two episodes still have the wrong opening: "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" from the first-season rerun, which wasn't restored apparently because they thought any first-season opening was good enough, and "A Passage for Trumpet" which was restored but with the wrong opening, basically because they didn't know or realize that "Passage" was the first episode with the eye opening and just stuck the original opening on it as featured in the previous episode "The Chaser." It doesn't matter if the originals were junked since the correct openings existed on other episodes.

*In some cases in the restored first season openings the restoration was a little sloppy. Check the openings of "A Stop At Willoughby," "A Passage for Trumpet" and "A World of His Own" where the theme music cuts off too fast. These episodes prove they were restored even if the originals no longer exist.

 

[Nelson Au]

I’ve carried on with my re-viewing and revisit to the Twilight Zone. Last I left off with Long Distance Call and wrapped up the second season with the following episodes:

The Rip Van Winkle Caper
The Silence
Shadow Play
The Mind and the Matter
Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?
The Obsolete Man

I’ve seen most of these episodes multiple times and what I found surprising is that the episodes I’ve either not seen as frequently or never seen before were more interesting then the familiar and favorites. Seeing those less familiar episodes was like watching for the very first time.

The Rip Van Winkle Caper was a real favorite, so it was of more interest this time around to watch the two actors go at it in the second half.

One really favorite, The Silence was still engrossing. I’d seen it quite a few times, but not enough to know it by heart. The twist at the end was what I always remembered, but the second twist was what really made it more effecting this time around I found. They both lost. And on top of that, who really lost more?

Shadow Play was interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever really seen it before. So it was a pretty neat premise. A recurring nightmare. It must have been an interesting job for Dennis Weaver as he was known for westerns then if I’m not mistaken.

I’ve seen The Mind and the Matter, but this time it was sort of like new. I had forgotten much of how Beechcroft was able to manipulate his surroundings. It was a comedy of course, but seemed serious too. I figured it would end the way it did and was glad to see it end that way. I confuse this episode with another where there’s another twist at the end and I won’t spoil it here.

I’ve seen Will The Real Martian Stand Up several times, but again, not enough to know it by heart, so it was fun to re-see it. The last segment was pretty intense between John Hoyt and Barney Philips. Always interesting to see John Hoyt. At this time period, he made an indelible impression from his appearance in The Outer Limits as the alien in The Bellero Shield and then shortly later, in the pilot for Star Trek as Dr. Boyce playing a human. Then playing comedy in Get Smart as Mr. Bunny.

The last episode of the second season is The Obsolete Man. Fritz Weaver and Burgess Meredith return with a very dark episode. I can say I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen this episode before. I’ve probably seen images from it, but like many episodes I have not seen, it was because I wasn’t familiar with it and it didn’t appear to have elements I liked as a kid. I thought this was a really cracking episode. The first half with the dramatic courtroom set design was engrossing and really depressing dystopian imagery. The second half though was unexpected and as it played, I could see what Burgess was up to. Really well done ending where Burgess’s efforts pay off.

And then I moved onto the third season. So far I’ve viewed the following episodes:

Two
The Arrival
The Shelter
The Passersby
A Game of Pool
The Mirror
The Grave
It's a Good Life
Deaths-Head Revisited
The Midnight Sun
Still Valley
The Jungle
Once Upon a Time
Five Characters in Search of an Exit
A Quality of Mercy
Nothing in the Dark
One More Pallbearer
Dead Man’s Shoes
The Hunt

I’ve seen most of these episodes before but there’s a few I’ve never seen before. I think I realized that’s because they didn’t have elements I would associate with science fiction or fantasy that I’d expect from The Twilight Zone.

Two is a favorite that I’ve not seen in some time. So it was fun to revisit it.

The Arrival is an odd one and not one I connected with.

The Shelter was pretty good and on the level of Maple Street where the crowd goes nuts.

The Passersby is an episode I’ve not seem before, it’s one of those episode I skipped because it’s not what I’d think was a setting for this series. I was surprised by it. It was better then I thought. It was also neat to see two Star Trek guest star alums, Joanne Linville and James Gregory.

A Game Of Pool is an episode I’d seen quite a few times, and I found this viewing very engaging. Great performances by both actors. And to think it was 2 years before Winters would be in the cast of Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World.

The Mirror is not an episode I ever liked. It was OK. I guess the moral of the story is if you are so insecure, the mention of the power of the mirror would allow that insecurity make you see what you think you’d see.

The Grave is interesting. I’d seen it maybe once. The one image that I remembered is the shot of Lee Marvin’s coat stuck from the knife. And so was it Sykes or just a coincidence of the wind maybe blowing another way to cause his coat to be in the right place for the knife. It has a good cast and pretty moody.

It’s A Good Life is one of the big classics this season. I’ve not seen it in a while, but I did watch it a lot of times. I think my familiarity of it has made it less powerful, so noticed other things I’ve not paid attention to. Still a really great episode!

Deaths Head Revisited is another episode I’d not seen before. This was a good one in terms of the horrors coming back to haunt you. I think the SS Captain just had a breakdown in his imagination.

The Midnight Sun is another episode I’d seen a few times before. I’d not seen it in a while, so there was enough time to see things I’d forgotten.

Still Valley is an episode I’d not seen before, again, another Civil War era episode. I thought it was OK.

The Jungle is another new one to me. I thought John Dehner was good in The Lonely. Here he’s playing someone being chased by a curse. It was much more interesting then I thought. Spoilers: Though I did wonder how a lion could have appeared in his home? This didn’t seem as if it could have been in his mind. I guess like the taxi driver and the bum, they were also influenced by the curse.

Once Upon A Time was a good and fun one, I’d seen this a few times over the years. And clever casting.

Five Characters in Search of an Exit I’ve seen a few times. I think the first time I saw it, I liked the twist at the end, I didn’t see it coming. But after that one time, I didn’t find it having as much good repeat viewing quality. The actors are good and they make good performances. I did wonder this time if Toy Story was influence by this episode.

A Quality of Mercy I’d seen maybe once a long time ago. This was an interesting episode, so to see what it’s like for the other side. Interesting to see an early Leonard Nimoy role.

Nothing in the Dark is a really good one. I’ve not seen this one for some time too, so it was a good reviewing as I didn’t remember all the elements. I know how it ends, but seeing the performances of Gladys Cooper was really good. Redford is good as the police officer too, but if he was shot, he sure seemed to be able to have a conversation with Cooper without too much pain. So it was a give away!

One More Pallbearer was OK, I’ve seen it maybe once before. Interesting mainly to see Wiseman at the time he made Dr. No. Interesting how Serling likes to often have the tormented character end up having a break-down and what he thinks he sees is just in his tortured mind.

Dead Man’s Shoes I’ve seen before. But not recently. I’d forgotten it was Warren Steven’s in the lead role. I found this episode really engaging. It was interesting to see how Steven’s character changes when he has the shoes on and how the spirit of Dane is in the shoes and inhabits whoever is wearing the shoes. Good, good episode.

The Hunt is another episode I’ve not seen before. It was strangely more engaging then I expected. And the journey that Simpson takes to find his way to heaven was more interesting then I expected. The dog was the smart one who kept Simpson from taking the wrong path. Pretty good one.

At this point I decided to slow way down as I’ve been ripping through these episodes too fast. I’ll run out of episodes soon, so I think I’ll pull back to one of two episodes a week. There’s some more great classics coming up. So far it’s been more fun then I expected to see episodes I’d never seen before. They didn’t seem as appealing to me before which is why I never watched them.

 

[The 1960's]

Decades Presents: The Rod, White & Blue Twilight Zone Marathon on July 4 & 5!​

Tune in for these cut, standard definition episodes this holiday weekend.

View attachment Decades Presents_ The Rod, White & Blue Twilight Zone Marathon on July 4 & 5.jpg

 

[Nelson Au]

Hey Neal, I saw the commercial for this marathon too, thanks. I might tune in, but I’ll likely watch my high def versions as I have most of the series ripped as MKV files, I still have to do the fourth season hour long episodes.

 

[TravisR]

Decades Presents: The Rod, White & Blue Twilight Zone Marathon on July 4 & 5!​

Tune in for these cut, standard definition episodes this holiday weekend.

View attachment 102268

I've probably said it in this thread before I have fun watching them on TV since it's sorta like hitting random and you just get an episode given to you rather than picking one. Yeah, I've got no sense.

 

[Nelson Au]

There’s nothing wrong with a curated selection of episodes made by someone else!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I've probably said it in this thread before I have fun watching them on TV since it's sorta like hitting random and you just get an episode given to you rather than picking one. Yeah, I've got no sense.

I agree! I cut the cord last year so I can’t watch but I’d usually tune in for an episode or two just for the sake of it - especially on years when I worked the holiday it was great to have on in the background.

 

[The 1960's]

Hey Neal, I saw the commercial for this marathon too, thanks. I might tune in, but I’ll likely watch my high def versions as I have most of the series ripped as MKV files, I still have to do the fourth season hour long episodes.

One of the very very few shows that I double-dipped on because I found the BluRay set on eBay for too good a price to refuse. But I gotta tell you my expectations were probably unrealistic because I thought I would see a dramatic difference. I think because CBS did such a fantastic job on their standard def release, I didn't.

I've probably said it in this thread before I have fun watching them on TV since it's sorta like hitting random and you just get an episode given to you rather than picking one. Yeah, I've got no sense.

I understand exactly what you mean. I haven't figured out why but there's a certain feeling to just tuning it in and knowing it's there even if you aren't watching. Of course within seconds of the intro concluding we all know which episode it is.

There’s nothing wrong with a curated selection of episodes made by someone else!

I agree! I cut the cord last year so I can’t watch but I’d usually tune in for an episode or two just for the sake of it - especially on years when I worked the holiday it was great to have on in the background.

Decades is a free OTA sub-channel in most areas of the US.

 

[The 1960's]

Decades never updated their 2020 TZ link as their marathon began today July 3rd @ 12pm EST and concludes Monday July 5th @ 5:30am EST.

Happy Independence Day to all!

 

[Nelson Au]

I just tuned into my local Decades station for the TZ marathon. One of my favorite episodes just started, A Penny for Your Thoughts.