The Twilight Zone Hall of Fame

If this is referring to me and not Steel, I'll just repeat what I've said in other threads; that my brain is physically incapable of ranking works of art, even though the rational part of my brain acknowledges that it's all in fun and there's no harm in it. (Is Jess-Belle my favorite episode? Because if it is, that means Nightmare at 20K Ft isn't my favorite. And that can't be right. )

So for the record I think this thread is a great idea and I'll definitely be reading. I love the show and own the complete series on dvd and everything. But actually participating would only cause irrational levels of anxiety.

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I was referring mainly to Steel since he's posted in here several times, but of course, it would be cool for anyone to join. Regardless though, I understand that ranking can be difficult for some people, so it's all good man. No worries

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I'd say that I've seen every episode as a couple of years ago I made a point of watching them all in order...BUT, I don't remember the TZ episode that you posted a screen shot of. I wonder if that was one I missed somehow?

More people joining would be cool! Don't be shy peeps, we don't bite!

*BTW...I found a free streaming site that has all of the The Twilight Zone shows on it. So if someone is holding back from joining as they don't have easy access...that problem is rectified!

Glad you liked A Nice Place to Visit, SpelingError. I'm watching these in a much more random order, obviously:

"Walking Distance" CONTAINS SPOILERS

I make no apologies about being a sucker for nostalgic entertainment. As an '80s kid, I fell in love with the synthwave, outrun and vaporwave musical movements when I discovered them a few years ago and I can't wait for the next season of Stranger Things. When I consume such entertainment, however, I get a funny, empty feeling in my stomach akin to how I feel when I look at a closed business or wander around an abandoned building. I also have recurring thoughts of "this already happened" or "you've already done this." This episode does a great job at exploring where this bittersweetness comes from. I like how it never explains what is going on with Martin. Is this all in his head? Did he time travel? By not answering these questions, I got into his shoes since I knew just as little about what was going on as he did. I also appreciate that the episode avoids - or at least keeps to a minimum - the number of times Martin explains who he is, where he comes from, etc. which is a cliché I've grown to hate in stories like this one. In doing so, it leaves more time for moments I love in these stories like Martin's wistful conversation with his childhood soda jerk and the tear-inducing moment on the merry-go-round with his father. As for the ending with Martin's harsh return to reality in the present-day drugstore, I love how it proves that for some things, it's not a crime to say that they were better than they are now. All in all, it's a strong episode about why you can't go home again that would be a good place to start for newcomers to the series. Oh, and look, it's Ron Howard!

One for the Angels Season1 Episode 2
Spoilers*

I couldn't help but wonder if the sci-fi television writer Harlan Ellison watched this episode and was then inspired for his climactic scene in Star Trek: The City on the Edge of Forever (1967).

As soon as I seen the plot twist where the little girl is hit by the truck, I thought of Harlan...That accident then creates a paradox for the old man (Ed Wynn) who has to decide if he will sacrifice himself to save the little girl's life...and after having cheated his way out of his appointment with Mr Death.

Harlan Ellison just a few years later would write for The Outer Limits (1964).

Ed Wynn was perfect for this and his son Keenan also did a Twilight Zone episode, to bad it didn't also get chosen. Oh Mr Death rocked the roll! Good grief

Feel free to join in on the discussion, even if you don't join the HoF. That way you can still have all the fun of being in the HoF without having to rank anything at the end.

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If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

I can relate to this. (I had a hard time coming up with a Top 10 movie list. I could post a new list of "favorites" everyday... but after I put one in my profile I just never changed it.)

My real problem is commitment to participation: based on personal issues right now, I can't commit to being a regular participant on any thread that requires it. So I just read & post when time permits - which is fairly random.

Thought of another TZ episode that doesn't thrill me (they are all great in their own way, but as said before; some I'll re-watch many times and others I might turn off, having seen them too many times)... so, the one with an android baseball pitcher. I don't know... I just got bored with it - I seem to remember it had too many things that didn't make sense, so it didn't live up to its potential.

I would love to go back in time and get an ice cream soda that cheap!

I can see the connection with "City on the Edge of Forever", but

Also, are we all in agreement that The Bewitchin' Pool is the worst episode in the show?

I enjoy reading your posts. You always seem to have a unique view of everything.


I only vaguely remember this episode. I think it had something to do with the android pitcher not being allowed to pitch because he wasn't human, but I don't remember how it ended.

I think there was an episode with a robot boxer too, but I don't remember much about that episode either. I think it had something to do with the boxer's manager eventually pretending to be a robot and boxing against a robot, but I don't remember why, or how it ended.

I don't know of it's the worst, but it's definitely not one of the better episodes.

Its concept was decent enough, but its message was really problematic since it was arguing in favor of As for a couple other issues I had with it, I found the frame narrative structure at the beginning unnecessary and I thought the two child actors were pretty bad.

Yeah, I remember the children being bad actors too, but surprisingly, the girl was nominated for an Oscar a few years earlier for her performance as Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird.

I didn't even know she was in To Kill a Mockingbird until just now. I don't remember much about her performance in that film (Gregory Peck left the biggest impression on me), but it's good that she improved.

In fairness, that episode was a troubled production. So the "bad acting" was more like "bad voiceover".

From Wikipedia:

Numerous production problems delayed the premiere of this episode, which was originally scheduled for March 20, 1964. Most noticeably, back-lot noise rendered much of the outdoor dialogue unusable – only the indoor scenes with Aunt T were considered audible. The entire cast (except Aunt T) consequently re-dubbed their outdoor dialogue in September 1963, but Mary Badham's voice was still deemed not right.[2] Unfortunately, by the time this decision had been made, Badham had returned to her home in Alabama, and the cost of flying her back to Los Angeles to re-record her lines yet again was ruled to be too expensive. Eventually, voice actress June Foray, best known as the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel in the Bullwinkle cartoons, dubbed Sport Sharewood's lines for all the scenes that take place outdoors. In the finished episode, the change in Sport's voice is noticeable when she moves indoors, and Badham's own deeper voice and more authentic accent are heard in place of Foray's overdubbed voice characterization.

Another production peculiarity is that "The Bewitchin' Pool'" is the only episode of The Twilight Zone to open with a teaser scene that is repeated in its entirety later in the episode. This opening teaser scene (which is well over two minutes in length) was not included in Earl Hamner's original episode script; it appears to have been included to lengthen the episode after some other footage was dropped. Note that actor Harold Gould is listed in some sources as a cast member for this episode, but does not appear in any capacity in the finished production. (In one account, Gould is given credit for having played a radio announcer, but there is no radio announcer in the actual completed episode.)[2]

Other re-used footage in the episode includes an identical 10-second shot of Sport and Jeb swimming up to the foot of a tree on two occasions; Sport and Jeb's mother twice telling them in the space of a minute "Darn you loudmouth kids" – using exactly the same footage of her dialogue, as well as of the kids' reaction; and the first and final shots of various children playing in front of Aunt T's house.

I coincidentally watched that one earlier this year, and liked it a lot. It's from season 5 and was written by Richard Matheson. Steel is the title.

Real Steel starring Hugh Jackman was based on the same story, but I haven't seen it.

Wasn't aware of that beforehand, so i guess I can kind of forgive it for some of that. For what it's worth though, my main issue with the episode is with the message behind it. The frame narrative and the acting are minor, in comparison.

@Captain Terror thanks for that synopsis!
I always wondered about the voice dub in The Bewitchin' Pool. It's so off-putting, especially when the girl just starts speaking with the voice of Rocky the Squirrel!

It was also obvious they were trying to reference or capitalize on the kids' character names from To Kill A Mockingbird (1962): "Jem and Scout."
In The Bewtichin' Pool they were "Jeb and Sport" - it doesn't get much more obvious than that.

Walking Distance Season1 Episode 5
*Spoilers*

This just might be my Bewitchin' Pool episode. It's not bad, but it doesn't do much for me. I've seen it several times and probably liked it on the first watch. Gig Young is about as wooden as they come, I've never liked him as an actor. Had another actor played his role and had something more poignant happened when he went back in time, it might have held my attention...For example: if the adult had followed his childself to the merry-go-round which causes the child to fall under it and die...then the adult disappears out of existences....that then might have been memorable.