Some shows stand the test of time better than others. The Twilight Zone is one that has managed to come out of a time period that seems foreign to many today, especially those who are further removed from that time period. My own children, born thirty years or more after the series began airing, liked it quite a bit and looked forward to watching it.

The series has stood the test of time due to its smart writing. It didn’t dumb itself down to its audience. Creator Rod Serling correctly figured he could tackle certain current events and social issues under the guise of science fiction and slip it by the network censors. The episodes still hold up very well today due to this fact. They didn’t present an idyllic world that people today can’t relate to. Instead, it presented a variety of places in a science fiction setting that can be branches of our own day or the not-too-distant past.

It would seem a no-brainer for The Twilight Zone to be one of those series released on DVD in season-long boxed sets. However, that wasn’t the case. The series was initially released in a series of volumes, with episodes from across the seasons cobbled together around a central theme. As the numbers grew higher, the theme was looser, although this volume is pretty good at keeping stories together that relate to one another.

This volume deals with issues surrounding reality and our perceptions of what that should be. In one episode, a man vacillates between what he thinks is reality and the idea that all of it is just a television show. In another, a man learns that time travel is possible, but that there are some things we just aren’t meant to change. In the third episode on this DVD, a man tries to create a reality that will force those he’s been holding a grudge against to bow down to him. Finally, a famous actress is motivated for some unknown reason to return to her hometown.

What the series also benefited from was the ability to have actors and actresses appear in the show without being tied down to a series commitment. Many who appeared in The Twilight Zone were already famous or would go on to be well-known. Actors such as Howard Duff and Russell Johnson appear in this volume.

The episodes have all been restored. The picture is quite nice, even though they are black and white. There’s no interference or snow in the picture. The sound is good as well, with it clear and no muddiness or distortion in the voices or music. Where the DVD misses again is the lack of any real bonus material. What’s here is the same thing that’s on every other volume in this series, with a few parts selectively changed to be specific to this volume. It would have been nice to have some commentary by cast and crew that remain alive from the series, or a series of featurettes.

I wouldn’t recommend purchasing the series, as it’s just too much money to invest in more than forty volumes. However, if you can get your hands on them to watch, they are definitely worth it. Being able to watch the show restored, uncut, and uninterrupted after all these years is definitely a treat.

A World of Difference

Arthur Curtis is a businessman with a good life that includes his wife and daughter. One day, he goes into his office and picks up the phone, only to find it doesn’t work. After that, he hears the word “Cut!”. It appears he is on a television show set, and Arthur is really Jerry Raigan, an actor.

As Jerry tries desperately to prove that his life as Arthur Curtis is real, the studio reacts to what they perceive as a nervous breakdown and decides to cancel the show. Raigan runs back to the set as it’s being dismantled, trying to find his way back to the only life he remembers.

Howard Duff stars in this episode, as does Sean Penn’s mother, Eileen Ryan, portraying Raigan’s (real) wife, Nora.

Back There

Four friends in a Gentleman’s Club are playing cards and debating the merits and possibilities of time travel. As Peter Corrigan leaves, he doesn’t feel well and passes out. When he awakens, he finds himself in Washington, D.C., circa 1865, just prior to the shooting of Abraham Lincoln.

He tries to warn people, but no one will listen to him. When Peter is arrested, a Mr. Wellington asks to have him released to his custody, only his initials are actually JWB.

Russell Johnson of Gilligan’s Island guest stars in this episode.

One More Pallbearer

Paul Radin owns a building in New York City with a bomb shelter in the basement. He has it set up with sound and visual effects that will convince the occupants that a bomb has really been detonated. He then invites three people to the shelter whom he holds grudges against, intending to force them to issue an apology to him for what happened in the past.

Unfortunately, all three refuse to apologize, even after he has pulled off his convincing stunt. They would rather be cast out of the shelter and die than issue the apology. However, the illusion is so convincing that it actually convinces Radin that the worst has occurred, a hell of his own making that he must now live in.

Ring-a-Ding Girl

Bunny Blake is a famous actress. She receives a ring as a gift from her fans back in the small town she grew up in. Every time she looks at the ring, she hears a voice asking her to return home.

Bunny returns to the town to spend time with her sister and nephew. It’s the day of the Founder’s Day picnic. For some reason, that sparks a strange feeling in Bunny, and after seeing a face in the ring again, she collapses. Bunny tries to get the picnic postponed, acting as if it’s for completely selfish reasons.

She seems to become obsessed with stopping people from going to the picnic. She arranges to get the auditorium opened at the local high school and drums up enthusiasm for people to come see her in a one-woman show there.

A storm is brewing outside as they leave for the auditorium. Bunny says goodbye to her sister and walks out into the rain, then fades out. Hildy gets a phone call from a local policeman who tells her a passenger jet crashed in the picnic grounds. He also tells her that he saw Bunny’s body among the dead on the plane.



INSIDE THE TWILIGHT ZONE SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Rod Serling Bio
• Season by Season
• History of the Twilight Zone
• Reviews and Credits