Science fiction television shows seem to be the ones that have the best longevity. Other than a few notable exceptions (think I Love Lucy), many of the shows from the 1950s and 1960s passed on into oblivion with hardly a second thought. Perhaps it is the futuristic storylines contained in the science fiction shows that help them endure. Whatever the reason The Twilight Zone is a series that still holds up well today. I viewed the show in reruns and now my own children are watching the show and enjoying it.

When it came to releasing the show on DVD, the studio decided that rather than putting the show in season-long boxed sets, they chose three or four episodes that seemed to have something in common and put them together on a series of over forty volumes. The episodes spanned all of the five seasons it was on the air. My guess would be that since the show was an anthology (meaning a different cast every week), it wouldn’t matter if the shows were viewed out of the order they were aired.

In addition, each of the volumes has very little bonus material or special features. What is there is virtually the same on each volume. It would have been nice to bring back some of the cast and crew who are still alive and have them talk about the episode. Unfortunately, this takes away from the DVD.

What it doesn’t do, however, is take away from the quality of the show itself. The Twilight Zone was a great show with some terrific, thought-provoking stories. On this disc, one story has a man who may be immortal. Another deals with a man’s spirit entering the body of anyone who slips on his shoes. The third episode is about a car with a conscience. Finally, the last is about an astronaut’s mission and the effects of suspended animation. The first two seem to have a bit of a common thread, and there could be a common theme between the first story and the last, but any theme the studio thought it had between the four episodes doesn’t exist.

The transfer to DVD is terrific. There’s little to no interference in the picture, and I didn’t catch any snow. The clarity is good as well. The sound is clear with no distortion.

The question is whether these are worth watching. If you can get your hands on a rental, I would definitely say yes. The restoration, plus being able to watch them uncut and uninterrupted, definitely makes it worth watching. The four stories are all quality productions with good acting and a great story. I would not advise anyone to purchase one volume or the entire set as I just think the studio could have handled the DVD release better. I would rather invest my money in season-long boxed sets, hopefully with some good DVD extras.

Long Live Walter Jameson

Kevin McCarthy stars as Walter Jameson, who is a college professor. His intimate knowledge of Civil War events catches the attention of fellow professor Samuel Kittridge. Professor Kittridge has a daughter, Susanna, whom Walter has been courting.

Kittridge confronts Walter about the fact that he seems not to have aged in the twelve years he has taught at the college. He produces a book of Matthew Brady’s Civil War photographs and finds one where one of General Sherman’s staff officers looks exactly like Walter.

Apparently, Walter Jameson is immortal.

Kittridge states he will block Walter from marrying Susanna. The problem is that Susanna has other ideas. Walter proposes, and they prepare to elope. He returns to his home and is confronted by a woman from his past who has aged while time has stood still for him.

Dead Man’s Shoes

The victim of a professional hit is dumped in an alleyway where a homeless man, Nate, steals his clothing. The shoes seem to make the man in this case, and suddenly, Nate’s friends are treating him differently.

Nate goes to the home of the victim and meets his girlfriend. She knows Nate is wearing her boyfriend’s shoes, but there is something else odd about him. As soon as he puts on the shoes, he begins to act in the same manner that her boyfriend used to. He even kisses like he used to.

Nate goes to visit the man who killed his benefactor, all the time thinking and acting just like him. The end result is the same, with Nate’s body being dumped in the same alley. One of his friends sees him, believes he’s just very drunk, and helps himself to a pair of shoes…

You Drive

Oliver Pope is rushing to get home. His mind not quite on his driving, he hits a boy on a bicycle. Instead of stopping to help, he takes off. When he arrives home, he parks the car in the garage. Strange things begin to happen. such as the headlights flashing on and off with no one in the car. In the middle of the night, the car’s horn starts going off, and this was in a time before they were all hooked up to the anti-theft devices, and it became common to hear it.

When a co-worker of Oliver’s is arrested, it would seem that he has gotten away with the crime. However, the car is still acting like his conscience.

The Long Morrow

Commander Douglas Stansfield is an astronaut about to embark on a journey to a planet 141 light-years from Earth. The trip will take 20 years, and he will be placed in suspended animation for the trip.

While he is training for the mission, he meets Sandra Horn. The two embark on a romance. Sandra realizes that when he comes back from his mission, he will not have aged, while she will be much older than him. Unbeknownst to him, she decides to place herself in suspended animation as well.

When he returns, she is awakened. She is told that there were communication issues with his mission, and he was never told about her waiting for him. He had turned off the suspended animation feature so he would be the same age as her.

Mariette Hartley guest stars in this episode.