Although the television series The Twilight Zone first began airing nearly seventy years ago, it’s one of a handful of television shows that hold up almost as well today. There are parts that are dated – we know there really is no humanoid life on Mars – but most of the stories are still relevant. This is largely due to the stories themselves, which were written intelligently and often touched on social issues.

Creator Rod Serling had a lot of television experience when he started this series. A bone of contention was what he was allowed to say and do that conflicted with what the network sponsors and censors felt was appropriate. They wanted television to be happy escapism, rather than something that stirred people’s minds and conscience. To get around this, Serling felt he could couch the thought-provoking stories in a science fiction setting. He was correct.

Even now, my kids enjoy watching the series. It’s become a tradition in our house every New Year’s Eve. Unfortunately, the only DVD release I could find for the show consisted of three or four episodes on each DVD of a set of over forty volumes. With the series being an anthology series, there was no reason the episodes had to be shown in order. The studio decided that rather than release the episodes on discs sequentially, they put the episodes together on discs that seem to have something in common. For some discs in the volume, it works well. For others, not so well.

There are three episodes on volume 24 of the set. The first has two astronauts blast off to explore Mars and find themselves in a situation they don’t expect. The second is from the fourth season, when episodes were an hour long instead of the usual half-hour. This has a man find a small, out-of-the-way town with a secret he inadvertently uncovers and then is held there by the residents against his will. The final episode has three aliens arrive in a town disguised as a motorcycle gang. Their plan to take over the Earth might be foiled by one of their members falling in love with a young lady living next door to them.

The restoration on the DVDs is very good. There was only one episode that had some interference in it. There must have been a scratch on the film, as for a few scenes, there was a line down the picture. This disappeared after about a minute or a little less. The black and white picture is very crisp and clear overall. The sound is also very good, and I had no problems with being able to hear the dialogue. I did notice some background hissing, but I really had to be paying attention to it and listening for the sound quality to notice it.

There are no distinctive special features on this volume. What’s here is virtually the same thing that’s on every other volume in the series. That’s the real shame as the people who worked on the series are being lost and harvesting their memories in the form of commentaries or futurities would have added much to the discs.

I do like the show quite a bit, and these discs aren’t bad. There’s the added benefit of being able to watch the episodes uncut and uninterrupted for the first time in many years. I just wish they were packaged in season-long boxed set with good special features. Do I think it’s worth watching? Yes! Do I think it’s worth buying? No.

People Are Alike All Over

Two astronauts are on a mission to Mars. They survive a crash landing, but one of the astronauts, Marcusson, is injured. He’s the positive thinker of the two, while the other astronaut, Conrad, is more of a pessimist. When Marcusson dies, Conrad is afraid to venture outside of their ship, especially when he hears tapping coming from the hull.

When he manages to overcome his fears, he finds the inhabitants of Mars gathered outside. They appear human and greet him warmly. They assured Conrad they would bury his friend and come back for him the next day.

The next day, Conrad is escorted to a replica of a home on Earth. It is perfect down to the last detail. The Martians assure him they will soon gather their people to meet him. The problem is, Conrad won’t like the situation when he realises exactly what it is.

Roddy McDowell guest stars in the episode.

Valley of the Shadow

Philip Redfield is driving through the small town of Peaceful Valley when he happens upon their secret after a little girl makes his dog disappear in front of him. The townsfolk try to smooth things over, but he’s a reporter and pretty observant. They are determined prevent him from telling the world their secret, one way or another.

James Doohan and Dabbs Greer appear in this episode.

Black Leather Jackets

Three strangers arrive in town riding motorcycles and wearing black leather jackets. They are actually advance scouts for an alien race that wants to take over the Earth. The idea is to rid the Earth of humans so they can inhabit it for themselves. Unfortunately, one of the scouts falls for the girl next door – literally.

Denver Pyle and Shelley Fabares appear in this episode.