Twilight Zone – Walking Distance… #1

Before we get to my number 1 episode…This has been so much fun I’m going to start a huge project. I want to review every Twilight Zone…all 156 episodes…so that will be next…my top 10 is not enough. I’ll start with S01E01 and work myself through and skip the 10 I’ve covered in this section. I’ve never rated shows or movies before but I will try that as well. 

This one gets a 5 out of 5 ★★★★★

Since ratings are subjective to who ever is going it…this is my system

★★★★★ This would be an exceptional episode…to me anyway
★★★★☆ This would be above the already high standards of the show
★★★☆☆ This would be a good to very good episode
★★☆☆☆ This would be just a little below average, the 4th season might see this
★☆☆☆☆ This would be a don’t watch…I don’t think this will ever be seen but I’m watching them all over to be sure

Now for my number 1 Twilight Zone episode! This one has my favorite element…Time Travel. How cool would it be to go back and meet your 11 year old self? Episodes 2-156 could change in my rankings but this one remains my favorite.

They really did this episode right. They followed through with everything. You were not wanting for answers at the end. It wasn’t just Martin who figured out he was back in time. It resolves it self nicely…with a valuable lesson. There are spoilers past this.

If you are new to the Twilight Zone this is a great one to start with…

Rod Serling’s opening narration: 

Martin Sloan, age thirty-six. Occupation: vice-president, ad agency, in charge of media. This is not just a Sunday drive for Martin Sloan. He perhaps doesn’t know it at the time, but it’s an exodus. Somewhere up the road he’s looking for sanity. And somewhere up the road, he’ll find something else.

Gig Young plays Martin Sloan who does a great job in this episode. Many people try to go back home but it’s never the same because of progress and change…Martin Sloan DOES go home and everything is the same…he even sees himself as a boy…and meets his parents…again. Also…watch out for a 4 year old Ron Howard…soon to be forever known as Opie on the Andy Griffith Show.

13 TV shows Ron Howard was on besides Happy Days and Andy Griffith

Rod Serling wrote this episode.

Martin Sloan (Gig Young), a 36-year-old executive, stops in a fuel station off an isolated country road. Not far away, 1.5 miles, is the sight of his hometown, Homewood, he’s very curious about all the kinds of things that shaped his childhood. Martin ventures to take a closer look, first he goes to an old shop where he used to get ice cream sodas. Martin is surprised to see the prices haven’t changed still a dime for a three scoop ice cream soda. Walking around Martin meets a kid, who is his old neighbor. It is then that he realizes he’s in 1934, when he was only 11-years-old. Things get complicated when he bumps into the young Martin, follows him to his house and meets with his parents. They won’t believe him when Martin says he’s in fact their grown up son. Later, Martin insists in talking with young Martin. He finds him on a carousel, where the child gets hurt falling. Martin will learn, after talking to his father, that every man has his own time and is perhaps better off not looking to the past.

Enough of my favorite episode…what is your favorite?

Rod Serling’s closing narration:

Martin Sloan, age thirty-six, vice-president in charge of media. Successful in most things but not in the one effort that all men try at some time in their lives—trying to go home again. And also like all men, perhaps there’ll be an occasion, maybe a summer night sometime, when he’ll look up from what he’s doing and listen to the distant music of a calliope, and hear the voices and the laughter of the people and the places of his past. And perhaps across his mind there’ll flit a little errant wish, that a man might not have to become old, never outgrow the parks and the merry-go-rounds of his youth. And he’ll smile then too, because he’ll know it is just an errant wish, some wisp of memory not too important really, some laughing ghosts that cross a man’s mind, that are a part of the Twilight Zone.

  • Gig Young as Martin Sloan
  • Frank Overton as Robert Sloan
  • Irene Tedrow as Mrs. Sloan
  • Michael Montgomery as Tweenage Martin
  • Ron Howard as Wilcox Boy
  • Byron Foulger as Charlie
  • Sheridan Comerate as Gas Station Attendant
  • Joseph Corey as Soda Jerk
  • Buzz Martin as Boy with Car
  • Nan Peterson as Woman in Park
  • Pat O’Malley as Mr. Wilson

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

38 thoughts on “Twilight Zone – Walking Distance… #1”

  1. Looks great. Time travel is a fascinating thought, perhaps similar to imaging one can fly, but you can also see why it could be dangerous.

    Reviewing all Twilight Zones sounds like a big project! It guess it will give you plenty of content for a good amount of time! 🙂

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      2. Yes it is…something you haven’t seen or heard in years and sometimes know every lyric to a song or a plot to a show.

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  4. I think I’ve only seen this episode once, and it was a while ago! Good luck with the Twilight Zone reviews, that sounds like it’ll be a fun thing to do and I’ll be looking forward to reading your thoughts on the episodes. 🤘

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  5. that’s a great episode… my favorite is the one with Burgess Merideth- the nuclear war and he is the only one left- with all the time in the world- to read the thing he loves to do most of all…

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    1. I love that one also. It’s a heartbreaker…the poor guy after being lectured by his wife and boss… he finally had all the time he needed.

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      2. Thanks Hans! I’m trying to figure out how many I need to do each month to not stretch this out for 2 years. 8-10 a month will take a year and a half…12 would take a year. I probably will end up somewhere between those.

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  7. This is a great episode Max. As you know, I’ve been watching The Twilight Zone off and on too over the past several months. In fact, I just watched an episode last night, the one about the old guy who on his way home from work, hits the newspaper delivery boy on his bike, then drives off. His car then proceeds to haunt him until he goes crazy and turns himself in to the police.

    I can’t pick a single favorite, as I like several of them, but off the top of my head, the one with William Shatner in an airplane, seeing the monster on the wing outside his window that you recently wrote about, would definitely be in my top 5.

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    1. Thanks Jeff…That one you watched is called “You Drive” I remember that one. That is a good one.

      It’s hard to pick a favorite…the time travel theme I love so this one is really good. I’m going to try to cover them all…so this should be interesting. It will take me a year doing 3 a week.

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  9. I don’ t think I’ve seen this one but if it’ s no1 on your list, I’m going to look it up. A great story premise.
    Cool idea reviewing all of them…I look forward to it!

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  10. Started watching these again on Netflix after seeing your reviews. It’ll be fun to follow along My favorites are the shatner airplane one and the Burgess Meredith one. But can’t say I’ve seen them all so maybe I will have a new favorite at the end!

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    1. That is me Paul…I’ve seen them all but I find one may hit me different when I watch it again. I’m going to try to do 3 a week. Most likely 1 on Wednesday and two on the weekend…that way I can finish up in a year. Thanks for following Paul!

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