★★★★ November 24, 1958 Season 0 Episode 0
If you want to see where we are…HERE is a list of the episodes.
I should have posted this before I started the series so when I reached the end of 5th season I thought it was time to feature this one. CBS purchased a teleplay in 1958 that writer Rod Serling hoped to produce as the pilot of a weekly anthology series. “The Time Element” marked Serling’s first entry in the field of science fiction.
It’s a Time Travel episode and a good one. William Bendix as Peter Jenson goes back in time right before Pearl Harbor takes place.
This show premiered on November 24, 1958. Rod Serling wrote this episode and it appeared on the Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. This one could have been a Twilight Zone.
Although this isn’t the pilot episode of The Twilight Zone, it was this Rod Serling production that eventually led to The Twilight Zone. It proved to be very popular with viewers, which led CBS to pursue a new series with Serling. Because TV viewers at the time were not used to the kind of surprise, twist endings for which Twilight Zone became noted (as in this episode), Desi Arnaz appeared on-screen at the end of the episode to offer his explanation of “what really happened.”
IMDB Trivia:
Martin Balsam (Dr. Arnold Gillespie) later played Admiral Husband Kimmel in Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970), which likewise concerned the attack on Pearl Harbor.
This show was written by Rod Serling
Summary
A man is sent back in time to December 6, 1941, to Pearl Harbor on December 5, 1941, two days before it is bombed. The episode relates his frantic efforts to warn military officials of the approaching catastrophe.
The complete episode
CAST
William Bendix…Peter Jenson
Martin Balsam…Dr. Arnold Gillespie
Darryl Hickman…Ensign Janoski
Jesse White…Bartender
Carolyn Kearney…Edna Janoski
Jesslyn Fax…Maid
Alan Baxter…Army Doctor
Bartlett Robinson…Mr. Gibbons
Don Keefer…Hannify
Joe DeRita…Man at Bar (as Joe De Rita)
Paul Bryar…Paul Bryar…… Bartender at Andy’s
Desi Arnaz…Host
Gene Coogan…Bar Patron (uncredited)
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I will watch this later and get back to you Max. I hope that you are feeling better.
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I found out what it is… viral sinusitis…. every morning I have a fever of around 102…. so I was called in some medicine.
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Great story and pretty frightening scenario. I just watched the entire episode and feel it would have been perfect for the Twilight Zone.
Unfortunately, Jensen doesn’t help himself much with what comes across as pretty unlikeable behavior. Of course, whether people would have reacted differently to him, had he behaved in a more thoughtful manner is unclear. After all, his story sounded crazy. The ending is interesting as well.
And how about that hilarious ad for Westinghouse?
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You already back? How was your trip with your better half?
Oh I know…I love those old ads! Yea he wasn’t the most likeable….I agree. How in the world though would you get that across?
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Yep, it was only four days (Mon – Thu). Going back to work on Friday sucked, and I really should have taken the entire week. That being said, we had a great time. 🙂
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I’m happy you had a great time Christian!
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Very Twilight Zone. And, as Christiansmusicmusings says, the weird Westinghouse bit is a crazy time trip; not to mention one clumsy-as-hell segue from the evenings entertainment to advertisement.
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I could be wrong obbverse but I think it was live….but yea…it is clumsy.
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interesting! I bet few know about this one. Sounds like a good one, and like he maybe recycled the idea a little with the time travel one later where the character goes back to the day of Lincoln’s killing.
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Yes it is…like Obbverse and Christian said…it is kinda clumsy because I think it was performed live.
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Great show Max, having that dream over and over would be enough to make me stop drinking for good. Great ending, thanks for sharing this.
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Thank you Jim….this closes the TZ up….except I picked it for the TV Draft. Thanks for reading them for a year Jim.
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Glad you shared this precursor, Max. I have marked it at youtube to watch later, when I have time.
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It kinda completes the journey…It should have been the first one I posted but I missed it. Whenever you do….tell me how you feel about it if you don’t mind.
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I read about that episode made before the TZ starts. Never seen, but I’m wondering if it’s in my TZ box. Not with the first season anyway.
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I want to watch this when I get time. I know I will love it.
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