The Twilight Zone Episode | STUFF YOU SHOULD KNOW

[music]. Welcome to Stuff You Should Know, a. production of iHeart Radio. [music]. >> Hey, and welcome to the [music] podcast. Oh, I should say, welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh, and. [music] there's Chuck and Jay here, too. And this is Stuff You Should Know, the. Twilight Zone edition. completely. unrecognizable as the Twilight [music]. Zone theme song.

>> Really? It was off. >> I think you give people a hundred. guesses. No one's guessing Twilight. Zone. >> Oh, [laughter] wow. All right. Well, >> I've been singing the uh Golden Earring. song in my head all day. >> Oh, I forgot about that. That's a Thanks. for that earworm. >> When the bullet hits the bone. >> That's the one. >> That's the one. >> I didn't know that was golden earring, too. >> Yeah. They talk about doing speed in. that Twilight Zone song. Actually, he. talks about not doing speed because he's.

almost there. >> Oh, wow. I think I knew that. >> Yeah. He says, "No more speed. I'm. almost there.". >> Oh, okay. >> I don't think he's talking about driving. fast. >> You know what I mean? >> Mhm. >> No, but we're talking about Twilight. Zone, the great TV show, uh, that. started out in October 2nd, 1959. >> Yeah. at a time when TV minds would be. blown because if you're talking about I. guess whatever you would call science. fiction on television at the time it's.

very kind of corny bem movie kind of. stuff. >> right. >> and people were not ready for what uh. the great great Rod Serling was about to. deliver into their living rooms. >> no the 50s started what's known as the. golden age of television and Rod Serling. was a major part of making it the golden. age of television. Yeah. >> And um not just with the Twilight Zone, he started out um with an illustrious. career basically right off the bat. He. he was doing some radio writing. He was.

he started to try his hand at TV. And at. the time, uh TV was about as good as um. those B sci-fi movies were. >> Uh you had variety shows, westerns, lots. and lots of westerns. Oh yeah. >> Sitcoms that were mostly slapstick. Nothing like there wasn't anything. particularly high-minded. Right. >> Yeah. And so Sterling comes along and he. starts writing these 90minute TV plays. that were broadcast live. So it was very. much like a live TV play.

>> Um and that they were just the stuff he. was writing. It just hadn't been seen. before on television. And again, television wasn't that old, so there. wasn't a lot to compare it to. But he. just took what was going on and elevated. it to just astronomical new levels. >> Yeah, for sure. uh his big hit that he. kind of got his name for at first was in. 1956. It was a one of those teleplays. called Patterns. >> and it was about uh kind of ruthless. business people and it was really really.

popular and I think you found this thing. that was it was so popular it was the. first TV show ever to run again like. they put it on the air again just. because people thought it was so. awesome. >> Yeah. And so this is his first thing. that that got really big and he hadn't. been writing all that long. By the end. of the uh 50s, so less than a decade, maybe half a decade, he had something. like a hundred produced scripts under. his belt. >> And then um he was also the the. recipient of more Emmys for TV writing.

than anyone in history still to this. day. So he was really really good at. what he did. >> Yeah. Another big one was, and this is. one I had heard of because they made a. film uh after this teleplay, but uh it. was called Reququum for a Heavyweight. >> And when I saw that I was like, wait, is. that the movie? Like did he base it on. that or the other way around? But yeah, he wrote the original script for uh the. Jack Palance's rec reququum for a. heavyweight. And um I think that won a.

Peabody award. He was the first writer. to ever win a Peabody for TV writing. >> Yeah. Yeah, I I hopefully it's coming. through like how good Rod Surling was. and just how. >> he's considered, you know, synonymous. with the Twilight Zone, but there was. just a lot more to him. >> Handsome, too. >> Um, one of the things that he uh he he. was really big on was basically tackling. big social issues of the day. >> Yeah. >> Uh, in large part racism, um, fascism.

through the McCarthy trials or hearings, that kind of stuff. and he just hit wall. after wall. Not only were the networks. like really worried about losing. sponsors by putting anything like. particularly hard-hitting on that he had. con like the sensors were conservative. and they were like you can't you can't. do that. You can't talk about you know. black people even though it's what's. going on. You can't you can't write a. show about that. So he um he kept.

running into it and he would adjust. Um, I saw that there was one, it's. considered one of the greatest um, shows. of all time. It's called The Town That. Turned to Dust, and it was written about. lynchings in the South, but he had to. move it from the South to the Southwest. and the victim from a black man to a. Mexican man. And apparently the sensors. were like, "Oh, yeah, that's all totally. fine." But he had to turn it into um. something of an allegory to make it more. palatable for TV viewers. So right off.

the bat, he basically had to figure out. how to maneuver into this really tight. structure that he found very stifling. >> Yeah. One of the uh one of those was. something he wrote a teplay about. corruption on Capitol Hill, which you. know by the time it got to air was not. even recognizable as the thing that he. had written to begin with, >> like Dirty Dancing Too. >> Yeah, exactly. So he uh told the press, he said, "In retrospect, I probably. would have had a much more adult play.

Had I made it science fiction, put it in. the year 207 and peopleled uh the Senate. with robots.". >> Mhm. >> And so that idea, I mean, that was just. a quote to the press, but he was like, maybe there's something to this, like he. can get across messages better if he. packages it in something that's, you. know, kind of sci-fi and more palatable. Uh so we moved to LA um with this idea. Um specifically his pitch was uh to base. a TV show around this other thing. One.

of his last TV plays was called the time. element about a guy who had a recurring. dream that he goes back to Hawaii in 41. to warn about the attack on Pearl. Harbor. And then there's a twist which. of course Twilight Zone would become. known for uh twist in general but in. this case it was like was it a dream. kind of thing but he was like in 58 he. said why don't we try and uh do a TV. show like where every week we have. something like the time element.

>> Yeah. And he was used to writing. 90minute teleplays. So he wanted an. hourong slot and CBS was like no let's. let's see what you got with a half hour. first. So, he came up with um uh I guess. uh something called a happy place. I. don't think it was ever produced. I. didn't see any mention of it being. produced. It was just the first attempt. at a pilot and it was um more than CBS. was willing to accept because it was it. essentially became Logan's run years.

later where once you reached age 60, you. were taken to a happy place and the. happy place was the place where you were. exterminated, >> right? CBS is like, "No, we're not we're not. doing that. What else you got?". >> Yeah. And he said, 'Well, I got this. other thing. Um, it's called Where is. Everybody? And it was sort of like the a. last person on Earth kind of scenario. Uh, and the twist in this case was The. Last Man was an astronaut in a uh a. tank, a sensory deprivation tank. training for a solo mission to the moon.

CBS was like, "Now we're talking, baby. Uh, how about 36 episodes?" And he said, "Great." uh he wrote 80% of those. scripts and was a owner of 50% of the. show and he made the name up like the. Twilight Zone was something he just came. up with even though it turns out that is. a aviation term. >> that the Air Force uses is when you're. about to land and you can no longer see. the horizon, you're in the Twilight. Zone. But apparently he didn't know that. and didn't get it from that. >> No, it's it's got a nice ring to it. I.

could see somebody putting it together. >> It's creepy sounding. Um, you just. reminded me. I meant to propose. What if. we don't give away the twists any of the. episodes? >> I kind of wondered that, too. Yeah, let's do that. >> Okay. Well, sorry about the first one, everybody. But, you know, we won't give. any more away. How about that? >> Yeah, because hopefully what happens is. you'll go out and be encouraged to watch. some of these full episodes, which you. can do. >> Man, I watched so many of them over the. last couple days. It's just been a real. joy, dude. >> Yeah, I watched one full one today uh.

that I'd seen before, but I have seen a. bunch of these. cuz I used to watch the. reruns. >> and then I watched a couple of uh. there's a couple of fun lists like top. 20 creepiest on YouTube, top 20. creepiest reveals on the Twilight Zone. and. >> I remember I I went through that today. and I I probably remembered about half. of those. >> Which one did you watch today? >> Uh well, I watched I wanted to watch one. I had seen before and I watched the. Burgess Meredith uh well I'm not going. to reveal it. Burgess Meredith is one of. the last guys who doesn't want to live.

anymore because he survived the nuclear. holocaust. >> Uh and then he realizes that the library. is there and he's a big reader and he's. like, "Well, I've got the books. I can. now I have all the time in the world to. read." And then something happens. >> Yeah, that's a great one. I think that. was season one as well. That might have. been the I don't remember exactly which. one that was, but that was a great one. That's so just buckle up everybody. because I'm gonna say that was a great. one about basically all the episodes. because that is something about the. Twilight Zone. It never got bad. It it.

it never declined. It was great until. the end. >> Yeah, agreed. Uh if you've ever seen an. episode, then you you know that they. open with uh and again very handsome Rod. Serling. Uh even though he was 5 foot4, who cares? He packed packed [laughter] a. lot of packed a lot of handsome in that. in that body. Uh cool as a cucumber. coming out there. Looks so cool. And he. gives his opening spiel which changed um.

over the years. It wasn't the same thing. each season. Uh but one of the seasons, I'm not sure which one this is. Uh it. goes a little something like this. Uh. there is a fifth dimension beyond that. which is known to man. It is a dimension. as vast as space and as timeless as. infinity. It is the middle ground. between light and shadow, between. science and superstition. And it lies. between the pit of man's fears and the. summit of his knowledge. This is the. dimension of imagination. It is an area. we call the twilight zone.

>> Very nice. And they that was I thought. that was the one that that changes. sometimes. >> Yeah. Yeah. Each season's it was. slightly different. I think. >> I did not know that. Yeah. You mentioned. he was handsome and that he hosted um. did you say that the first season he. when he did the um the initial uh what. is it called where you narration I. guess. >> Yeah. >> Uh that he was offscreen for the first. season. >> Well no because he had stage fright.

right? >> Yes he had really really bad stage. fright. Um and he was like I'm fine to. do the narration do the writing all that. stuff. And yes, I would love 50% of the. show's revenue. [laughter] Um, but. eventually some for some reason they. were like, "Dude, we you should just be. in front of camera doing this." Yeah. And so they there was a guy who uh was a. director who worked on the Twilight. Zone. His name was Lamont Johnson. And. he later said like he like his his week. would be ruined when he knew that he was.

going to have to be in front of the. camera. Yeah. >> So um but he did great. You did great. Ghost of Rod Serling. >> Yeah. You would never know because he. seemed just so cool. >> Yeah. >> Uh up there on screen. So, um he he did. a great job. >> Ghost of Broad Sterling, be proud. >> So, uh one of the other things that Dave. dug up that I thought was great, he. dictated all of his scripts and he could. dictate 10 to 15 pages worth in one. sitting, which I would not be able to do. because Yeah. That just seems way harder.

than writing to me. >> Yeah. And I guess he had someone sitting. there who could do steno really fast. >> I hope so. Yeah. >> Should we take a break? >> Yeah, I think we'll take a little. slightly early break and come back. >> All right. We'll come back and talk. about some of the themes right after. this. [music]. >> Stuff you should know.

>> [music]. >> Stuff you should know. You should know. [music]. So, if you've watched the Twilight Zone, you'll see that there are a lot of. things that kind of come up. There's. recurring themes like the last person or. only person in a town or on Earth or. something like that. Yeah, >> that's a big one. So, loneliness,

isolation, um mob mentalities come up. quite a bit, people losing themselves. due to like panic or just going along. with the mob. Um but one of the ones. that I really love is the nostalgia. >> Um Rod Serling really felt great about. his childhood, which is in a picturesque. town of Bingham, New York. >> Yeah. >> Boy, that P can trip you up. So, he. really loved small town America. He was. born in 1924 between World War I and.

World War II and he just had a really. great childhood and that that comes. through in a lot of the episodes like. for the most part if you find a small. town it's pretty great but then. obviously there's always a twist to. that. >> Yeah. Uh there was one famous episode. called A Stop at Willoughby where a ad. exec from New York um discovers a train. stop on his way home that is an actual. throwback town. the town of Willoughby. where it's always the summer of 1888 and. everything's wonderful. Um, and he gets.

off there and we're not gonna say what. happens because we're not revealing. twists, but uh, a little another fun. thing Dave dug up is in Willoughby, Ohio. Their annual summer festival is. called Last Stop Willoughby and it's got. a little Twilight Zone theme running. through. I think the library plays that. uh, theme music Josh did at the. beginning on a loop all day. >> I Yeah, I Well, no, I think they play. that episode of Stop at Willoughby on a. loop. Oh, okay. I thought they did the. theme. I was like, that'd be a little. maddening. >> It would be, >> especially your version,

>> but that's it. That's the entire thing. that the town of Willoughby does. They. just play that episode on a loop at the. library and no one else talks about it. the rest of the day. >> Yeah, that's it. >> Um, so out of high school, Serling, I. saw that he was described as an angry. person. Um, I don't know when he picked. that up, but it was probably during his. uh experiences in World War II. Like you. said, he was 5'4, so he shouldn't have. been eligible for the draft, but I think. he insisted. They're like, "Sure, we. could use you." He um did paratrooper.

training. >> Yeah. >> Uh he he became a boxer. He was a. flyweight boxer. He was in 17 bouts. I. did not see how good he was or not, but. he stood up at least 17 times. >> Yeah. He was uh he was okay. Uh okay, >> let's just say that. I think he tried. Golden Gloves after and they were like, "Yeah, you're not so great." But you. know, the point is he was in there. slugging it out. >> Yeah. He he could have beat me up, I'm. sure. >> Yeah, both of us. >> So, at the same time, [laughter]. >> so in World War II, he was stationed in.

the Pacific in the Philippines and he. saw like heavy action and a lot of. friends died around him, in front of. him, and um it it just seared uh itself. on his memory obviously. And that's why. one of the other recurring themes is war. and the hell of war. That's a that's. maybe the most recurring theme because. even if it's not set in war, it's very. often um there's some like mention or. some connection to war, like even if the. the the events took place after some.

war. >> Yeah. Uh I saw um he wanted to fight the. Nazis, so he was he wanted to get sent. to that theater. So apparently he wasn't. happy to get sent to the Pacific. But um. he also writes, you know, in some of the. Twilight Zone episodes about the. absurdity of war because I know one. event. >> uh that just horrific but sounds just. crazy is that at one point like one of. his friends was standing around just. kind of entertaining everyone like. telling jokes and stuff. >> Oh no. >> And a supply box like that the US was.

dropping like here's some supplies. >> like fell on this guy and decapitated. him in front of Rod Serling and all his. uh. >> troop mates. >> Oh my god. troop mates. >> Sure. >> Is that a thing? Yeah. So, you know, stuff like that would happen. He he saw. the real hell of war. He got a purple. heart, a bronze star. Uh it was not a. like some uh cushy, you know, he wasn't. like writing for the uh for the stars. and stripes away from the battles. >> And we want to apologize for all the.

writers of of Stars and Stripes. >> Of course, because you know that's what. I would have wanted to do. [laughter]. >> Sure. >> I'm not throwing stones, man. Give me a. camera. of give me a typewriter. >> Yeah, exactly. >> So, there were a couple of uh episodes. that were pretty heavy-handed as far as. like beating you over the head of of. like just how terrible war is, but. they're still great. They're still. great, everybody. One that really stood. out to me was The Quality of Mercy, >> which um it turns out is a Shakespeare. quote from Merchant of Venice. But it's.

about this guy, this um not a sorry, I. guess a lieutenant who was really. wanting to prove himself. Uh but he came. to the war very late. He was young. Um. and so it's the last day of World War. II, but he orders since it's still a day. in World War II. He orders his men to go. take out a a nest of Japanese soldiers. hidden in a cave. It's going to kill a. bunch of Japanese guys. is going to kill. a bunch of Americans for no reason. whatsoever because this is the last day.

of the war and yet he's like really. gung-ho about it and makes them do it. >> Yeah. Maybe this one maybe we can reveal. a couple of twists just so people get. the point of this whole thing. Is that. okay? >> Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a good. idea. >> We don't want to spoil them all. In this. case, uh the twist is is that um he is. transformed into a Japanese soldier and. that soldier gets the same orders to. kill the his American troops. So a big. obviously moral statement. Um this one.

is kind of similar to it wasn't a direct. remake, but the Twilight Zone movie, which we're going to talk about later, which was a huge huge movie for me when. I was a kid. uh kind of is akin to the. Vic Morrow storyline of like a a racist. guy who gets all of a sudden thrust into. war and uh but people think he is are. the people that they're fighting, >> right? Um yeah. So that's just one. example of many about war, but he also.

was writing in the time of like the Cold. War as well. And um there was a lot of. like cap he captured like paranoia, losing yourself to mob mentality. Like I. said, one of the ones that usually gets. cited is the monsters are due on Maple. Street. >> We cannot give that twist away. >> No, no, no, no. That's from season one. Uh and that's that's up at the at the. top of most list of like best in the. series where um well, yeah, I guess we. can talk about the first part, but not.

the twist. But the residents, you talked. about mob mentality. In this case, they. turn on each other during a blackout. and, you know, it turns into like a like. a mob mentality. >> Yeah. Because they're expecting an alien. invasion and they're like, "Wait, are. the aliens already among us? Are you an. alien?" You know, it's really good. >> Um, and it's just it's set I think the. entire thing is set in one front yard. >> Oh, really? >> I'm pretty sure. I don't think that they. leave the front yard. I think the whole. thing takes place on the street in this.

neighborhood, which makes it even. better. It's just that's the other thing. too. The the twists and the writing, the. stories themselves get top billing in. like all of the spotlight, but man, some. of the best directors working at the. time, some of the best cinematographers, like the stuff they were doing was just. primo television that still holds up. today that at the time no one had seen. anything like this. Like it was just a. gift to the world. Um, and it still is,

frankly, because all of the episodes are. great. >> Yeah. And the, uh, a lot of like actors. would get their start on TV. Obviously, that's still a thing in some cases, but, >> uh, like Robert Redford, uh, Elizabeth. Montgomery, Dennis Hopper, Anne Francis, >> Robert Duval, Carol Bernett got her. start on the Twilight Zone. >> Yeah. >> Uh, Charlie Bronson, Jarvis Brunson, >> Julie Numar, >> and of course Bert Reynolds. man. Julie. Numar, >> she was uh Catwoman, right?

>> One of the Catwoman. >> She was the original campy Catwoman. >> Yeah. [laughter]. >> So, um you mentioned the theme music. It. turns out that they're. >> well, we can talk about it. Like there. there's a story behind [laughter] that, too. There was a music director who was. like, "The season one music, it's fine, but we can do better.". >> His name was Lud Gluskin. Lud Gluskin. Either way, he would give you three. tries to guess his name, or else you had. to give him your firstborn child. >> Very nice.

>> And he dug into the CBS music library. looking for something and I guess was in. a very creative mood because he put two. pieces together and he came up with the. Twilight Zone uh theme. Yeah, I mean. that's a thing that still happens at. even our own iHeart Media has a music. library where they have uh I guess. commissioned a bunch of musicians to. make a bunch of um kind of generic not. to say bad but generic music like hey. something that sounds like a like. something symphonic or something that. sounds like yacht rock and then you pay.

a musician to make this and you own it. forever basically without having to pay. them any more money. >> You pay them an exposure. >> Yeah. Yeah. And the reason I said yacht. rock is uh we you know Adam and I. started the three putt bogey podcast and. we wanted something yacht rocky. >> and leaned on Ben. We were like Ben is. there something that you can find or. like he's a musician. Can you put. something together? >> He's a genius. >> And he sent us like 12. >> could like total yacht rocky sounds from. the iHeart Music library that are just.

completely, you know, licensed for us to. use. >> And it's just an embarrassment of riches. basically. And that's what they had with. the Twilight Zone when they took uh a. Romanianborn musician named Marius. Constance uh two things from him number. three. >> which is the. on electric guitar. >> Yeah. [laughter]. >> Uh which was electric guitar by the way. and uh Milu number two which is that. kind of kind of chaotic ending and they. smashed those together to great success.

>> Yeah. The. with the bongos great stuff. Um, so. yeah, that was it. You put those back. toback and you've got the the Twilight. Zone theme. Um, I I love that everything. about this has a story, but still if you. go research Twilight Zone is actually. hard to find because all anybody wants. to talk about is the episodes and. understandably so. You could say that. they're all great. >> Yeah. Should we talk about some more or. should we take a break and then do that? >> Uh,

here. Why don't we talk about some more. episodes and then we'll break before we. talk about the the modern stuff. >> I'm glad you decided. I had a booia for. a second. [laughter]. >> All right. So, five seasons total is. what we get with the original run of the. Twilight Zone. Uh Rod Serling wrote 92. of the 156 episodes. >> Mhm. >> And I'm going to talk about one. I'm. going to pick this one, Eye of the. Beholder, because this was I don't think. I remember seeing this one, but I had. heard about it and this was in the list. of top 20 great reveals or whatever. >> Yeah. Uh, and I think this is one where.

I will reveal the twist. >> Okay. Yeah, I see in retrospect that. saying we weren't going to reveal any. more twist was black and white thinking. And I need to be more I need to go with. the flow a little more. >> No, you're doing fine. Uh, so this one. will will reveal the twist, but if you. don't want to hear it, uh, just, you. know, mute it for a few seconds when I. say the twist is. >> Yeah. Put your fingers in your ears. Plug your ears with your fingers and go. [laughter]. as loud as you can. >> Exactly. Uh this one was in fact uh.

written by Rod Sterling. It was directed. by Douglas Hayes. And this was a woman. that uh in the in the show she was. wrapped up in um bandages the whole. time, so you couldn't see her face. But. the reason that she goes to this surgery. that she's there for is because. apparently she's so ugly that she has to. have this plastic surgery to make her. look like everyone else looks. And then, you know, you can't see her face through. the whole thing. She's wrapped in. bandages. If you you know, this is. season two. So, by this time, episode 6, everyone's like, "I wonder what's under.

those bandages. Can't wait for that. twist.". >> Mhm. >> You can't see the doctors cuz they have. their surgical mask and all that stuff. And then the big twist in the reveal. when she takes those bandages off is. that she's very beautiful by just, you. know, normal regular uh standards of the. day. And then the doctors take their. stuff off and they have like pig noses. and like horrible scars and stuff. So, that's the big twist. >> Yeah. Beauty is relative. >> Exactly. I want to talk about a couple. uh that are my favorites. Do you mind? >> I would love to hear about them.

>> Okay. So, I like some of the sweeter. ones that aren't that aren't necessarily. terrifying. Love the terrifying ones, but there's some sweet ones out there. Um there's one called The Changing of. the Guards with Donald Pleasants as a um. boarding school teacher at the end of. his years. >> So sweet. There's one called The. Fugitive where this alien plays with. little kids and ends up sacrificing his. own freedom to save this little girl. whose leg is an embrace. >> I think I saw that one back in the day.

>> That is such a great one. That's got one. of the all-time great twists as well. >> Yeah. >> And then there's another one called. Night Call. That is probably the. scariest one of all, I think. >> I don't remember that one. >> It's an old woman who lives alone in her. house. She gets visited by her nurse. once a day, but the nurse leaves at. night. And then while she's trying to. sleep, she gets these calls from this. really unsettling voice. >> that can barely talk. He just sounds. messed up. And she has no idea who who.

this caller is. As night after night. goes by, these calls just keep freaking. her out more and more. And then the. twist of the whole thing is is well, it's pretty great. Well, you're going to. have to tell me these twists because I. don't remember the one that I saw and I. didn't see this one. >> Okay, that one's great. And then the. last one I want to talk about is what I. think is well, it's my favorite. I'm not. going to say it's the best one. It's. called the after hours where this this. woman is in a department store. Uh after. Hours, she gets trapped in there because.

she's trying to find a gold thimble and. stuff is just weird. Like things are. getting very odd. there's this um shop. lady who uh is assisting her that keeps. disappearing and and appearing and it's. just something's off here and uh the. >> the twist is really great. [gasps]. >> All right, I'm going to mention three. kind of quickly uh because all three of. these had Simpsons episodes uh and two. of the three were used in the Twilight. Zone Zone movie in the 80s. The first.

one, It's a Good Life from season 3, episode 8. So good. >> Uh it's about a little kid who has these. um godlike powers and if he gets angry. like you can't upset this kid because he. can turn he can basically control things. and and make bad things happen to. people. Uh that was the inspiration for. the Bart zone from the treehouse of. horror, one of the treehouse of horrors. And that again was uh redone very. successfully I think in the movie. Uh, Living Doll was uh a predated Chucky.

Um, the from Child's Play in that we had. Talking Tina, which was a demonic doll. with the great Telly Sabalis. Uh, Simpsons Clown Without Pity uh was a. Simpsons version. >> Mhm. >> And then Nightmare at 20,000 ft is maybe. the most classic episode of all time as. far as being wellknown. Uh, that was all. the way in season five and that's when. William Shatner is on an airline plane. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And he is I think he's coming home from. like visiting a sanitarium or something. where you know because he was he was.

nervous. >> and he sees a monster on the wing and. that is also done in the movie version. uh with the great John Lithggo uh and. then later done in the most recent. Twilight Zone with Adam Scott in a in. sort of a different way. >> So good. >> Uh and was on the Simpsons Terror at 5. and a half feet in the case of the. Simpsons. >> I don't remember that one. Do you? I. don't remember that. I'll have to go. back and watch it. But um. >> it's funny to go back and watch, you.

know, I watch bits from ter the original. Nightmare at 20,000 feet and the monster. on the plane is so corny looking now, but it was absolutely terrifying at I'm. sure at the time. >> Yeah, for sure. It's I mean, it's still. unsettling in its way. It is corny, but. also you're like, "Good God, that thing. is awful.". >> Yeah. Well, I mean, if anything else, you'd be terrified because you're like, there's a weird man in a funny looking. suit, >> right? He's trying to bring the plane. down. >> Yeah, exactly. >> Uh, so I think I would my the one I.

would put up for the most famous one is. To Serve Man. >> Okay. >> Where the aliens come down and they have. this book called To Serve Man and and. they're like really nice and kind to. humans and they want to take some humans. home with them. Do you know that one? >> Can you give me more without giving it. away? >> I will. We're going to beep this this. out cuz here's the twist, Chuck. [music]. >> Wow. >> Pretty great, huh?

>> All right. Well, that's probably our. longest beep in history. >> It's got to be. >> Yeah, that's a good one. And that sounds. familiar. And that's. >> Well, if I said what movie that probably. inspired, it would probably give away. the twist. So, I won't. >> Okay, fair enough. >> But I'll tell you during break, which. we'll take right now. Okay. [music]. >> Stuff you should know.

[music]. Stuff you should know. You should know. >> [music]. >> All right, we're back everybody uh to. talk about some later iterations because. The Twilight Zone OG was cancelled in. 1964 after but five seasons. >> Mhm. >> Uh I I I don't think you said that he I.

I know you said at the beginning he. wanted an hour, but they said 30. minutes. But then they did go to an hour. during what season 4? Yeah, they had a. mid-season show that they canled or they. had a show that they canceled mid-season. that was an hour long and they're like, "Hey, you want your shot finally at the. hourong version of Twilight Zone?" And. by this time, Rod Serling was like, "No, actually a half hour is perfect." Like, "Well, TS for you because we need an. hourong version." So, season 4 is. typically considered the.

>> um least favorite of people because. [clears throat]. >> it is true. The Twilight Zone is a. perfect halfhour show, but the season 4. episodes are still great. >> Yeah, agreed. Uh but that that's a. totally interesting little footnote, I. think, because I don't I didn't know. that until uh you sent that along. >> Yeah. And then they went back for season. five, the last season, it went back to. half hour again. So, it was just season. 4. >> Yeah. Crazy. Um he, like I said, you. know, they got cancelled. Uh he it's not. like Rod Serling was no good anymore. He.

was still a hugely successful writer and. went on and did more work, of course, but he liked being Mr. Twilight Zone, which is what people would call him when. they see him out, of course. >> Uh, and I think anything after that he. did. I think Rod Serling's Night Gallery. was a show that came along that he put. his name on. I'm not sure how much he. had to do with it, but. >> I liked Night Gallery. >> Yeah. I mean, I thought it was pretty. good, but it wouldn't probably wasn't as. successful as a Twilight Zone, and he. never reached that kind of success. again. Um, speaking of twists though,

even though Planet of the Apes, the. movie was based on a French novel, uh, he did write that original script, that. first script for the first Planet of the. Apes movie. >> Yeah, the French novel was called The. Planet of the Apes. >> That's right. >> He also taught at Ithaca College. Um, I. did not see their mascot, so let's just. say the Fighting Ignatiuses. >> Yeah. >> Uh, I think he taught English or writing. or something. Probably writing. Um, and. he's still revered uh quite a bit today.

There's a cool statue of him there. >> Oh, I bet. Um, very sadly, he was a. lifelong like three to four pack a day. By the way, IA College Bombers. Go. Bombers. >> Oh, okay. Go Bombers. >> Yeah, that sounded so mid Midwest. Go. Bombers. >> Sorry about that. >> Uh, he was he smoked three to four packs. of cigarettes a day, which is just a. crazy amount of cigarettes. >> Yeah. Uh so unsurprisingly he died at 50. years old after complications from heart.

surgery. Uh this was in 1975. and you know if you do the math uh he he. could have if he hadn't have smoked and. lived to be 80 like he would have been. alive in 2005 and. >> and seen all these reboots come along. and maybe perhaps have been a part of. some of these. >> Yeah. And and probably have done some. other really great stuff too, you know. But yeah, so you said there was rebooted. three times and then there was the. movie. Um I was like so the the really.

probably the best reboot was from 1985. to 1987. It had three seasons and it had. a lot of really good episodes in them. And I was going through the episodes and. I'm like where's the kick the can one? Because Kick the Can is one of the. original Twilight Zone episodes where a. group of um uh rest home residents. are bored and they want to like keep, you know, living life. So, they go play. a game of kick the can and they have to. get around like this um administrator or.

nurse or whatever who just wants them to. act their age and relax and rest. It's. really great. >> Um and I was like I thought that I had. seen the the reboot version in 1985. couldn't find it. That's the one that. Stephen Spielberg directed in the movie. >> Did you see the movie? >> Yeah, I have. >> Okay. Yeah. I don't know why. I mean, I. guess the why was cuz I liked watching. the reruns. So, when the Twilight Zone. the movie came out in 1983. I was 12 and.

Oh, buddy. I ate it up. I saw it at. least twice in the theater. >> Wow. >> Uh it was, you know, each direct Steven. Spielberg directed that one. Joe Dante. directed one. Uh John Landis directed. the one that we'll talk about here in a. second and George Miller, the great. George Miller. Um and then there was. that great opening bit with Dan Akaroy. >> It was like a little intro part uh with. Dan Akroyd and oh god I I'm blanking on. who his car mate who passenger was.

>> Can't remember. Anyway, it it's just a. little, you know, a little teaser at the. beginning and then you hear the Twilight. Zone uh music come in. >> and then you get the four films and like. I said, it's a good life about the kid. who can control things. That was remade. Nightmare on 20,000 ft was remade. Um I. guess all of them were were remakes now. that I think about it. uh except for. maybe the Vic Morrow and that's like I. said seemed to be based on just unless. somebody knows it was a direct remake it. seemed to be based on u the ideas of.

like racist and war and stuff like that. >> Yeah. >> And that had a very tragic ending, right? >> Yeah. um that actually sunk the the um. movie it the it got such bad press um. during production uh where they were. filming a scene where Vic Marorrow is um. I think trying to help two little. Vietnamese girls escape. They're going. through a rice patty and there's a. helicopter um flying over them and the. helicopter I think struck a wire. It was. a real helicopter really, you know,

moving with its rotors in the sound. stage. It struck a wire and it the the. rotors. cut it just they killed Vic Marorrow and. the two girls like immediately. >> Um. >> yeah, so it's like and obviously that. was big news and everybody was so. traumatized by it. I saw that um George. Miller, he did the Matt Max trilogy, the. original three. >> Yeah. >> He was like he wasn't on set. He had. nothing to do with that that segment, but just being associated with that um.

movie like stirred him so much that he. was like I don't know about some of the. stunts that I've been having my actors. do. Like I think he he kind of it felt. like somebody walked over his grave like. what he'd been able to get away with um. without anybody getting hurt or killed. And so he went on to uh co-write Babe. >> Yeah. And he did did the most recent. MadMax 2 by the way. Still his. >> Yeah. But he did Babe and I think that's. probably the [laughter] pinnacle. >> No, that that is a little fun fact if.

you didn't know that that the same guy. who did MadMax did Babe Pig or uh did he. do Pig in the City or the original? >> He did both. Yep. >> Okay, that's right. Um yeah, a very just. tragic thing. Um you like you said huge. lawsuits and I know we I think we talked. about that before in a movie actually in. a like a top 10 list in an episode. >> Yeah, I don't remember what. Maybe. special effects. Yeah, because I I. believe I told you that Vic Mororrow was. Jennifer Jason Lee's father and you did. not know that at the time. >> That is so funny because I just found. out today that Vic Moro [laughter] is. Jennifer Jason Lee's father. So, it.

happened again. >> Uh, all right. So, the 85 to 87 you feel. like is the most successful TV reboot. There was also one in 2002, uh, where Forest Whitaker was a host, which I think was a great pick. I love. Forest Whitaker. Yeah. >> And this had, you know, some big big. stars. I I don't think it was um I. didn't see any of these, but they did. remake some of these, including a fun. update on It's a Good Life, uh where. it's called It's Still a Good Life, and. they had the the kid, the uh Bill Mummy,

the kid who played the kid from the. beginning, um was a grown-up uh. terrorizing a town. >> Yeah. But now his daughter was around. and she might be even worse than him. Who knows? Only Forest Whitaker knows. We should say in 2002 that episode. starred Chlorice Leechman and she was in. I think more than one episode of the. original run. >> She was in the original It's a Good. Life. She was Billy Mummy's mom. >> Oh, she was Billy Mummy's mommy. [clears throat]. >> Yeah, that's right. Uh and then they. also updated the Maple Street one,

right? >> Yeah, they did kind of like a post 911. where instead of aliens they the. neighbors turn on each other thinking. that they're terrorists. >> So I think probably that was like a. little on the nose for 2002. I'm not. sure. >> Yeah, maybe. But the one that I think um. most people who listen to us are. probably familiar with is the one that. just came out a couple years ago that. Jordan Peele produced that were great. But Jordan Peele had the great. misfortune of releasing this Twilight. Zone episode at a time when Black Mirror. was at its apex.

>> Yeah. >> And there was just nothing he could do. to to compete with Black Mirror. Like. you can't Most people are like Black. Mirror is the true uh successor of. Twilight Zone. Nobody's done it better. since. >> Um, and it's probably true. Again, if. you just saw Jordan Jordan Peele's. Twilight Zone, it's uh like it's great. on its own for sure. >> Yeah, I have not seen those. I did see. the Adam Scott episode because I'm just. a big Adam Scott fan and I'm a big fan. of that story, Nightmare this time at.

30,000 ft. >> That's it's a good one. >> And I I don't He doesn't see a monster. on that one, does he? >> No, he's listening to a podcast. appropriately enough. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's right. And the. podcast, it turns out, is about a plane. crash. And then it turns out further. that it's about the crash of the plane. that he's on. >> Yes. >> So, he spends the whole thing trying to. convince everybody rather than there's a. monster on the plane instead that this. plane is going to crash. And uh the the. twist is even better, I think, than the.

original William Shatner version, Nightmare at 20,000 ft. It's a great. twist. >> Yeah. Yeah, I I do remember the twist. Um, I need to check more of it out, but. I was into Black Mirror and maybe that's. why I didn't watch Twilight Zone because. there's maybe you can only watch so much. of that kind of thing, but Black Mirror. was truly great and bad timing for. Jordan Peele. >> It really was. And now that Black. Mirror's kind of gone away, um, you. could if especially if you haven't seen. them before, you could probably enjoy. them a little more than you could have. at the time. It was really weird. Like.

you just couldn't enjoy both. >> on their own. Like it was just Yeah. >> You know, you just couldn't give it a. try. You couldn't face it. [laughter]. >> I have one more thing. >> Yeah, let's hear it. >> Have you ever noticed in Twilight Zone. episodes the the actors stand really. close together? >> Are we doing this? >> Yeah. I love this part. Okay. Because it. stood out to me. So, if it stood out to. me, it stood out to other people. Do you. mind? >> Sure. I just wonder if you didn't see. any TV pre like 1995.

I don't know why um it stands out to me. in Twilight Zone, but yes, I do realize. that it is it is common, especially in. like the 50s. But in the Twilight Zone, maybe it's because it's creepy. >> Uh the the plot lines are creepy, so. people standing close together is. creepier than it would be in like say an. episode of General Hospital from the. 50s. >> Yeah, I don't want to yuck or yum. I'm. kidding. You go ahead and tell. everybody. >> Thanks. Did you know already why the. actors stand so close together, not just.

on the Twilight Zone, but back in the. day? I did. >> Okay. It's because the aspect ratio of a. TV at the time was 4 to three, which is. almost a perfect square. >> Nothing like the 16 to9 we have today, which allows for a lot more peripheral. vision. So, if you wanted a close-up of. not one, but more than one character, >> they had to stand physically close. together to get in the frame. >> That's right. >> There you go. >> Amazing. the more you know. >> Just a little bonus for those of us who.

weren't in the film industry back in the. 50s. [laughter]. >> Hey, you know I wasn't. >> Uh that's it for Twilight Zone. I think. we could sit here for another hour and. just talk about our favorite episodes, but we will leave it to you to just go. watch the Twilight Zone. It it really is. a gift to humanity that Rod Serling. created. Um, and while you go do that, we're gonna do listener mail. >> Uh, to set up this listener mail, I'm. going to very quickly retell the story,

uh, because it won't [music] make sense. if you haven't heard this kind of. obscure reference. Uh, when I worked at. JJ's Barbecue on in Stone Mountain, Georgia in the 1980s [music] as a. 12-year-old. >> Still sounds weird to say, but yeah, had. a job as a bus boy as a 12-year-old. >> Not when you say Stone Mountain, Georgia. >> Right. [laughter]. Uh, and uh, one time there was a big pot. of Brunswick stew in the walk-in. I was. in there getting some stuff with this. guy Keith who worked there and he said, "Hey, watch this." And Keith put his. entire shoe foot and jeaned leg into the.

Brunswick stew and pulled it back out. And that stew was later heated up and. served to diners, >> man. >> So that's the setting. A depraved. situation. Hey guys, my best friend Dave. and I, who also work together, both avid. listeners of Stuff You Should Know, have. been since 2008. Each week, one of us. makes lunch for the entire week, and. there's usually a theme. And for this. week's lunch, I made Brunswick Stew. And. in honor of Chuck's foot in the. Brunswick Stew story on how restaurant. [music] health inspections work Oh, there you go.

>> Mhm. >> Uh, I stuck my bare foot into a. container of the stew. >> Oh my god. >> I took a video and shared it with Dave. so he knew what he was getting into. He. loved the video and still loved the. stew. I can assure you that my foot was. very, very clean. Thank you for the. inspiration and all the great stories. over the years. If you choose to read. this one on the air, of course, you can. use my name. That is Jason in Salt Lake. Uh, so Jason, that's gross. Still not quite as gross, I think, as a. shued and jeaned blue jeaned foot and.

[music] ankle. >> No, no, that's the sanitized version, but still pretty gross. Agreed. >> Yeah. I mean, something's grosser in a. way. >> The human skin. Yeah, the foot on on. stew contact. >> Yeah, [laughter]. >> the hottest contact as we all know, >> right? That uh that does it is gross in. its own way for sure. >> Anyway, never never thought that that. would inspire such an act, but uh it's. pretty fun to read that mail. >> That was from Jason. >> Yeah, Jason Salt Lake. Do not eat his.

offerings, people. >> No, for sure. Um thanks a lot, Jason. Thanks for listening to us for so long, too. We appreciate that. Uh, and if you. want to be like Jason and get in touch. with us, you can do that by sending an. email to stuffodcast@ iheartradio.com. [music]. Stuff you should know is a production of. iHeart Radio. For more podcasts, iHeart. Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple. Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your. favorite shows.