Join or Sign In
Sign in to customize your TV listings
By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.
The Twilight Zone Season 1 Episodes
Season 1 Episode Guide
36 Episodes 1959 - 1960
Episode 1
Where Is Everybody?
Fri, Oct 2, 195925 mins
A man finds himself walking down a country road, not knowing who, nor where he is. He comes across a diner with a jukebox blaring and hot coffee on the stove - only no one's there. A little further down the road, he comes to the picturesque town of Oakwood, and finds it, too, seems deserted. The only sounds he hears are a clock tower and a pay phone ringing. At the local movie theater, an ad for Battle Hymn (1957) leads him to believe he's in the Air Force. In spite of no people to be found, he can't shake off the feeling that he's being watched.
Episode 2
One for the Angels
Fri, Oct 9, 195925 mins
Lou Bookman is a street vendor; a pitchman, making a living selling what he can from his valise - radios, toys, ties and the like. After a long day, he returns to his shabby apartment to find someone waiting for him, someone he saw near where he had been selling that day. That person turns out to be Mr. Death who is there to tell Lou that his time on Earth has come to an end and that his "departure" will be at midnight. Lou tries to forestall his death by asking for a delay until he's able to make a big sales pitch. It's all a ruse however and Mr. Death shows him that his actions have consequences. As a result, Lou makes the pitch of his life.
Episode 3
Mr. Denton on Doomsday
Fri, Oct 16, 195925 mins
As a young man, Al Denton was pretty handy with a gun, something that was always useful in the old west. Now, he's the town drunk. He's regularly bullied and humiliated by the town's gunslinger Dan Hotaling but when he out-guns him, he's suddenly the town hero. As he predicted however a gunslinger, Pete Grant, is coming to town to challenge him. Al decides that it's best to just run away. Hovering about throughout it all is Henry J. Fate, who describes himself as a dealer in everything. He sells Al a potion that will make him the fastest gunman in the west. Now all Al can do is wait for Grant to arrive.
Episode 4
The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine
Fri, Oct 23, 195925 mins
Barbara Trenton was a famous actress, long ago, but time's passed her by. Her agent, Danny Weiss, tries to convince her she's no longer the young woman who was featured in those love stories decades earlier. She spends her time in her study, watching prints of her old films. When Weiss arranges a small part for her in a new film being shot, she storms out, shouting, she 'doesn't do small parts,' and retreats once again. If Barbara refuses to live in the present day, she can't live in the long-gone past - or can she?
Episode 5
Walking Distance
Fri, Oct 30, 195925 mins
Martin Sloan visits his hometown of Homewood and his favorite soda fountain 20 years after leaving. What he soon finds however is that he's actually stepped back in time, something that comes as a jolt when he sees the younger version of himself carving his name in park bandstand. He remembers it all as an idyllic time in his life but when he visits his parents, they think he's a lunatic. His attempt to tell his younger self to enjoy this time in his life ends in an accident. Later a conversation with his father leads to a better understanding of just why he went back.
Episode 6
Escape Clause
Fri, Nov 6, 195925 mins
Hypochondriac Walter Bedeker has once again had his doctor come to his bedside but he can find absolutely nothing wrong with him. The doctor tells him his aches and pains are psychosomatic but he refuses to accept it. Later that night, a Mr. Cadwallader suddenly appears in his room and has a proposition for him: in return for his soul, he will give him immortality. He even has an escape clause in that if he ever gets tired of living, Cadwallader will provide him with a hasty demise. He accepts the deal and soon collects 14 insurance claims over a variety of accidents. He finds it all very boring however but his quest for a thrill brings results with an unexpected outcome.
Episode 7
The Lonely
Fri, Nov 13, 195925 mins
Convicted criminal, James Corry's been placed in a very unusual form of solitary confinement; he's alone on an asteroid 9 million miles from Earth. He's been there 4.5 years, and is looking forward to the return of the supply ship and the goods it may have for him. When it arrives, Captain Allenby has something of a surprise for him: a female robot companion by the name of Alicia. She's human-like in every way, but Corry can't but see her as a machine.
Episode 8
Time Enough at Last
Fri, Nov 20, 195925 mins
Henry Bemis loves to read. The only problem is that he can find neither the time nor the place to enjoy his pastime. At work, his boss has let him know in no uncertain terms that he is not to read during working hours. At home, his shrewish wife won't even let him read a newspaper, let alone a book. One day, he sneaks down to the vault in the bank's basement to read a bit and suddenly, there is a huge explosion above. He emerges to find the world destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. He does find books from the library and he sees a great deal of reading time ahead of him. Except for one small unintended event.
Episode 9
Perchance to Dream
Fri, Nov 27, 195925 mins
Edward Hall seeks the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Rathman. He tells the doctor he hasn't slept for days, and has been taking pills to stay awake, because he has a fear that if he does go sleep, he'll die. He's been having a series of dreams where each one's part of a long story - like chapters in a book. The main character in his dream other than himself is a beautiful young woman, named Maya. He's now reached the point of the story where he believes Maya will kill him and so he's terrified to fall asleep.
Episode 10
Judgment Night
Fri, Dec 4, 195925 mins
During World War II, a confused Carl Lancer finds himself as one of only a few passengers on a freighter, the S.S. Queen of Glasgow, traveling from London to New York. As he sits with other passengers, he begins to realize that he is the captain of a U-Boat that is at that very moment tracking the freighter with a view to sinking it. He also knows that in just over an hour the freighter will be attacked.
Episode 11
And When the Sky Was Opened
Fri, Dec 11, 195925 mins
Three U.S. astronauts blast off from Earth on an initial test flight in an experimental rocket-ship, but during the flight into space the ship disappears from radar, then reappears. On return, the rocket-ship is hangared and put under a tarp, pending an investigation. One crewman is hospitalized for a leg broken on landing, and is visited by the other two. Next the pair go for a drink, and then one crewman phones his parents from a bar phone-booth - but they say they have no son! The astronaut immediately disappears, and no one in the bar remembers him, except the other astronaut in the bar, the Captain.
Episode 12
What You Need
Fri, Dec 25, 195925 mins
An old man comes to the same bar every night to peddle his wares. He tells the clients what it is they need before they realize they need it. Moments after telling a washed up major league pitcher he needs a ticket to Scranton, Pennsylvania he gets a phone call offering him a job there. When the old man tells him he needs a pair of scissors, Fred Renard scoff at him but and when his scarf is caught in an elevator door, he's glad the old man was right. Renard, who has wasted most of his 36 years on Earth, decides to capitalize on the old man's gift.
Episode 13
The Four of Us Are Dying
Fri, Jan 1, 196025 mins
Arch Hammer arrives in the city and checks into a seedy hotel. He looks like any other man but looks can be deceiving. Hammer has the ability to change his appearance at whim, a trick he definitely uses to his own advantage. He takes on the appearance of the recently deceased musician Johnny Foster. who died in a car accident. He goes to meet Maggie, a lounge singer who is mourning Foster's death, and convinces her to run off with him. He then takes on the appearance of Virge Sterig, a gangster whose bullet-riddled body was recently found in the river. He then visits mob boss Penell who double-crossed him to get his share of the money their most recent job. An unplanned change of face doesn't go over well, however.
Episode 14
Third from the Sun
Fri, Jan 8, 196025 mins
William Sturka works as a hydrogen specialist in a highly secure plant. Conditions are tense and there are constant rumors of war. The latest is that it's going to happen in the next 48 hours. Unbeknownst to his wife Eve and daughter Jody, he and his friend Jerry Riden have been planning an escape of sorts for themselves and their families. Jerry is a test pilot and they plan to steal the government's latest spacecraft heading off to a planet they believe may sustain life. Their biggest challenge is Carling, a security officer who seems to be onto their plan.
Episode 15
I Shot an Arrow into the Air
Fri, Jan 15, 196025 mins
Order breaks down between three surviving crewmen whose rocket ship crashes on an unknown world with limited water and supplies.
Episode 16
The Hitch-Hiker
Fri, Jan 22, 196025 mins
Nan Adams is driving across country from Manhattan to Los Angeles. Apart from a blown tire, the trip has been more or less uneventful. That is until she begins to see the same man, over and over again, hitchhiking along the highway. No matter how far she goes or how far she drives, the hitchhiker always seems to be ahead of her. She also seems to be the only person who can see him. When Nan decides to call home, all is revealed.
Episode 17
The Fever
Fri, Jan 29, 196025 mins
Flora and Franklin Gibbs head off to Las Vegas for a two-night, all-expense-paid vacation won by Flora in a contest. Franklin has agreed to go with her but he is unimpressed with the place, especially the casino looking down on all of those poor fools, as he calls them, playing slot machines. He severely admonishes Flora when she puts a nickel in a slot machine, accusing her of throwing away her money. When a drunken gambler gives him a dollar and insists that he play the machine, Franklin wins and there begins his descent into madness.
Episode 18
The Last Flight
Fri, Feb 5, 196025 mins
Trying to find his way home after a dogfight in World War I, Royal Flying Corps Flt. Lt. William Terrance Decker lands at a U.S. Air Force base 42 years in the future. No one believes him when he claims to be from 1917, thinking someone is trying to put one over on them. Decker himself admits that before suddenly leaping into the future he was actually flying away from an serial encounter and leaving his friend in a lurch. He also realizes that he may have an opportunity to rectify that situation.
Episode 19
The Purple Testament
Fri, Feb 12, 196025 mins
In the Philippines in 1945, Army Lt. Fitzgerald has developed the disturbing ability to look into his men's faces and know who will be killed in the next battle. He says it's like a light is shined on their faces. His superior, Capt. Phil Riker, consults the medical officer but he finds nothing conclusive. Fitzgerald passes out when visiting one of his wounded men in the hospital after he sees the light on his face. When he sees the light on Riker's face, he begs him not to go out. After they return from the military operation, he sees that there will be one other casualty that day.
Episode 20
Elegy
Fri, Feb 19, 196025 mins
In a far corner of the universe, a spaceship with three astronauts lands on a planet with gravity and air conditions virtually identical to that on Earth. Their surroundings appear as Earth did 200 years ago, but the planet has two suns, so they're fairly certain they didn't somehow end up back home. The people there, however, seem to be frozen in time. They eventually stumble upon Jeremy Wickwire, who is the caretaker for the locale. His explanation of what he is and where they are defies belief, but in the end, he does grant them their wish.
Episode 21
Mirror Image
Fri, Feb 26, 196025 mins
Millicent Barnes is waiting in the bus station waiting for her bus to Cortland to arrive. The weather outside is dreadful and the bus is over half an hour late already. When she inquires the station clerk chides her for constantly asking when it will arrive. The only thing is (she thinks) it's the first time she's asked him anything. When she goes to the ladies room the cleaning lady suggests she was just in there, she begins to worry that she's going mad. A good Samaritan, Paul Grinstead, tries to help her out but soon realizes that there may be an explanation for what is happening after all.
Episode 22
The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street
Fri, Mar 4, 196025 mins
On a pleasant day, the residents of Maple Street feel something akin to a tremor and hear a loud noise. Steve Brand thinks it's a meteorite though they didn't see a crater. When young Tommy tells them the science fiction story he read about an alien invasion where they were first sent among humans to live with them in disguise, paranoia sets in. They first suspect Les Goodman and loudmouth Charlie Farnsworth then points the finger at Steve and then Tommy. Events turn on Charlie as everyone runs amok.
Episode 23
A World of Difference
Fri, Mar 11, 196025 mins
Arthur Curtis is sitting his office chatting with his secretary about plans for his daughter's birthday party, and that he and his wife will be flying off for a couple of days of rest and relaxation. Suddenly he hears someone yell "cut" and he realizes he is on a movie sound stage. He can't understand what has happened to him. Everyone refers to him as Gerry Raigan, but he insists that he is Arthur Curtis. He runs off but can't find any of the familiar landmarks he knows such as his house or his place of work. He is desperate to return to the world of Arthur Curtis but that window of opportunity may be closing on him.
Episode 24
Long Live Walter Jameson
Fri, Mar 18, 196025 mins
Walter Jameson is a successful history professor. He's been teaching for 12 years and has proven to be very popular with his students for his ability to bring his subject to life. He is engaged to Susanna Kittridge, his good friend Professor Sam Kittridge's daughter. One thing that Professor Kittridge has noticed about Walter is that he doesn't seem to have aged one bit in the 12 years they have known each other. Walter admits that he is far older than anyone can imagine but before he and Susanna can elope, someone from his past pays him a visit.
Episode 25
People Are Alike All Over
Fri, Mar 25, 196025 mins
Biologist Sam Conrad is scheduled to go on a mission to Mars and is genuinely concerned about what they will find there. The mission commander, Mark Marcusson, tells him there's nothing to worry about as he firmly believes that God made everyone in his image; no matter what they find, he is certain that people are alike all over. They crash-land on Mars and Marcusson dies from his injuries. Conrad is happy to find that the people of Mars are very human-like, friendly and intelligent. They provide him with a home and promise him much more. Too late, however, he realizes that, just as Marcusson had said, people are alike all over.
Episode 26
Execution
Fri, Apr 1, 196025 mins
In the late 19th century, Joe Caswell is about to be hanged for murder, when he vanishes into thin air. He's been snatched by Prof. Manion's time machine and brought 80 years into the future. Caswell was selected at random and Manion can see the rope marks on his neck. Caswell is eager to see his new world but Manion wants to send him back. When Caswell runs off into the night, his new world proves to be too much for him. Justice is served in the end and a murderer hangs.
Episode 27
The Big Tall Wish
Fri, Apr 8, 196025 mins
Bolie Jackson is a professional boxer whose best years are behind him. He's well-liked in his neighborhood and adored by Henry, a young lad who lives next door. He hurts his hand in an altercation with sleazy boxing manager and as a result is badly beaten in a televised boxing match. He's apparently down and out for the count but young Henry has a special ability - something his mother calls the big wish - that changes the outcome of the match. When Bolie learns what he's done he refuses to believe in what Henry's done with the inevitable consequences.
Episode 28
A Nice Place to Visit
Fri, Apr 15, 196025 mins
Rocky Valentine is a small-time hood who has been on the wrong side of the law for most of his life. After robbing a pawn shop, he is gunned down by the police and awakens to be met by Mr. Pip, who describes himself as a guide to his new surroundings. Rocky can't quite believe where he's ended up as he can have anything he desires. He's living in a beautiful apartment, never loses at the casino and is always surrounded by beautiful women. What good deed could he have done in life to deserve this. After a month or so however the shine of having anything and everything wears off.
Episode 29
Nightmare as a Child
Fri, Apr 29, 196025 mins
Helen Foley is a school teacher who when arriving home one day meets a little girl, Markie, sitting on the steps just outside her apartment door. Helen invites her in and gives her a cup of hot cocoa. Strangely however, Markie seems to know a great deal about her - that she doesn't like marshmallows in her cocoa or that she has a scar on her elbow. She also knows what Helen did earlier that day including seeing a somewhat familiar man, Peter Selden, behind the wheel of a car. When Selden arrives at her apartment a few moments later he says he worked for her mother but Helen has no memory of what happened to her mother all those years ago. As her memories return however, she finds herself in grave danger.
Episode 30
A Stop at Willoughby
Fri, May 6, 196025 mins
Ad agency executive Gart Williams has had a particularly rough day - his young protégé has left to work at another agency and has taken a $3-million account with him. Gart falls asleep on the train home and wakes up in another place and another time. It's July 1888 and he's in the village of Willoughby, a peaceful town where life is easy. He comes to, back in his own time, but as the pressures of work and his home life continue to mount, he decides that Willoughby is exactly where he would like to spend the rest of his days.
Episode 31
The Chaser
Fri, May 13, 196025 mins
Roger Shackleforth finds himself infatuated with Leila, a beautiful young woman who wants nothing to do with him. As he monopolizes a pay phone, someone waiting to make a call refers him to Professor A. Dæmon, a seller of books, notions and potions, who - the man says - can help Roger with his unrequited love problem. Although the Professor tries to dissuade him, Roger happily buys a love potion for $1, anyway. The potion works even better than Roger had anticipated. But six months later, Roger returns to the Professor to find a solution to his new problem.
Episode 32
A Passage for Trumpet
Fri, May 20, 196025 mins
Musician Joey Crown is down on his luck. An alcoholic, he can't find work because no one trusts him. Broke, he hocks his trumpet but then steps in front of truck which knocks him onto the sidewalk. He awakens in a strange world where no one can see him and he presumes that he has died. He eventually bumps into someone who can in fact see him, a fellow horn player who tells him that it's still within Joey's power to decide on life or death.
Episode 33
Mr. Bevis
Fri, Jun 3, 196025 mins
James B.W. Bevis is, by almost any definition, eccentric. He drives an ancient car that looks like a figment of Henry Ford's imagination, he likes zither music and makes model ships. He's a bookkeeper by profession and his desk at work is always cluttered. He likes to bring in children at Christmas time to sing carols. It all leads to his being fired from his job. While drowning his sorrows at a nearby bar, he meets none other than his guardian angel who shows him that life can be considerably different for him if he wishes it....but is he prepared to make the changes necessary to obtain that lifestyle?
Episode 34
The After Hours
Fri, Jun 10, 196025 mins
Marsha White is looking for a gold thimble as a gift for her mother. She can't find it anywhere in the store and an elevator operator suggests she try the 9th floor. She arrives there to find it abandoned but a sales clerk suddenly appears and has just what she is looking for. On the way back down to the main floor, she realizes the thimble she bought is scratched and goes to the complaints department where she is told there is no 9th floor in the building. She is shocked however to see a mannequin that looks just like the woman who served her. A return to the absent floor reveals the explanation to her dilemma.
Episode 35
The Mighty Casey
Fri, Jun 17, 196025 mins
Mouth McGarry is the manager of the Hoboken Zephyrs professional baseball team. They are perennial losers and are already so far back in the standings that they have no chance of winning the pennant. McGarry is approached by Dr. Stillman who has a solution for him, Casey, who seems to be an ideal pitcher, the best McGarry has ever seen. The catch is that Casey is a robot. McGarry is eager to win and decides to use Casey without telling anyone. When his ruse is discovered, Dr. Stillman agrees to give Casey a heart to make him more human. The results aren't quite what McGarry had hoped for.
Episode 36
A World of His Own
Fri, Jul 1, 196025 mins
Peeking into the window of her husband Gregory's study, Victoria West sees him with a beautiful woman. When she finally gets into the room however, the woman is nowhere to be found. His explanation is preposterous - he claims that when he speaks into his dictation machine, the characters for his play come to life before his eyes. Victoria's first reaction is that her husband should be committed and a demonstration still doesn't quite convince her. Gregory has something else to show her.
