Before 'The Twilight Zone' There Was Rod Serling's 'THE TIME ELEMENT'!

In this SPECIAL episode of The Twilight Zone REVIEW Marathon, we'll discuss Rod Serling's first true glimpse into the 5th dimension. It all began with the 1958 Desilu Playhouse presentation of 'The Time Element' - - the original pilot to the 'Twilight Zone.'
William Bendix and Martin Balsam star in this haunting story about a man who is apparently traveling back in time to December 6, 1941, one day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
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#rodserling #twilightzone #timeelement #martinbalsam #williambendix #twilightzonemarathon

[@marieroberts5458]

Creepy and thought provoking. I too have always heard as a kid that if you die in your dream, you die for real - but if you die for real, how will anyone know if you dreamt of dying before-hand? Talk/screamed in your sleep before you died? The hole in the logic always bothered me, but the belief that if you dreamt you were falling you woke up before you hit the ground so you wouldn't die, that made sense. Either way, this looks like a very solid start to an amazing series. Kudos to Desi Arnez & Lucille Ball for knowing talent and making such tv and our culture all the richer. Thanks for all the hard work you put into this channel and I hope for your continued success.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hi Marie, thanks as always for checking in. In terms of those dying in your sleep & real life tales, I also heard the falling part as well. It's such a creepy idea and its always stuck with me. Anyway, I appreciate the kind words, be well & have a good week ahead!

[@madam-mint]

That “I told you!!! I told you!!!” is haunting…

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hi Miss Mint! I agree, it's such a haunting moment and sadly you just knew it was coming. The planes flying over head and firing was pretty shocking too, they didn't cut away, they went for it. Thanks for watching & commenting, btw I appreciate it! I'm aiming to have a few new vids up in this week week and the next. Be well & have a good week ahead.

[@spiritsnscreams]

Surprise.. I’m watching this one in a timely fashion for a change.. how ironic right?!? 😂 This is a cool episode and so glad it did well and was the catalyst for Rod’s series. I love that. Really nicely done Anthony and a great way to start my day! Have a nice weekend!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Heeey Karen, yeah this was such a fitting catalyst for the series. Some of the ingredients were already in the mix -- time travel, a lead having a bizarre experience who nobody believes, a twist ending...etc...all good stuff. Thanks for checking in, much appreciated & have a nice weekend ahead. 😃

[@ParaisoSensorial]

New friend here.🔔 Congratulations on this perfect audiovisual creation. Greetings. See you soon. Full⌚💕55

[@cirespeedreviews]

Wow when the doctor sees Peter's photo and finds out his patient he literally talked to died 10 years ago 😨 great job.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Cirespeed, my bad, I missed this comment a few days back, but thanks for checking in man. That ending REALLY worked and it was creepy. Great moment though.

[@dragonmovieguy]

Love the episode Anthony! Love the intro by Desi Arnaz! Haha... Love your connections to BTTF! And, the references to Walter White...

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Heeeey wassup DMG! Thanks! Good seeing you again you last night at the show & presenting! Have a great week ahead man.

[@atesalie8206]

Great sharing i love twilight zone

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Thanks Ate! 🤗

[@carlcarlson1369]

The Sailor tells William Bendix that's his birth he was born on that ship😂😂❤❤

[@samus88]

Damn, just when I thought I couldn't like TWZ any more, I find out there was a pilot I never seen! Instant classic!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

No doubt, it's a hidden gem for Twilight Zone fans. Thanks willprogresivo!

[@PaxPanic]

Another killer video! Still in awe at how comprehensive your videos are and still entertaining!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey wassup Pax! : ) Much thanks, always glad to hear from you. have a good one!

[@MarvelandDC379]

I always find the Butterfly Effect in fiction and real life so fascinating. I've always been a fan of the Twilight Zone for years, but ignorant about the Time Element until I saw this video. I love that you always educate me on new things in pop culture. Every successful franchise has their humble beginnings one way or another. Another excellent video, Anthony!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Charles, wassup man. This was a pretty fitting start for the series. Happy to hear this vid can introduce you and others to the show, it's worth a watch. Thanks for checking in, be well!

[@SciFirstMovieTalk]

Time travel is always an intriguing concept - sounds like this is a deep take on the subject! Loved your meaningful and totally insightful dive into the episode! :)

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey SciFirst! I hear you, I love a good time travel tale...especially one from Rod Serling. I appreciate the kind words, have a good one!

[@betamaxblocker]

Usually I don't like Willian Bendix's acting (he was in some really crappy movies like "A Girl in Every Port" that just drive me crazy), but I actually enjoy watching him here. And it's amazing how many future episodes of the series this one seems to foreshadow. Great job on the review (as always!)

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Betamax, when I looked into him I also noticed a Babe Ruth biopic he starred in that was pretty widely panned at the time. In any case, he's pretty solid here. Much thanks as always for checking in man. Be well & have a good one!

[@rainbowFRIGHT]

Bro, what?? Desilu? That's too freakin' awesome. It's a trip seeing Desi in Rod's shoes even though technically this is the first TZ episode. Desi and Lucy knew good entertainment, I love that they helped Rod get TZ off the ground. And I can't say that I definitely WOULDN'T place bets on sports games if I went back in time. Although, I guess I'd first have to start memorizing who has won what because as of right now I don't even know who won the Superbowl last year, lol.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Rainbow! LOL, I'm not a sports guy at all so I hear you on that. I just pop on a Yankee hat and call it a day. Lucille Ball was really behind Star Trek and backed two pilots. So Desilu was important to helping get sci-fi going on television. Thanks for checking in & have a great weekend!

[@HildaDC]

Hey Anthony always nice to see you posting here watching my friend much love and blessings to you and your family 💞🥰

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Thanks so much Hilda! Much love and blessings to you and your fam as well! Have a nice weekend. : )

[@mr.danandhorror4230]

I found this a few months ago - lots of familiar faces and great Rod Serling screen writing. Great review Anthony!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Much thanks Mr. Dan! always glad to hear from you.

[@No_Use_For_A_Name1981]

You're doing great on this channel, been subbed and watching for a while. Nice to call out this prequel to TZ as it's a gem. WW2 was a key factor in serlings creative influence and shows time and again.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey wassup Anthony, good to hear from you & thanks for the support. I couldn't do it without you all. Yes I have always been eager to discuss this one, it is a bit more obscure but since I hop around covering these anyway, I figured why not. Anyway, be well & have a good weekend.

[@terencemiguana]

Perfect video Anthony. But if he really stopped Pearl Harbour I would speaking German right now. Back in 2015 I thought it would be cool to put money on the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series as in BTTF2. Little did I know they actually won it the following year. Great Scot!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

LOL, there was nooooo way I was going to make it through this one without BTTF references. I had to restrain myself from noting 'old Biff' erasing himself from existence in a deleted scene from BTTF2. 😁🤣 Thanks for checking in T, be well & have a good weekend bro .

[@videoinstructionsguy3240]

Another winner buddy! Loved the info about Serling at the end. And those Westinghouse refrigerators are sweet! Take care Anthony

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Thanks ViG! 👍 Yes indeed, Desi moved those fridges like hotcakes.

[@HaveCheetahWillView]

I need to look this up. This reminds me of The Final Countdown..... time travel stories are some of the best.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Yup, it's floating around here on youtube at the moment, & is well worth a watch. Thanks Patrick!

[@NyesBizarreCinema]

Anthony is a superstar! Well made video! I just wanted to say something else because obviously I love your channel. 😁😊💜💜💜

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Aw, well thanks, 😁I always appreciate the kind words Nye. Have a great weekend ahead.

[@nakeishamammeri5094]

I only remember watching this episode once, but thanks to your synopsis I feel intrigued by it

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Nakeisha! This one is a lot lesser known. It's on the blu-ray set and was floating around online for a bit. The show was a nice early glimpse into the TZ.

[@strangemonkey90]

Martin Balsam is a great actor. I had no idea he was in the 80s Twilight Zone episode. Very interesting. Great review. I gotta check the episode out now that I know it's on KZbin. Time travel stories are usually pretty good.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey wassup SMR! No doubt, I love a good time travel story as well. Much thanks for coming by. Be well bro, hope our weekend is going well.

[@strangemonkey90]

@@FeverDreamlandTheater Yes indeed. They are always entertaining. Thanks, same to you.

[@OldMovieRob]

What a great review! I've watched a lot of Twilight Zone but I've never seen this pilot and it sounds amazing. What a zinger of an ending, too! William Bendix is a favorite of mine. He's got a likeable, everyman quality to him and for something like TZ, I can see how you'd really believe in his character, regardless of how strange the situation might be.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Rob, I'm actually not as familiar with Bendix but I agree, he was really great here so now I'll have to check out his other work as well. Much thanks for checking in, be well & have a good one!

[@LisaLoves]

Haha your use of that clip with the leaving work on disability 😂😂😂 Another great episode Anthony. I have to admit if I could time travel I’d be betting on a few horsies or the lottery myself 😂

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Oh I hear you on that in terms of betting, ha ha. Thanks for the watch Lisa, and also glad you dug my little inclusion of humor there. Sometimes I pop bits like that in because....why not. ha ha, Always a pleasure, be well & have a nice weekend!

[@davidevans6618]

Back in time in his war memories.

[@AtomicSnackBar]

This was really interesting. Somehow, I've never heard of this special. And it sounds like a great one. Very in my wheelhouse. I'm vaguely reminded of No Time Like the Past from season 4. But that could be because I just watched that one. It's also odd that The Time Element isn't on the boxset. And on a related/unrelated note, just seeing that Good Times Video watermark in the opening footage gave me a little tinge of nostalgia. Such an important piece of my youth. Great stuff, Ant-man.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Rob! Thanks for swinging by, always a pleasure man. Yeah this one is a bit more off the grid, took me years before I knew it existed. So it was a cool surprise.

[@PJBovio]

This video is PHENOMENAL 🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅🏅

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Thank you! Appreciate it.

[@carlcarlson1369]

I love the concept of time travel❤❤

[@lizc6393]

Love the TZ content, love your accent. Please keep it up buddy!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Liz! Good to hear from you as always and I appreciate the kind words. Take care & have a nice weekend. : )

[@williamfigueroa4630]

This was considered the first episode of the twilight zone

[@TheMrfilmmaker]

outstanding, as usual.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

🤜🤛 Thanks film maker!

[@NaomisAdventures]

Thanks for sharing the review

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Thanks Naomi!

[@radiogirl85]

I’m a big TZ fan and love your channel. I would love to hear your take on some of the episodes you didn’t care for.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Radiogirl, thanks for the kind words! So far the only episode I have covered that fits that bill is 'Cavender is Coming'. But the next poll up will feature episodes I was not a fan of. 😂 It's going to be rough but they can't all be great, lol.

[@radiogirl85]

@@FeverDreamlandTheaterI’ll have to check that out. I love Carol Burnett but that isn’t one of my favorites either. Look forward to seeing more of your videos! 👍

[@moviesgalore9947]

I told you! I told you! Why wouldn't anybody listen to me!

[@Galantski]

This is a fine Serling tale, if one that is all too familiar a one in terms of plot, theme, dialogue, characterizations, etc. -- Rod firing on all cylinders. For all intents and purposes, it can be described as a "pre-pilot" for _The Twilight Zone,_ and if viewed as a _TZ_ episode must rank among its best. The early scenes of the surly Peter Jenson paint him in a different light than later ones in the episode. Since he's shown to be a drinker, it could be that his run-ins with the maid, the editor, the bartender, and others unfortunate enough to cross paths with him could be a combination of a hangover, and the grim foreknowledge that constantly hangs over him. He tends to mellow out to a degree as the story unfolds. You say that the direction of the plot is pretty easy to discern; okay, Anthony, true, but isn't that simply because it's what would be expected in such a scenario: Serling is writing about a dark chapter in history and someone trying to warn people of the imminent danger is the obvious turn to be taken. It was later covered in the "Back There" episode of _TZ,_ where a 20th century time traveler attempts to thwart the Lincoln assassination. (Incidentally, the actor playing the newspaper editor in "The Time Element"-- Bartlett Robinson -- appeared in "Back There" and in "To Serve Man".) Given that the premise of time travel is an impossibility both physically _and_ metaphysically, I view such shows as "put your brain in neutral" and have fun with them and this one was a lot of fun. Along with William Bendix's performance in the lead role, Martin Balsam was his usual stellar self as Dr. Gillespie. I'm inclined to agree with Desi Arnaz's interpretation that this was all the doctor's dream. Appropriately, you brought up _Back to the Future,_ but there's another film I was reminded of, although it's a stretch, and that's _The Shining._ Here I direct your attention to a similarity in the ending of both films. Like Jack Torrance in the group photo, we see Peter Jenson in a photo where he stands alone; In each picture, the character stares out at the viewer years after he supposedly died, but paradoxically also in recent times (that is, if Jenson's story wasn't the doctor's dream, but an actual instance of time travel).

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Galantski! Hope you have been well, always cool to hear from you! Glad to hear you enjoyed this episode as much as me. It's funny you bring up the The Shining, that did come to my mind too with that last shot. As you noted, Peter stares out at the viewer years after he died, but paradoxically we also know of him from recent times. It's a haunting moment in both stories. Thanks for watching as always, be well!

[@Galantski]

@@FeverDreamlandTheater Thanks for your always solid work, Anthony. Stay well!

[@ScofieldStudios]

One thing I find interesting is that both the Twilight Zone and this show has flawed characters who has just enough humanity that you can route for them, but also sometimes can be real jerks. Great review! By the way, can you review a really bad Twilight Zone episode, if there is one. I'm curious to see what a bad Twilight Zone episode would look like.

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey wassup Scofield! Oh no doubt, I've been meaning to actually. There's a few I'm not really a fan of so what I'll likely do is make a poll including some of those and we'll see how it turns out. Hopefully I like them more on a rewatch, we'll see. Thanks for watching & have a good one!

[@jonathanzuckerman520]

Curly Joe was in this too.

[@IAmBettyJGathers]

Hello Anthony I am back. I love Twilight Zone. This is great when you really like a channel that has content that you truly love. Wow Desi! Wow you know you old when you know all the old actors.😂I know I did not see this one. Wow what an ending I did not see that coming. Thanks you are the best. How long did it take for you to put this video together plus the planning?

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Hey Betty, hope you've been well and great to hear from you. 😃I tend to work on these vids on and off and in-between other things so it is tough to say about the timing. Maybe a few days to a week or so. This one actually wasn't so bad. I get held up writing sometimes so that can be a few days because I just never get back to the script. But the editing part I could probably finish in a day or two. If there's a ranking of a bunch of movies or which requires a lot of research that's a few weeks no matter what. It's all good, I try to focus on stuff that interests me and hopefully others too.

[@IAmBettyJGathers]

@@FeverDreamlandTheater Great Channel keep it up!

[@MoreMovies4u]

Those refridgerators could survive a nuclear blast! Just ask Indiana Jones. Do you think the next Indy movie will involve time travel? Great video Anthony. Gotta love Martin Balsam. This TZ ep looks great, ima have to check it out when i have time. Awesome job dude ✌

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Awwww man, I missed a potential shot at an Indy joke there. 😂 Ah well, next time. Thanks as always for checking in, much appreciated. At the moment this one is on KZbin if you get a chance it's worth a watch. Have a nice weekend!

[@MoreMovies4u]

@@FeverDreamlandTheater ah, the BTTF comparisons were spot on, mate. Thanks Anthony, have a good one!

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

@@MoreMovies4u 😎 Thanks!

[@paulsarnik8506]

I wonder if this episode had an influence on Lucy going to bat for Star Trek. 🤓😎🖖🏻

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

I would guess so, it was received really well after it aired. Either way, very happy we got Star Trek too, incredible sci-fi!

[@TasteandSipbyTesha]

cool

[@marieroberts5458]

Wasn't Bendix in Hitchcock's Lifeboat?

[@FeverDreamlandTheater]

Yes he was, good catch. Lifeboat from 1944. That's some of Hitchcock's earlier work I have been meaning to check out.

[@marieroberts5458]

@@FeverDreamlandTheater I haven't seen most of Hitchcock's work, since I have spent most of my life avoiding scary movies, but I did catch this flick on tv years ago, and was deeply engrossed. AND William Bendix has the kind of pug face that you don't forget. Face it, the pretty boys all look the same after a while, but the character actors are all "I know that guy! He's somebody!" ;-)

[@StarTrooper]

I can't find it anywhere.