Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up? - Twilight-Tober Zone

"Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" is absolutely a fan favorite Twilight Zone episode, but putting it's popularity and memorable status aside, is it one of the higher tier installments of the show or is this a case of style over substance? Find out now as Walter continues into the Twilight-Tober Zone.
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"Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" is episode 64 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It originally aired on May 26, 1961.
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[@ChannelAwesome]

What did you think of "Will the Real Martian Please Stand up?" Watch Twilight-Tober Zone 2021 Compilation - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gKOoaoWYpdd5h9E Watch more Twilight-Tober Zone here - bit.ly/TwilightToberZone Follow Walter on Twitter - twitter.com/Awesome_Walter

[@trinaq]

I loved it, we got not one, but TWO amazing twists!

[@melissacooper8724]

A double twist ending that no one saw coming!

[@ramsfan0868]

Top 10 episode in the series

[@chrisbowers7523]

Channel awesome, when I saw this episode of the twilight zone and I laughed and said "is the twilight zone a comedy now?" 🤣 "I am a Martian ". And the other guy said " I am a Martian too can't you see????" Roll credits . Looney tunes , that's all fokes . Animaniacs good night, everybody !

[@melissacooper8724]

@@chrisbowers7523 Now that you mention it the ending does sound like something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon!

[@Omar-wq9dz]

1 of the best twist endings ever, with that Venusian reveal. I literally didn’t see it coming when I first saw the episode

[@trinaq]

Ditto, Ross being a Martian was surprising enough, but Haley's reveal was the cherry on top!

[@Anynom]

I loved the line from the great TWZ guide book: "The real Martian has stood up...only to have the rug pulled out from under him."

[@johnhein2539]

A line so good, it should have been in Rod's closing narration. Though his original is still pretty good: "Incident on a small island, to be believed or disbelieved. However, if a sour-faced dandy named Ross or a big, good-natured counterman who handles a spatula as if he'd been born with one in his mouth, - if either of these two entities walk onto your premises, you'd better hold their hands - all three of them - or check the color of their eyes - all three of them. The gentlemen in question might try to pull you in - to The Twilight Zone."

[@trinaq]

I loved Jack Elam's kooky old man as well, I can't believe that he was only 40. He also delivered the perfect foreshadowing line about the "Eye in the back of his head."

[@mst3KGf]

This is also notably back when he was mostly known as a villain or heavy onscreen. This was an early example of his gift for comedy, which he later specialized in later in his career. He was basically Leslie Neilsen before Leslie Neilsen.

[@jordil6152]

Looks a lot like Vonnegut too

[@melissadahl7561]

I love the kinds of episodes like this that are like "Who's the killer, alien, whatever," and you have to figure it out. I also love the whole conversation with the Martian/Venusian at the end. Both actors do that very well. I wouldn't say this one of my top ten, but it's still a good watch.

[@mst3KGf]

These types of stories are always good ways to explore characters and how they react in such a situation, like who tries to keep a cool head and figure things out and who devolves into paranoia and becomes dangerous. The comparison to "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street" is apt.

[@DasKame]

Very Hitchcock "All suspects are in one Room"

[@Jpew2007]

Dare I say it was done just as well in the Twilight zone Radio Drama?

[@trinaq]

I definitely never saw the double twist of the Martian AND the Venusian coming. It's a lot more memorable than the Martian dog from the original, and the practical effects of the extra eye and arm still hold up today.

[@ap5239]

better effect than the Multiverse of Madness third eye

[@bigfunnyfilms7548]

Y’all act like you’ve never seen a Martian before. Jaws all over the floor. Like Rod Serling bust into the door.

[@R.J.Godzilla81]

This is one of my favorite episodes, and actually got me the first time I watched it. The paranoia is similar to Monsters Are Due On Maple Street, but that was more indicative of the day in with the series was made, The Cold War/The Red Scare.

[@mst3KGf]

Jack Elam is such a great character actor and yet, I can't help but picture the episode of "MST3K" where Crow impersonates him. "I only want to talk to Gypsy. Is she around?"

[@MrQuarantine]

Easily in my top 3 of twilight zone episodes. The sense of entrapment, the tension, the red herrings, the twist within the twist. Truly a top tier episode.

[@labyrinthgirl17]

First time I saw this, I thought the Martian was the guy behind the counter and that the bus passengers and driver were just red herrings. I was stunned when the first Martian was revealed, but when the second one was revealed, I pointed at my TV and yelled, "I knew it!"

[@justanotherchannelonyoutub126]

May I have you attention please? May I have you attention please? Will the real Martian please stand up? I repeat, will the real Martian please stand up? We’re going to have a problem here. I’m the Martian, yes I’m the real Martian All you other real martians are just a big farce So won’t the real Martian please stand up Please stand up, please stand up? Cause I’m the Martian, yes I’m the real Martian All you other real martians are just a big farce So won’t the real Martian please stand up Please stand up, please stand up?

[@trinaq]

Haha, Eminem meets The Twilight Zone, I love it!

[@julieporter7805]

Getting a kick out of the proper businessman, Haley rapping to that.

[@jeremycrockett2692]

It definitely would be crazy if Eminem did a crossover with The Twilight Zone.

[@peterbach1126]

Obviously a call-back

[@TheGoodWario]

Good to know I'm not the only person to think this :3 On the TV tropes recap, I used "We’re going to have a problem here" as the image caption.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

I would say Twilight Zone has the best track record of famous episodes, considering how many there are with this one and countless others

[@erubin100]

you don't see many references to individual outer limits episodes or similar shows. Not that those were bad per say, but TZ was clearly a whole other league.

[@jafeir]

You gotta love where the twist has another twist

[@TammyBundleballs]

I was in a stage production of this one too! Had so much fun with the ensemble. I was one of the troopers. I remember my buddy who was the other trooper fudged his like and said the bridge was on the phone, by accident 😂 He broke and laughed and I smiled big, barely held it in. Ah good times.

[@jasonjimerson7046]

I personally love this one. The colorful cast, the intrigue, the mystery, and that double-twist ending makes it one of my personal favorites.

[@wstine79]

I'm already enjoying this season of Twilight-Tober Zone. This is my favorite episodes of the show. They eyeball on the forehead is very iconic.

[@chag1pyk5]

The reveal of the third eye is a shocker, no matter how fake it looks. High octane nightmare fuel

[@shainewhite2781]

Watching this episode reminds me a lot like John Carpenter's THE THING as well as The HATEFUL EIGHT, where one person among them is not who they claim to be.

[@BP-dn9nv]

The thing that really stuck with me is that while Ross was always portrayed as the most obvious candidate to be the Martian, no one suspected Hayley.

[@julieporter7805]

One of my all time favorites. The twist is easily among the top twists in the various series.

[@colinwilliams553]

This was your TIPICAL Twilight Zone episode.Never get tired of watching it over and over.

[@MsBackstager]

Stage "hand" used as the extra hand -- gotta luv it.

[@tomsenior7405]

An excellent episode, mixing comedy with a rather sinister double twist. Thank you for this review chaps. I had not previously considered Jack Elam's age at the time of filming. Nice to know. It looks like October 2022 will be a good one. Cheers.

[@gern7535]

This was one of my favorite episodes. It was more a comedy than something serious with an underlying social message.

[@Cisco-1944]

One of my all-time favorites! I feel "How We Differ" (as the Venus alien says) could've been another title for this episode as you brought up.

[@jasontoddman7265]

Possibly if you were a baby boomer who grew up watching a game show popular at the time called To Tell the Truth, you might see why the actual title is the better one. The phrase "Will the real (inseert name here) please stand up?" was a very well-known phrase back then because of this show. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Tell_the_Truth

[@TheOwlCreek]

This is still my favorite TZ episode of all time! I like all the characters in the dinner and how anyone could easily be the alien but the crazy old man is the best. The double twist cannot be topped.

[@jamesgarrett8833]

Man am I finally glad you reviewed this episode. This episode is one of my all time favorite. This episode has one of the greatest twist of all time. Also the double twist got me off guard. On rewatches one of the things I noticed is the businessman act like the most rational person among the group like when he tries convince the cops and bus driver that the bus driver is mistaken, that he pick up seven passengers and not six passengers. At first you see a person trying to find a logical explanation for the situation their in, but once you know the twist the businessman is actually trying to cover up his tracks since he is the Martin 👽

[@dillondelaney4347]

One of my absolute favorite episodes

[@sconesandjam]

One of the most simple but chillingly effective endings to the show's various bottle episodes. (Ecstatic to hear your thoughts on Tomorrow's TwilightTober installment, Walter! Keep up the good work!)

[@thEannoyingE]

Trivia note: the name of the bus line Cayuga, was a nod to the production company, named after a town Rod had a house in.

[@TheYoungDoctor]

0:45 Nice little easter egg. The bus has Cayuga on it which was the name of the company that produced the show.

[@jeffbrehove2614]

I repeat.... would the real martian, please stand up? ...... We're gonna have a problem here. Sorry I couldn't resist

[@elder-woodsilverstein7716]

I am so glad you are doing this episode. This is one of my all-time favorite episodes. I just love the homey feeling of this episode. How these regular people come together as these cops trying to figure out which one is an alien. It is a really fun episode. The twist is great, the characters are enjoyable and the atmosphere is really engaging. My only gripe is that I wish it felt more like a traditional mystery. Like the cops who start interviewing the characters individually and if there were more clues. However, I don't think Rod Serling would be able to squeeze all of that into a half-hour episode, so I am happy with the episode we got.

[@brentparker7359]

Rod Serling and Ray Bradbury having a "complicated relationship" sounds like it would make an interesting movie. I always wondered if Serling and Alfred Hitchcock ever met, since their two anthology series have similarities: ominous tone, being associated with twist endings and such. I once thought of a movie concept in which Serling and Hitchcock make a bet to see which one can scare the other, but I never wrote it.

[@Version0111]

The fact that the eye barely moved made it more believable to me.

[@user-cm7rl4fl3z]

This, the hitchhiker, and the changing of the guard are my top 3 favorite episodes.

[@davidstonerook3868]

Interesting fact Rush the band did a song called The Twilight Zone it is the third track on Rush's album 2112. It was the last track written and recorded for the album. It was the first single to be released from 2112. It is based on two episodes of The Twilight Zone: "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" (first verse) and "Stopover in a Quiet Town" (second verse) Rush dedicated the song to the memory of The Twilight Zone creator Rod Serlin

[@wstine79]

🎵 "I'm the Martian cuz all I'm the real Martian. While the others are fake just like a carnation. So what the real Martian please stand up please stand up."

[@nathanielgarza9198]

Anyone else guessed the twist We could cross off the couples, the dancer, and the old kook -The couples would remember each other -the driver remembered the dancer -the old kook knew about Baseball That leaves the fedora if we assume the suspects are only the bus passengers

[@brentparker7359]

It's interesting, too, that both Serling and Bradbury have a presence in the Disney theme parks, of all places. Bradbury's Halloween Tree is represented in Disneyland's Frontierland during the Halloweentime season, and Walt Disney World's Tower of Terror remains "Twilight Zone" themed. (Though the California version is now "Guardians of the Galaxy.")

[@MandleRoss]

The biggest Twilight Zone moment for me happened just now when I realized a year has passed since the last run of these.

[@jasontoddman7265]

Imagine what it's like then to remember watching these episodes when they were first run back in the early 1960s! 😁

[@MandleRoss]

@@jasontoddman7265 Hahaha, true. I actually watched most of them back in the 70s on reruns on a black and white TV that I would sneak out to watch at 11pm after my parents were asleep. Not, because I wasn't allowed to watch that kind of thing, just because the show was on on a school night. No headphones of course so I had to keep the volume down and my ear to the speaker so I saw the screen mostly at an extreme angle like sitting on the side of a movie theater. That might have made it even more surreal though.

[@jasontoddman7265]

@@MandleRoss Watching it in the dead of night striving to keep quiet for fear of discovery undoubtedly added an element of 'danger' - the same kind of thrill we get from risky activities like being on a roller coaster - to the whole experience as well. 😁

[@MandleRoss]

@@jasontoddman7265 Yes, well put! My memories of the show are very much linked with that feeling.

[@JoseMorales-lw5nt]

For those curious about the career of the ever familiar Jack Elam, check out SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL SHERIFF and CANNONBALL RUN. 2 great films co-starring Elam that sees him working with the likes of James Garner and Burt Reynolds, respectively.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

I saw Twilight Zone first, then the Andy Griffith Show, so when I saw the episode, Barney Gets His Man, I realized it was the Venusian waiter/cook

[@ScaryStoriesNYC]

I only ever heard it pronounced, "EE-lam" back in the day. He was in a lot of kids stuff when I was growing up, he was always memorable.

[@harsyakiarraathallah2222]

Your sure that Eye wasn't meant to Warn the Iluminati! We will only know in Twilight Zone.

[@philipportelli7700]

It has a lighter tone but a much darker ending. All the characters dead and, while the evil Martian fleet is destroyed, are the Venusians "good: or "evil"? After all, he did charge them all after their frightening time at his diner!

[@jonnybaze7449]

Probably the best twist in the series. It absolutely blew my mind as a kid.

[@Aridzonia1]

This was playing as a rerun in the late 1960’s when I first saw it. I had a power outage right before the couterman lifted his hat. I didn’t see it again until the early 1990’s. Waited over 20 yrs to see the ending. The story is absolutely true. It makes a good story too. Feel free to pass it on. Don from NJ (back then, now in AZ)

[@aidanhever3369]

No wonder Marvin the Martian wanted to blow up the Earth because it obstructs his view of Venus.

[@Kevin-wb5jl]

Yeaup, then ending alone is what makes this one an instant classic.

[@dhaucoin]

'A pleasant faced man steps up to greet you He smiles and says he's pleased to meet you Beneath his hat the strangeness lies Take it off, he's got three eye Truth is false and logic lost Now the fourth dimension is lost' - Neil Peart, lyrics from 'The Twilight Zone,' performed by Rush The first of two TZ episodes described in the song, along with, 'Stopover in a Quiet Town'. Minor details were changed to fit the song, but man, still just as creepy and cool as the episodes themselves.

[@grapeshot]

This is one of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes. It's all about I just one up you.

[@doughyguy2663]

The title "Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up" was likely chosen because of the popular, long-running game show "To Tell The Truth". Three people would appear on the show, all saying they were the same person. Contestants would then question the people to find out who's real, and at the end, the host would say "Would the real (whoever) please stand up"

[@seanbrewer1232]

I remember the twist of this episode, only have been seen it once a long time ago... But the crazy thing is, I remembered it as an episode of the outer limits, having forgotten Rod Sterling's narration. Weird

[@jasontoddman7265]

I remembered the part where he was an alien but thought he was the Martian; having completely forgotten that John Hoyt's character was also not what he seemed.

[@theredknight1757]

I loved the double twist. Not only did it catch me off-guard, but also a small sense of justice. That smarmy martian coming in, bragging about killing all those poor people from the diner and then casually bragging about the invasion, only to have the smug smacked out of him by the venusian. That was satisfying. I mean, Earth was still screwed, but at least that cocky martian got what he deserved. XD

[@ThatPurpleGirl81]

Holy crap I didn't know Elam was only 40 and playing older! He totally sold it! Love the twist especially since it's a double twist 😜

[@christianrapper]

Probably because it was in 😊black and white.

[@kyleshiflet9952]

Jack Elam is a blast in anything he's in but this is one of his best

[@mst3KGf]

You can tell he was having a grand time here. He got to ham it up as much as possible.

[@kyleshiflet9952]

@@mst3KGf exactly why it's his best performance cause like you said he was having a blast

[@miroslavtomic7038]

Jill Ellis, who plays young woman in the young couple, had her only known role in this episode. No other acting roles of hers are known or recorded. On the other hand, Ron Kipling, who played her husband, had only two more credits Target: The Corruptors and Route 66. Other then that, no other roles are known of his career.

[@nickmanzo8459]

This felt like John Carpenter’s The Thing as a Twlilight Zone episode, especially knowing that a dog was originally the alien. I think with a more serious script, it could have been just as scary.

[@Blackout1077]

Easily a top 3 twilight zone episode for me 😁

[@mrlofi333]

To serve man and Adam we eve

[@mrlofi333]

Third from the sun

[@ahabduennschitz7670]

That third Eye looked better here than in Dr Srrange in the Multiverse of Stupidness lol

[@miroslavtomic7038]

Jack Elam was known for his long career in westerns in which he mostly played villains, usually opposite John Wayne.

[@MelStaub]

This series is the only reason I continue to stay subbed

[@TheCreepypro]

man what a classic

[@neonnwave1]

It's like the plot twists wanted to one-up each other.

[@ThePa1riot]

I do love that double twist because it brings to mind the Skrull vs. Kree conflict in Marvel comics. Where both sides have an interest in taking over the Earth, neither side is good, and we're sort of caught in the middle as simply a target to them both.

[@matthewbuckley7757]

Another episode I have to watch one day, Good job again Walter and I will be careful in the twilight tober zone

[@averagegamecritic]

The eye, while not moving, is effective. It reminds me of the monsters in “Amnesia” a bit. It is something that logically is silly, but done well to still land. It really emphasizes the talent to take obvious or silly looking things or ideas and execute them well.

[@nickmanzo8459]

How many legs?!! Hooow many legs?!! That old coot was awesome XD

[@kaeltaylor9505]

Mate I love when narrate videos . Great voice for it !

[@SeenAGreatLight]

HOORAY! It's Twilight-tober again!

[@kurtwagner350]

The atmosphere in this one really stood out to me on first viewing, I could’ve watched these characters argue in that snowed in diner for hours

[@jlev1028]

I kindof knew the second twist was coming considering the diner clerk was the only person in the entire episode who wore something covering his forehead.

[@madizzle90]

My favorite TZ episode, period. I just love the diner setting and the “Who is the outcast?” mystery.

[@corpsebrigadepowerhouse993]

This is what introduced me to the Twilight Zone

[@elder-woodsilverstein7716]

A thing about the twist ending. Spoiler Alert The ending is not only a double twist but is better than you. Everybody recognizes Barney Philips and his third eye. It is basically as iconic as the pg people in Eye of the Beholder, the Gremlin from twenty thousand feet, and the Hitchiker from The Hitchhiker. So going in, many people will probably assume he is the martian. However, not only does the episode reveal that Ross was the Martin, but that, Philips, is also an alien. So the overexposure of the twist, actually makes me even more surprised by the other twists. It's kind of like the first Friday the 13th. Spoiler Alert...again Everybody assumes the person killing everybody is Jason Varees, but in the movie, it is actually his mom. Much like the episode, the movie is so rooted in pop culture, that it makes people assume one twist until it pulls the rug out from under and then with another. So much so, both twists have actually gotten better overtime and become even more unexpected. We have seen plenty of movie twists that were over exposed by pop culture, but with these, ti actually worked in their favor. That is one of the reasons why the episode si amazing and why Rod Serling was a genius.

[@ca11m3mrj8]

Huge fan been waiting all year for twighlightober zone glad its back

[@BBBHuey]

Jack Elam also played the proctologist Doctor Helsing in the comedy movie Cannonball Run I and II.

[@selfaware7617]

Just shoutouts to Walter for bringing this series all the way. Its addicting just like watching the Twilight Zone!

[@ramsfan0868]

Been waiting for this. "Will the Real Martian Please Stand" is in my top ten TZ episodes and rotates in and out of my top 5.

[@richewilson6394]

Linktara had done a view of this episode as a comic as part of one of his episodes to show more potential of what the story could have been with visual effects.

[@mindwipe8788]

This is the definitive episode of Twilight Zone for me.

[@Nasser851000]

May I have your attention Comment Section, Will the real Walter Banasiack please stand up?

[@trinaq]

Will the real Slim Shady please stand up?

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

@@trinaq Please stand up. Please stand up.

[@louisduarte8763]

Walter Koenig: How do you do a spoken word version of a rap song? Melllvar: He found a way.

[@mitchman3006]

I love these reviews

[@Lunar994]

I can't read the title and not think of "Will the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up"

[@BrandontheBeldam2993]

If you all haven't listened to the Twilight Zone radio dramas that are based on these stories, check them out. They're all free on KZbin and the voice acting and sound effects are top notch.

[@binkyboy448]

Next episode is my personal favorite, and one I've been anticipating since this series began.

[@SnakeRoadComicsOfficial3677]

Didn't figure Mars and Venus had beef over who gets to rule over us yet here we are.

[@jabbarmuhammad8804]

This one of my favorite twilight zone episodes

[@hibachiagent0249]

This was the first twilight zone episode i ever watched. Absolutely loved it

[@anthonycerulli5524]

This is one of my all time favorite!

[@christophersanders3252]

This has always been my favorite!

[@Galantski]

What do you mean it's not one of your favorites, Tober? It's a regular Ray Bradbury! 👾 😀

[@TheStopShort]

Finally! This is my all time favorite

[@hitmanmonaghan6633]

I really want to say this was the very first episode ever saw. This reminds me of the Perversions of Science episode, a group of kids in the 40’s (50’s?) on Halloween are listening to War of the Worlds on the radio. One of them goes slaughter mode on the others. Turns out they are aliens that think their people are attacking early. Then later on they figure out it was just a radio show.

[@Sate12]

My luck, I'd be in the bathroom when they reloaded the bus and come out just as the Venusian revealed his third eye.

[@ilregiallo4151]

The bigger twist is that the third-eye-makeup done 60 years ago is more convincing than the cgi-eye in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness".

[@Ugly_German_Truths]

I can't even... that "Venusian" just stares all day long at the dark inside of his cap? LOL To be honest, with the title i almost suspected ALL of the people in the Diner, including the Cops to be Martians, just not knowing the others were too...

[@angbandsbane]

The old Simpsons comics did an amazing parody of this one where it turns out EVERYONE in the room was a different horror or sci-fi parody (even included a 2 panel joke of blamanges turning them all into Scotsmen)

[@alexanbreizh6337]

One of my favorite episode of the twilight zone