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A classic Twilight Zone episode from 1959, where a man finds himself alone in a deserted town and realizes he is being tested for a space mission. Learn about the plot, production, and reception of this sci-fi story by Rod Serling.
Where Is Everybody?: Directed by Robert Stevens. With Earl Holliman, James Gregory, Paul Langton, James McCallion. Mike Ferris finds himself alone in the small Oakwood town and without recollection about his name, where he is or who he is. Mike wanders through the town trying to find a living soul.
- (7.3K)
- Drama, Fantasy, Horror
- Robert Stevens
- 1959-10-02
- Episode Details
- Themes
- Response and Analysis
- Technical Information
- Home Media Release
- Trivia
- Notes and References
- External Links
Title Sequence
The opening featured the sun/horizon animation. When the episode's narrative for the title sequence was originally recorded, it was worded as follows: When a second introduction was recorded, the lines were changed thusly:
Episode Summary
A man finds himself alone walking towards a diner. Inside he finds a jukebox playing loudly and coffee hot on the stove. He hollers to the people in the kitchen, asking if they realize how loud it is, but he receives no response. He turns the music down and attempts to ask the cooks about the town up the road but no one answers him. He inquires for some breakfast, but no chef or waitress is to be found. He hops over the bar and shouts out the backdoor, but no one is to be found. He discovers...
The main theme in this episode, as the title suggests, is loneliness and its effect on humans. The commanding officer in the final scene sums this up, observing, "The barrier of loneliness — that's the one thing we haven't licked yet." As with the subject of age, isolation would be a theme often revisited by Serling in various episodes throughout t...
Antecedents
1. Space travel has long been a theme in science fiction; some of the best-known examples being French philosopher Voltaire's Micromegas (1752), French author Jules Verne's From the Earth to the Moon (1865), and British writer H. G. Wells' The First Men in the Moon(1901). 2. Space exploration in motion pictures dates as far back as 1902, with the pioneering science fiction film, Le Voyage Dans La Lune (A Trip to the Moon), a 14-minute film from French filmmaker Georges Melies. Another early d...
Critical Response
The pilot episode began a trend for The Twilight Zone of critical success accompanied by adequate, if not phenomenal, ratings. A New York Times review of the episode on October 3, 1959, stated: Later that year, in the December issue of The Magazine of Fantasy and Science-Fiction, Charles Beaumontwrote:
Notes and Annotations
1. This episode aired two years before Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first to achieve human spaceflight, orbiting the Earthaboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft. Although the first animal in orbit was the dog Laika, launched aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 spacecraft on November 3, 1957, the consequences of manned spaceflight remained uncertain until Gagarin's launch on April 12, 1961. 2. Rod Sterling originally wrote a script entitled "The Happy Place" in which there was a society in ounce a...
Cast
1. Rod Serling as Narrator (voice only); uncredited 2. Earl Holliman as Mike Ferris 3. James Gregoryas Air Force General 4. Paul Langtonas Doctor 5. Jay Overholtsas Reporter Two [Credited as Jay Overholt] 6. Garry Walbergas Reporter Three [Credited as Gary Walberg] 7. Carter Mullalyas Air Force Captain [Credited as Carter Mullaly] 8. Jim Johnsonas Air Force Staff Sergeant 9. John Conwellas Air Force Colonel 10. James McCallionas Reporter One
Crew
1. Rod Serling (executive producer: Cayuga Productions) 2. William Self(producer) 3. Buck Houghton(producer) 4. Joseph LaShelle(director of photography) 5. Roland Gross(film editor) 6. Robert Clatworthy(art director) 7. Alexander Golitzen(art director; credited: Alex Golitzen) 8. Russell A. Gausman(set decorator) 9. Ruby R. Levitt(set decorator; credited: Ruby Levitt) 10. Bud Westmore(makeup artist) 11. Joseph E. Kenney(assistant director; credited: Joseph E. Kenny) 12. Leslie I. Carey(sound)...
Production Companies
1. Cayuga Productions 2. Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)
The alternate version of this episode is included on the Image Entertainment Vol. 43 DVD along with "Eye of the Beholder" (alternately titled "The Private World of Darkness"), "A World of His Own" and "A Thing About Machines". The original version is included on the Treasures of The Twilight Zone DVD along with "The Encounter" and "An Occurrence at...
Mr. Serling revealed how he developed the idea: "This particular show I got from a Timemagazine article that they were putting guys in isolation booths in preparation for extra-terrestrial travel."Rod Serling later adapted this tale to be included in a short-story anthology Stories From the Twilight Zone (1960, ASIN: B0000CKNSM), although he changed the ending. In the revised version, Mike F...Although this was the first episode of The Twilight Zone to be aired, Rod Serling had written another proposal for the pilot, titled "The Happy Place". The plot centered on a society that executed...DeVoe, Bill. (2008). Trivia from The Twilight Zone. Albany, GA: Bear Manor Media. ISBN 978-1593931360Grams, Martin. (2008). The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic. Churchville, MD: OTR Publishing. ISBN 978-0970331090Internet Movie Database. "Where Is Everybody?." Retrieved: 2009-04-30.Jan 6, 2023 · The Twilight Zone 1959 S 01 E 01 Where Is Everybody. An icon used to represent a menu that can be toggled by interacting with this icon.
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A man wakes up in a deserted town and has no memory of who he is or where he is. He experiences a paranoid feeling of being watched and believes he is in the last man on Earth.
Sep 26, 2023 · Learn how the first episode of "The Twilight Zone" was shot, and what challenges the actor Earl Holliman faced. Find out the twist ending, the camera issues, and the director's attitude.
Where is Everybody? Our main character evaluates his situation. Rod Serling : The place is here, the time is now, and the journey into the shadows that we are about to watch, could be our journey.
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An amnesiac (Earl Holliman) in an empty town feels he is being watched. Wikipedia
- October 2, 1959
- Robert Stevens
- Rod Serling
- Rod Serling
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