Film & Water #135 – Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?

THE FILM & WATER PODCAST

Episode 135: WILL THE REAL MARTIAN PLEASE STAND UP?

Host of THE THING MINUTE podcast, Harper W. Harris, stops by to discuss not a movie, but a classic episode of THE TWILIGHT ZONE: Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?, starring Jack Elam and John Hoyt. Original air date: May 26, 1961!

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5 responses to “Film & Water #135 – Will The Real Martian Please Stand Up?

  1. Great show, Rob and Harper.

    This is an episode of the Twilight Zone that I have very strong memories of. I first saw it on TV in the 1980s. I was struck by the wonderfully pure storyelling, great character acting and of course the double-reveal. This is the episode that turned me from a casual viewer to a dedicated watcher.

  2. Great episode, and great guest! This is one of my favorite TZ episodes as well. Heck there was even an action figure made of the Venusian diner clerk a few years back!

    I always kind of suspected Ross may have had something to do with that crash, killing everyone who knew about his arrival. Maybe he was going back to the diner to kill the clerk too? I haven’t seen it in a while, so maybe my theory doesn’t hold up. I’ll watch it tonight!

    I probably haven’t seen EVERY TZ, but I’ve seen most. I need to add it to my “binge watch” pile. The episode that freaked me out the most was “The Howling Man”. I was expecting the reveal to be that the guy was a werewolf…but he’s far worse. Brrrr!!! Plus, John Carradine!

    I didn’t know of your John Hoyt connection, Rob! It’s always a pleasure when he shows up in something I’m watching. Had he stuck around for “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, DeForrest Kelly may have been out of work! Not that I’d want that, but I liked Dr. Boyce. He also made a memorable appearance as a mad scientist on a Monkees episode, which I’m sure your pal DAG knows well.

    Here’s hoping that Harper and the Twilight Zone return to the show sometime!

    Chris

  3. We just covered Twilight Zone in my “Television History” class. There is a PBS good documentary on Serling’s life and career titled “Submitted For Your Approval.” I believe it’s available on one of the DVD sets. This semester I screened the classic “Time Enough at Last” episode with Burgess Meredith for the class. Its ending never fails to elicit gasps from students.

    If you ever get a chance, I’d highly recommend watching some of Serling’s pre-Twilight Zone dramas from the golden age of live TV. Requiem for a Heavyweight & Patterns (an indictment against corporate culture) are classics. I’d also suggest “Carol for Another Christmas,” a 1964 modernization of the DIckens classic. It was designed to promote the United Nations and promote global cooperation. It starred Sterling Hayden, Eva Marie Saint, Peter Sellers, Ben Gazzarra among others. It was the only time director Joseph Mankiewicz worked in TV. Henry Mancini did the music. It was finally re-aired on TCM after 48 years. It’s Serling at his most preachy but worth checking out.

  4. what a great episode and podcast rob.
    you guys knocked it out of the park !!!!

    and do more tv shows, just because it’s not 90 mins, doesn’t mean you can’t talk about it.

  5. Thanks for prompting me to watch this one. I’m still in the first season and it’s good to see how much more relaxed Rod Serling becomes.

    I took it that one of the aliens made the phone call about the bridge being safe – another ‘parlour trick’.

    The older guy in the couple, he liked like a drawing by Gil Kane and Syd Shores.

    Did you read the recent Martian Manhunter series written by Rob Williams? Jack Elam’s character really reminds me of the Mr Biscuits personality.

    Harper was a great guest, very personable!

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