Bygone Technology
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28:37 — 122.0MB) | Embed
The 16mm Shrine” and “Static” are Twilight Zone episodes thematically linked by the persistent pull of nostalgia. In “The 16mm Shrine,” audiences witness an actress so enchanted by her cinematic past that she chooses to inhabit it, distancing herself from the present realm. On the other hand, “Static” features a man rediscovering a vintage radio that transmits echoes of his past joys.
I Told You So
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:34:44 — 54.5MB) | Embed
The truth is out there, but do you recognize it when you hear it? “The Old Man in the Cave” is about a post-apocalyptic community guided by a mysterious old man in a cave who provides crucial advice for survival. When outsiders challenge his authority, chaos and disaster ensue. “Black Leather Jackets” involves three alien bikers who infiltrate a small town as part of a conquest plan but face unexpected human emotions.
Rise of the Machines
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:36:52 — 55.7MB) | Embed
“A Thing About Machines” and “The Brain Center at Whipple’s” each explore the tension between humans and technology. From the second season,”A Thing About Machines,” tells the story of Bartlett Finchley, a technophobic man, who is tormented by his household appliances which eventually drive him to his demise. “The Brain Center at Whipple’s” from season five features Mr. Whipple, who automates his factory, replacing human workers with machines, only to find himself redundant and isolated.
As You Wish
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:24:20 — 48.5MB) | Embed
“Mr. Bevis” and “The Man in the Bottle” from “The Twilight Zone” each explore the pitfalls of wish fulfillment. “Mr. Bevis” features James B.W. Bevis, whose guardian angel temporarily improves his unlucky life. Bevis soon realizes these changes erase his unique personality, and he chooses to return to his former way of life and his authentic self. In “The Man in the Bottle,” Arthur Castle, an antique shop owner, uses a genie’s four wishes to solve problems, but each brings dire consequences
Wide World of Sports
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:25:39 — 49.3MB) | Embed
Step into the ring with us this month as week take a look at two sports-themed episodes from The Twilight Zone. “The Mighty Casey” and “Steel” both explore themes of man vs. machine and the struggle to stay relevant in a changing world. In “The Mighty Casey,” a struggling baseball team’s fortunes change when they recruit a mysterious but talented player named Casey, only to discover that he is a robot. “Steel” takes place in a near-future world where human boxing has been replaced by robot fighters, and a former boxer disguises himself as a robot in a desperate attempt to prove his worth.
The Great Escape
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:29:26 — 51.5MB) | Embed
Themed around groups of people making an escape, this month we look at two iconic Twilight Zone episodes: “Third from the Sun” and “On Thursday We Leave for Home.” Season One’s “Third from the Sun” presents a story steeped in the dread and anticipation of a nuclear apocalypse, following a desperate plan by a group of individuals to escape their doomed planet. Season Four’s episode, “On Thursday We Leave for Home” offers a look into the psychological and social dynamics of a leader who faces the reality of relinquishing control as his colonists prepare to return to Earth after 30 years. Both episodes masterfully explore the human condition under extreme circumstances, highlighting themes of hope, fear, authority, and the longing for safety.
Civil War
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:27:43 — 50.5MB) | Embed
Nothing is civil about war, and nothing is ever as it seems in The Twilight Zone. This month we take a look at two Civil War themed episodes, “The Passerby” from season 3 and “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” from season 5. Each episode not only plays in the sandbox of Civil War themes, but also takes a look at the supernatural realm, passing through to the afterlife, family, and paying for one’s acts while on earth.
Mysterious Melodies
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:21:57 — 47.2MB) | Embed
Music has the power to enchant, stir emotions, calm the spirit, and heal. This month we take a look at two episodes that use the power of music to explore the impact of music. In season 3, “A Piano in the House” takes a look at the sides of our humanity that we all try to hide, by using music to expose those hidden faces. In season 5, “Come Wander With Me” is a somewhat disjointed story that still leaves us enchanted and mesmerized by Mary Rachel and her melody.
Dimensions in Space
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:28:58 — 51.2MB) | Embed
Alternate dimensions and parallel worlds is not something The Twilight Zone was afraid to explore, and this month we take a look at two excellent examples of this type of storytelling. Season 3 “Little Girl Lost” explores a scenario where a young girl named Tina slips into the fourth dimension via a portal that opens up in her bedroom wall. The following season in “The Parallel” we see astronaut Robert Gaines transported to a parallel earth where he has a slightly different family in a slightly different house and JFK is unknown.
Righteous Reciprocity
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:32:10 — 53.0MB) | Embed
Rod Serling was no stranger to the atrocities of what Hitler’s Nazi party did to Jews during the Holocaust. He fought in WWII, battled anti-semitism in his own home state, and through the power of his pen fought to bring light to this hate in an effort to end racism of every kind. As brilliant as he was, we unfortunately still find racism all around us and Jews are still being attacked more than any other group today. This month we look at two episodes that Rod wrote to shed light on the horrors of the Nazi party, and express his confidence that their ultimate judgement awaited them. These episodes are “Judgement Night” from season 1 and “Death’s Head Revisited” from season 3. These episodes stand as proof that The Twilight Zone is just as relevant today as it was in the 1960’s.
Subscribe to Entering the Fifth Dimension
Send Us Feedback:
Check out our Feedback Form!
Submit a SpeakPipe message:
Call our voicemail: (304)837-2278
Email Us
Connect With Us:
The Fifth Dimension Facebook
The Fifth Dimension Twitter
Subscribe: