"Third from the Sun", Poll and discussion thread

With nuclear war impending, two families plan to steal an experimental spaceship.
Originally aired January 8, 1960.

Full video of the episode on CBS.com
List of musical cues

This is the preferred thread for any and all of your "Third From The Sun" posts--facts, opinions, questions, speculations, and whatever else you can think of.* You can also give your opinion of the episode on a 1 to 10 scale, in the poll shown above.

Let the discussion begin!

*More specific instructions and suggestions about posting questions/comments related to this episode are located here.

I gave it a 9, good solid story, but it was really predictable to me.

This is a good one. Edward Andrews plays a good all-around creep. And the ending surprised me.

Rising in my list. Still a "7."

But they really suck you in with the heat of a summer evening and the need for that glass of lemonade. Not to mention the sweat that Edward Andrews causes with his mere presence.

And dig that crazy phone. (I thought this was the giveaway)

Leen

Not for me it wasn't. I first saw "Third from the Sun" when CBS reran it in 1960. I had just finished fifth grade, and I recognized the phone as a feature in "Weekly Reader" or some other scholastic magazine. It was presented as a new design that might become the phone of the future. In any case, it was already a working product, although I don't know how available it was to the general public.

There are at least three other telltale signs, although I didn't realize they were on first viewing:

1. The bidding of the cards, a sequence of numbers not resembling anything from any game I know.

2. The "Ministry of Science" sign, indicating at least that we're not in the present-day USA.

3. (In my opinion) The music Sturka starts playing right after the first commercial. It has an alien feel to it. (I'll revise this if Paul gives me information that goes against my feel.) -- Long overdue revision made: It's called "Teddy Blues" and was composed by Jacques Lasry. So it's alien, but only in the sense that the French are aliens.

This post has been edited by Dan Hollis on April 04, 2008 09:19 pm

Not for me it wasn't. I first saw "Third from the Sun" when CBS reran it in 1960. I had just finished fifth grade, and I recognized the phone as a feature in "Weekly Reader" or some other scholastic magazine. It was presented as a new design that might become the phone of the future.

Oh whatever Dan. Back then my Weekly Reader would have been the kindergarten edition.

Nevertheless you said it yourself "phone of the future."

Anyhoo I remember years later when I finally saw one on display. Ever since viewing that Zone I always wondered how one would actually hang up the phone. When I lifted it up sure enough the button was on the bottom of the unit within the dial.

Leen

I give this a solid 9. I thought that though it may have been predictable, the acting, setting, mood, cast, production, etc were absolutely terrific. I have to point out that at the age I first watched these episodes, I wasn't trying to figure out how they'd end. I was just absorbed.

I thought it would be worthwhile to direct readers here to a couple of posts about "Third From The Sun" in the "TZ Sequels" thread (from October--about time, Bevis). I mean this post and the one that follows: http://twilightzonewor.9.forumer.com/index...st=0&#entry1376.

Solid 9 for me, too, with good atmosphere all around but my favorite part of it being Edward Andrews's performance. As someone else helped me realize more consciously on one of our earlier boards, the twist here
***SPOILER***



is not only that the Sturkas and Ridens weren't what they seemed, but that the so-called haven they'd selected had all the problems that they had just left, although not quite as bad (yet?). To many, if not most, of the people reading this, I'm sure this was perfectly obvious anyway... but if I can help just one person in my former condition, it will all have been worthwhile.

Yeah this is one of my favs, one that I could watch over and over. The whole mood of the episode, the acting, and the twist; it all comes together very well.
I liked Edward Andrews' character in this one more so than 'You Drive', but the latter isn't too bad either.

This is so well and differently directed (by Richard L. Bare). So many shots are from weird angles, it sets such a great mood. The ending was somewhat predictible, but still fun. I like Edward Andrews in this, he plays a slimy character well.

I think my favorite part of this episode is the shot of the car speeding to the site where the ship is. The lighting and strange camera angle is interesting. The look reminds me of some of the Gerd Oswald and Byron Haskin directed episodes of the Outer Limits (without the monster, of course).

the post above really hit the nail on the head for me as to the interesting camera angles. Feel it really did domething for the episode. Overall, I give it a 9. The tension was so thick in this ep. you could cut it with a knife. And I LOVE that about this episode. Also, the ending caught me totally off guard. Did NOT see it coming!!!

SPOILER
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Telltale signs that they were on another planet? Couldn't these also suggest Planet Earth at some future time?

another great episode..

edward andrews does a great job as a creepy guy. i love when he pops up in the basement window after sturka and riden go back upstairs.

love the crazy camera angles used, especially the shot from under the glass table. i also liked when the camera rotated around to each person as they bid on their cards. it kind of reminded me of 'that 70's show' when the guys are sitting around smoking and the camera pans around to each one in the circle.

in the zicree interview with director richard bare (definitive edition extra), bare says he and rod serling became friends and serling told him that 'third from the sun' was his favorite episode.

i don't think i seen this episode befor

Here are Stephen King's thoughts on this episode, in his non-fiction book Danse Macabre (about horror in literature, movies, radio and television):

"...most viewers can remember the snap of that ending to this day. It was the episode (emphasis mine) which marks the point at which many occasional tuners-in became addicts. Here, for once, was something Completely New and Different."

Do any of our Original Zoners remember the reaction to this episode being as special as King suggests? (Or did you have a similar reaction?) Or is this more likely a case of King projecting his own reaction onto the TZ viewership at large? "Third From The Sun" was the 14th TZ episode to be broadcast, and ranked 5th in overall popularity among the first 14 TZ episodes in Matthew Cregg's final MegaBallot--very good, but not stupendous. But then again, maybe the episode became less popular over time as the ending became perceived as cliched.

King is certainly far from infallible about the opinions of the general TZ audience. He says about Burgess Meredith, "Probably his best-remembered role [in the Twilight Zone] came in 'Printer's Devil'...," when according to Meredith himself, the TZ role about which he received the most comments over the years was, of course, "Time Enough At Last." As far as factual accuracy about the series is concerned, King makes Marc Scott Zicree's error rate look phenomenally low by comparison.

I first caught TFTS when it had its network rerun in the summer following Season 1. I myself "can remember the snap of that ending to this day," but by then I was already hooked, having experienced similar snaps with "People Are Alike All Over" and "A Nice Place to Visit." I think this was King's own reaction and nothing more.

Two questions:

1. Does King say that he saw the premiere of TFTS? If he didn't see it, then his order of viewing may have been critical towards this assessment.

2. Do you know whether he had anything to say about "What's in the Box"? I have this vague recollection of reading an article, I think in TV Guide, about some noted author's praise for this episode, and I think it was King. Whoever it was, he was enamored by Joe's helplessness to prevent the fate the TV was predicting.

A 10 for sure! I didn't see the ending coming either. Very good acting and mood to this one! I agree that Andrews is creepy as the bad guy

whats this episode about????

Are you asking (1) because you haven't seen it yet, or (2) because you don't understand it?

If it's (1), go see it. You should enjoy it.

If it's (2), what don't you understand? It seems very straightforward, with a socko ending that nevertheless doesn't particularly tax one's brain.

Thanks, Dan.

1. He doesn't explicitly say either way. Somehow I got the hunch that he did see it, though.

2. King doesn't comment on "What's In The Box" at all in Danse Macabre, but he may well have been the author who praised it in TV Guide. Comparing "WITB" to some of the eps that got lukewarm or negative comments from King, I have to think of "WITB" as a pretty sorry episode to be enamored of. Maybe I'll post a thread about all of King's TZ-related comments in Danse Macabre sometime.

no i haven't seen it

You should damin it's excellent!

If you want to know the bare bones plot of any TZ episode, you can look at the first post in that episode's thread. You can also go to numerous Internet sources outside of this board, such as tv.com (the former TVTome). Here's a direct link to the TZ episode guide:

http://www.tv.com/the-twilight-zone/show/2...sode_guide.html

Here's the synopsis there for "Third from the Sun":

"With all-out nuclear war about to ignite, a scientist and his pilot friend plot to escape on an experimental spaceship."

Saying much more than that would ruin most of the pleasure for someone watching this episode for the first time.

i will the next time its comes on i will watch it ok

8
Incredible performance from Fritz

It is definitely the camera angles and the acting that make this episode stand out. I gave it a 9, taking 1 point off for the logic hole near the end. If that spaceship was an experimental one of a kind interstellar transport of that governement, ya gotta believe that it would be a tad more difficult to get to. I mean, just the boss in the white hat, a flashlight, and a hand gun behind a chain-link fence?! C'mon, now.

This has to be one of the best uses of atmosphere. Very foreboding and tense. The ironic twist, predictable as it was, still resonates today.

Pete wrote:

Yeah, that always bothered me, too.

Carling was a smart cookie. He obviously suspected that something was up. Maybe he made it easy for them to get in so that he could trap them all the more easily. Remember that the guard who had been bribed was removed from his shift unexpectedly. Maybe Carling arranged for that to happen.

Carling is my favorite Zone villain.

I thought it was pretty amazing how Carling just so happened to be creeping about everywhere! Yes he knew something was up, but to be looking into the basement of the Sturka home? And then coming over for the best lemonade in town? And yet again to be the man at the fence! Pretty unusual for a man who was most likely way up the ladder in that place. Seems like he could have hired some goons to do his dirty work.

I can see why he would be your favorite villain, MBO.

Edward Andrews is one character actor I loved to hate.

The Carling character is definately one of the highlights of the episode. The face of a shoe salesman mixed with the heart of a killer.

TZRider, I like your description of Carling.

This is one of my favorites, mainly for Edward Andrews' performance (love that window shot!). My favorite episodes are ones that create great atmosphere, and this one has it in spades for me. (No pun intended, although that living room encounter is great!)

Andrews was always great. Anyone remember the Andy Griffith eisode where he was a lecturer who dated Aunt Bee? (I believe it was very aptly titled, Aunt Bee and the Lecturer.) It also bears the distinction of being the only episode to mention Vietnam, however indirectly, when Aunt Bee asks him about the "situation in Southeast Asia".

Interesting you should mention the window shot James. I always like the shot shown in the Companion where the camera is under the glass tabletop looking up at the characters while playing cards, featuring Edward. Hmmmm.

This ep also has one of Rod's all-time best intros, in my opinion. Really adds to the overall atmosphere of impending doom.

There's something substantial about this one that gives it the quality of a condensed feature film, possibly the good pace and plot, the attention to detail, the acting, the concentration on building up mood and atmosphere. Whether or not the twist is predictable I see Third from the Sun as the perfect episode.

I remember that this was the first episode you listed in the tabulation thread. I agree that it has excellent quality all around. "Condensed feature film"...good way of putting it.

6.


I thought the acting and direction was quite nice in this episode, but it was another one where I felt like it existed only for the sake of the (painfully predictable) surprise ending. I get so tired of Rod's ending that he used very frequently that a place is shockingly revealed to be or not be Earth. It doesn't help that "I Shot an Arrow Into the Air" is the next ep in the series.

I really think the ending almost cheapens the story.

However, there is some genuine suspense in this episode and the production values are all-around very good.

It's really Richard Matheson's ending, which Rod carried over from Matheson's short story. Matheson says it more indirectly, though, calling it simply the third from the sun (not specifying which sun) with a nearby moon. He also seems to want us to infer that the families will mark the beginning of human life on Earth, while the televised version emphasizes that our friends are travelling to a world already populated with people like themselves.

That is interesting. I was not aware that this was based on a Matheson story. Perhaps the subtler ending would have worked better, but I doubt that would fly with TV executives back then who, from what I have heard, seemed to think that the audience was made up of idiots who needed to be slapped in the face to get a point across.

I haven't seen this one yet but from the description, I know that Simpsons spoofed this one.

*Spoilers*


I remember that Bart and Homer go on the wrong shuttle and go straight to the sun lol. OH GOD, that better not be what happens in this episode or I'm going to petition and stop watching Simpsons for a week.