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Episode

The Time Element (Pilot) from Desilu Playhouse (1958)

A man (William Bendix) visits a psychoanalyst, complaining about a recurring dream in which he imagines waking up in Honolulu just prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Rod Serling wrote a teleplay intending for it to be the pilot episode of a new series called The Twilight Zone. Although it ended up airing on a different show, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse S01E06, it is still considered the pilot episode of The Twilight Zone.

The Time Element (Pilot) from Desilu Playhouse poster

Directed By: Allen Reisner
Writer: Rod Serling

Submitted For Your Approval (1995)

Imagine if you will, a young boy with a monstrous imagination. A lad whose fascination with sci-fi magazines and high school drama kindled a spark that would ignite into one of the brightest creative minds of this century. A young boy by the name of Rod Serling. Embark on a fascinating tour of the life of Rod Serling in this "American Masters" special. Learn the fascinating story of how television's most esteemed and popular writer outwitted stifling sponsor censorship by creating a series devoted entirely to fantasy stories--"The Twilight Zone." While censors looked elsewhere, Serling skillfully wrote "fanciful" tales that dealt with controversial issues of the day. Extensive interviews with key figures such as John Frankenheimer, Jack Klugman, Kim Hunter and Buck Houghton provide a detailed portrait of the man whose innovative work changed the course of television history.