Submitted for your approval, part two of our epic study of Rod Serling’s World War II PTSD-demon-exorcizing Twilight Zone episodes. This time we’re neck-deep in the Pacific Theater side of things, which happens to be where Serling served---- so the episodes we’re covering (“The Purple Testament” and “A Quality of Mercy,” plus “The Encounter” for good measure) have an added bit of emotional and existential weight to ‘em. Listen with horror as host Craig tries to keep things light in the face of such grim thematic material. If nothing else, our old buddy Dr. Reba Wissner shows up to make it all worthwhile whilst sparking copious amounts of unbridled joy.
“Strange Girl” performed by Hubert Laws (from the album Flute By-Laws, copyright 1966 by Atlantic Records)
“Over There” performed by Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (copyright 1942 by Decca Records)
“Turning Japanese” performed by The Vapors (from the album New Clear Days, copyright 1980 by United Artists Records)
“America, Fuck Yeah” and “America, Fuck Yeah (Symphony Bummer Remix)” written and performed by Trey Parker (from the album Team America World Police: Music from the Motion Picture, copyright 2004 by Atlantic Records)
Main title theme from the film Detour composed and conducted by Leo Erdody (copyright 1945 by Producers Releasing Corporation)
Main title theme from the film Cry Terror! Composed and conducted by Howard Jackson (copyright 1958 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
The American Masters documentary on Serling, Submitted for Your Approval, in blurry low-resolution on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4ALNnImsmU
The Complete CBS Twilight Zone broadcast history, courtesy of The TZ Café’s Dan Hollis:
My 2013 study of The Twilight Zone’s legendary Lost Five:
http://mylifeintheshadowofthetwilightzone.blogspot.com/2013/02/special-report-lost-five.html
Articles on the tragic accident during the shooting of Twilight Zone: The Movie:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/actor-and-two-children-killed-on-twilight-z
The Twilight Zone is a trademark of CBS, Inc.
Between Light and Shadow: A Twilight Zone Podcast is a nonprofit podcast. Music clips and dialogue excerpts used herein are the property of their respective copyright owners; we claim no ownership of these materials. Their use is strictly for illustrative purposes and should be considered Fair Use as stated in the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. section 107.