The “Unofficial” Twilight Zone Pilot Debuted a Year Before The Series Began

Oct 6
Posted by Paul

If you’re ever asked to name the pilot episode of The Twilight Zone, there are two answers.

The official one is “Where is Everybody?” It launched the series on October 2, 1959. But there’s an unofficial answer as well: something known as “The Time Element.”



It first aired almost a year earlier – on November 24, 1958, to be precise – and for viewers lucky enough to tune in to the CBS’s Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse that evening, it marked their first trip, in all but name, to the fifth dimension.

The story certainly has some familiar plot elements for anyone who’s a fan of the series to come. Let’s do a brief recap – spoiler alert! – then go behind the scenes.

We’ll start with Desi Arnaz’s introduction. Yes, Lucille Ball’s husband himself hosted each episode. Just as Serling would do later on “the Twilight Zone,” he sets the scene for viewers:

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to another Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse. Tonight, we’re going to see a story written by Rod Serling and starring William Bendix. Our story begins in a doctor’s office. A patient is sitting there. He walked into this office nine minutes ago.”

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