The problem with this episode was that it was not in the Twilight Zone sci-fi genre. It had a stupid laugh track. And it was not even funny. This was going to be a spin off to Carol Burnett's own sitcom
Hey Linda, yeah I agree - this was a unique one when you consider the bulk of the series was mainly focused on sci-fi type stories. Thanks for watching though. Hit sub if you enjoyed, I have a bunch of TZ reviews here on the channel and I'm currently working on a new one. Thanks, be well.
The Twilight Zone introduced so many iconic stars. This is the TW legacy. Nothing wrong here. We loved it when brand new. Does anyone here recall Hoss Cartright looking for a leprechaun? Not exactly a Western but so memorable. I made a joke about the Maytag repairman and the mother of my children proposed to me.
I haven't seen more than the first 10 minutes of this one (if that, mommy-hood strikes again) but I think that I see the problem. You had all the ingredients in the actors, but comedy is all about timing. And writing comedy requires timing too, and a different sensibility. Not everyone can write comedy, and even the great Rod Serling has his limits. I just think that he just was forcing the premise without feeling the premise. Unlike in the Ransom of Red Chief (? I think is the episode name) the comedy flowed from naturally. But I'm not sure that Rod wrote that script. So I think that all this needed was a tightening up of the script to get the timing down. But thank you for reviewing this. Even the lesser work needs some love.
Hi Marie, hope you've been well. This one has grown on me a little more since this review, but it is still my least liked episode from the ones I've covered. You are right, comedy is all about timing and that seemed a little off in this case. There's a few episodes I'm not looking forward to but ideally I'd like to go through all 156 so it is what it is. Thankfully, many of these I love. Be well & have a good one!
$250,000 in todays $ was what her angle put in her NY Bank account, but it was a 3rd floor 1,100sqrft apartment so the rent would be an easy $50,000 and living expenses another $50,000 not quite rich or what you would call undependably wealthy. I would say ok for 1-2 years if she had a good paying NY job.
Hey Vickie, that's awesome. Yeah that is one thing about Twilight Zone, any episode can be someones first or their favorite. I have more reviews coming up, stay tuned if you are interested...Thank you for watching & have a great weekend. : )
I like most of us wasn’t a big fan of the comedy episodes, but I have to admit, as a kid I thought the bus driver jumping out the window was funny. What could I say, I’m a sucker for physical comedy.
The episode should have been called, "Cadaver is Coming." And it SHOULD have worked. Carol Burnett and Jesse White were in it -- How could it fail? But it's just a redo of "Mr. Bevis," which didn't work either. Always found it curious how Rod became interested in having a particular celebrity appear in Twilight Zone (Bob Cummings, Shelly Berman, Art Carney), and he too often just rewrites an old script for them. And he doesn't always tailor the script to the celebrity's strengths. Yes, he does tailor this one somewhat for Burnett, but he's still basing it on an unstable foundation. It's just BAD! I don't think it's the worst TZ episode (that's STILL The Fugitive as far as I'm concerned), because it still has some funny moments, and Serling's outro is still delicious. But the thought of this episode going out with a freaking laugh track is just an insult. No wonder Serling hated the Night Gallery blackouts - at least Jack Laird had the taste not to include a laugh track on NG's "comedies."
Hey Kali, sounds like we are pretty much on the same page as it relates to this entry (and The Fugitive). It's amazing, Carol Burnett is a legend and she's still around too. She even turned in a great performance in Better Call Saul, but I do wish she had a better TZ episode under her belt. I know others like this one, so it's all good. Thanks for the watch and comment! Be well!
I haven't actually watched this episode and judging by your summary, I don't think I will. Still it's good that the show had its fair share of comedy, even if not every joke landed.Since they explored several different genres, it makes the trips to the Twilight Zone all the more surprising, since you never know what you'll get when you start a new episode. The plot of this episode kind of reminds me of the recent Disney comedy Godmothered, in which a fairy has to learn a similar lesson to the angel here. However unlike Cavender, she actually ended up helping her protege, but with small improvements, rather than the over the top complete change of lifestyle she tried at first. I wonder if that may have also made Cavender is Coming a more satisfying watch than the hit of the reset button in the end.
Hey Julia! I agree, there's probably some tweaking in here that would make this episode a lot better. The comedy episodes seem to be very hit and miss for many TZ fans. Hocus Pocus & Frisby worked a lot better for me on that level. Be well.
Something that always puzzled me about this episode, although it was written by Rod Serling, the whole bit with Carol Burnett as a usherette is a story Carol has related many times as a real job in her real life. Why wasn't she credited as a co-writer?
Hey Dwight, thanks for watching & commenting. Interesting observation. I read up on it a bit. According to Marc Scott Zicree's TZ Companion: Rod Serling studied Burnett's career & he was a fan of her work. And he did model that usher bit after her real life job as a sequence in the show. The core plot of the episode though was actually recycled from a previous failed backdoor pilot, Mr. Bevis.
My number 148 episode. Number 9 worst episode. Would have been placed even lower were it not for the great Carol Burnett. The stunts were terrible 😢 Jumping into windows? What kinda crap is this? Laugh track? A guy nibbling on your arm? Ugh😮
It is an odd one for sure. As I work through these, there are a few others I'm even less into. I'm a huge fan of the series overall, but with 156 episodes there are bound to be some that fall short.
The problem with this episode was that it was not in the Twilight Zone sci-fi genre.
It had a stupid laugh track.
And it was not even funny.
This was going to be a spin off to Carol Burnett's own sitcom
Hey Linda, yeah I agree - this was a unique one when you consider the bulk of the series was mainly focused on sci-fi type stories. Thanks for watching though. Hit sub if you enjoyed, I have a bunch of TZ reviews here on the channel and I'm currently working on a new one. Thanks, be well.
Rod Serling wrote it.
@@FeverDreamlandTheater Of course, the series also dabbled in horror and fantasy. And "The Hunt," the Kuntry Heaven episode, is an underrated classic.
'Somersault into a hornet's nest'. Man, that's funnier than anything in this episode!
Thanks Crone Jawford! 😊 (I dig the name btw)
This is one of my favorite, it had me thinking deeply and then at the end feeling deeply. Such a great twist. ❤
I meant to leave this comment on “5 characters in search of an exit” never seen Cavender is coming.
The Twilight Zone introduced so many iconic stars. This is the TW legacy. Nothing wrong here. We loved it when brand new. Does anyone here recall Hoss Cartright looking for a leprechaun? Not exactly a Western but so memorable. I made a joke about the Maytag repairman and the mother of my children proposed to me.
Hello! Your review is funnier than the actual episode! Thanks again for another awesome review.
😁 Hey Linda! Good to see you over here on the channel! Much thanks for checking these out and dropping your thoughts. Have a good one!
I love this episode! And it has a great and kind message to the audience, which is the whole point of The TZ.
i liked the laugh trax
I haven't seen more than the first 10 minutes of this one (if that, mommy-hood strikes again) but I think that I see the problem.
You had all the ingredients in the actors, but comedy is all about timing.
And writing comedy requires timing too, and a different sensibility. Not everyone can write comedy, and even the great Rod Serling has his limits.
I just think that he just was forcing the premise without feeling the premise. Unlike in the Ransom of Red Chief (? I think is the episode name) the comedy flowed from naturally. But I'm not sure that Rod wrote that script.
So I think that all this needed was a tightening up of the script to get the timing down.
But thank you for reviewing this. Even the lesser work needs some love.
Hi Marie, hope you've been well. This one has grown on me a little more since this review, but it is still my least liked episode from the ones I've covered. You are right, comedy is all about timing and that seemed a little off in this case. There's a few episodes I'm not looking forward to but ideally I'd like to go through all 156 so it is what it is. Thankfully, many of these I love. Be well & have a good one!
$250,000 in todays $ was what her angle put in her NY Bank account, but it was a 3rd floor 1,100sqrft apartment so the rent would be an easy $50,000 and living expenses another $50,000 not quite rich or what you would call undependably wealthy. I would say ok for 1-2 years if she had a good paying NY job.
I have seen this so many times I love this episode of twilight zone
Hey Vickie, that's awesome. Yeah that is one thing about Twilight Zone, any episode can be someones first or their favorite. I have more reviews coming up, stay tuned if you are interested...Thank you for watching & have a great weekend. : )
I am going to see Carol Burnett with my wife and daughter on April 28th in Chicago. An audience Q&A I am going to asker about this episode.
That's awesome David. Sounds like a good time. I love the promo pics of her arm wrestling with Rod Serling...and winning!
I like most of us wasn’t a big fan of the comedy episodes, but I have to admit, as a kid I thought the bus driver jumping out the window was funny. What could I say, I’m a sucker for physical comedy.
Oh I agree, although I admit on a first watch the bus driver scene was more a WTH moment. LOL
The episode should have been called, "Cadaver is Coming." And it SHOULD have worked. Carol Burnett and Jesse White were in it -- How could it fail? But it's just a redo of "Mr. Bevis," which didn't work either.
Always found it curious how Rod became interested in having a particular celebrity appear in Twilight Zone (Bob Cummings, Shelly Berman, Art Carney), and he too often just rewrites an old script for them. And he doesn't always tailor the script to the celebrity's strengths. Yes, he does tailor this one somewhat for Burnett, but he's still basing it on an unstable foundation. It's just BAD!
I don't think it's the worst TZ episode (that's STILL The Fugitive as far as I'm concerned), because it still has some funny moments, and Serling's outro is still delicious. But the thought of this episode going out with a freaking laugh track is just an insult. No wonder Serling hated the Night Gallery blackouts - at least Jack Laird had the taste not to include a laugh track on NG's "comedies."
Hey Kali, sounds like we are pretty much on the same page as it relates to this entry (and The Fugitive). It's amazing, Carol Burnett is a legend and she's still around too. She even turned in a great performance in Better Call Saul, but I do wish she had a better TZ episode under her belt. I know others like this one, so it's all good. Thanks for the watch and comment! Be well!
person or person's unknown... David Gurney jumps through a window just like that. season 3 btw
Thank you! That is true, good catch. 🙂👍
That was a TZ S3 1/2 early 4 episode.
I haven't actually watched this episode and judging by your summary, I don't think I will.
Still it's good that the show had its fair share of comedy, even if not every joke landed.Since they explored several different genres, it makes the trips to the Twilight Zone all the more surprising, since you never know what you'll get when you start a new episode.
The plot of this episode kind of reminds me of the recent Disney comedy Godmothered, in which a fairy has to learn a similar lesson to the angel here. However unlike Cavender, she actually ended up helping her protege, but with small improvements, rather than the over the top complete change of lifestyle she tried at first. I wonder if that may have also made Cavender is Coming a more satisfying watch than the hit of the reset button in the end.
Hey Julia! I agree, there's probably some tweaking in here that would make this episode a lot better. The comedy episodes seem to be very hit and miss for many TZ fans. Hocus Pocus & Frisby worked a lot better for me on that level. Be well.
If it weren't for Carol Burnett and Jesse White, I would be able to skip this one easily, but they really bring a lot to it for me.
No doubt, they make this watchable for sure.
Something that always puzzled me about this episode, although it was written by Rod Serling, the whole bit with Carol Burnett as a usherette is a story Carol has related many times as a real job in her real life. Why wasn't she credited as a co-writer?
Hey Dwight, thanks for watching & commenting. Interesting observation. I read up on it a bit. According to Marc Scott Zicree's TZ Companion: Rod Serling studied Burnett's career & he was a fan of her work. And he did model that usher bit after her real life job as a sequence in the show. The core plot of the episode though was actually recycled from a previous failed backdoor pilot, Mr. Bevis.
it's not a bad episode. it's last place of a show where they are all awesome stories
If I wrote this episode, I would’ve had him earn his wings for the simple fact that he learned how he messed up there
It would have been a cool moment
Nice idea, I could see that working too. Thanks for watching Jack.
Good stuff!!
Thanks!
because she was "depressed"
It wasn't that bad it just wasn't made for that type of show!!
Very funny! I busted my cookie! 😆
I think I busted my cookie watching this.
Nice that they'd inject some humour! Loved the review! :)
My number 148 episode. Number 9 worst episode. Would have been placed even lower were it not for the great Carol Burnett. The stunts were terrible 😢 Jumping into windows? What kinda crap is this? Laugh track? A guy nibbling on your arm? Ugh😮
This is my very least favorite TZ ep. Would rather watch paint dry -- literally.
It is an odd one for sure. As I work through these, there are a few others I'm even less into. I'm a huge fan of the series overall, but with 156 episodes there are bound to be some that fall short.
"literally"
This is actually the only time I can stomach Carol Burnett. She was actually good in this. Later she would become way to obnoxious with her comedy.
They must have buried this one cause I never saw this while it aired nightly in the 70’s
Now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing this one too much either during marathons.
And rightfully so