It's Still a Good Life

Last updated
"It's Still a Good Life"
The Twilight Zone episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 31
Directed by Allan Kroeker
Written by Ira Steven Behr
Based on characters created by Jerome Bixby
Production code131
Original air dateFebruary 19, 2003 (2003-02-19)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Into the Light"		Next →
"The Monsters Are on Maple Street"
List of episodes

"It's Still a Good Life" is the thirty-first episode of the 2002 revival television series of The Twilight Zone . The episode was first broadcast on February 19, 2003, on UPN. It is a sequel to the original series episode "It's a Good Life". [1] Bill Mumy and Cloris Leachman reprise their roles from the original episode. [2] Anthony Fremont's daughter, Audrey, is played by actor Bill Mumy's real life daughter Liliana Mumy. [2] [3] It was written by Ira Steven Behr (based on characters created by Jerome Bixby), and directed by Allan Kroeker. [4]

Contents

Opening narration

Forty years ago, Rod Serling introduced us to a monster, a monster so powerful he was able to make the world disappear just by using his mind. For the residents of Peaksville, Ohio, the nightmare had begun. The monster knew their every thought, could feel their every emotion; and when they made him angry, which was often, he would banish them into a cornfield from which there was no return. And the most frightening thing about this monster was that he was only six years old. Now it's forty years later, and the people of Peaksville are still in Hell. Oh, yes, there's one other thing: The monster now has a child of his own, and though she possesses none of her father's powers, he still loves her very, very much.

Plot

Anthony Fremont has been terrorizing the residents of the small town of Peaksville for 40 years, still using his psychokinetic powers to banish those he deems "bad", including his own wife and father, to a mythical "cornfield". His mother Agnes is shocked to discover that Anthony's beloved young daughter Audrey has inherited those powers. This discovery is soon followed by one even more shocking: Audrey can bring back things that her father has banished to the cornfield.

With this realization, Agnes – who has grown to detest her son – tries to influence her granddaughter to use her powers in order to free Peaksville from Anthony's reign of terror. When Anthony learns of his mother's plans he seeks out each co-conspirator one by one, sending them to the cornfield. Agnes finally confronts her son, letting go of all of the dismay, hatred and anger that she has suppressed for forty years, and tries to convince Audrey to use her powers against her own father and wish Anthony away. Audrey is forced to choose between her grandmother and her father, whom she loves very much.

Caught between these two sides, Audrey ultimately aligns herself with her father, saving him from a resident who attempted to hit him while his back was turned. But then to the horror of Anthony she sends her grandmother away and empties the town of Peaksville. Anthony and Audrey are left alone, but Anthony soon realizes that he misses having everyone else around. In order to cheer her father up, Audrey brings back the world beyond Peaksville, which Anthony had sent away decades prior. Audrey asks Anthony about visiting New York City, and her father replies that it is a big city with many people. Audrey implies that they had all better be nice to her and her father, otherwise they'll suffer severe consequences.

The episode ends with Anthony realizing that his daughter is far more powerful than he is, and he accepts that she has done a "real good thing" by returning the world outside of Peaksville. As a couple pulls up to ask them if they know how to get to Highway 10, Anthony and Audrey plan to travel to different places. Anthony states that "It's going to be a good day. A real good day," as they head to the two people in the car.

Closing narration

No lesson to be learned here. No morals to be taught. Just an update from Peaksville, Ohio, where Anthony and Audrey Fremont want you to think happy thoughts, and you better do as you're told. Otherwise, you might wind up in that cornfield known as The Twilight Zone.

Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Mumy</span> American actor (born 1954)

Charles William Mumy Jr. is an American actor, writer, and musician and a figure in the science-fiction community/comic book fandom. He came to prominence in the 1960s as a child actor whose work included television appearances on Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and a role in the film Dear Brigitte, followed by a three-season role as Will Robinson in the 1960s CBS sci-fi series Lost in Space.

"It's a Good Life" is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television series The Twilight Zone, and the 73rd overall. It was written by series creator/showrunner Rod Serling, based on the 1953 short story "It's a Good Life" by Jerome Bixby. The episode was directed by James Sheldon, and is considered by some, such as Time and TV Guide, to be one of the best episodes of the series. It originally aired on November 3, 1961. The episode was one of four from the original 1959 series which formed the basis of the 1983 film Twilight Zone: The Movie.

"It's a Good Life" is a short story by American writer Jerome Bixby, written in 1953. In 1970, the Science Fiction Writers of America selected it for The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One, as one of the 20 best short stories in science fiction published prior to the Nebula Award. The story was first published in Star Science Fiction Stories No.2. The story was adapted in 1961 into an episode of The Twilight Zone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloris Leachman</span> American actress (1926–2021)

Cloris Leachman was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nominated and, along with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, most awarded performer in Emmy history. Leachman also won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award.

Liliana Berry Davis Mumy is an American actress. Between 2002 and 2006, she appeared as Jessica Baker in Cheaper by the Dozen and its sequel, as well as Lucy Miller in the second and third films of The Santa Clause trilogy.

<i>Phyllis</i> (TV series) American sitcom

Phyllis is an American sitcom television series that aired on CBS from September 8, 1975, to March 13, 1977. Created mainly by Ed. Weinberger and Stan Daniels, it was the second spinoff of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Mary Tyler Moore Show producer James L. Brooks was also involved with the show as a creative consultant. The show starred Cloris Leachman as Phyllis Lindstrom, who was previously Mary Richards' friend, neighbor, and landlady on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

<i>Twilight Zone: The Movie</i> 1983 American science fiction anthology film

Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 American science fiction anthology film produced by Steven Spielberg and John Landis. Based on Rod Serling's 1959–1964 television series of the same name, the film features four stories directed by Landis, Spielberg, Joe Dante, and George Miller. Landis' segment is an original story created for the film, while the segments by Spielberg, Dante, and Miller are remakes of episodes from the original series. The film's cast includes Dan Aykroyd, Albert Brooks, Scatman Crothers, John Lithgow, Vic Morrow, and Kathleen Quinlan. Original series cast members Burgess Meredith, Patricia Barry, Peter Brocco, Murray Matheson, Kevin McCarthy, Bill Mumy, and William Schallert also appear in the film, with Meredith assuming Serling's role as narrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In Praise of Pip</span> 1st episode of the 5th season of The Twilight Zone

"In Praise of Pip" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. In this episode, after learning that his soldier son has suffered a mortal wound in an early phase of the Vietnam War, a crooked bookie encounters a childhood version of his son.

<i>The Twilight Zone</i> (1959 TV series) American TV anthology series (1959–1964)

The Twilight Zone is an American science fiction horror anthology television series created and presented by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from October 2, 1959, to June 19, 1964. Each episode presents a standalone story in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described as entering "the Twilight Zone", often with a surprise ending and a moral. Although predominantly science-fiction, the show's paranormal and Kafkaesque events leaned the show towards fantasy and horror. The phrase "twilight zone", inspired by the series, is used to describe surreal experiences.

"Treehouse of Horror II" is the seventh episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 31, 1991. It is the second annual Treehouse of Horror episode, consisting of three self-contained segments, told as dreams of Lisa, Bart and Homer and is the only Treehouse of Horror episode to date where each segment name is not stated inside the episode. In the first segment, which was inspired by W. W. Jacobs's short story The Monkey's Paw and The New Twilight Zone episode "A Small Talent for War", Homer buys a Monkey's Paw that has the power to grant wishes, although all the wishes backfire. In the second part, which parodies the Twilight Zone episode "It's a Good Life", Bart is omnipotent, and turns Homer into a jack-in-the-box, resulting in the two spending more time together. In the final segment, Mr. Burns attempts to use Homer's brain to power a giant robotic laborer.

<i>Lassie</i> (1954 TV series) 1954 TV series

Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie dog named Lassie and her companions, both human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to March 25, 1973. The eighth longest-running scripted U.S. primetime television series, the show ran for 17 seasons on CBS before entering first-run syndication for its final two seasons. Initially filmed in black and white, the show transitioned to color in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ira Steven Behr</span> American screen writer and television producer

Ira Steven Behr is an American screenwriter and television producer, best known for his work on Star Trek, especially Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, on which he served as showrunner and executive producer. He was the executive producer and showrunner on Crash, executive producer on Syfy's Alphas and a writer and co-executive producer on Outlander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Comet Man</span> Fictional comic book character

Comet Man is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Comet Man #1, dated February 1987.

"From Agnes—With Love" is episode 140 of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. A comedic episode, it relates the mishaps faced by a meek computer programmer when the world's most advanced computer falls in love with him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phyllis Lindstrom</span> Fictional character from The Mary Tyler Moore Show

Phyllis Lindstrom is a fictional character portrayed by Cloris Leachman on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and spin-off series, Phyllis.

<i>The Sixth Sense</i> (American TV series) American paranormal thriller television series

The Sixth Sense is an American paranormal thriller television series featuring Gary Collins and Catherine Ferrar. The series was produced by and filmed at Universal Studios, and broadcast by ABC from January 15 to December 23, 1972.

<i>Rules of Engagement</i> (TV series) American sitcom television series

Rules of Engagement is an American sitcom television series that ran on CBS from February 5, 2007, to May 20, 2013, originally airing as a mid-season replacement. The series was produced by Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions in association with CBS Television Studios and Sony Pictures Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Shepodd</span> American actor

Hugh Goodwin, better known as Jon Shepodd, was an American actor. On television, he was the first actor to play the role of Paul Martin in the long-running series Lassie Shepodd appeared as a guest star on Lassie in Season 3 in the episode "Lassie's Day" as "Al" the delivery man for Martha's Bakery.

<i>The Twilight Zone</i> (2002 TV series) 2002 TV series

The Twilight Zone is a science fiction horror anthology television series, presented by Forest Whitaker. It is the second of three revivals of Rod Serling's original 1959–64 television series. It aired for one season on the UPN network, with actor Forest Whitaker assuming Serling's role as narrator and on-screen host. It was a co-production between Spirit Dance Entertainment, Trilogy Entertainment Group, Joshmax Productions Services, and New Line Television. It premiered on September 18, 2002, and aired its final episode on May 21, 2003.

References

  1. ↑ "Bill Mumy - Biography". Billmumy.com . Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  2. 1 2 "The Twilight Zone | Episode Detail". Zap2it.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-09. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  3. ↑ "The Twilight Zone Special Remake Episodes". Sci Fi Weekly. Archived from the original on 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-06-22. Played by Mumy's real life daughter, Liliana Mumy
  4. ↑ "Executive producer Ira Steven Behr dares to update The Twilight Zone". Sci Fi Weekly. Archived from the original on April 7, 2008. Retrieved 2007-06-22.
  5. ↑ "Cast and Crew". Yahoo! TV . Retrieved 2007-06-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.