Static

Dean Jagger plays Ed Lindsay, who is currently living in the same boarding house for 20 years, and become a crotchety old man, dissatisfied with the modern world, and especially television, which his fellow boarders watch obsessively. When Ed discovers an old radio in storage, he is bewildered but delighted when it plays only old time big band music like Tommy Dorsey, which it turns out only he can hear, convincing the others he's going senile, but an old flame(played by Carmen Mathews) still secretly loves and believes him... Sadly videotaped episode suffers for it, but sincerity of the performances and charming nature of the premise make up for it.

"Static" is pretty static in terms of anything much happening. In the rooming house where he lives, aging Dean Jagger hates new-fangled TV that the others are glued to. Desperate, he rescues an old radio console for his room, where he mysteriously tunes in to old time radio shows that only he can hear. Naturally, the others think he's going batty. However, it looks like he's somehow tuned in to radio station TZ.

Hitchcock favorites Mathews and Emhardt pick up paydays as co-residents, while thuggish Johnson does a milder version of his usual thing. From the production notes, it appears this entry, along with five others, were cramped into single settings because of a less-costly filming process. This, I assume, explains the general lack of action. Still, the script coordinates plausibly by never needing to leave the boarding house.

Geezers like me, raised on radio instead of TV, can relate to the sentimental premise. Radio entertainment engaged the imagination in ways that TV's literal visuals cannot. While watching this 30-minutes, recollections of Gangbusters, Suspense, Inner Sanctum, et al. flitted happily through my head. Understandably, this is a rather nostalgic entry for some TZ fans, though likely not for all tastes.

This episode of the Twilight Zone rates as one of the best. No monsters, no UFOs etc., etc., just magic.

There is so much truth here that you could fill 2000 words.

Watch it and see.

One of my favourite all time Twilight Zone lines here: (yes I have a shortlist and wonder when the book is coming out; they did it with Scarface -- mark my words) A reference to the brain turning to Oatmeal watching too much Television.

I like the way it touches on many aspects of human nature and how we cope with loneliness -- under the pressure of growing old.

Dean puts in a fine acting performance.

Keep an eye out for a famous cast member from 60s TV series "Bewitched"

The bachelor Ed Lindsay is a bitter middle-aged man that has been living in the same boarding house that hates the TV shows that the other residents like to watch. He retrieves his old radio from the basement and brings it to his room and he finds that he can receives old music and shows from New Jersey radio station WPDA. He recalls his happier youth when he intended to marry the resident Vinnie. However his only friend Professor Ackerman and Vinnie only hear static from the radio and they learn that WPDA is out of business for many years. Vinnie and the other residents decides to get rid of the radio since they are worried about his mental state and delusion. When he discovers, he seeks his radio at the junk dealer Will Ed find his precious radio?

"Static" is a wonderful "The Twilight Zone" episode with a beautiful tale of second chance in life. The nostalgic Ed is a man embittered by bad choices made when he was younger. Unfortunately we do not have a radio tuned in The Twilight Zone to do things right in the past like Ed did. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Estática" ("Static")

Although there isn't much narrative, and a conclusion that doesn't really satisfy, there's a lot I like about this. Ed Lyndsay (Dean Jagger) is an aging man living in a boarding house who finds 1940's shows on his radio. Ed listens to 'Im Getting Sentimental Over You' played by Tommy Dorsey's band and becomes nostalgic. Yet there seems to be no station actually broadcasting the shows he's hearing and reliving so fondly. He comments on TV turning the minds of the other boarders to mush. Very early on this episode shows TV as a dull medium with its cigarette advertising (as a one Mr Rod Serling used to do along with his announcements for the next week) and so many channels with only rubbish on them (even then!). Radio is shown as a more intimate, inspiring, and imaginative medium through Ed's point of view. Another aging boarder Vinnie (Carmen Matthews) becomes concerned with Ed's 1940's radio obsession, and for very personal, emotional reasons.

The message is to live your life to the full and to find yourself and happiness before its too late. I so love the Zone for the universality and timelessness of its meanings.

Now go and tune in to a TV that shows great early 60's sci-fi and get nostalgic.