Executive Decision ---> Comments on the Mystery Theater

[Executive]

As of this typing, I've heard almost the first half of the long run of this series (with some later episodes as well) as I continue on in order.

I'm listening to The Child Cat's Paw right now, and I'll be done it after I write these brief comments. This could be the first mini-review written before listening to the episode is completed. :wink_smile:

This story first aired during the 4th year on May 17, 1977.

12 year-old Sarah Jessica Parker (billed as the star of this episode without her middle name) plays a little girl named Dinah who talks to her cat. The cat also talks back to her, which leads one to believe that either the child....or her cat may be a witch.

* It's early in the long career of the normally likeable and talented Ms. Parker. Yet it sounds like she's making her voice higher than it should be for a pre-teen, and in this story she gets on your nerves after a while.

* A plus: It may have been the first time in the series that Himan Brown actually hired a child actor to play child (an honor normally taken by upper middle-aged character actress Evie Juster). :thumbs_up:

* A minus: Evie Juster plays the voice of Dinah's cat! :thumbs_down:
She is as annoying as Evie tends to be whenever she uses voices other than her own.

Well, I suppose that's enough for my first commentary.

Listen to this one at your own risk! :omg_smile:

[Executive]

The First Woman in Space -- First aired (in inner space) on June 13, 1977, and written by Victoria Dann (who must have somehow been related to Sam Dann).

Taking place entirely on Earth, this episode stars noteable TV actress Phyllis Newman in the title role as a scientist named Margo Gordon, whom after returning from a trip in space is haunted by an unseen female voice of a woman who is the sole survivor whose planet was destroyed when their sun exploded. She made the trip by inhabiting Margo's body. This serious story is very different for Ms. Newman, who usually did light work and comedy.

It's actually better than William Shatner's experiences with a puppet-like alien in the 1964 Outer Limits episode "Cold Hands, Warm Heart", whose astronaut character was haunted by the creature while in deep space, only to make his body temperature go haywire after returning to Earth. Of course...that alien didn't follow Bill back to our world! :D

[Executive]

Boomerang Originally aired on July 4, 1977.

This American playlet is the only one in the series that I've heard which actually approaches witchcraft and Satanism with intelligence rather than resorting to anything blatantly supernatural.

16 year-old Carol (played by Anne Shepard) has a common cold. She also has what seems to be a hidden agenda. An English gentleman friend of hers in his 30s named Robin is briefly in two scenes...but only the first one with Carol, in which we learn that he may be a mentor to her. At first from their phone conversation I thought that maybe they were lovers, but the story doesn't go that route at all.

Carol tends to spend her time chanting prayers akin to black magic. On a few occasions it seems that she's trying to kill herself (including a car accident), yet she not only fails each time but because of her youth, the girl heals rather quickly.

Norman Rose (who plays her doctor) offers the twist at the end of the story, which completely legitimizes the going-ons throughout. For once....something of a rational explanation! There doesn't seem to be any actual magic in this story. Of course that is open to interpretation. ;) For example, early on when Carol speaks one incantation, the thunderstorm taking place may have been a total coincidence. In any other story I'd come to the conclusion that the spell caused the storm, but in the full context of this episode it doesn't seem that way.

I won't give away the ending, except that the doc comments that his patient is a terrible witch -- which at least explains why none of her attempts at spell casting work.

This is probably the first episode written by Elspeth Eric that I actually liked, and the payoff makes it worthwhile.

[Executive]

Death on Project X -- September 16, 1977

This interesting episode is about one scientist's plans to create a superweapon that will protect the world from foreign attack. A woman associate of his who is opposed to the creation of the weapon is discredited in the scientific community, so nobody believes her warnings of it being a mistake.

The surprise ending is simple, but it works well. Without giving it away, let's just say it reminded me a bit of a similar ending in the unrelated Twilight Zone episode "Third from the Sun". ;)

[Executive]

The Solitary -- September 29, 1977

Larry Haines plays a violence-prone prisoner in solitary confinement for brutally beating up one of the guards.

Ralph Bell is the senior guard who actually feels sorry for the man and takes a liking to him...much to the dismay of the warden (Fred Gwynne). The acting by semi-regular guest stars Gwynne and Bell is very good in this realistic, but grim story. There is no twist at the end however.

[Executive]

Fred Gwynne plays what might be his first comedic role since portraying Herman Munster...and he acted in more Mystery Theater episodes on the radio (82 to be exact) than any of his TV series.

His role is Peter Perkins in Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater, a comedy about a man who lives a Walter Mitty-style life to escape his problems. Peter becomes increasingly unable to distinguish between reality and his fantasies, which gets him into trouble with a gangster in real life.

First aired on January 2, 1978.

[Executive]

The Instant Millionaires --- First aired on March 9, 1978.

Three furniture movers (including writer Ian Martin) working in a warehouse discover an old trunk containing various items...and $3 million. Ralph Bell and Evie Juster have supporting roles.

[Executive]

The Sound of Terror --- First aired on October 27, 1978.

A cop's young wife is kidnapped by two Arab terrorists and held for $3 million ransom. Weak script.

[Executive]

The Great Brain --- First aired on February 21, 1979.

Gordon Heath plays a genius scientist named Gregory who bets two of his associates that in using only his natural brain power that he can escape from a maximum security prison in 7 days' time.
The mystery resides in what the man does and how he does it to accomplish his experiment.
Ian Martin plays the warden, and Russell Horton is one of the prisoners.

One of the best shows of the series with a unique approach and a logical resolution that makes total sense. Definitely a story that makes you think! :D

[klever]

Victoria Dann is Sam Dann's daughter.

The First Woman in Space -- First aired (in inner space) on June 13, 1977, and written by Victoria Dann (who must have somehow been related to Sam Dann).

Taking place entirely on Earth, this episode stars noteable TV actress Phyllis Newman in the title role as a scientist named Margo Gordon, whom after returning from a trip in space is haunted by an unseen female voice of a woman who is the sole survivor whose planet was destroyed when their sun exploded. She made the trip by inhabiting Margo's body. This serious story is very different for Ms. Newman, who usually did light work and comedy.

It's actually better than William Shatner's experiences with a puppet-like alien in the 1964 Outer Limits episode "Cold Hands, Warm Heart", whose astronaut character was haunted by the creature while in deep space, only to make his body temperature go haywire after returning to Earth. Of course...that alien didn't follow Bill back to our world! :D

[Mike Hobart]

The Great Brain --- First aired on February 21, 1979.

Gordon Heath plays a genius scientist named Gregory who bets two of his associates that in using only his natural brain power that he can escape from a maximum security prison in 7 days' time.

I haven't heard this one yet but I suspect it's based on the famous story "The Problem of Cell 13" by Jacques Futrelle. There was a whole series of stories about the eccentric scientist who was nicknamed The Thinking Machine. See this site for the original stories: http://www.futrelle.com/