The Twilight Zone Original Series Quiz
One of the great joys of living in a digitally advanced age is having access to high quality copies of old media, in particular my favorite science fiction television shows from the 1960s. In this case I am referring to The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and the original Star Trek series. That is nearly 300 episodes of television, a rich mix of story telling and action. So as I wanted to do something special this year, I thought it would be fun for all you fans of trivia games to have a giant list of questions you can break out at (nerd) parties and really test your friends’ knowledge of the three series’.
Having memorized a lot of Monty Python’s Flying Circus dialogue when I was younger, I discovered the secret to developing a deep knowledge of a show was to begin by having a solid framework on which to hang more obscure details. That meant knowing something about each single episode in a way that helped me remember which was which, so I didn’t have to remember the episode numbers: using images, names and such as mnemonics. So here in 2019 let’s have some fun with the old shows, and I hope you enjoy all this. If you can watch and remember some small bit from every episode of The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, and the original Star Trek, then you are equipped to ace any sci-fi trivia contest that goes anywhere near the 1960s. “Good news, everyone!” I will also be including FUTURAMA trivia as a bonus for all you super nerds out there who share my love of the show.
We will start with The Twilight Zone, split into two parts containing around 70 or so questions. If you are a fan of the show, then here is your chance to print off the list, study and memorize it as you watch the various episodes, and then go out and beat anyone at Twilight Zone trivia. They may know a few more obscure details, but no one around will know the show as completely as you.
1). In the premiere episode (“Where Is Everybody?”) what is the first sound you hear? A bell.
2). In the second episode (“One For The Angels”) what is the first object you see on the screen? A toy robot.
3). In “Mr. Denton On Doomsday”, what is the song that Denton must sing in order to get a drink? “The Near Future”, also know by the lyric “how dry I am…”
4). In “The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine”, what type of uniform is the lead actress wearing in the movie? A nurse’s uniform.
5). In “Walking Distance” what is the name of the small town Martin Sloan walks to while his car is getting fixed? Homewood.
6). In “Escape Clause” what does the Devil name himself? Mr. Cadwallader.
7). In “The Lonely” what is the name of the female android left behind on the prison asteroid? Alicia.
8). In “Time Enough At Last”, what famous actor plays the bookish main character? Burgess Meredith. What saves him from the end of the world? A bank vault.
9). In “Perchance To Dream”, who is the woman that haunts Edward Hall in his dreams and in Reality? Maya.
10). In “Judgment Night”, what is the name of the ship that U-boat captain Carl Lanser is doomed to repeatedly go down with? The S.S. Queen of Glasgow.
11). In “And When The Sky Was Opened”, what is the name of the experimental space plane? The X-20 Dynasoar.
12). In “What You Need”, what is the first thing that is needed from the mysterious peddler? A vial of cleaning fluid.
13). In Episode Thirteen (“The Four Of Us Are Dying”) Rod Serling doesn’t do something he ordinarily does in his closing narration. What is it? He doesn’t mention the name of the show.
14). In “Third From The Sun”, what is military scientist Will Sturka’s job? To design and prepare H-bombs.
15). In “I Shot An Arrow Into The Air” the astronauts believe they have crash-landed on an unknown asteroid. Where are they actually? Outside of Reno, Nevada.
16). In Episode Sixteen entitled “The Hitchhiker”, who is the hitchhiker? The personification of Death.
17). In “The Fever”, what does the creepy slot machine repeatedly say? “Franklin!”
18). In “The Last Flight”, what year does Lt. Decker take off from then land in? 1917 and 1959.
19). In “The Purple Testament”, what psychic power does Lt. Fitz have? Seeing a strange glow around people who are about to die.
20). In “Elegy”, what is the name of the space cemetery in which the astronauts are embalmed with “eternifying fluid”? Happy Glades.
21). In “Mirror Image”, what city is Millicent travelling to by bus before she discovers she has doppelganger? Cortland, NY.
22). In “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street”, the aliens are wearing uniforms left over from what classic sci-fi film? The Forbidden Planet. A stock photo of the space ship was also used in which (two) other Twilight Zone episodes? “Third Stone From The Sun”, and “To Serve Man”.
23). In “A World Of Difference”, what secret does the main character (an actor) discover? His “real life” was the television show.
24). In “Long Live Walter Jameson”, how does Professor Kitteridge discover Jameson is unnaturally ageless? He recognizes him in a Civil War photograph.
25). In “People Are Alike All Over”, what does Conrad’s house on Mars turn out to be? A caged zoo exhibit.
26). In “Execution”, who ends up being hung in the noose meant for Caswell? A thief from the future.
27). In “The Big Tall Wish”, how does boxer Bolie Jackson win his fight? A young boy creates an alternate reality in which Bolie switches places with the original winner.
28). In “A Nice Place To Visit”, who does the man (Pip) who grants Rocky’s wishes turn out to be? The Devil. What famous (diminutive) actor declined the role of Rocky? Mickey Rooney.
29). In “Nightmare As A Child”, who does Helen meet in front of her apartment building that jogs memories of Helen’s mother’s murder? Herself as a child.
30). In “A Stop At Willoughby”, what does the town of Willoughby turn out to be? A hearse with the words “Willoughby & Son” written on it.
31). In “The Chaser”, what is the “glove cleaner” the Professor sells Roger as an antidote to the love potion he used on Leila? Deadly poison.
32). In “A Passage For Trumpet”, who is the fellow musician who saves (jazz trumpeter) Joey from Limbo? The Archangel Gabriel.
33). In “Mr. Bevis”, what unusual instrument does Bevis listen to loudly on his record player? The zither.
34). In “The After Hours”, what secret does Marsha (Anne Francis) discover about herself after being locked in the store afterhours? She is actually a mannequin. What classic sci-fi movie did Anne Francis star in? The Forbidden Planet.
35). In “The Mighty Casey”, why does Casey (a baseball robot) cease throwing fastballs? He begins to feel empathy for the players who can’t hit them. What is the actor who played Casey notorious for? A lifetime jail sentence for murder.
36). In “A World Of His Own”, what does West (a playwright) make appear in his house to convince his wife that his Dictaphone is magical? An elephant. Who does West make disappear at the end of the episode for comic effect? Series creator/narrator Rod Serling.
37). “In “King Nine Will Not Return”, where did the King Nine crash? A desert in Tunisia. What kind of plane was it? A B-25 bomber.
38). In “The Man In The Bottle”, what happens when Arthur asks to be put in a position of great power? He is turned into Adolph Hitler.
39). In “A Nervous Man In A Four Dollar Room”, who transforms Jackie’s life from one of fear and crime into one of confidence and strength? John (Jackie’s image from a mirror), who has traded places with Jackie in the real world.
40). In “A Thing About Machines”, what warning does the typewriter spell out? “GET OUT OF HERE FINCHLEY.”
41). In “The Howling Man”, who does the “innocent” prisoner turn out to be? The Devil.
42). In “Eye Of The Beholder”, what surgical treatment has failed on Janet Tyler? An attempt to turn her (attractive) face into a grotesque pig-like visage, which is revealed to be the societal norm for beauty in her world. How many times have they attempted the surgery? Eleven.
43). In “Nick Of Time”, what is the name of the fortune telling machine? The Mystic Seer. Who plays the groom obsessed with fortunes? William Shatner.
44). In” The Lateness of the Hour”, what does Jana (Inger Stevens) turn out to be? One of the robots she detested her father for having built. What other Twilight Zone episode did Stevens appear in? “The Hitch-Hiker.”
45). In “The Trouble with Temptation”, what is the name of the script Booth steals from Laura in the (supernatural) speak-easy? What To Do When Booth Comes Back.
46). In “A Most Unusual Camera”, what is the inscription on the camera? dix à la propriétaire. What is the first thing Chester takes a picture of? His wife (five minutes in the future) wearing a stolen fur coat.
47). The Christmas episode “The Night of the Meek” was one of only six episodes not recorded directly on film. How was it recorded? Onto videotape then kinescoped onto 16-mm film. What is “kinescoping”? Recording on film by pointing a camera at a video screen.
48). In “Dust”, what is the magic dust? Ordinary dirt. What is the miracle that occurs when the condemned man’s father scatters the magic dust? The man is pardoned when his (brand new) hanging rope snaps.
49). In “Back There”, who is the good Samaritan that saves Corrigan from being jailed for disturbing the peace in his attempt to warn the public about Lincoln’s assassination? John Wilkes Booth in disguise. How does Corrigan change history? Lincoln is still killed and the attendant at Corrigan’s gentlemen’s club (in the present) is now a millionaire member.
50). In “The Whole Truth”, what magical power does the ‘Model A’ car have? It makes its salesman (Hunnicut) tell only the truth. Who does Hunnicut sell the car to? Soviet leader Nikita Khruschev.
51). In “The Invaders, who is the solitary woman in the farm house revealed to be? A giant humanoid on another planet, and the tiny space ship is a manned probe from Earth.
52). In “A Penny For Your Thoughts”, why does Poole have the ability to hear people’s thoughts? He flipped a coin and it landed on its edge without falling over. Why is Poole wrong about old Smither’s plan to rob the bank? It is just a fantasy.
53). In “Twenty Two”, what is Liz’s profession? A dancer. What is the meaning of the number 22 that keeps on appearing in her dreams at the hospital? It is the number of the flight she will eventual miss, which explodes upon takeoff.
54). In “The Odyssey of Flight 33”, how does the pilot know they have not time travelled far enough forward from prehistoric times? They spot the 1939 World’s Fair. What year are they originally from? 1961.
55). In “Mr. Dingle, The Strong”, what famous character actor plays Dingle? Burgess Meredith. Name all the other Twilight Zone episodes Meredith appeared in: The Obsolete Man, Time Enough At Last, and Printer’s Devil.
56). In “Static”, what live performance does Mr. Lindsay listen to on his radio? Tommy Dorsey and his big band. What makes this eerie? Dorsey had been dead for several years.
57). What Beverley Hills Hillbillies star appears in “The Prime Mover”? Buddy Ebsen. What superpower does he pretend to have lost in order to save a friend from a life of greed and deceit? Telekinesis. What physical ailment does he get after using his powers? Headaches.
58). In “Long Distance Call”, actor Billy Mumy appears as a child phoning his deceased grandmother. What iconic 60s sci-fi role did Mumy become known for? Will Robinson in Lost In Space.
59). In the classic Twilight Zone episode “ One Hundred Yards Over The Rim”, what item does Horn leave behind in 1961? A rifle. What does Horn bring back with him to 1847? Penicillin for his son.
60). In “The Rip Van Winkle Caper”, how long do the main characters sleep in suspended animation? 100 years. What precious commodity have people in the future learnt to mass-produce, making it worthless? Gold.
61). In “The Silence”, on what date does Tennyson begin his year-long bet? June 3, 1962.
62). In “Shadow Play”, what happens whenever Adam Grant is executed in the electric chair? All of Reality resets back to his sentencing earlier in the day.
63). In “The Mind and the Matter”, who is the first person Beechcroft makes disappear when he uses his superior powers of concentration? His landlady (collecting the rent). What happens initially when he brings everyone back? They all have his face and personality.
64). In “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” who turns out to be the Martian scout that the state troopers are looking for? The business man. What is the plot twist at the end? The diner owner is Venutian and they have already established a colony on Earth.
65). In “The Obsolete Man”, what is Wordsworth’s profession (punishable by death)? Librarian. What illegal book does Wordsworth read from on live TV during his execution? The Bible. What does he read? “The Lord’s Prayer” (Psalm 23).
66). In “Two”, what famous action hero plays the male soldier/“Adam” role? Charles Bronson. What Russian word does he call out to the female solider/”Eve” at the end of the episode? “Prekrasny!” (beautiful). What does he throw to her as he says it? A jar of peaches.
67). In “The Arrival”, what is the missing flight and where is it from? Flight 107 from Buffalo, NY. How does Sheckly prove the plane is a figment of everyone’s imagination. He holds his arm out into the plane’s propellers. What plot twist occurs at that moment? The ground crew he is present with also turn out to be imaginary.
68). In “The Shelter”, what do the incoming nuclear missiles turn out to be? Satellites. What do the neighbors use as a battering ram to try and enter the doctor’s fall out shelter? A large steel pipe borrowed from a neighbor the next street over.
69). In “The Passersby”, what is the road the passersby are walking down? The journey between life during the Civil War and whatever destination lies beyond. Who is the last to walk down the road? Abraham Lincoln, the last casualty of the war.
70). In “A Game of Pool”, what famous comedian plays the angelic pool hustler? Jonathan Winters. What famous actor plays the hustler who challenges him? Jack Klugman. What other Twilight Zone episodes did Klugman star in? In Praise of Pip, A Passage For Trumpet, and Death Ship.
71). In “The Mirror”, what does De Cruz say will reveal who Clemente’s political enemies are? A particularly ornate mirror on the wall. How does the mirror say Cristo will attempt to assassinate Clemente? With a glass of poisoned wine.
72). In “The Grave”, which actor was also cast in the famous Western movie The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly? Lee Van Cleef. How do the townsfolk think Miller died at the gravesite? Sykes had reached up out of the grave and grabbed Miller, causing him to die of terror.
73). In “It’s A Good Life”, which actor plays the boy with god-like powers? Billy Mumy. What does Dan Hollis get for his birthday? A Perry Como record.
74). Where is the episode “Deaths-Head Revisited” set in? The Dachau concentration camp. What is Captain Lutze’s punishment? To be continuously driven insane by the tactile memories of the former prisoners.
75). In “The Midnight Sun”, what does Mrs. Benson beg artist Norma to paint? Pictures of ‘cool’ subjects. How did the director set the mood for the episode? He shot it on a soundstage without air conditioning.
76). In “Still Valley”, what are the three things Paradine needs to do to halt the Union Army? Possess a book called Witchcraft, praise the Devil, and renounce God.
77). In “The Jungle”, what does Alan discover in front of his apartment door? A dead goat. What eventually kills him? A lion springing from his bedroom.
78). What legendary silent film actor appears in “once Upon A Time” (as a slapstick time traveller)? Buster Keaton. What is Keaton missing when he shows up in the future (1962)? His pants.
79). In “Five Characters in Search of an Exit”, what do the characters turn out to be? Dolls. What kind of dolls are they? A ballet dancer, hobo, clown, bagpiper, and soldier.
80). What famous Star Trek actor appears in “A Quality of Mercy” as a World War II soldier fighting the Japanese? Leonard Nimoy.
81). What legendary Hollywood leading man appears in “Nothing in the Dark”? Robert Redford. What role does he play? A building contractor who in actuality is Death.
82). In “One More Pallbearer”, what does Radin use to threaten his bomb shelter captives into apologizing for past wrongs? The threat of a fake nuclear war. What is the penultimate plot twist? The world is actually devastated by nuclear war. What is the final plot twist? There is no war, and Radin is imagining it, having gone insane.
83). In “Dead Man’s Shoes”, what gives Nate his confidence and power? A dead mobster’s shoes. Lead actor Wallace Stevens also appeared in which episodes of The Outer Limits and Star Trek? “Keepers of the Purple Twilight”, and “By Any Other Name”.
84). In “The Hunt”, what is Simpson’s dog named? Rip. How does Simpson avoid going to Hell? He refuses to enter what looks like Heaven (Hell in disguise) because dogs aren’t allowed.
85). In “Showdown with Rance McGrew”, who does the TV marshal end up fighting in real life? Jesse James. What does James decide to do to make the marshal’s acting more realistic? Become his agent.
86). In “Kick The Can”, what is the name of the rest home? Sunnyvale. Which resident refuses to play the game, which they later regrets when the others become children again? Ben Conroy.
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