# Tales of Tomorrow

Tales of Tomorrow is an American anthology science fiction series that was performed and broadcast live on ABC from 1951 to 1953. The series covered such stories as Frankenstein starring Lon Chaney Jr., 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starring Thomas Mitchell as Captain Nemo, and many others.

## Cast

Besides Chaney and Mitchell, the show featured such performers as Boris Karloff, James Dean, Brian Keith, Lee J. Cobb, Eva Gabor, Veronica Lake, Rod Steiger, Bruce Cabot, Franchot Tone, Louis Hector, Gene Lockhart, Walter Abel, Cloris Leachman, Leslie Nielsen, Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman. The series had many similarities to the later Twilight Zone which also covered one of the same stories, "What You Need". In total it ran for eighty-five 30-minute episodes. It was called “the best science-fiction fare on TV today” by Paul Fairman, editor of If.

## Production

The idea for this science fiction television series was developed by Theodore Sturgeon and Mort Abrahams, and presented under the auspices of the Science Fiction League of America. This entity, not to be confused with the Science Fiction League, may have been a creation of the producers; author Robert Heinlein was contacted in 1951 by Sturgeon and Abrahams about their plan to "put together a league of s-f authors to write television screenplays for a new proposed TV series, Tomorrow is Yours (the original title of the show)." A deal was struck with Richard Gordon and George Foley, giving the producers of the show first choice of any of the 2,000 short stories and 13 novels by the various members of the League.
Tales of Tomorrow was the first dramatized showcase for several authors, including Arthur C. Clarke. Other early science fiction writers whose work was reflected in the series included Fredric Brown ("The Last Man on Earth" and "Age of Peril"), Philip Wylie ("Blunder"), C. M. Kornbluth ("The Little Black Bag") and Stanley G. Weinbaum ("The Miraculous Serum"). The show was intended for adults; at the time, most science fiction productions were targeted to children. The producers wanted to blend mystery and science fiction, and to emphasize fast pacing and suspense.

## Episodes

As an anthology show, each episode had a self-contained plot. Every episode started with a brief bit of narration that mentioned the show's sponsor(s).

### Series overview

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 43 | 43 | August 3, 1951 (1951-08-03) | August 8, 1952 (1952-08-08) |
| 2 | 42 | 42 | August 22, 1952 (1952-08-22) | June 12, 1953 (1953-06-12) |

### Season 1 (1951–52)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Original release date | Episode status |
| 1 | 1 | "Verdict from Space" | Theodore Sturgeon | August 3, 1951 (1951-08-03) | Exists |
| A man is on trial for killing a scientist, but no one will believe that he didn't do it -- or what he and the scientist discovered. ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Blunder" | Teleplay by : Charles O'Neill From an original play by : Philip Wylie | August 10, 1951 (1951-08-10) | Exists |
| A nuclear engineer in a remote area is about to begin operation of an experimental nuclear reactor involving bismuth which he has learned from a scientific journal that new research shows is fissile under certain conditions. Because of heavy censorship in such information he is not aware of the full article in the journal which warns against using the type of reactor he is about to put up and running as it will literally destroy the Earth. He stubbornly refuses to speak to who he assumes are small minded people who are trying to plead him not to put his reactor online, and now they are in a desperate race to get to him in his remote location and stop him before he blows up the Earth. ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "A Child Is Crying" | Story by : John MacDonald Teleplay by : Alvin Sapinsley | August 17, 1951 (1951-08-17) | Exists |
| A young girl with extraordinary, almost inhuman intelligence, is recruited by the military -- who discover she can see the future. ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "The Woman at Land's End" | Unknown | August 24, 1951 (1951-08-24) | Missing |
| 5 | 5 | "The Last Man on Earth" | Fredric Brown | August 31, 1951 (1951-08-31) | Missing |
| 6 | 6 | "Errand Boy" | William Tenn | September 7, 1951 (1951-09-07) | Missing |
| 7 | 7 | "The Monsters" | Robert Sheckley | September 14, 1951 (1951-09-14) | Missing |
| 8 | 8 | "The Dark Angel" | Story by : Lewis Padgett Teleplay by : Alvin Sapinsley | September 28, 1951 (1951-09-28) | Exists |
| 9 | 9 | "The Crystal Egg" | Story by : H.G. Wells Teleplay by : Mel Goldberg | October 12, 1951 (1951-10-12) | Exists |
| 10 | 10 | "Test Flight" | Story by : Nelson Bond Teleplay by : Mel Goldberg | October 26, 1951 (1951-10-26) | Exists |
| 11 | 11 | "The Search for the Flying Saucer" | Mel Goldberg | November 9, 1951 (1951-11-09) | Exists |
| 12 | 12 | "Enemy Unknown" | Theodore Sturgeon | November 23, 1951 (1951-11-23) | Missing |
| 13 | 13 | "Sneak Attack" | Story by : Russell V. Ritchey Teleplay by : Mel Goldberg | December 7, 1951 (1951-12-07) | Exists |
| 14 | 14 | "The Invader" | Robert Foshko & Mort Zarcoff | December 21, 1951 (1951-12-21) | Exists |
| 15 | 15 | "The Dune Roller" | Story by : Julian C. May Teleplay by : Charles O'Neill | January 4, 1952 (1952-01-04) | Exists |
| 16 | 16 | "Frankenstein" | Mary Shelley | January 18, 1952 (1952-01-18) | Exists, no closing credits |
| 17 | 17 | "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: The Chase" | Jules Verne | January 25, 1952 (1952-01-25) | Missing |
| 18 | 18 | "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: The Escape" | Jules Verne | February 1, 1952 (1952-02-01) | Exists, no closing credits |
| 19 | 19 | "What You Need" | Henry Kuttner | February 8, 1952 (1952-02-08) | Exists, no closing credits |
| 20 | 20 | "Age of Peril" | Story by : Fredric Brown Teleplay by : A.J. Russell | February 15, 1952 (1952-02-15) | Exists |
| 21 | 21 | "Memento" | Unknown | February 22, 1952 (1952-02-22) | Missing |
| 22 | 22 | "The Children's Room" | Story by : Raymond F. Jones Teleplay by : Mel Goldberg | February 29, 1952 (1952-02-29) | Exists |
| 23 | 23 | "Bound Together" | Mel Goldberg | March 7, 1952 (1952-03-07) | Missing |
| 24 | 24 | "Diamond Lens" | Unknown | March 14, 1952 (1952-03-14) | Exists, no closing credits |
| 25 | 25 | "The Fisherman's Wife" | Unknown | March 21, 1952 (1952-03-21) | Missing |
| 26 | 26 | "Flight Overdue" | David Davidson From an original idea by : Jim Lister | March 28, 1952 (1952-03-28) | Exists |
| 27 | 27 | "And a Little Child" | Unknown | April 4, 1952 (1952-04-04) | Missing |
| 28 | 28 | "Sleep No More" | Mann Rubin | April 11, 1952 (1952-04-11) | Missing |
| 29 | 29 | "Time to Go" | Mann Rubin | April 18, 1952 (1952-04-18) | Exists |
| 30 | 30 | "Plague from Space" | Mann Rubin | April 25, 1952 (1952-04-25) | Exists, no closing credits |
| 31 | 31 | "Red Dust" | Teleplay by : Irving Elman Adapted from a play by : Theodore Cogswell | May 2, 1952 (1952-05-02) | Exists |
| 32 | 32 | "The Golden Ingot" | Unknown | May 9, 1952 (1952-05-09) | Exists, no closing credits |
| 33 | 33 | "The Black Planet" | Mann Rubin | May 16, 1952 (1952-05-16) | Exists, no closing credits |
| 34 | 34 | "World of Water" | Story by : M.J. Gorley & James V. McGlinchey Teleplay by : Mann Rubin | May 23, 1952 (1952-05-23) | Exists |
| 35 | 35 | "The Little Black Bag" | C.M. Kornbluth Additional dialogue : Mann Rubin | May 30, 1952 (1952-05-30) | Exists |
| 36 | 36 | "The Exile" | Unknown | June 6, 1952 (1952-06-06) | Missing |
| 37 | 37 | "All the Time in the World" | Arthur C Clarke | June 13, 1952 (1952-06-13) | Exists, no closing credits |
| An unscrupulous P.I. is given an assignment to rob an art gallery, using a device that will stop time. With Don Hanmer, Esther Ralston, and Jack Warden. ||||||
| 38 | 38 | "The Miraculous Serum" | Story by : Stanley G. Weinbaum Teleplay by : Theodore Sturgeon | June 20, 1952 (1952-06-20) | Exists |
| A serum which can cure animals of any disease is tried on a human subject. With Lola Albright. ||||||
| 39 | 39 | "Appointment on Mars" | S.A. Lombino | June 27, 1952 (1952-06-27) | Exists |
| A mission to Mars finds valuable minerals, but one of the astronauts becomes increasingly paranoid. With Leslie Nielsen. ||||||
| 40 | 40 | "The Duplicates" | Richard M. Simon Additional dialogue : Mann Rubin | July 4, 1952 (1952-07-04) | Exists |
| A parallel world populated by duplicates of humanity is discovered, and one man is tasked with killing his duplicate to save both worlds. With Darren McGavin. ||||||
| 41 | 41 | "Ahead of His Time" | Paul Tripp | July 18, 1952 (1952-07-18) | Exists |
| In the year 2052, a scientist tries to send a message 100 years into the past to prevent the eventual destruction of mankind. Paul Tripp, who wrote the episode, also stars. ||||||
| 42 | 42 | "Sudden Darkness" | Unknown | August 1, 1952 (1952-08-01) | Missing |
| 43 | 43 | "Ice from Space" | E.H. Frank | August 8, 1952 (1952-08-08) | Exists |
| A block of ice retrieved from outer space seems to freeze everything it contacts. With Paul Newman in a supporting role. ||||||

### Season 2 (1952–53)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Written by | Original release date |
| 44 | 1 | "A Bird in Hand" | Unknown | August 22, 1952 (1952-08-22) |
| 45 | 2 | "Thanks" | Unknown | August 29, 1952 (1952-08-29) |
| 46 | 3 | "Seeing-Eye Surgeon" | Michael Blair | September 5, 1952 (1952-09-05) |
| A surgeon is given a very special pair of glasses. With Bruce Cabot. |||||
| 47 | 4 | "The Cocoon" | Unknown | September 12, 1952 (1952-09-12) |
| 48 | 5 | "The Chase" | Unknown | September 19, 1952 (1952-09-19) |
| 49 | 6 | "Youth on Tap" | Lona Kenney Additional dialogue by : Mann Rubin | September 26, 1952 (1952-09-26) |
| A young man in financial difficulty is offered $1000 for a pint of his blood -- but there's a catch. With Robert Alda and Harry Townes. |||||
| 50 | 7 | "Substance X" | Frank De Felitta | October 3, 1952 (1952-10-03) |
| A woman is dispatched to figure out how a small, isolated southern town is surviving after their only sources of food are cut off. With Vicki Cummings and Will Kuluva. |||||
| 51 | 8 | "The Horn" | Alan Nelson | October 10, 1952 (1952-10-10) |
| An inventor develops a musical instrument that can convey -- and dictate -- human emotions. With Franchot Tone and Stephen Elliott. |||||
| 52 | 9 | "Double Trouble" | Unknown | October 17, 1952 (1952-10-17) |
| 53 | 10 | "Many Happy Returns" | Story by : Raymond Z. Gallun Teleplay by : David Karp | October 24, 1952 (1952-10-24) |
| A father discovers his young son seems to be under the influence of a man from the Moon. With Gene Raymond. |||||
| 54 | 11 | "The Tomb of King Tarus" | Unknown | October 31, 1952 (1952-10-31) |
| 55 | 12 | "The Window (aka The Lost Planet)" | Frank De Felitta | November 7, 1952 (1952-11-07) |
| In this unusual meta-episode, a science fiction melodrama ("The Lost Planet") is interrupted by an unauthorized transmission of a peculiar drama called "The Window", and the real-life crew of Tales of Tomorrow try to figure out what's happening. With Rod Steiger. |||||
| 56 | 13 | "The Camera" | Unknown | November 14, 1952 (1952-11-14) |
| 57 | 14 | "The Quiet Lady" | Unknown | November 21, 1952 (1952-11-21) |
| 58 | 15 | "The Invigorating Air" | Unknown | November 28, 1952 (1952-11-28) |
| 59 | 16 | "The Glacier Giant" | Unknown | December 5, 1952 (1952-12-05) |
| 60 | 17 | "The Fatal Flower" | Unknown | December 12, 1952 (1952-12-12) |
| 61 | 18 | "The Machine" | Unknown | December 19, 1952 (1952-12-19) |
| 62 | 19 | "The Bitter Storm" | Armand Aulicino | December 26, 1952 (1952-12-26) |
| A scientist invents a machine that can retrieve sounds from the past. With Arnold Moss, and -- in her first credited role -- Joanne Woodward. |||||
| 63 | 20 | "The Mask of Medusa" | Unknown | January 2, 1953 (1953-01-02) |
| 64 | 21 | "Conqueror's Isle" | Unknown | January 9, 1953 (1953-01-09) |
| 65 | 22 | "Discovered Heart" | Unknown | January 16, 1953 (1953-01-16) |
| 66 | 23 | "The Picture of Dorian Gray" | Unknown | January 23, 1953 (1953-01-23) |
| 67 | 24 | "Two Faced" | Unknown | January 30, 1953 (1953-01-30) |
| 68 | 25 | "The Build Box" | Unknown | February 6, 1953 (1953-02-06) |
| 69 | 26 | "Another Chance" | Frank De Felitta | February 13, 1953 (1953-02-13) |
| A thief is given a chance to go back seven years and correct his mistakes, but it is harder than it seems. With Leslie Nielsen. |||||
| 70 | 27 | "The Great Silence" | Frank De Felitta | February 20, 1953 (1953-02-20) |
| A disease that paralyzes people's vocal cords is spreading rapidly. With Burgess Meredith. |||||
| 71 | 28 | "Lonesome Village" | Unknown | February 27, 1953 (1953-02-27) |
| 72 | 29 | "The Fury of the Cocoon" | Frank De Felitta | March 6, 1953 (1953-03-06) |
| A scientific expedition discovers a giant cocoon at the remote site of a meteorite crash. With Nancy Coleman and Peter Capell. |||||
| 73 | 30 | "The Squeeze Play" | Unknown | March 13, 1953 (1953-03-13) |
| 74 | 31 | "Read to Me Herr Doktor" | Alvin Sapinsley | March 20, 1953 (1953-03-20) |
| A professor with failing eyesight invents a robot to read books to him, to the concern of his daughter. With Everett Sloane and Mercedes McCambridge. |||||
| 75 | 32 | "Ghost Writer" | Mann Rubin | March 27, 1953 (1953-03-27) |
| A writer is hired to complete horrific tales which then seem to come true. With Leslie Nielsen and Murray Matheson. |||||
| 76 | 33 | "Past Tense" | Jack Weinstock & Willie Gilbert Based on an idea by : Robert F. Levine | April 3, 1953 (1953-04-03) |
| A doctor uses a time machine to bring penicillin to the people of 1923, but finds it difficult to convince anyone of the drug's efficacy. With Boris Karloff and Robert F. Simon. |||||
| 77 | 34 | "Homecoming" | Mann Rubin | April 10, 1953 (1953-04-10) |
| An Air Force pilot can live only in sub-zero temperatures. With Brian Keith. |||||
| 78 | 35 | "The Rivals" | Unknown | April 17, 1953 (1953-04-17) |
| 79 | 36 | "Please Omit Flowers" | Unknown | April 24, 1953 (1953-04-24) |
| 80 | 37 | "The Evil Within" | Manya Starr | May 1, 1953 (1953-05-01) |
| A scientist's wife inadvertently drinks a serum designed to bring out evil. With Margaret Phillips, Rod Steiger, and James Dean. |||||
| 81 | 38 | "The Vault" | Unknown | May 8, 1953 (1953-05-08) |
| 82 | 39 | "Ink" | Unknown | May 15, 1953 (1953-05-15) |
| 83 | 40 | "The Spider's Web" | Frank De Felitta | May 22, 1953 (1953-05-22) |
| Castaways find themselves on an island inhabited by strange radiation-affected creatures. |||||
| 84 | 41 | "Lazarus Walks" | Unknown | May 29, 1953 (1953-05-29) |
| A dead man comes back to life with the ability to detect lies. With Olive Deering and Joseph Wiseman. |||||
| 85 | 42 | "What Dreams May Come" | Unknown | June 12, 1953 (1953-06-12) |

## Radio series

While the television series was still being produced in 1953, ABC ran a radio show of the same name from January 1 to April 9, 1953. The radio series differed from the television series in that its scripts were adapted from stories appearing in Galaxy Science Fiction. Another radio series, Dimension X, had had a similar relationship with Astounding Science Fiction magazine.
The radio series was not successful. After only a few episodes, on February 26 it moved to CBS for the remainder of its 15-episode run. The TV version was canceled shortly afterward (the last episode was shown on June 12, 1953). A few years after its cancellation, the radio series X Minus One (a 1955 revival of Dimension X) debuted, again adapting stories published in Galaxy. Four of the fifteen Tales of Tomorrow stories were later adapted for X Minus One. These were "The Stars Are the Styx", "The Moon Is Green", "The Girls from Earth", and "The Old Die Rich".

## Surviving episodes

Most of the television episodes are in the United States public domain. Additionally, five of the surviving radio series episodes are now in the public domain in the United States and available for free download at Internet Archive. It was broadcast live and so the TV episodes were captured on kinescope. Of the 85 TOT episodes produced, around 40 have been released on various DVD sets, along with another handful on VHS, which for years was the only place to find “A Child Is Crying”, one of the most memorable episodes of the series