The Twilight Zone, Vol. 40
"Cavender Is Coming"Twilight Zonecreator Rod Serling fashioned this episode as a pilot for a possible series about a guardian angel (jowly veteran Jesse White) who must earn his wings by aiding a hapless human. It is abundantly clear why this premise did not take flight, for this was one of Serling's typically lumpish flings at comedy. The only source of interest is Carol Burnett, cast as a klutz who can't keep a job. This one's a virtual remake of an earlierZoneepisode, "Mr. Bevis.""Passage on theLady Anne"An hour-long episode from the fourth season, with Joyce Van Patten and Lee Philips as a couple trying to save their sour marriage via a transatlantic cruise. All the other passengers just happen to be extremely elderly; no points for guessing theLady Annemight be on her way to an otherworldly port. A familiar but appealing set-up, with gobs of foggy atmosphere and a fun supporting cast (including mischievous Wilfrid Hyde-White). The businessman husband is yet another opportunity forTZto criticize its era's obsession with material success and the Organization Man."The Brain Center at Whipple's"Produced near the end of the series' run, this episode is out of gas. Richard Deacon, a comic actor with a pronounced resemblance to a large bald penguin (and a cherished mainstay ofThe Dick Van Dyke Show), plays a company executive who decides to replace his workers with computers. The payoff is entirely predictable, although sci-fi fans will be pleased by the "actor" who appears in the final shot.--Robert Horton