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It's a Good Life (The Twilight Zone)

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8th episode of the 3rd season of The Twilight Zone

"It's a Good Life "The Twilight Zone episodeEpisode no.Season 3<br>Episode 8Directed byJames SheldonTeleplay byRod SerlingBased on"It's a Good Life" by Jerome BixbyProduction code4801Original air dateNovember 3, 1961 (1961-11-03)Guest appearances<br>John Larch as Mr. Fremont

Cloris Leachman as Mrs. Fremont

Don Keefer as Dan Hollis

Billy Mumy as Anthony Fremont

Alice Frost as Aunt Amy

Max Showalter (as Casey Adams) as Pat Riley

Jeanne Bates as Ethel Hollis

Episode chronology

← Previous<br>"The Grave"

Next  →<br>"Deaths-Head Revisited"<br>The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) season 3List of episodes<br>"It's a Good Life " is the eighth episode of the third season of the American television series The Twilight Zone, and the 73rd overall. It was written by series creator/showrunner Rod Serling, based on the 1953 short story "It's a Good Life" by Jerome Bixby. The episode was directed by James Sheldon, and is considered by some, such as critics in Time and TV Guide, to be one of the best episodes of the series. It originally aired on November 3, 1961. The episode was one of four from the original 1959 series which formed the basis of the 1983 film Twilight Zone: The Movie.

Opening narration<br>[edit]

Tonight's story on The Twilight Zone is somewhat unique and calls for a different kind of introduction. This, as you may recognize, is a map of the United States, and there's a little town there called Peaksville. On a given morning not too long ago, the rest of the world disappeared, and Peaksville was left all alone. Its inhabitants were never sure whether the world was destroyed and only Peaksville was left untouched, or whether the village had somehow been taken away. They were, on the other hand, sure of one thing—the cause. A monster had arrived in the village. Just by using his mind, he took away the automobiles, the electricity, the machines, because they displeased him. And he moved an entire community back into the Dark Ages, just by using his mind. Now I'd like to introduce you to some of the people in Peaksville, Ohio. This is Mr. Fremont. It's in his farmhouse that the monster resides. This is Mrs. Fremont. And this is Aunt Amy, who probably had more control over the monster in the beginning than almost anyone. But one day she forgot. She began to sing aloud. Now the monster doesn't like singing, so his mind snapped at her, and turned her into the smiling vacant thing you're looking at now. She sings no more. And you'll note that the people in Peaksville, Ohio, have to smile. They have to think happy thoughts and say happy things because, once displeased, the monster can wish them into a cornfield, or change them into a grotesque walking horror. This particular monster can read minds, you see. He knows every thought, he can feel every emotion. Oh, yes, I did forget something, didn't I. I forgot to introduce you to the monster. This is the monster. His name is Anthony Fremont. He's six years old with a cute little-boy face and blue guileless eyes. But when those eyes look at you, you'd better start thinking happy thoughts. Because the mind behind them is absolutely in charge. This is the Twilight Zone.

Plot<br>[edit]

Six-year-old Anthony Fremont has godlike mental powers, including mind-reading. He has isolated his town of Peaksville, Ohio, from the rest of the universe. The people must grow their own food, and supplies of common household items, such as bar soap, have been dwindling. He has blocked television signals and caused cars not to work. He creates grotesque creatures, such as three-headed gophers, which he then kills. Everybody is under his rule, even his parents.

The people live in fear of Anthony, constantly telling him how everything he does is "good", since he banishes anyone thinking unhappy thoughts forever to a place that he calls "the cornfield." Having never experienced any form of discipline, he does not understand that his actions are harmful. He is confused when his father tells him that the neighbors are reluctant to let their children play with him after he sent several of his playmates to the cornfield.

One night each week, Anthony gives the townsfolk one hour of television, which he creates and projects onto the family TV set. The adults gather around in the Fremonts' living room, squirming uncomfortably as Anthony shows them a vision of battling dinosaurs with ample gore. Unable to voice their real feelings, they tell Anthony that it was far better than what used to be on television.

Afterwards, the adults celebrate their friend Dan Hollis's birthday. He gets two presents from his wife—a bottle of brandy, one of only five bottles of liquor...