The Little People
Encyclopedia
"The Little People" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
.
He begins terrorizing the population by crushing three of their buildings (Fletcher interferes with his destruction), proclaiming himself a god
; although Fletcher said that the people are no different than we are, but Craig believes that they've "been created in his image" - even going so far as forcing them to build a life-size statue of him. Fletcher comes to inform him the repairs are done and they can depart, but Craig pulls a gun
on him and orders Fletcher to leave him alone; there's no room for two gods.
Fletcher leaves disgustedly, and immediately another ship lands. Two spacemen, big as mountains, emerge (they're repairing their ship). One of them picks Craig up and accidentally crushes him. The Little People rejoice at the death of their bullying "god", pulling the statue of Craig down, on top of his lifeless body.
. Since the little people are so small, they have high-pitched chattering voices because they are smaller than ants compared to the astronauts.
in the "Treehouse of Horror VII
" segment, 'The Genesis Tub', South Park
in the episode "The Simpsons Already Did It", and Futurama
in the episode "Godfellas
".
The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)
The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising...
.
Synopsis
Astronauts William Fletcher and Peter Craig – each of whom happens to be the chief thorn in the other's side – set down in a canyon on another planet to repair their ship. While scouting around, Craig finds a city populated by people no bigger than ants.He begins terrorizing the population by crushing three of their buildings (Fletcher interferes with his destruction), proclaiming himself a god
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
; although Fletcher said that the people are no different than we are, but Craig believes that they've "been created in his image" - even going so far as forcing them to build a life-size statue of him. Fletcher comes to inform him the repairs are done and they can depart, but Craig pulls a gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
on him and orders Fletcher to leave him alone; there's no room for two gods.
Fletcher leaves disgustedly, and immediately another ship lands. Two spacemen, big as mountains, emerge (they're repairing their ship). One of them picks Craig up and accidentally crushes him. The Little People rejoice at the death of their bullying "god", pulling the statue of Craig down, on top of his lifeless body.
Production notes
The weapons as well as the two towering spacemen uniforms are from the MGM film Forbidden PlanetForbidden Planet
Forbidden Planet is a 1956 science fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox, with a screenplay by Cyril Hume. It stars Leslie Nielsen, Walter Pidgeon, and Anne Francis. The characters and its setting have been compared to those in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and its plot contains certain...
. Since the little people are so small, they have high-pitched chattering voices because they are smaller than ants compared to the astronauts.
Legacy
This episode has been parodied several times in pop culture: The SimpsonsThe Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
in the "Treehouse of Horror VII
Treehouse of Horror VII
"Treehouse of Horror VII" is the first episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired October 27, 1996. In the seventh annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Bart discovers his long-lost twin, Lisa grows a colony of small beings and Kang & Kodos impersonate Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in...
" segment, 'The Genesis Tub', South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
in the episode "The Simpsons Already Did It", and Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
in the episode "Godfellas
Godfellas
"Godfellas" is the twentieth episode of the third production season of Futurama. It was first shown in North America on March 17, 2002, as the eighth episode in the fourth broadcast season. The episode was written by Ken Keeler and directed by Susie Dietter. It features Bender becoming the god of...
".