Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up
Encyclopedia
"Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone
.
are waiting for word that a bridge up ahead is safe to cross. Though the only patrons of the roadside eatery are bus passengers, there is one more person than there were people on the bus. Mr. Ross, a skeptical businessman played by John Hoyt
, who says he has a meeting, says the driver must have been mistaken, but he swears there was 6. There is mutual suspicion among the stranded travelers, as the passengers each try to guess which among them is the alien. It is suggested the two married couples are paid off. An old man laughs at this, saying it is like science-fiction. During that time odd things are happening. The jukebox plays on its own, the lights flicker on and off and the sugar bowls explode. When they get permission to go across the bridge, however, they all leave.
Shortly Mr. Ross returns to the diner and tells the cook that the bridge collapsed, killing all the occupants of both the bus and the police car. As the cook wonders how the businessman survived, he also notes that his clothes are not even wet. Soon the businessman, who has no idea what "wet" means, unveils his third arm and stirs his coffee with his third hand. He says the music and telephone ringing were all an illusion. He tells the cook that he is a Martian
, and reveals that Mars
plans to start a colony
on Earth
. Laughing, the cook tells him that he's too late, and taking off his paper hat, revealing his third eye, discloses that he is from Venus
, which has already started a colony, and that the Martian
invasion force has been intercepted.
." Some of Bradbury's stories became Twilight Zone episodes.
In one of the few times Serling accommodated his sponsor during an episode, "Ross" takes out a pack of cigarettes, and proceeds to light and smoke one using three hands. The cigarettes happened to be the brand that Liggett & Myers was advertising on the program at the time, "Oasis" menthol. During the 1950s and '60s, advertisers sometimes subtly "placed" their products into the TV shows they sponsored.
A Simpson's Comics Treehouse of Horror issue features a parody of this episode, which is also based on Invasion of the Body Snatchers. At the end one of the characters removes its peculiar goggles to reveal a third eye, à la the cook's character in this episode. However many other invasion plans are revealed in a blend of different fiction. At the end Sideshow Bob
says they are all trapped inside a comic, and if it is closed they will cease to exist.
The name on the side of the bus is "Cayuga" which is the name of the production company for the Twilight Zone.
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
During a snowstorm, two state troopers are investigating a crash after a woman telephoned them and are led to believe that it was a flying saucer. They follow footprints leading from the crash site to a diner, where a group of passengers from a bus to BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
are waiting for word that a bridge up ahead is safe to cross. Though the only patrons of the roadside eatery are bus passengers, there is one more person than there were people on the bus. Mr. Ross, a skeptical businessman played by John Hoyt
John Hoyt
John Hoyt was an American film, stage, and television actor.-Early life:Hoyt was born John McArthur Hoysradt. Before becoming an actor with Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre, the Yale University graduate worked as a history instructor, acting teacher and even a nightclub comedian...
, who says he has a meeting, says the driver must have been mistaken, but he swears there was 6. There is mutual suspicion among the stranded travelers, as the passengers each try to guess which among them is the alien. It is suggested the two married couples are paid off. An old man laughs at this, saying it is like science-fiction. During that time odd things are happening. The jukebox plays on its own, the lights flicker on and off and the sugar bowls explode. When they get permission to go across the bridge, however, they all leave.
Shortly Mr. Ross returns to the diner and tells the cook that the bridge collapsed, killing all the occupants of both the bus and the police car. As the cook wonders how the businessman survived, he also notes that his clothes are not even wet. Soon the businessman, who has no idea what "wet" means, unveils his third arm and stirs his coffee with his third hand. He says the music and telephone ringing were all an illusion. He tells the cook that he is a Martian
Martian
As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
, and reveals that Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
plans to start a colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
on Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Laughing, the cook tells him that he's too late, and taking off his paper hat, revealing his third eye, discloses that he is from Venus
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
, which has already started a colony, and that the Martian
Martian
As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
invasion force has been intercepted.
Episode notes
The episode is unique as an actual Twilight Zone contributor is mentioned. In the diner, when the patrons realize an alien is amongst the group, Jack Elam's character comments on their situation saying "she's just like science fiction, that what she is. A regular Ray BradburyRay Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
." Some of Bradbury's stories became Twilight Zone episodes.
In one of the few times Serling accommodated his sponsor during an episode, "Ross" takes out a pack of cigarettes, and proceeds to light and smoke one using three hands. The cigarettes happened to be the brand that Liggett & Myers was advertising on the program at the time, "Oasis" menthol. During the 1950s and '60s, advertisers sometimes subtly "placed" their products into the TV shows they sponsored.
A Simpson's Comics Treehouse of Horror issue features a parody of this episode, which is also based on Invasion of the Body Snatchers. At the end one of the characters removes its peculiar goggles to reveal a third eye, à la the cook's character in this episode. However many other invasion plans are revealed in a blend of different fiction. At the end Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
says they are all trapped inside a comic, and if it is closed they will cease to exist.
The name on the side of the bus is "Cayuga" which is the name of the production company for the Twilight Zone.