To Serve Man
To Serve Man” is an episode of the television series The Twilight Zone.
This episode, which is one of many that I’ve seen, is one which I have always remembered as one of the most intense and also interesting episodes of The Twilight Zone.
The story is based on a short story To Serve Man written by Damon Knight. The title of both the story and episode is a play on the word serve having the dual meanings “assist” and “provide as a meal”.
Opening narration by Rod Serling
| “ | Respectfully submitted for your perusal: a Kanamit. Height: a little over nine feet. Weight: in the neighborhood of three hundred and fifty pounds. Origin : unknown. Motives? Therein hangs the tale, for in just a moment we’re going to ask you to shake hands, figuratively, with a Christopher Columbus from another galaxy and another time. This is the Twilight Zone. | ” |
The Synopsis :
A race of aliens known as the Kanamits land on Earth and promise to be nothing but helpful to the cause of humanity. Initially wary of the intentions of such a highly advanced race, even the most skeptical humans are convinced when their code-breakers begin to translate one of the Kanamit’s books, with the seemingly innocuous title, “To Serve Man.”
Sharing their advanced technology, the aliens quickly solve all of Earth’s greatest woes, eradicating hunger, disease, and the need for warfare. Soon, humans are volunteering for trips to the Kanamits’ home planet, which is supposedly a paradise.
All is not well, however, when a code-breaker discovers the Kanamits’ true intentions: Their book, “To Serve Man”, is a cookbook, and all their gifts were simply to make humanity complacent, much like fattening pigs or cows before they are slaughtered.
Closing narration by Rod Serling:
| “ | The recollections of one Michael Chambers, with appropriate flashbacks and soliloquy. Or more simply stated, the evolution of man, the cycle of going from dust to dessert, the metamorphosis from being the ruler of a planet to an ingredient in someone’s soup. It’s tonight’s bill of fare on the Twilight Zone. |
The Twilight Zone – To Serve Man
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theblackwatch wrote on Jan 23, ’08
One of my very favorite Twilight Zones.
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lauritasita wrote on Jan 23, ’08
It was one of the more scarier episodes, but there were many others.
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redheadgirl4 wrote on Jan 23, ’08
Wow! I’ve never seen this, but I have seen reruns of other episodes of that show. Simply brilliant, and what a scary idea! I’d like to see this. 🙂
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sanssouciblogs wrote on Apr 3, ’08
I used to love The Twilight Zone, even though it scared me like hell! Hmmm, an alien Hansel and Gretel here.
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danceinsilence wrote on Apr 4, ’08
The original Twilight Zone was the best.
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strongwilledwoman wrote on Apr 4, ’08
I remember this well. It was a real jaw opener. It reminds me of Soilent Green. Don’t think I spelled that right but it’s something to nibble on. LOL
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