Tales of Tomorrow is an American anthology science fiction series that was performed and broadcast live on ABC from 1951 to 1953. The series covered such stories as Frankenstein, starring Lon Chaney, Jr., 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea starring Thomas Mitchell as Captain Nemo, and many others featuring such performers as Boris Karloff, Brian Keith, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Bruce Cabot, Franchot Tone, Gene Lockhart, Walter Abel, Leslie Nielsen, and Paul Newman. The series had many similarities to the later Twilight Zone which also covered one of the same stories, "What You Need". In total it ran for eighty-five 30-minute episodes.
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Best Episodes of Tales of Tomorrow
Youth on Tap (aka: Young Blood)
S2 Ep6
8.0
26th Sep 1952
A 26 year old man gives a doctor a blood transfusion in return for $1,000 but the process causes the young man to age.
The Miraculous Serum
S1 Ep38
8.0
20th Jun 1952
A miracle life-saving serum has unintended consequences when it's tested on a female patient. Not only does it make the woman immune to diseases but to moral issues as well.
The Diamond Lens
S1 Ep24
8.0
14th Mar 1952
Shortly before he is scheduled to go to the guillotine, a scientist confesses to a priest the fantastic reason why he committed murder to obtain the perfect diamond for use in a microscope.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: The Chase (1)
S1 Ep17
8.0
25th Jan 1952
A young sailor finds himself held captive on a submarine called the Nautilus and commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo.
What You Need
S1 Ep19
7.8
8th Feb 1952
A writer tries to steal an unusual machine but gets murdered by its owner.
The Window
S2 Ep12
7.7
7th Nov 1952
A live television program is interrupted by a mysterious signal that shows a murder about to take place.
The Evil Within
S2 Ep37
7.5
1st May 1953
A scientist creates a formula that unlocks evil. Then his wife unknowingly ingests some of the formula.
The Seeing Eye Surgeon
S2 Ep3
7.5
5th Sep 1952
When a prominent physician dons a pair of eyeglasses he discovers that he can see into the future.
Appointment on Mars
S1 Ep39
7.5
27th Jun 1952
Three astronauts arrive on Mars, sponsored by a mining company who will share the profits with them. Illness, paranoia and other problems develop until all three are dead - but what caused it?
All the Time in the World
S1 Ep37
7.5
13th Jun 1952
A man must decide whether or not he wants to survive a hydrogen bomb blast. If he does he'll be the only person remaining on earth--not a pleasant predicament.
Flight Overdue
S1 Ep26
7.5
28th Mar 1952
The husband of an aviatrix who disappeared on a test flight finally learns the truth about his wife's disappearance.
Little Black Bag
S1 Ep35
7.3
30th May 1952
A struggling doctor takes his instruments to a pawnshop because his wife complains about their lack of money. Once in the shop, he makes a deal with the pawnbroker for $20.00 and a mysterious medical bag. Later, it is discovered that the instruments in the bag can perform "miracle cures". Upon close inspection of the instruments, a patent date of July 18, 2450 is revealed.
Plague from Space
S1 Ep30
7.3
25th Apr 1952
A military base commander is forced to make a terrible decision when he learns that Martians have invaded Earth using a deadly combination of bacteria and brainwaves.
Time to Go
S1 Ep29
7.3
18th Apr 1952
A woman finds a bank that doesn't save money--it saves time.
Worst Episodes of Tales of Tomorrow
The Last Man on Earth
S1 Ep5
4.0
31st Aug 1951
Martians takeover the Earth and leave only two people alive for experimental purposes.
Ahead of His Time
S1 Ep41
5.5
18th Jul 1952
A lab technician invents a time machine and uses it to travel forward to the year 2052.
The Invader
S1 Ep14
6.0
21st Dec 1951
A scientist doing research in oceanography witnesses the crash of a UFO into the ocean and sends his son underwater to investigate.
The Dune Roller
S1 Ep15
6.0
4th Jan 1952
On an island a strange rock begins to grow and move. Scientists that observe the phenomena speculate that an ancient meteor that once hit the island is attempting to reassemble itself.
The Bitter Storm
S2 Ep19
6.0
26th Dec 1952
A man brings back voices and sounds from the Garden of Eden.
Test Flight
S1 Ep10
6.3
26th Oct 1951
The CEO of an aerospace company is determined to build a spaceship for interplanetary travel and a young scientist convinces him that he can perform the task--but only if he's the first person to travel on the spaceship.
Frankenstein
S1 Ep16
6.3
18th Jan 1952
In an adaptation of Mary Shelley's tale, Dr. Frankenstein brings to life a lumbering undead monster who he must then find someway to destroy.
The Great Silence
S2 Ep27
6.3
20th Feb 1953
The nation is hit with an epidemic in which vocal chords are paralyzed but it's actually an alien plot to control the people of the United States.
Verdict from Space
S1 Ep1
6.4
3rd Aug 1951
A defendant on trial, accused of murdering a prominent archaeologist, tells the jury an incredible story of a pending alien invasion.
World of Water
S1 Ep34
6.5
23rd May 1952
A scientist discovers a solvent that is capable of dissolving the planet.
Read to Me Herr Doktor
S2 Ep31
6.5
20th Mar 1953
An old professor with failing eyesight builds a robot named Herr Doktor to read him books that he had never had a chance to read when he was younger. The relationship between the professor and the robot is very close. The books that the robot reads give it the desire to be a complete person. Their roles become reversed. The robot begins to demand that the professor read aloud to him. Later, the robot falls in love with the professor's daughter. When she spurns the robot, it learns that the books it has been reading were wrong and it dies of a broken heart.
Past Tense
S2 Ep33
6.5
3rd Apr 1953
A doctor travels back in time in order to extol the virtues of penicillin and save lives but ends up being committed to an insane asylum where he falls ill and dies from a disease which could have been prevented by penicillin.
A Child is Crying
S1 Ep3
6.6
17th Aug 1951
The government attempts to use a young girl as a weapon in the Cold War when she displays powerful mental abilities.
Age of Peril
S1 Ep20
6.7
15th Feb 1952
A scientist devises a way to help criminals beat lie detector tests.
Tales of Tomorrow Episode Guide
Verdict from Space
S1 Ep1
6.4
3rd Aug 1951
A defendant on trial, accused of murdering a prominent archaeologist, tells the jury an incredible story of a pending alien invasion.
Blunder
S1 Ep2
7.3
10th Aug 1951
A scientist is on the verge of developing a new source of incredible power but after his colleagues discover an error in his calculations they find out there's no way to communicate this error to the scientist.
A Child is Crying
S1 Ep3
6.6
17th Aug 1951
The government attempts to use a young girl as a weapon in the Cold War when she displays powerful mental abilities.
The Last Man on Earth
S1 Ep5
4.0
31st Aug 1951
Martians takeover the Earth and leave only two people alive for experimental purposes.
The Dark Angel
S1 Ep8
7.3
28th Sep 1951
A doctor discovers that there's something medically strange about his smokin' hot wife.
The Crystal Egg
S1 Ep9
7.0
12th Oct 1951
The owner of a London curiosity shop delivers a mysterious crystal egg to a university professor for the scientist's opinion on its worth and its properties. The 'egg' proves to be a window to Mars. When the professor loses the egg, he tries to convince people that he is not crazy.
Test Flight
S1 Ep10
6.3
26th Oct 1951
The CEO of an aerospace company is determined to build a spaceship for interplanetary travel and a young scientist convinces him that he can perform the task--but only if he's the first person to travel on the spaceship.
The Search for the Flying Saucer
S1 Ep11
6.8
9th Nov 1951
A reporter arrives in a New Mexico town to investigate sightings of flying saucers. But neither he nor some of the town's residents are actually who they appear to be.
Enemy Unknown
S1 Ep12
23rd Nov 1951
A distinguished astrophysicist refuses to help his government.
Sneak Attack
S1 Ep13
7.0
7th Dec 1951
During the Cold War, a captured American spy is his country's only hope to avert an attack by a new type of bomb.
The Invader
S1 Ep14
6.0
21st Dec 1951
A scientist doing research in oceanography witnesses the crash of a UFO into the ocean and sends his son underwater to investigate.
The Dune Roller
S1 Ep15
6.0
4th Jan 1952
On an island a strange rock begins to grow and move. Scientists that observe the phenomena speculate that an ancient meteor that once hit the island is attempting to reassemble itself.
Frankenstein
S1 Ep16
6.3
18th Jan 1952
In an adaptation of Mary Shelley's tale, Dr. Frankenstein brings to life a lumbering undead monster who he must then find someway to destroy.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: The Chase (1)
S1 Ep17
8.0
25th Jan 1952
A young sailor finds himself held captive on a submarine called the Nautilus and commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: The Escape (2)
S1 Ep18
1st Feb 1952
A sailor being held prisoner onboard a submarine by the mysterious Captain Nemo escapes from captivity with the assistance of the captain's daughter.
What You Need
S1 Ep19
7.8
8th Feb 1952
A writer tries to steal an unusual machine but gets murdered by its owner.
Age of Peril
S1 Ep20
6.7
15th Feb 1952
A scientist devises a way to help criminals beat lie detector tests.
Memento
S1 Ep21
22nd Feb 1952
A scientist who's spent his entire life building a spaceship that can travel to Mars discovers that he cannot make the trip.
The Children's Room
S1 Ep22
7.0
29th Feb 1952
A secret "Children's Room" at a college attracts the attention of intellectual advanced youths. One of them, Walt, is the son of a professor at the university. The professor uncovers that his son and other children are 'mutants' being groomed to assist an alien race in a distant part of the galaxy.
Bound Together
S1 Ep23
7th Mar 1952
A space pilot reported missing on a mission to Mars returns unexpectedly to his wife but is he the same person?
The Diamond Lens
S1 Ep24
8.0
14th Mar 1952
Shortly before he is scheduled to go to the guillotine, a scientist confesses to a priest the fantastic reason why he committed murder to obtain the perfect diamond for use in a microscope.
The Fisherman's Wife (aka: Fountain of Youth)
S1 Ep25
21st Mar 1952
Two scientists develop a formula to restore youth and a selfish damsel volunteers to be their first subject.
Flight Overdue
S1 Ep26
7.5
28th Mar 1952
The husband of an aviatrix who disappeared on a test flight finally learns the truth about his wife's disappearance.
And a Little Child
S1 Ep27
4th Apr 1952
A young hillbilly girl has the power to read minds and this power is called upon when a scientist suffers a paralyzing stroke.
Sleep No More
S1 Ep28
11th Apr 1952
A young man begs to be kept awake due to the fact that his dreams are turning into horrifying realities.
Time to Go
S1 Ep29
7.3
18th Apr 1952
A woman finds a bank that doesn't save money--it saves time.
Plague from Space
S1 Ep30
7.3
25th Apr 1952
A military base commander is forced to make a terrible decision when he learns that Martians have invaded Earth using a deadly combination of bacteria and brainwaves.
Red Dust
S1 Ep31
7.0
2nd May 1952
Four members of a space party returning to Earth from Alpha Centauri try to determine what killed the other two members of their party.
The Golden Ingot
S1 Ep32
7.0
9th May 1952
A doctor's unsuccessful experiments cause him to fall into a state of depression which has his daughter worried.
Black Planet
S1 Ep33
16th May 1952
Two astronomers working together, seek a tenth planet. The senior fears the junior might have found it and is jealous. They are also both interested in Norma, who works with them. When, in the course of a fight between the two men, the senior scientist falls dead - the question is was he killed by the other or not. Norma's brother, a police detective has to solve the case! Leslie Nielsen, Frank Albertson amd Horace MacMahon star.
World of Water
S1 Ep34
6.5
23rd May 1952
A scientist discovers a solvent that is capable of dissolving the planet.
Little Black Bag
S1 Ep35
7.3
30th May 1952
A struggling doctor takes his instruments to a pawnshop because his wife complains about their lack of money. Once in the shop, he makes a deal with the pawnbroker for $20.00 and a mysterious medical bag. Later, it is discovered that the instruments in the bag can perform "miracle cures". Upon close inspection of the instruments, a patent date of July 18, 2450 is revealed.
The Exile
S1 Ep36
6th Jun 1952
A scientist receives radiation burns while working with atomic energy.
All the Time in the World
S1 Ep37
7.5
13th Jun 1952
A man must decide whether or not he wants to survive a hydrogen bomb blast. If he does he'll be the only person remaining on earth--not a pleasant predicament.
The Miraculous Serum
S1 Ep38
8.0
20th Jun 1952
A miracle life-saving serum has unintended consequences when it's tested on a female patient. Not only does it make the woman immune to diseases but to moral issues as well.
Appointment on Mars
S1 Ep39
7.5
27th Jun 1952
Three astronauts arrive on Mars, sponsored by a mining company who will share the profits with them. Illness, paranoia and other problems develop until all three are dead - but what caused it?
The Duplicates
S1 Ep40
7.0
4th Jul 1952
A man on Jupiter is paid a huge sum of money to travel to Earth and kill his duplicate on that planet.
Ahead of His Time
S1 Ep41
5.5
18th Jul 1952
A lab technician invents a time machine and uses it to travel forward to the year 2052.
Sudden Darkness
S1 Ep42
1st Aug 1952
A scientist invents a device which can shut down all the world's electrical power with one flick of the switch.
Ice from Space
S1 Ep43
6.7
8th Aug 1952
A rocket returns from space with a huge block of ice inside its compartment. An Air Force officer realizes that this block of ice is a form of alien invasion.
