History Recap / TheTwilightZone1959S5E24WhatsInTheBox

* ShoutOut: In his opening narration, Rod Serling says that Joe is in for a really big show, pronouncing "show" as "shew." This is a reference to Ed Sullivan's catchphrase and his distinctive pronunciation of "show" on his [[Series/TheEdSullivanShow long-running variety show]]. Like ''The Twilight Zone'', ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' aired on Creator/{{CBS}}.

Joe and Phyllis Britt are an old married couple who do not get along. Joe (William Demarest) comes home from his job as a cab driver late one night and Phyllis (Creator/JoanBlondell) accuses him of seeing another woman. In the meantime, a television repairman (Creator/SterlingHolloway) is in the next room fixing their broken set. Irritated, Joe harasses the repairman about the inconvenience and cost. The repairman abruptly closes the open TV panel and announces the TV is fixed. He leaves and the TV starts getting channel 10, a station showing the past, present and future of Joe and Phyllis' lives, which, however, only Joe can see. The TV shows Joe killing Phyllis in a fight, his trial and conviction for murder, and his execution in the electric chair. Phyllis is convinced that Joe has lost his mind and taunts him. Joe, angered, attacks her and kills her by accident, just as he had seen on the television screen. As Joe is taken away by the police, he comes face-to-face with the TV repairman, who asks if he will recommend him to others. He smirks to the audience as Joe is taken away.

* ShoutOut: In his opening narration, Rod Serling says that Joe is in for a really big show, pronouncing "show" as "shew." This is a reference to Ed Sullivan's {{Catchphrase}} and his distinctive pronunciation of "show" on his [[Series/TheEdSullivanShow long-running variety show]]. Like ''The Twilight Zone'', ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' aired on Creator/{{CBS}}.

->'''Creator/RodSerling''': Portrait of a TV fan. Name: Joe Britt. Occupation: cab driver. Tonight, Mr. Britt is going to watch 'a really big show,' something special for the cabbie who's seen everything. Joe Britt doesn't know it, but his flag is down and his meter's running and he's in high gear--on his way to the Twilight Zone.

Joe and Phyllis Britt are an old married couple who do not get along. Joe (William Demarest) comes home from his job as a cab driver late one night and Phyllis (Creator/JoanBlondell) accuses him of seeing another woman. In the meantime, a television repairman is in the next room fixing their broken set. Irritated, Joe harasses the repairman about the inconvenience and cost. The repairman abruptly closes the open TV panel and announces the TV is fixed. He leaves and the TV starts getting channel 10, a station showing the past, present and future of Joe and Phyllis' lives, which, however, only Joe can see. The TV shows Joe killing Phyllis in a fight, his trial and conviction for murder, and his execution in the electric chair. Phyllis is convinced that Joe has lost his mind and taunts him. Joe, angered, attacks her and kills her by accident, just as he had seen on the television screen. As Joe is taken away by the police, he comes face-to-face with the TV repairman, who asks if he will recommend him to others. He smirks to the audience as Joe is taken away.

->'''Creator/RodSerling''': The next time your TV set is on the blink, when you're in the need of a first-rate repairman, may we suggest our own specialist? Factory-trained, prompt, honest, twenty-four-hour service. You won't find him in the phone book, but his office is conveniently located in the Twilight Zone.

!!What's in the Tropes

* AccidentalMurder: How Joe kills Phyllis. Despite it being an accident, it'll still lead to Joe facing execution.

"Fix your set okay, Mister? You ''will'' recommend my service, won't you?"

* {{Deconstruction}}: The episode can be seen as a Deconstruction of the sitcom formulas (like in the Series/TheHoneymooners) where the husband is aggressive man trying his best and the wife is compulsive nag with there relationship bordering on HenpeckedHusband.

* AmbiguouslyHuman: The TV repairman. How is it that he can tap into and reveal private secrets of Joe's life? Is he a human who has some sort of psychic ability, or some sort of demon? The fact that it's never revealed just ''what'' he is only helps to make him more unsettling

* AluminumChristmasTrees: What's a TV repairman? [[note]]It's what the guy that fixes your computer would have done before there were computers.[[/note]]

----

Joe and Phyllis Britt are an old married couple who do not get along. Joe comes home from his job as a cab driver late one night and Phyllis (Creator/JoanBlondell) accuses him of seeing another woman. In the meantime, a television repairman is in the next room fixing their broken set. Irritated, Joe harasses the repairman about the inconvenience and cost. The repairman abruptly closes the open TV panel and announces the TV is fixed. He leaves and the TV starts getting channel 10, a station showing the past, present and future of Joe and Phyllis' lives, which, however, only Joe can see. The TV shows Joe killing Phyllis in a fight, his trial and conviction for murder, and his execution in the electric chair. Phyllis is convinced that Joe has lost his mind and taunts him. Joe, angered, attacks her and kills her by accident, just as he had seen on the television screen. As Joe is taken away by the police, he comes face-to-face with the TV repairman, who asks if he will recommend him to others. He smirks to the audience as Joe is taken away.

* {{Fainting}}: Joe passes out after the TV shows scenes from his own life.

* PostModernMagik: It's implied the tv repairman may have magic powers, or at the very least is not entirely human. Assuming it was intentional, his revenge is to enchant a television set to show future events.

* YourCheatingHeart: Joe admits to fooling around on Phyllis when he was supposed to be taking fares. This is partly while the couple has financial issues ''in addition'' to the unhappy marriage.

* AmbigulouslyHuman: The TV repairman. How is it that he can tap into and reveal private secrets of Joe's life? Is he a human who has some sort of psychic ability, or some sort of demon? The fact that it's never revealed just ''what'' he is only helps to make him more unsettling