First aired on 7 December 1955 and adapted from Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall". This episode was written by Ernest Kinoy and directed by Daniel Sutter. Fred Collins is the host of the programme, while Floyd Mack acts as Narrator, expositing the Epigraph and scene changes, while the rest of the cast consists of Wendell Holmes, John Larkin, Santos Ortega, Mercer Mc Leod, Alan Collins, Bob Hastings, and Roy Fant. Kinoy largely reused his script from Dimension X's "Nightfall".
Theremon, a newspaper reporter, tries to get an interview with Aton and the other astronomers at Saro University, but they refuse and threaten him with the police. Instead, he goes back to Saro City to interview the Cult of the Revelations. Head priest Sor recites from the Book of Revelations while the rest of the cultists chant in the background. Next, he goes to speak with Sheerin, a psychologist, who introduces him to the concept of Darkness and how it has driven people insane.
Afterwards, Theremon goes interviewing random people to get their opinions on the recent news reports and doomsayings. He speaks with an agnostic laborer and an old cultist. These interviews bolster his courage and he goes to the observatory for Saro University, since Sheerin had mentioned that everyone else had gone into hiding.
It is at the observatory where the characters finally see the eclipse, and the world of Lagash is covered in total Darkness, except for the Stars...
"Nightfall" contains examples of:
- Adaptation Deviation: Because radio stories are usually very dialogue-driven, "Nightfall (1941)" was changed by removing most of the third-person narration and the number of characters. Ernest Kinoy largely
reused his script from Dimension X's "Nightfall", trimming a few more of the lines. Most of the details added by the Dimension X script (such as the Vox Pops scene) are kept in X Minus One. - Audio Adaptation: An adaptation of Isaac Asimov's "Nightfall (1941)", adapted by Ernest Kinoy.
- Adaptation Name Change: In the original story, "Nightfall (1941)", the characters have a name and a number. In this broadcast, however, characters only use their first name.
- Audience Murmurs: Despite the previous adaptation making use of this trope in several scenes, only the murmurs of the mob during the climax of the eclipse show up.
- Canon Foreigner:
- The Latimer from this adaptation is a brand-new character that Sheerin, the psychologist, introduces to Theremon, the newspaper reporter, so that he can interview one of the victims from the Tunnel of Mystery.
- Everyone that Theremon meets during his Vox Pops scene is invented purely for this broadcast. We hear from Pellet (an urban resident) and a nameless cultist.
- Composite Character: The original Sor was never on-screen. This adaptation merges him and the cultist who attacks the observatory into one character, then reuses Latimer's name for a Canon Foreigner.
- Dramatization: The third-person omniscient narration is severely decreased to emphasize the dialogue between characters, who were assigned to specific actors. Music and sound effects were also added to take advantage of Radio's aural medium.
- Filling the Silence: The music between scenes is mostly stringed instruments (and brass instead of woodwinds) being played in a way to heighten the tension as the time for the eclipse gets closer.
- Grumpy Old Man: The second person Theremon interviews during his Vox Pops interviews is an old fundamentalist member of the Cult of the Revelations. He talks about how he's given away all his money because the doctrine teaches that today will end with the eclipse. He grouses that everyone has to get their souls ready for the coming of the Stars.
- Narrator: To quote the Epigraph and to describe the various settings, an announcer is added to the cast. They primarily help with scene transitions and character exposition.
- Only One Name: None of the characters are referred to by more than one name, a change from the original. This implies everyone has only one name and that confusion between people is rare.
- Vox Pops: After talking with Sheerin, the psychologist, Theremon goes out into the streets of Saro City and interviews random people about what they plan to do about the upcoming eclipse. We hear from two people; Pellet (who is a power technician) and a nameless cultist.
