Nightmare at 20,000 Feet

This is part of Americana. That gremlin on the wing. William Shatner, the only one who can see it. He's suffered a breakdown and is on another plane with his cute wife. She manages to keep her calm for quite a while as he fidgets and twists in his seat. Obviously this episode is way before airline regulations. It wouldn't be hard for some nut case to do just about anything on an airplane. Shatner is pretty good. He is trying so hard to act normally, but the spirits are out to get him. It's a rainy night an he sees that furry thing on the wing, tearing up one of the engines. Things move along quite nicely where he gets so frustrated that he utters the words, "Even if we crash." But he will not be dissuaded. He manages to be a hero, even though no one may know it. This said, the one thing that I can't forgive is the monster. He is about as idiotic looking as one can imagine. He is obviously wearing some kind of pajamas with those feet that girls wore when I was in college. His face is more interesting, but that doesn't help much. I know I am nit picking but it has always bothered me. Match this up with John Lithgow's more frenetic performance in Twilight Zone; The Movie. That creature was a bit more threatening.

Very iconic, engrossing, and mostly good episode. Bob Wilson (William Shatner) is the passenger with a fear of flying who comes face to face with tragedy and madness in the form of a gremlin. The big drawback here is the gremlin looks quite ridiculous. Despite that, Shatner is excellent as the man who hopes he's recovered from a mental breakdown. The wife is played by Christine White (from 'The Prime Mover', season two) and her expressions say it all- that he must have finally flipped. Enjoyable, and in some ways memorable as Shatner fearfully looks out of through the rain soaked window. Oddly for the era, the man is seemingly hysterical while the wife and air hostess (Asa Maynor) are calm and protective. Great piece of television.

William Shatner stars as Bob Wilson, recently released from psychiatric care after a nervous breakdown, and now taking an airliner back home with his wife(played by Christine White). Bob seems cured, but becomes alarmed when he sees to his horror a big furry creature on the wing, tearing part of it off! Frightened that the plane may crash, he desperately tries to convince anyone of this happening, but of course he isn't believed, and in fact begins to wonder if poor Bob is having another breakdown... Well-remembered and regarded episode is at least worthy of that distinction, being quite suspenseful and entertaining, with a knockout performance by Shatner and an effective climax and close.

This is one of the most famous episodes of "The Twilight Zone" and has been parodied several times--most notably on "The Simpsons". In addition, when they made the TWILIGHT ZONE MOVIE, this episode was remade with John Lithgow reprising the same role originally done by William Shatner on TV. Needless to say, it's an important part of our culture.

The episode is very simple. There's a nervous guy on a plane (Shatner) and he keeps seeing a horrible monster running about outside the plane as it's flying! The monster is tearing apart the wing and will bring down the plane. However, nobody will believe him, so he decides to take action. The film ends with an excellent twist.

Overall, a great episode. The only serious problem is that the creature is pretty silly--sort of like a guy dressed up in a teddy bear costume! Still, it's enjoyable from start to finish and did will with Shatner's ability to extremely emote!

"Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" directed by Richard Donner one of his first works, is just wonderful it features William Shattner as a panic stricken man on an airplane. This episode is wonderfully done, and well remembered for one of the Twilight Zone's best and is well known over the years in pop culture memory. The plot has the Shattner character as a man that's just recently gotten out of rehab, because he had suffered a mental and nervous breakdown, and getting on a plane will almost certain test his limits. In fact his last breakdown was due to a flight. And boy does his imagination take a turn for the worst when he sees outside on the wing of the plane a furry like creature! This creature stares him in the face! The big question is it really real, or just a test of imagination, because he's the only one to see it. Really a well done episode mostly remembered for Shattner and the terror on a plane with a creature on the wing, this episode just plays with your mind and imagination so well.