Storyline

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.

First Aired

1951-08-03
Last Aired

1953-06-12
Creator
Genre

Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Seasons

2
Episodes

85
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

ABC

Keywords:

anthology science fiction

Stream and watch Tales of Tomorrow

Season 1

Season 2

1. Verdict from Space

A defendant on trial, accused of murdering a prominent archaeologist, tells the jury an incredible sto...More

A defendant on trial, accused of murdering a prominent archaeologist, tells the jury an incredible story of a pending alien invasion.Less

1951-08-03

2. Blunder

A scientist is on the verge of developing a new source of incredible power but after his colleagues di...More

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.Less

1951-08-10

3. A Child is Crying

The government attempts to use a young girl as a weapon in the Cold War when she displays powerful men...More

The government attempts to use a young girl as a weapon in the Cold War when she displays powerful mental abilities.Less

1951-08-17

4. The Woman at Land's End

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1951-08-24

5. The Last Man on Earth

Martians takeover the Earth and leave only two people alive for experimental purposes.

Martians takeover the Earth and leave only two people alive for experimental purposes.Less

1951-08-31

6. Errand Boy

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1951-09-07

7. The Monsters

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1951-09-14

8. The Dark Angel

A doctor discovers that there's something medically strange about his smokin' hot wife.

A doctor discovers that there's something medically strange about his smokin' hot wife.Less

1951-09-28

9. The Crystal Egg

The owner of a London curiosity shop delivers a mysterious crystal egg to a university professor for t...More

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.Less

1951-10-12

10. Test Flight

The CEO of an aerospace company is determined to build a spaceship for interplanetary travel and a you...More

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.Less

1951-10-26

11. The Search for the Flying Saucer

A reporter arrives in a New Mexico town to investigate sightings of flying saucers. But neither he nor...More

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.Less

1951-11-09

12. Enemy Unknown

A distinguished astrophysicist refuses to help his government.

A distinguished astrophysicist refuses to help his government.Less

1951-11-23

13. Sneak Attack

During the Cold War, a captured American spy is his country's only hope to avert an attack by a new ty...More

During the Cold War, a captured American spy is his country's only hope to avert an attack by a new type of bomb.Less

1951-12-07

14. The Invader

A scientist doing research in oceanography witnesses the crash of a UFO into the ocean and sends his s...More

A scientist doing research in oceanography witnesses the crash of a UFO into the ocean and sends his son underwater to investigate.Less

1951-12-21

15. The Dune Roller

On an island a strange rock begins to grow and move. Scientists that observe the phenomena speculate t...More

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.Less

1952-01-04

16. Frankenstein

In an adaptation of Mary Shelley's tale, Dr. Frankenstein brings to life a lumbering undead monster wh...More

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.Less

1952-01-18

17. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: The Chase (1)

A young sailor finds himself held captive on a submarine called the Nautilus and commanded by the myst...More

A young sailor finds himself held captive on a submarine called the Nautilus and commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo.Less

1952-01-25

18. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: The Escape (2)

A sailor being held prisoner onboard a submarine by the mysterious Captain Nemo escapes from captivity...More

A sailor being held prisoner onboard a submarine by the mysterious Captain Nemo escapes from captivity with the assistance of the captain's daughter.Less

1952-02-01

19. What You Need

A writer tries to steal an unusual machine but gets murdered by its owner.

A writer tries to steal an unusual machine but gets murdered by its owner.Less

1952-02-08

20. Age of Peril

A scientist devises a way to help criminals beat lie detector tests.

A scientist devises a way to help criminals beat lie detector tests.Less

1952-02-15

21. Memento

A scientist who's spent his entire life building a spaceship that can travel to Mars discovers that he...More

A scientist who's spent his entire life building a spaceship that can travel to Mars discovers that he cannot make the trip.Less

1952-02-22

22. The Children's Room

A secret "Children's Room" at a college attracts the attention of intellectual advanced youths. One of...More

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.Less

1952-02-29

23. Bound Together

A space pilot reported missing on a mission to Mars returns unexpectedly to his wife but is he the sam...More

A space pilot reported missing on a mission to Mars returns unexpectedly to his wife but is he the same person?Less

1952-03-07

24. The Diamond Lens

Shortly before he is scheduled to go to the guillotine, a scientist confesses to a priest the fantasti...More

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.Less

1952-03-14

25. The Fisherman's Wife (aka: Fountain of Youth)

Two scientists develop a formula to restore youth and a selfish damsel volunteers to be their first su...More

Two scientists develop a formula to restore youth and a selfish damsel volunteers to be their first subject.Less

1952-03-21

26. Flight Overdue

The husband of an aviatrix who disappeared on a test flight finally learns the truth about his wife's ...More

The husband of an aviatrix who disappeared on a test flight finally learns the truth about his wife's disappearance.Less

1952-03-28

27. And a Little Child

A young hillbilly girl has the power to read minds and this power is called upon when a scientist suff...More

A young hillbilly girl has the power to read minds and this power is called upon when a scientist suffers a paralyzing stroke.Less

1952-04-04

28. Sleep No More

A young man begs to be kept awake due to the fact that his dreams are turning into horrifying realitie...More

A young man begs to be kept awake due to the fact that his dreams are turning into horrifying realities.Less

1952-04-11

29. Time to Go

A woman finds a bank that doesn't save money--it saves time.

A woman finds a bank that doesn't save money--it saves time.Less

1952-04-18

30. Plague from Space

A military base commander is forced to make a terrible decision when he learns that Martians have inva...More

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.Less

1952-04-25

31. Red Dust

Four members of a space party returning to Earth from Alpha Centauri try to determine what killed the ...More

Four members of a space party returning to Earth from Alpha Centauri try to determine what killed the other two members of their party.Less

1952-05-02

32. The Golden Ingot

A doctor's unsuccessful experiments cause him to fall into a state of depression which has his daughte...More

A doctor's unsuccessful experiments cause him to fall into a state of depression which has his daughter worried.Less

1952-05-09

33. Black Planet

Two astronomers working together, seek a tenth planet. The senior fears the junior might have found it...More

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.Less

1952-05-16

34. World of Water

A scientist discovers a solvent that is capable of dissolving the planet.

A scientist discovers a solvent that is capable of dissolving the planet.Less

1952-05-23

35. Little Black Bag

A struggling doctor takes his instruments to a pawnshop because his wife complains about their lack of...More

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.Less

1952-05-30

36. The Exile

A scientist receives radiation burns while working with atomic energy.

A scientist receives radiation burns while working with atomic energy.Less

1952-06-06

37. All the Time in the World

A man must decide whether or not he wants to survive a hydrogen bomb blast. If he does he'll be the on...More

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.Less

1952-06-13

38. The Miraculous Serum

A miracle life-saving serum has unintended consequences when it's tested on a female patient. Not only...More

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.Less

1952-06-20

39. Appointment on Mars

Three astronauts arrive on Mars, sponsored by a mining company who will share the profits with them. I...More

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?Less

1952-06-27

40. The Duplicates

A man on Jupiter is paid a huge sum of money to travel to Earth and kill his duplicate on that planet.

A man on Jupiter is paid a huge sum of money to travel to Earth and kill his duplicate on that planet.Less

1952-07-04

41. Ahead of His Time

A lab technician invents a time machine and uses it to travel forward to the year 2052.

A lab technician invents a time machine and uses it to travel forward to the year 2052.Less

1952-07-18

42. Sudden Darkness

A scientist invents a device which can shut down all the world's electrical power with one flick of th...More

A scientist invents a device which can shut down all the world's electrical power with one flick of the switch.Less

1952-08-01

43. Ice from Space

A rocket returns from space with a huge block of ice inside its compartment. An Air Force officer real...More

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.Less