- 8.0/102 votes
#1 - The Paragon
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 2/8/1963
Alice Pemberton is a busy-body housewife who injects herself into the personal lives of everyone she knows: friends, relatives, her husband's business associates. Unfortunately she fails to realize that her constant attempts to give advice are alienating everyone. Her husband John is patient. He tries to tell her that her annoying behavior will cost them the last few friends that they have left. She refuses to listen. So, John decides to poison her.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: Alfred Hayes
- 7.5/1045 votes
#2 - The Lonely
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 11/13/1959
In 2046, imprisoned for murder on a distant asteroid, Corry receives an unexpected present that brings a semblance of companionship during his isolation.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: Rod Serling
- 7.5/102 votes
#3 - The Lonely Hours
Season 1 Episode 23 - Aired 3/8/1963
Louise Henderson rents a room to woman named Vera Brandon who begins to show an unreasonable amount of interest in Louise's newborn son. Louise begines investigating and discovers that she and Vera shared the same maternity ward when her son was born. She also discovers that Vera's baby died during childbirth and this death has left her mentally disturbed. She comes home only to both Vera and her son missing. She finds an address and calls the police. The police go to the address and discover Vera rocking the baby back and forth and claiming that the child is hers. The police return the child to Louise and send Vera to a mental hospital for treatment.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: William D. Gordon
- 7.4/1020 votes
#4 - Twenty Two
Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 2/10/1961
Miss Powell has a recurring nightmare about room 22 – a morgue.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: Rod Serling
- 7.3/1024 votes
#5 - The Night of the Meek
Season 2 Episode 11 - Aired 12/23/1960
A down-on-his-luck department store Santa Claus discovers a bottomless sack of toys.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: Rod Serling
- 7.0/101 votes
#6 - What Really Happened
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1/11/1963
Over the protests of his wife Eve, Howard Raydon fires Addie the family maid when her son breaks a valuable antique. Unwilling to leave, she poisons Howard's milk and kills him. An autopsy reveals the poison, but Eve is the chief suspect after she is fingered by Howard's mother. Believing that Eve's innocence will come out in trial, Addie remains silent about any wrong doing. Unfortunately, the prosecution reveals that Addie's 'son' is really Eve's son from a previous marriage. They claim that Eve killed her husband to prevent being seperated from the boy. As things begin to look worse for Eve, Addie confesses her guilt in a note and attempts suicide. Her suicide attempt is stopped in time and she is forced to stand trial.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: Henry Slesar
- 7.0/101 votes
#7 - The Dark Pool
Season 1 Episode 29 - Aired 5/3/1963
Dianne Castillejo is a recovering alcoholic who gets into trouble when her adopted son drowns in the family swimming pool. Dianne is visted by a mysterious woman named Consuela Sandine who threatens to tell everyone that Dianne was negligent and drunk at the time of the drowning. Consuela says she is the boy's mother and wants blackmail money. Consuela also demands to be allowed to stay as their houseguest where she hopes to drive Dianne back to alcohol while simultaneously seducing her wealthy husband Victor. The plan works at first, but when Dianne finds out that her adopted son's real mother died in childbirth she fights back by telling Victor the whole thing. Victor believes her and promptly kicks Consuela out of the house.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: William D. Gordon
- 6.4/1034 votes
#8 - Dead Weight
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 10/27/1971
A famous general kills a business associate, then woos a neurotic female witness to thwart Columbo's investigation.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: John T. Dugan
- 6.3/1018 votes
#9 - The Lateness of the Hour
Season 2 Episode 8 - Aired 12/2/1960
Jana, the daughter of inventor Dr. Loren, struggles with her parents' reliance on lifelike robot servants, urging her father to dismantle them despite his attachment to his creations.
Director: Jack Smight
Writer: Rod Serling