There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.

It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.

It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's

fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area

which we call the Twilight Zone that we'll be discussing tonight is important because it introduces us to another very important man in the Twilight Zone.

And that's Richard Matheson. Of course course he's the author of many great stories I guess

one of the most famous ones is I Am Legend and that inspired things like Night of the Living

Dead and has been adapted for three films in its own right but Matheson's contribution to this

episode is actually quite small compared to what's to come

down the line.

And when the sky was opened is based on a short story by Matheson called Disappearing Act.

And while Matheson did actually write Twilight's own episodes, Rod Sailing actually adapted

this one himself from Matheson's story but I

think maybe adapted is perhaps too strong a word I think to say it was inspired by

disappearing act is probably more fitting now it is credited as an adaption because

Sailing did actually buy the rights to the story and Richard

Matheson said of it actually disappearing act and third from the sun are the only

two stories I sold them for many years because I wanted to do original

teleplays and hold on to my stories then later on I sold some of the stories

because all my early scripts if you notice are originals.

I think if it was filmed as written it would be great, but there was no point in trying to adapt it personally because I didn't own it.

I sold the story to the Twilight Zone. I would have liked to adapt it myself.

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