One Eastern South Dakota Town Was In The Twilight Zone

Submitted for your approval, a small South Dakota town in the heartland, the breadbasket if you will, of the U.S.A. The name is Centerville, and it's one of those towns you visited, with friendly folks and an air of comfort and familiarity. Some people call it quaint, others may say nothing much ever goes on there. Except, of course, if when you enter Centerville you also enter 'The Twilight Zone'.

OK, ok, that wasn't exactly the opening narration when I was watching an episode of the original Twilight Zone called "Stopover In A Quiet Town."

Now, for me, The Twilight Zone is one of those series that, well, I can pretty much name every episode after about the first 5 seconds. I've seen them all a hundred times (I'm ballparkin' that number, but it's a lot). So when "Stopover In A Quiet Town" came on, I knew all about it.

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Yawn - the couple wakes up after a night of partying and drinking and have no idea where they are (a familiar theme for the Zone). They stroll through town and no one (and I mean no one!) is there. In fact, everything is fake. From the lawns and trees to the storefronts and automobiles. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is real.

Then they hear a train whistle and thankfully climb aboard a train that starts moving, but of course, they don't get out of town. It just circles back to the same town, the same 'fake' town named...

Centerville.

That's right, good 'ol Centerville is in The Twilight Zone (and one of the very best episodes)!

Now, I'd seen that episode a hundred times (OK, exaggerating again, but a bunch) and I'll be doggoned, I had never seen the name on the train platform building and it's there twice!

Oh, and by the way, they're actually pets, these two. Yep, a guy brought them home (on another planet) for his little girl.

Uh, it's a little hard to explain. Suffice it to say, it's The Twilight Zone. You can read about the episode here.

Anyway, I salute you folks in Centerville. I didn't realize you've lived in The Twilight Zone all these years!

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