King of the Past and the Future (Twilight Zone)

Original text

Exit one Gary Pitkin, singer, impersonator, and restless subject of a dead king named Elvis Aaron Presley. A frustrated young man, born twenty-five years too late, who is about to find his own place to dwell, down at the end of lonely street, in a neighborhood called ... the Twilight Zone.

The protagonist of the episode, a professional singer and musician named Harry Pitkin, performs in American restaurants with live music, imitating the appearance, style of Elvis Presley and performing his repertoire. The singer's performances are very popular. Harry's manager, Sandra, invites him to perform in Las Vegas in order to achieve even greater popularity, but Harry categorically refuses, explaining his position by not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the Rock and Roll King, even though he looks like him. Leaving home in his own car after another performance, the singer is in a serious car accident and loses consciousness. This accident performs the role of a kind of time machine, as a result of which, having come to himself, Harry falls into 1954 . At first, not quite understanding where he is, the man stops the car, which goes to meet him. During a conversation with the driver, Harry is surprised to learn that the young man who is currently driving him is the real Elvis Presley. Presley himself, in turn, concludes that Harry is his sibling, who died immediately after birth, because they look similar. Arriving at the place of work, then the Presley truck driver receives a severe reprimand from the employer for picking up a passenger, despite the fact that this is prohibited by the rules. Elvis offers Harry to come to his house and meet with his mother, but Harry refuses, feeling remorse, but begins to tell Elvis about his future. Presley, although he does not believe his interlocutor, however, at the end of their conversation, he offers Harry to rehearse with him - Elvis should have an audition in two days. During the rehearsal, Pitkin insists that Presley sings the song “ That's All Right, Mamma ” while listening, only then the aspiring singer will take the path of popularity and world fame. Elvis flatly refuses to perform this song and, angry, calls Harry “the devil ”, and this song - “the devil”. After this, a quarrel begins between the men, which soon turns into a real fight, as a result of which an accident occurs and Presley dies, falling on a guitar neck, which stood perpendicular to his body. Harry secretly hides Presley at night, before taking his clothes. Then he, dressed as Elvis Presley, performs at the audition the very song that the real Elvis did not want to perform, and after that he actually turns into the real King of rock and roll. At the end of the episode, Harry, who lives the life of the deceased Presley, meets a still young Sandra - the same woman who at the beginning was his manager - and gives her a scarf as a souvenir. Sandra, delighted, leaves the King’s apartment, while Elvis Presley himself looks thoughtfully through the window into the night sky.

Original text

A round of hollow applause for Gary Pitkin, who tried to pay a blood debt in sequins and B-movies, and discovered, to his sorrow, that sometimes you're called back for one encore too many ... in the Twilight Zone.

• " The King of the Past and the Future ” on the Internet Movie Database
• TV.com, “The Twilight Zone (1986): The Once and Future King”