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Norman Corwin Presents was a short-lived television fantasy anthology series introduced and principally written by the well-regarded radio writer.

The show featured baby-boomer favorites such as Michael Dunn (Miguelito Loveless on Wild Wild West), William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk on Star Trek), and Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster on The Munsters).

The episodes tackled political and social themes, but did so under the guise of science fiction and fantasy.

The show was filmed in Toronto, and aired there from June 1972 through December 1973. It also was shown in the United States.

Spoiler Warning: Plot details and/or information about the ending follow. If you wish to enjoy the work first, stop reading here and return at another time.

Episodes

1. Michael Dunn plays a Martian who is being interviewed. At some point, he paraphrases General Douglas MacArthur by saying, "Old Martians don't die . . . they just fade away," and then he does.

2. The Greek gods of war (Mars) and love (Venus) are on a talk show. When it is suggested to Mars that he must enjoy the current state of the world, he says something like, "Dropping a bomb on a person from an airplane isn't war . . . that's just killing."

3. Fred Gwynne plays a man in a future in which adults are kept in a Romper Room environment. While not actively protesting, he doesn't want to play the same games as everyone else at the same time. He is put on trial, and allowed to call up one figure from the past to testify on his behalf. He chooses Ralph Waldo Emerson, based on Emerson's Self-Reliance essay. Ironically (but appropriately), Emerson basically says, "It's your problem." Gwynne's character is executed.