Revisiting ‘The Twilight Zone — Living Doll' (1963)

With the recent releases of the Child’s Play reboot and Annabelle Comes Home, the concept of evil dolls that are alive is one that seems quite common in cinema. We have seen this used as a plot device in countless films and television series from Dead Silence to the Puppet Masterseries but many have drawn their inspiration from the same place.

In 1963, the fifth season of the increasingly popular The Twilight Zone television series, released one of its most iconic episodes. One that put this concept that

“My name is Talky Tina and I love you very much"

Christie who is caught between the turmoil of living with her new stepfather Erich, who treats her rather unfairly due to his inability to father a child of his own and her mother who is trying to make things work between the two of them is gifted a doll by her mother. A doll that talks, which at the time period in which this episode was released, was a rarity and something rather expensive, which of course, Erich takes notice of.

Immediately, Erich takes a hard stance against the doll and dislikes it as he feels it’s a reminder on behalf if his wife Annabelle that…