"Playhouse 90" is one of the best TV shows ever to air. Think about it. Each week, a 90 minute live teleplay was broadcast. And, in most cases, it featured the best writers and directors of the day as well as many very famous actors. In fact, the quality of these productions often was better than the stuff coming out of Hollywood in the day. In the case of "Forbidden Area", you have the very first episode of the series and it features John Frankenheimer (who turned out to be perhaps the greatest American director of the 1960s), the teleplay adapted by Rod Serling AND a strong cast of top actors---Charlton Heston, Tab Hunter, Diana Lynn, Vincent Price, Victor Jory and Charles Bickford!! Talk about a great beginning!!
It IS interesting that John Frankenheimer directs this show. After all, his amazing film "The Manchurian Candidate" (the original, not the unnecessary remake) is a brilliant film about folks being indoctrinated to look and act like 'normal' folks but which are in fact deep moles for the Communists who are infiltrating our system. In this case, bombers are disappearing and early on the audience sees that the Russians have created a perfect mole (Hunter)--a guy who seems 100% American but who is covertly working to destroy America. It's also a good look at the psyche of America at the time--and clearly reflects the Cold War thinking and worries. It might seem awfully paranoid today...at the time, it was a reasonable concern.
What you'll see is a very gritty and exciting drama--one that keeps everyone guessing not only WHO is destroying these planes BUT how! All in all, a very good show--but one which might bother a few due to its paranoid message which is not fashionable any more. Excellent acting, taut direction and a nice script.