The Ray Bradbury Theater (s03e03)

The Lake

by Ray Bradbury, directed by Pat Robins

Release: 21 July 1989
Format: TV Episode
Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adults
Content: Debatable Time Travel
Original Language: English

The TV adaptation of Bradbury’s “The Lake” focuses more on the adult man, who’s now thirty-something Doug, but the story structure and pathos of his lost childhood love remain intact.

— Michael Main

If I finish it, will you come?

DEBUT

The Ray Bradbury Theater (s03e03), “The Lake” (USA Network, 21 July 1989).

VARIANTS

1 English variant

PRIOR WORKS: based on “The Lake” by Ray Bradbury

TAGS(SPOILERS!)

Time Periods

Circa AD 1960 to 1969: Presumed flashback time, circa 1963.
Circa AD 1970 to 1999: Presumed adult time time, circa 1988.

Themes

Moments Surrounding Death: Perhaps Tally travels during the time surrounding her drowning.

Fictional Tags

Ghosts: Possibly a ghost rather than time travel, but we don’t think so because of the well-preserved body.

Groupings

The Ray Bradbury Theater (TV series): (s03e03), 21 July 1989

TIME TRAVEL ITINERARY (SPOILERS!)

From the lake where Douglas and Tally played, circa 1963 ⋙ to the same lake, circa 1988. Note: As with [work-3954 | the original story[/ex], we’re uncertain whether young Tally traveled through time or not.

INDEXER NOTES (SPOILERS!)

Credits—Unlike the other seasons that we watched, Season 3 has some audio narration about the story from <a href='Ray_Bradbury'>Ray Bradbury</a> immediately after the stock opening and before the credits. Therefore, we list him as the episode’s credited host for Season 3.