This CBSRMT episode was inspired by the 1957 Dana Andrews movie,"Zero Hour" which was the movie spoofed by the 1980 film "Airplane" which was basically a comedy version of the previous 1957 film.  That makes this CBSRMT episode the first time that the 1957 move "Zero Hour", in which Andrews plays reluctant hero Ted Stryker, inspired a copy - five years before the release of "Airplane". It's likely that writer Ian Martin had been a big fan of the 1957 movie and saw its dramatic potential for radio just as Abrahams and the Zucker brothers would later mine the original films comedic potential for a comedy version remake.