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Each New Year’s weekend, I look forward to (among other television offerings) the Sy-Fy Channel presentation of the Twilight Zone marathon. Although I was too young to watch the show in its initial run from 1959-1964, it served as an excellent introduction to the works of Rod Serling and his later works. This essay will not attempt a comprehensive review of the program in such a limited space and besides: the book Twilight Zone Companion by Marc Scott Zicree will tell anyone more than they’ll ever need to know. Instead, here is a quick overview and a look at some of the show’s writers, producers and directors who are still alive, forty-seven years after the original series went into syndication.
The Twilight Zone program ran for ½ hour on CBS in its first three seasons, before a move to a 1-hour version for its fourth season which weakened the show and its ratings. (Those 1-hour episodes were not often seen on TV re-runs until recent years). It did come back as a ½ hour show for the 1963-64 season with decent ratings: but CBS declined to pick up the show’s option for a sixth season. There was also a brief revival in the mid-1980's - some ten years after Rod Serling's death in 1975 at only age 50 - that was uneven but had its moments (one of which will be noted).
Besides the quality of the material, the show also features several on-screen actors, directors and producers who were not well-known at the time – but soon would be. William Shatner, Robert Redford, Doug McClure, Elizabeth Montgomery, Claude Akins and Roddy McDowall were just a few names for whom the Zone was a step on their own rise to prominence.
Although Rod Serling wrote the majority of the show’s scripts (and especially the first three seasons) he could not hope to fill a season with either original plots or adaptations all on his own. And so he enlisted the help of several writers (such as Charles Beaumont, Jerry Sohl, etc.) who contributed an increasing amount of the show’s scripts as time went on. The rest of this essay will look at three writers, one producer and one director who played an important role who are still alive. Quick note: according to author Marc Scott Zicree, there were plans to use several scripts from the legendary science fiction writer Ray Bradbury - who turns age 90 this August - but only I Sing the Body Electric (about a robot transformed into a kind, grandmotherly governess) ever came about, for various reasons.
Richard Matheson is a science fiction/fantasy author and screenwriter, with four works - What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return, Duel and I Am Legend - which were adapted as feature-length films. The New Jersey native wrote the Star Trek episode The Enemy Within and according to film critic Roger Ebert - Matheson's scientific approach to the supernatural in I Am Legend and other novels from the 1950s and early 1960s "anticipated pseudo-realistic fantasy novels like Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist."
Among Richard Matheson’s best-known Twilight Zone episodes: Little Girl Lost(about a child tumbling into the fourth dimension) and Nightmare at 20,000 Feet starring William Shatner. Richard Matheson turns age 85 next month, and was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame just last year.
George Clayton Johnson was born in a barn in Cheyenne, Wyoming and dropped out of school yet - under the G.I. Bill - was able to attend (what is now) Auburn University before leaving to become a writer.
His work in science fiction includes co-writing (with William F. Nolan) the novel Logan’s Run which was made into a 1976 feature film. He also wrote the story on which the film versions of Ocean’s Eleven were (initially) based upon. Among his best-known Twilight Zone episodes: Kick the Can (which was included in the "Twilight Zone" movie), "A Penny for Your Thoughts" and one of my favorites: A Game of Pool ...
.... virtually a two-man episode featuring Jonathan Winters and Jack Klugman who are both still alive.
George Clayton Johnson turns age 82 this summer, and has been known to make appearances at various Twilight Zone conventions.
Earl Hamner Jr. is different from the other Twilight Zone writers in that his efforts there were virtually his only science fiction output (although it was his big break in Hollywood). He is better known for adapted screenplays, such as childrens' favorites Heidi (yes, the 1968 version famous for the Jets-Raiders interrupted NFL TV game) and Charlotte’s Web plus the prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest and also for family entertainment TV shows: Apple’s Way (1974-75) and his 1961 novel Spencer’s Mountain formed the basis for the long-running series The Waltons on CBS.
The Virginia native’s work on the Twilight Zone was often rural-based; a departure from the more urbane scripts common on the show. These included The Hunt (where a man will not enter a gate purported to be heaven without his dog) and The Bewitchin’ Pool (where children escape their narcissistic, feuding parents to reach a country grandmother’s refuge).
Earl Hamner Jr. turns age 88 this summer and still writes to this day.
The Twilight Zone used many directors, and one who later achieved fame directing blockbuster films is Richard Donner – whose career began at a young age when television was in its infancy in the early 1950’s. He moved from directing commercials and documentaries into over twenty-five TV shows, such as "The Fugitive", "Get Smart", the "Man from UNCLE", "Brady Bunch", "Kojak" and "Tales from the Crypt".
The Bronx native hit his stride in the 1970’s, when The Omen and Superman (starring Christopher Reeve) became quite successful. He went on to direct all six versions of the Lethal Weapon series (starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover) and in this past decade, the X-Men series. The actor Hugh Jackman has spoken in the past about producing a biopic on the late actor Bill Bixby – and if Jackman himself does not make his directing debut, he has cited Richard Donner as someone he would choose for that job if the film ever materializes.
Donner directed several shows in the last season of Twilight Zone, such as the aforementioned "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" and the rather intriguing episode Come Wander With Me – starring Bing Crosby’s son Gary as a rockabilly singer who wanders into a most unusual town. Both the producer and Donner were tempted to cast a young Liza Minelli as the female lead (especially as it was partly a singing role) but thought she was too nervous and not ready for the role. Instead, they cast Bonnie Beecher – who today is the wife of Hugh Romney, better known as Wavy Gravy – and she helps run his famous camp with him.
Richard Donner turns age 80 this April, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Finally, during the series Rod Serling hired several producers to oversee the show: after one would leave, another would take his place. The last producer of the show in 1964 was William Froug - who was born in Brooklyn but adopted by a couple from Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from the University of Missouri’s noted journalism school before serving in WW-II as a Navy Lieutenant.
He went on to write teleplays for the "Dick Powell Show" in the 1960’s and "Charlie’s Angels" in the 1970’s. But he is most noted as a producer during the runs of "Bewitched" and "Gilligan’s Island" - which he has written a book about escaping from.
While author Marc Scott Zicree didn’t think Froug was suited for the role on Twilight Zone – and along with Rod Serling’s decreased interest and writing, made the 5th season a very uneven one – there were some quality episodes, such as In Praise of Pip (with perhaps the first mention of Vietnam on prime-time TV) and Living Doll where Telly Savalas was haunted by "Talky Tina".
And when the show was threatened with cancellation (due in part to budget overruns as a result of having to hire more outside screenwriters) Zicree was delighted at how Froug solved the budget problems. Bill Froug had seen a short French film that was practically a silent film about the American Civil War – with mostly a music background and a few lines in English. He purchased the rights to show Ambros Bierce's An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge – with Serling adding-on his famous opening and ending comments – for a small price, and which brought the show in under-budget at the end of the season. What’s more, the film – in part due to its exposure on TV – later won an Oscar for Short Action Film: a first for the Twilight Zone. Despite all of that, the show was cancelled in the spring of 1964.
William Froug turns age 89 this May, began the UCLA film and TV writers program and has written several books on screenwriting that are in use today.
As mentioned, there have been various Twilight Zone conventions around the country – and you just might see one of the writers described in attendance, if you’re lucky.
I’ll close with two videos, my favorite from both incarnations of the show. The first is The Monsters are Due on Maple Street that Keith-O famously mentioned in one of his "Special Comments" on the Bush Administration (alas, the embedding is disabled for this).
The other is a short (9 minute) episode from the 1980’s New Twilight Zone - do yourself a favor and watch the I of Newton – because you may never think of actor Sherman Hemsley as simply George Jefferson again (nor Ron Glass as just a member of Barney Miller). It reminds me of the original series episode "A Game of Pool" which I previously mentioned: just two actors, no guns, no bombs, with the only thing crackling about the show .... being the script by Joe Haldeman.
Now, on to Top Comments:
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From Free Jazz at High Noon:
In the diary by Muskegon Critic about the recession and its effects: I was struck by this quote from blueoasis - "God bless all good neoconservatives, neoliberals, and fundamentalists who have the highest humanitarian goals in wanting to help people who deserve it .... but just can't ever find any single individual who qualifies" - as it reminded me of Phil Ochs, the rehab difficulties of Ted Williams and purity tests.
From Haley:
In the diary by health care activist nyceve alleging Max Baucus rewrites the history of HCR - WisePiper makes a snarky comment (which Haley nominates as "Top comment so far this year") .... but which not everyone recognizes as snark quickly.
From mahakali overdrive:
in the diary about simply Listening by mallyroyal - GenXangster made me laugh my ass off while also making me say, yep in a comment about "good hair" (and no, it's not about Governor Rick Perry).
From sardonyx:
G2geek related a story late yesterday about Quaker peace activists back in the '80s.
And from Ed Tracey, your faithful correspondent this evening ........
In the informative diary by weasel entitled Updates on the Egyptian Protests - after someone quoted the Thom Hartmann show - that the White House is saying they are telling Mubarak "it is time to end martial law" - gjohnsit asked, "Hasn't there been martial law (in Egypt) for 30 years?"
And lastly ... Top Mojo - (cskendrick/sardonyx-style) excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments, Cheers and Jeers and (alas) ... da pooties:
1) you know you've got something by Mortifyd — 154
2) He should resign but he has no shame. by Engine 08 — 150
3) I'd like to see wome deadpan questioning by WiddieDawg — 128
4) Gee, what a lovely birthday wish. by Eileen B — 123
5) Glenn Beck and Adolf Hitler by mbayrob — 109
6) Keith set up a new twitter account, FYI by Eileen B — 104
7) I've been working for three months... by Alumbrados — 100
8) amazing catch! he comitted a crime no doubt by cacamp — 96
9) Yes it does. by TomP — 94
10) As KO once said by Diogenes2008 — 93
11) Seriously, by Jeff Y — 92
12) the fax also threatens Pres. Obama by MartyM — 91
13) So am I. by Corwin Weber — 88
14) Didn't you know? by Nulwee — 87
15) I'm fucking tired by ozsea1 — 87
16) Well he didn't get his kids in an by 88kathy — 86
17) Here's What Happens by JekyllnHyde — 85
18) He should've never been confirmed by RFK Lives — 84
19) We know that if he were a liberal by juca — 79
20) Just another "isolated incident" by zenbassoon — 77
21) I'm trying by Goldfish — 77
22) Well, alliedoc, by KiB — 71
23) The Prescription is the Problem by JekyllnHyde — 70
24) Me too....... by Lucy2009 — 65
25) She saw Sputnik crash into the Kremlin from her by Lefty Coaster — 64
26) Fox would be wall-to-wall with this story if by Mogolori — 63
27) Yup... by PvtJarHead — 63
28) Can you not criticize Baucus by WisePiper — 62
29) once is an... by tung sol — 61
30) And round and round it goes.... by blueoasis — 61
Top Mojo with no exclusions, no nothing:
1) Tip Jar by AlaskaDave — 548
2) Tip Jar by Eileen B — 506
3) Tip Jar by Lefty Coaster — 483
4) Tips? Flames? by Something the Dog Said — 328
5) Tip Jar by TomP — 319
6) Tip Jar by Vita Brevis — 287
7) Alms (tips) by Muskegon Critic — 264
8) Tip Jar by Clarknt67 — 227
9) Tip Jar by devtob — 223
10) Tip Jar by mallyroyal — 215
11) Tip Jar by nyceve — 202
12) you know you've got something by Mortifyd — 154
13) He should resign but he has no shame. by Engine 08 — 150
14) Tip Jar by weasel — 145
15) I'd like to see wome deadpan questioning by WiddieDawg — 128
16) Gee, what a lovely birthday wish. by Eileen B — 123
17) Glenn Beck and Adolf Hitler by mbayrob — 109
18) Tip Jar by conchita — 109
19) Keith set up a new twitter account, FYI by Eileen B — 104
20) I've been working for three months... by Alumbrados — 100
21) amazing catch! he comitted a crime no doubt by cacamp — 96
22) Yes it does. by TomP — 94
23) As KO once said by Diogenes2008 — 93
24) Seriously, by Jeff Y — 92
25) the fax also threatens Pres. Obama by MartyM — 91
26) So am I. by Corwin Weber — 88
27) Didn't you know? by Nulwee — 87
28) I'm fucking tired by ozsea1 — 87
29) Well he didn't get his kids in an by 88kathy — 86
30) Here's What Happens by JekyllnHyde — 85