[PJ-Comix]

I will definitely be watching this documentary tonight on PBS at 9 PM EST since I am a big Rod Serling fan. HOWEVER, the writer of this piece just couldn't resist showing his political bias by slamming conservatives. Take a look (sigh):

Throughout the 1950s he continued to write probing investigative dramas about serious issues. He was often hounded by the conservative censors for his uncompromising attention to issues such as lynching, union organizing, and racism.

WHAT "conservative censors?" These "censors" were hired by the LIBERAL networks.

Fed up with the difficulties of writing about serious issues on the conservative networks, Serling turned to science fiction and fantasy.

SIGH? Again, WHAT conservative networks? Name ONE! The writer of this piece just tosses "conservatives" out there as some sort of boogymen with NO evidence.

Through an ingenious mixture of morality fable and fantasy writing, he was able to circumvent the timidity and conservatism of the television networks and sponsors.

Again with the hangup about conservatives. The FR is the biggest CONSERVATIVE forum on the web but I've read nothing but compliments here about Rod Serling. This writer must be in his own TWILIGHT ZONE beyond time and space...and reality.

Anyway, please don't let the IDIOT writer of this piece turn you off to this documentary. I definitely plan to watch it. A lot of folks including the LIBERAL networks didn't understand Serling. When his Twilight Zone series was remade they concentrated on the special effects at the expense of the great story lines. One thing not well known about Serling was that many of his nightmarish Twilight Zone episodes were directly affected by his horrifying experiences in the Phillipines during WWII as a paratrooper. For years afterwards, Serling suffered from nightmares of this experience and this was reflected in his scripts. Hopefully this topic will be covered on this documentary.

[VadeRetro]

No mention of Night Gallery, a watchable reprise of Twilight-Zoney themes for a season or two in the early 70s. Used to come on after Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, I think.

[coloradan]

The son of a butcher, he joined the army

Surely just an accidental juxtaposition there. The author couldn't possibly have meant or intended readers to infer: "The son of a butcher, [naturally] he joined the army ..."

[jolie560]

Thanks for the heads-up. I always enjoy TTZ, even if I've seen the episode a dozen times.

[Radix]

Was the Planet of the Apes the 1960's movie script or was it a twilight zone episode?

I read the book by Pierre Boulle many years ago, and Serling had no part in that effort.

I was also a big fan of Rod Serling, and some months ago I posted some information about him was was easily obtainable from diverse internet sources.

[Walkin Man]

Hey thanks for the heads up! I loved the TZ and Night Gallery had its moments as well.

Could you imagine the morons responsible for dreck like Will and Grace, Queer Eye, or just about any TV show you can name writing up to the standard of the worst TZ show?

LOL!

[Maria S]

Thank you so much for posting this; I will be watching.

I LOVED 'Twilight Zone' and 'Night Gallery', and I have every VHS that has been made available on both of them. One of my favorites from Twilight Zone: An elderly lady knows "Death" is coming to visit her and she does not want him to. So when a handsome, young, gentle stranger comes to visit, she doesn't realize it's "Death" until he finally convinces her to go with him. I kept thinking I recognized "Death" but couldn't place him; turns out it was Robert Redford at about age 20-22!

Kids today don't know what they've missed...excellent writing with unexpected twists in the plots.

[supercat]

Any mention of the radio dramas? Not that they were made in Serling's lifetime, but perhaps interesting to show the lingering power of the show.

[Welsh Rabbit]

After returning from the service, Serling enrolled as a physical education student at Antioch College, but before long realized that he was destined for more creative endeavors.

We've all had some real characters as gym teachers or sports coaches in our lives, but I think he would've made a particularly interesting one.

[international american]

Serling had the greatest show ever on television. I was fortunate to befriend one of the producers, who gave me copies of every episode. Some are so great that I retaped them 2-3 times.
Rest in peace, Rod......today you would not be a liberal:)

[macamadamia]

"YOU MUST CONFORM!"

(No, Waxman didn't say this. But, TZ fans might understand the confusion.)

[waterstraat]

The series was called THE TWILIGHT ZONE and was incredibly popular, winning Serling three Emmy Awards.

I always heard, and seem to remember, that The Twilight Zone was NOT popular, and always had very poor Neilson ratings.

[Bonaparte]

"...slamming conservatives."

It's PBS. They politicize everything they touch. Now Rod Serling is no longer simply a screen writer, he's been posthumously metamorphosed into a leftist crusader against conservative oppression. That's what our tax dollars are paying for -- a thinly disguised political viewpoint that demeans and slanders us. We actually get to pay for that.

[jocon307]

Thanks for this, I'll be sure to tune in. My fave twizones are the ones where you see Serling smoking his cigarette (which ultimately killed him, i'll admit it) at the beginning. He was just a handsome guy, and I love him.

[RIGHT IN LAS VEGAS]

My Dad owned a Funeral Home in Rochester, NY.

I was a kid, tagging along for a ride, when my Dad and I stopped by Mt. Hope Cemetery to bring in a remains for cremation.

Rod Serling passed away 1 day earlier at the University of Rochester Medical Center while having heart surgery.

As we entered the retort area I casually asked the Director of Operations if Rod had stopped by.

He directed me to the looking glass of the retort.

I saw the last Rod Serling "Twightlight Zone!"

True story, I still retain my FD's license in NY.

[FlyVet]

I watched the Twilight Zone as a kid. The only episode I remember is the one about the "earwig". Ouch.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

BUMP

[jolie560]

So far--20 minutes in--the report is very good.

[Senator Pardek]

TZ -the best of all time.

A pleasant faced man steps up to greet you
He smiles and says he's pleased to meet you
Beneath his hat the strangeness lies
Take it off, he's got three eyes
Truth is false and logic lost
Now the fourth dimension is crossed...

You have entered the Twilight Zone
Beyond this world strange things are known
Use the key, unlock the door
See what your fate might have in store...
Come explore your dreams' creation
Enter this world of imagination...

You wake up lost in an empty town
Wondering why no one else is around
Look up to see a giant boy
You've just become his brand new toy
No escape, no place to hide
Here where Time and Space collide

You have entered the Twilight Zone
Beyond this world strange things are known
Use the key, unlock the door
See what your fate might have in store...
Come explore your dreams' creation
Enter this world of imagination...

[longtermmemmory]

Watching the special, they did have a McCarthy comentary.

Has any network ever really been conservative?

[chindog]

Submitted for your approval,
December 25, 1958

A story a little different than those that populated the airwaves during that period... a story about a little man that gave people not what they wanted, but what they needed.

Perhaps it was a pair of shoelaces, or simply a hair comb. As the story unfolded, it wasn't what the people wanted, but what they needed was quite useful.

I was intrigued about the author who wrote this story, and was surprised to learn that he was quite a large legend as a sci-fi writer in his time. Henry Kuttner, along with his wife C. L. Moore, wrote several stories featured on the Twilight Zone. Do a google on him to find out more.