The Twilight Zone

Greetings, ‘The Twilight Zone’ is a science fiction and horror anthology series that was created and hosted by Rod Serling. The original series ran from 1959 to 1964 and clocked up an impressive 156 episodes during that time. The show was so popular that it was revived three times in the mid-1980s, the early 2000s and as recently as the late 2010s. At the moment, I have only seen the first iteration of the show which is shot entirely in black and white. Many big stars of the day appeared in the programme such as Charles Bronson, Roddy McDowell, Robert Duvall and Julie Newmar but that only scrapes the surface of the talent involved. Some actors such as William Shatner and Burgess Meredith would be repeat guests. The iconic soundtrack evolved through the seasons and was conducted first by Bernard Hermann and later on by Marius Constant.

The first televised episode was entitled ‘Where Is Everybody?’ which was written by Rod Serling himself, directed by Robert Stevens and broadcast on 2nd October 1959. It featured Earl Holliman, who passed away last November, and it relies heavily on his performance as can be gleamed by the episode’s title. It starts with a lone man walking down a dirt path accompanied by nothing but eerie silence. It soon becomes clear he doesn’t remember who he is, where he is or why he is there. He encounters a diner during his walk and enters it. A jukebox is playing to an empty room which he lowers the volume of and calls out if anyone is there, hoping someone will answer him. There is no response. He moves into the kitchen to find freshly baked pies and a hot pot of coffee but still no one is to be found. He knocks over a clock by accident and causes it to shatter as it hits the floor.

Strangely, the moment the clock is damaged is also when the jukebox stops playing music for no apparent reason. Becoming increasingly confused and anxious about the surreal situation, the man leaves the diner to venture into the town. In his travels, he sees a stationary car with a woman in it which is the first sign of life he has discovered in the abandoned place. He runs over to her but is crestfallen to realise it is only a mannequin. His hopes are raised again when he hears a phone ring in a nearby booth. He picks up the receiver and tries to speak with the caller but is met with silence. The man tries to get a hold of an operator but only a recording plays. He exits the phone booth with a disquieting feeling that he is being watched as he walks around the deserted town in hopes of finding someone.

I had a great time with this show and I am very much of the opinion that it has earned its strong position in popular culture. While some episodes were naturally weaker than others, I can’t think of one that I disliked even if the comedic ones were generally more dated in feel. A lot of twists and turns were easy to see coming but some episodes had me guessing where it was going to go until the end. I’d be eager to try out the other generations of the show although I’m not so keen on the idea of remaking classic episodes which had been done for the 1980s series. I believe Rod’s missing touch would also be very evident and the programme would be lacking that certain something without his smooth narration. For now, I’ve delved into ‘Night Gallery’, Serling’s other hit show, and I have a good feeling that I’m in for a pleasant time after watching the pilot episode.

Plot=10/10

Characters=10/10

Special Effects=10/10

Overall=10/10

Quote of the Day

I'm confused. All I hear from you, you spineless cowards, is how poor you are; how you can't afford my taxes, my protection. And yet somehow, you've all managed to find the money to hire a professional gunfighter to kill me. Where's all this money coming from? What am I to think? If you got so much to spare, I'm just gonna have to take some more off you. Because you clearly haven't got the message! This is my town! If you live to see the dawn, it's because I allow it! I'm in charge of everything! I decide who lives or who dies! Your gunfighter's dead. Old news.

John Herod

The Quick and the Dead