Any Twilight Zone Fans? Rod Serling Would Have Been 101 Yesterday (Christmas)

OneEyedDiva

OneEyedDiva

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I loved Rod Serling, I was a big Twilight Zone fan and have always thought he was a brilliant man. I also thought he was cute. Loved him even more after I saw a documentary about him. I didn't know he was Jewish and faced discrimination and mistreatment because of it. His daughter dispels the myth that he was a "dark, tortured man" and put the Twilight Zone's relevance better than I could:
"No one would be more surprised than my father that we’re still talking about The Twilight Zone and talking about him all these decades later. I’m not the first person to say this, but it’s still in our vernacular because his issues that he dealt with are still so relevant and prevalent. He dealt with the human condition and things, sadly, don’t change. We’re still dealing with prejudice and mob mentality and the resurgence of nationalism; he’d be deeply, deeply saddened by all of this."

About two years ago, I connected with his daughter Anne Serling on Facebook. She often posts heartwarming pictures of her dad with her when she was young. She has written a memoir about her father.
'The Twilight Zone' Creator Rod Serling Remembered by His Daughter

Mr. Serling is reported to have said that he was "the Christmas present that came unwrapped." He was not only a gift to his parents, but a gift to the world. Happy heavenly 101st Mr. Serling. Rest peacefully in Paradise.

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I love Rod Serling. I think he was brilliant.

I was on a TZ forum back in 2013 but reluctantly left because one member was virulently against my religion and wasn't shy about stating it, and the moderator never stepped in. I believe it has since folded.

I just recently became aware of a movie Serling wrote called "Carol for Another Christmas" (Carol for Another Christmas - Wikipedia). I've been a TZ fan since I was 12 and somehow had never heard of it. I found it extraordinarily powerful. Peter Sellers's performance blew me away.

Here's an article on it: https://www.slashfilm.com/1477416/the-twilight-zone-rod-serling-christmas-carol-adaptation/

He was born, and died (tragically too young) in my hometown of Syracuse, NY, although he spent most of his life in the Binghamton area. One of these days I will get back there for the annual SerlingFest!

@OneEyedDiva, thank you for flagging his birthday. 🥰 I'm quite envious that you've been in touch with Anne!
 
KSav said:
I love Rod Serling. I think he was brilliant.

I was on a TZ forum back in 2013 but reluctantly left because one member was virulently against my religion and wasn't shy about stating it, and the moderator never stepped in. I believe it has since folded.

I just recently became aware of a movie Serling wrote called "Carol for Another Christmas" (Carol for Another Christmas - Wikipedia). I've been a TZ fan since I was 12 and somehow had never heard of it. I found it extraordinarily powerful. Peter Sellers's performance blew me away.

Here's an article on it: https://www.slashfilm.com/1477416/the-twilight-zone-rod-serling-christmas-carol-adaptation/

He was born, and died (tragically too young) in my hometown of Syracuse, NY, although he spent most of his life in the Binghamton area. One of these days I will get back there for the annual SerlingFest!

@OneEyedDiva, thank you for flagging his birthday. 🥰 I'm quite envious that you've been in touch with Anne!
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I'd like to see this. It looks to be available on MAX and Roku right now, neither of which I have so I'll have to wait. Thanks for highlighting it; I had no idea.
 
KSav said:
I hadn't heard of it, either, @Medusa. I actually streamed it on Prime. It was very Twilight Zone–ish and, like so many Twilight Zone episodes, still seems so pertinent to today's social and political climate.
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I have it on Prime, but only with a Max add-on subscription. Dang it. I was hoping that, that it would be something like the Twilight Zone. I've got it on my list now, anyway.
 
OMG. I'm so happy you threw that out there. Every single Christmas my husband has the Twilight Zone on for 24 hours. I'm not kidding when I say a 24-hour marathon every single year. I used to love the Twilight Zone but after about 44 years of marathons. Just gives me an excuse to something else. Absolutely no disrespect intended. Just tired.
 
I'm a huge fan of "The Twilight Zone." Rod Serling was a genius. He also hosted "Night Gallery," a similar show that aired in the 1970's.

I no longer watch the annual "Twilight Zone"marathon, since I can now stream the series. There were so many great episodes, but these are my absolute favorites:

Time Enough At Last: A henpecked book lover finds himself blissfully alone with his books after a nuclear war.

To Serve Man: An alien race comes to Earth, promising peace and sharing technology. Linguists Michael Chambers, Patricia Brody, and their team set out to translate the aliens' language, using a book whose title they deduce to be "To Serve Man."

It's A Good Life: On an isolated family farm in Peakesville, Ohio, young Anthony Fremont, who has vast mental powers but lacks emotional development, holds his terrified family and neighbors in thrall to his every juvenile wish.

The Shelter: A dinner party for Bill Stockton's birthday is interrupted by a bulletin warning of an impending nuclear attack. As the neighbors scramble to prepare, they turn against the Stockton's, the only family that installed a bomb shelter.

The Midnight Sun: When Earth deviates from its normal orbit and moves closer to the sun, painter Norma and her landlady Mrs. Bronson try to cope with increasingly oppressive heat in a nearly abandoned New York City.

On Thursday We Leave For Home: The Pilgrim I, the first-ever human space colony, is about to be rescued from Planet V9-Gamma where they've lived for three decades. Their leader William Benteen has trouble accepting that big changes are coming in their lives.

The Silence: Annoyed by fellow country club member Jamie Tennyson's constant chatter, Colonel Archie Taylor bets half a million dollars that Jamie cannot be completely silent for one year while living in a glass enclosure in the club's basement.

The Obsolete Man: In a future totalitarian society, a librarian is declared obsolete and sentenced to death.

Number 12 Looks Just Like You: In a future society, everyone must undergo an operation at age 19 to become beautiful and conform to society. Since her father killed himself after his surgery, 18-year-old Marilyn Cubberle desperately wants to hold on to her identity.

The Trade-Ins: Elderly long-married John and Marie Holt visit the New Life Corporation to shop for a pair of younger replacement bodies. But then John resorts to desperate measures in order to cover the immense cost of this purchase.
 
Cailin said:
It's A Good Life: On an isolated family farm in Peakesville, Ohio, young Anthony Fremont, who has vast mental powers but lacks emotional development, holds his terrified family and neighbors in thrall to his every juvenile wish.
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That was one of my favorites. I used to fantasise that I had powers like that. :)

In fact, I wouldn't mind having it now. I have an orange guy in mind that I'd like to use it on. :)

 
Great post, Miss Diva! I don't think I ever missed an episode from TZ's beginning in 1959 until I went away to music conservatory in 1962. The shows ranged from whimsical, to suspenseful, to SciFi and horror. Many of the stories are classics. And who knows how many great writers were inspired by Serling's program??
 
Rod Serling was born in Syracuse but basically grew up in Binghamton. He credits his teacher, Helen Foley for encouraging him. He went to school with my mother. He was either in the same class or the class behind her I can't remember now. We watched The Twilight Zone every time it was on. Nobody would miss that! There is a nice statue of him in Recreation Park in Binghamton.
 
katlupe said:
Rod Serling was born in Syracuse but basically grew up in Binghamton. He credits his teacher, Helen Foley for encouraging him. He went to school with my mother. He was either in the same class or the class behind her I can't remember now. We watched The Twilight Zone every time it was on. Nobody would miss that! There is a nice statue of him in Recreation Park in Binghamton.
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He is buried in Interlaken, NY.

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