On this date in 1959 The Twilight Zone first aired. 10 things you might not know:
The creator of the show was Rod Serling, who was an executive producer and wrote 92 of the show's 156 episodes. He also appeared as the narrator in every show, although that wasn’t what was planned at the start. Serling wanted Richard Egan to do the narration because of his rich, deep voice, but Egan wasn’t available. Serling said, "It's Richard Egan or no one. It's Richard Egan, or I'll do the thing myself". So he did.
The introduction to each show goes: “There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between Light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.” Serling’s first recording began: “There is a sixth dimension” but he re-recorded it after being reminded there were actually only four dimensions.
Serling believed that he’d invented the term “Twilight zone”, but he hadn’t, in fact. The title that he chose because he liked the sound of it was a term already used by U.S. Air Force pilots when crossing the day and night sides above the world.
Rod Serling may have been a prolific writer, but even he couldn’t cope with the demands of producing over 150 stories. He thought he might offer new writers a change to break into the business. Viewers were invited to submit scripts, and more than 14,000 of them rose to the challenge. Of the 500 that Serling found time to read, only two showed any promise at all, but even these could not be used as they didn’t fit the show’s format. Serling also approached some famous writers to help out. Arthur C Clarke wasn’t available, but Ray Bradbury wrote several scripts, only one of which made it to air: an adaptation of his short story I Sing the Body Electric. Serling commented that Bradbury’s work worked better in book form; in response, Bradbury accused Serling of plagiarising stories.
Many well known actors appeared in the series, some several times. The only actor to appear in all five series (aside from Serling doing his intros) was Robert McCord. Jack Klugman, John Anderson, Jon Lormer and Vaughn Taylor tied for second place, each appearing in four. Many of the young actors who appeared went on to become very famous indeed, many of them in the science fiction genre. They include: Bill Bixby, Charles Bronson, Peter Falk, Dennis Hopper, Ron Howard, Jack Klugman, Martin Landau, Cloris Leachman, Billy Mumy, Julie Newmar, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Redford, Burt Reynolds, Telly Savalas, William Shatner, Dean Stockwell, George Takei and Dick York.
Most episodes were half an hour long, except in season 4 when a re-jigging of schedules by CBS meant the only slot available was an hour minimum. At the time, the hour long episodes weren’t all that well received and the half hour format returned for season 5. Today’s critics, however, rate season 4 episodes more highly.
The phrase "Submitted for your approval" is closely associated with Rod Serling’s narrations, and was used as the title of the feature length documentary about him. However, he only actually said it three times, compared with "In just a moment" which was used 25 times.
The Guitar riff in the theme music was played by Howard Roberts. This iconic music, however, wasn’t the theme for the first series. The original theme was written by Bernard Herrmann, known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock on films such as Psycho. His theme may have been suitably creepy but wasn’t all that catchy, so CBS looked to commission a new one. The theme we’re all familiar with is based on two pieces of classical music: “Milieu No. 2” and “Étrange No. 3.”
According to critics, the scariest episode of them all was The Dummy. This doesn’t even make the top ten that CBS rated the most scary. Their list: Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, Time Enough at Last, Living Doll, Eye of the Beholder, It's a Good Life, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, Twenty Two, Five Characters in Search of an Exit, The Masks and The Hitch-Hiker.
The pilot episode for the series was called Where is Everybody? And the last episode was The Bewitchin' Pool which first aired on June 19, 1964. Spoiler alert. It was chosen to go last as it had a rare happy ending. Two children facing separation by divorcing parents escape through a pool to a place where they can stay together. It meant the show went out on a high note. That said, some fans believed it had a darker meaning and that the children actually drowned in the pool.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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