On October 2, 1959, one of the most acclaimed, television series of all time premiered on CBS: Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone".
Serling and his handpicked writers generated a wide range of intriguing topics, often tipped by thought-provoking irony.
Though most recall the twists, the series gained devotees through its projection of humanity and staunch, moral stances, as presented through such episodes as "Walking Distance"; "A Stop at Willoughby"; "Night of the Meek"; "Changing of the Guard": "In Praise of Pip"; "Passage for Trumpet"; "One for the Angels"; "Showdown with Rance McGrew"; "A Nice Place to Visit"; "Time Enough at Last"; "Mr. Bevis"; "Eye of the Beholder", "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"; "The Shelter"; "The Fever"; "Dust"; "Mr. Denton on Doomsday"; "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim"; "The Dummy"; "The Lonely"; "The Mighty Casey"; ""Where Is Everybody?"; "The After Hours"; "To Serve Man"; "It's a Good Life"; "Last Night of a Jockey"; "Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room"; "Dead Man's Shoes"; and "The Big, Tall Wish".
Serling's crisp dialogue was also an empowering plus: an ideal springboard for actors to emote. The queue is impressive: Jack Klugman; Jack Warden; Gig Young; James Daley; Art Carney; Ed Wynn; Cliff Robertson; Ivan Dixon; Anne Francis; Burgess Meredith; Orson Bean; Dan Duryea; Martin Landau; Earl Holliman; Donald Pleasence; Everett Sloane; Larry Blyden; Sebastian Cabot; Warren Stevens; Joe Mantel; Mickey Rooney and many more.
"Twlight Zone" is odd and eerie, but more so a place of comfort. The anthology never fails to hit the spot after a long, arduous day. That's because its content, though fanciful about the fringes, embodies everyday life.
Other incarnations have followed Serling's foundation and earned their own loyalty and respect, but the original established a pinnacle that will never be eclipsed. My life is all the better for Serling's brainchild, and there's no doubt that a legion of others hold the same opinion.
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