My wife and I have been watching both THE TWILIGHT ZONE and NIGHT GALLERY, two shows created and written by Rod Serling.
I have been amazed all over again by Serling's wit, humor and depth in his writing. He took his viewers into the dark recesses of the soul and to the height of what we as humans can accomplish when we reach out with our hearts.
He used imagination, and twists of fancy to compel us to look at issues without preaching at us.
The Twilight Zone was where he mastered his skill, he would set us up in a small community where we were alone, just our spouse and us. No other people, cars would not run, the grass was fake the houses seemed real but had no food... and the train just went in a circle.
What strange nightmare was this? We were pets in a little girls home, she was a giant and we were her play things. Or were we animals in a Zoo. It was up to the viewer to determine the message, and in THE TWILIGHT ZONE, were there ever any wrong answers?
Maybe only one, it is just a T.V. Show.
Years would go by and Serling had the chance to come back, and do even more terrifying story lines, stories that took us deeper into the mind and the places where our fears come to life.
NIGHT GALLERY ran from 1969 to 1973 and again using a half hour format, Serling surprised and shocked us.
Night Gallery was more a look at the darker side of humanity, with occasional glimpses of hope. Yet in all honesty Serling used Night Gallery to explore the bitter and destructive aspects of our species in depth.
He did not shy away and he was always making you wonder what would happen in the next moment? Keeping his audience wondering, hoping sometimes against hope that what we were seeing would not end the way it appeared.
What was always amazing, was how calm and friendly Serling seemed to be at the introduction of a story, how he would put you at ease, like a polite grand-father who was the favorite story teller and yet one who always made the brothers Grimm seem like they were telling a happy tale about a dog and his boy... not a boy eaten by his dog.
What were your favorite episodes of the THE TWILIGHT ZONE and NIGHT GALLERY? Do you still watch the shows in syndication?
Let me know.
So until next week, this is Tamirisc asking again... Do You Remember???
I have been amazed all over again by Serling's wit, humor and depth in his writing. He took his viewers into the dark recesses of the soul and to the height of what we as humans can accomplish when we reach out with our hearts.
He used imagination, and twists of fancy to compel us to look at issues without preaching at us.
The Twilight Zone was where he mastered his skill, he would set us up in a small community where we were alone, just our spouse and us. No other people, cars would not run, the grass was fake the houses seemed real but had no food... and the train just went in a circle.
What strange nightmare was this? We were pets in a little girls home, she was a giant and we were her play things. Or were we animals in a Zoo. It was up to the viewer to determine the message, and in THE TWILIGHT ZONE, were there ever any wrong answers?
Maybe only one, it is just a T.V. Show.
Years would go by and Serling had the chance to come back, and do even more terrifying story lines, stories that took us deeper into the mind and the places where our fears come to life.
NIGHT GALLERY ran from 1969 to 1973 and again using a half hour format, Serling surprised and shocked us.
Night Gallery was more a look at the darker side of humanity, with occasional glimpses of hope. Yet in all honesty Serling used Night Gallery to explore the bitter and destructive aspects of our species in depth.
He did not shy away and he was always making you wonder what would happen in the next moment? Keeping his audience wondering, hoping sometimes against hope that what we were seeing would not end the way it appeared.
What was always amazing, was how calm and friendly Serling seemed to be at the introduction of a story, how he would put you at ease, like a polite grand-father who was the favorite story teller and yet one who always made the brothers Grimm seem like they were telling a happy tale about a dog and his boy... not a boy eaten by his dog.
What were your favorite episodes of the THE TWILIGHT ZONE and NIGHT GALLERY? Do you still watch the shows in syndication?
Let me know.
So until next week, this is Tamirisc asking again... Do You Remember???
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