There is a sign post up ahead...

August 15, 2005 6:51 PM

Submitted for your approval. Very cool essay from Jonathan Lethem on the life of Rod Serling.
posted by braun_richard (10 comments total)

"I've never seen a photograph of Rod Serling that wasn't black and white."

Night Gallery was in color.
posted by maxsparber at 7:03 PM on August 15, 2005

He added the famous, and characteristic, Statue of Liberty twist to The Planet of the Apes.

No way! I had no idea Mr. Sterling wrote TPotA.

This post is particularly apropo; just yesterday some kind benefactor started seeding the 2nd series episodes (from the 80s) on TPB. Ahoy.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 7:56 PM on August 15, 2005

"I've never seen a photograph of Rod Serling that wasn't black and white."

Here's one.

You're welcome.
posted by jscalzi at 3:42 AM on August 16, 2005

Nice piece, but I hate the "we" talk:

We were only following a trend, late... Maybe we'd even pause to wonder at the tragedy this last glimpse of television's era of the 'anthology series' suggested... We prefer our visionaries to be idiot savants or mediums, to see their wild gifts as outbreaks of zeitgeist or the traumatic subconscious.

Speak for yourself, pal.

Incidentally, I presume this link will go to another essay next week. Is there no such thing as a permalink at professorbarnhardtsjournal.com?
posted by languagehat at 5:56 AM on August 16, 2005

I'm kind of annoyed by Lethem's capitalizing on Serling's Jewish identity. He was raised Jewish (in a not particularly religious family) but converted to Unitarianism when he married his Protestant wife and was an active member of the Santa Monica UU church until his death. See http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/rodserling.html
for details.
posted by dlugoczaj at 7:18 AM on August 16, 2005

languagehat, there's a "back issues" link at the bottom, and apparently the page it takes you to has permalinks -- I'm reading the Joe Bob Briggs dorm-roommate one now.
posted by alumshubby at 7:52 AM on August 16, 2005

This post is particularly apropo; just yesterday some kind benefactor started seeding the 2nd series episodes (from the 80s) on TPB.

You know, I've always wondered why they never show the second series on cable. All you ever see is the old ones (awesome!) and the new Forest Whittaker ones (abhorrent!)

Also, how come nobody ever airs the old Tales From The Darkside episodes? Those scared the crap out of me as a kid.
posted by afroblanca at 9:46 AM on August 16, 2005

what about Spielberg's Amazing Stories, from the early 80s? Most of those were creepy as hell - and great TV starring some big-name people. When you grew up (like I did) without cable that was about as ground breaking as it got.
posted by LilBucner at 10:42 AM on August 16, 2005

No doubt! Amazing Stories was awesome!

You know, it's probably best that they don't have 60's Twilight Zone, 80'S Twilight Zone, Tales From the Darkside, and Amazing Stories all on cable at the same time. Throw in Star Trek TNG and Tivo, and I'd never leave my freakin' house again!
posted by afroblanca at 1:08 PM on August 16, 2005

I *think* Amazing Stories is on DVD ... I'm sure a quick Google search could confirm ... and if it is, it's the next addition to my collection.
posted by LilBucner at 6:52 AM on August 17, 2005