Comments on: There is a sign post up ahead...

There is a sign post up ahead...

braun_richard — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 18:51:10 -0800

Submitted for your approval. Very cool essay from Jonathan Lethem on the life of Rod Serling.

By: maxsparber

maxsparber — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:03:57 -0800

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

Night Gallery was in color.

By: Civil_Disobedient

Civil_Disobedient — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:56:18 -0800

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.

By: jscalzi

jscalzi — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 03:42:18 -0800

"I've never seen a photograph of Rod Serling that wasn't black and white." Here's one. You're welcome.

By: languagehat

languagehat — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 05:56:13 -0800

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?

By: dlugoczaj

dlugoczaj — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 07:18:19 -0800

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.

By: alumshubby

alumshubby — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 07:52:11 -0800

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.

By: afroblanca

afroblanca — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 09:46:47 -0800

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.

By: LilBucner

LilBucner — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 10:42:50 -0800

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.

By: afroblanca

afroblanca — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 13:08:30 -0800

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!

By: LilBucner

LilBucner — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 06:52:35 -0800

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.