Comments on: I'm acting the role of a tired nonconformist

I'm acting the role of a tired nonconformist

Astro Zombie — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:56:41 -0800

Mike Wallace interviews Rod Serling in 1959, discussing timidity and censorship in television programming, and Serling's upcoming series The Twilight Zone. Part one. Part two. Part three. (TouTube links)

By: jfrancis

jfrancis — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:01:56 -0800

All The Mike Wallace Interviews they could find are here

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:06:00 -0800

It's interesting to watch this interview with this paragraph from Jonathan Lethem in mind: It only seemed a faint irony to learn that Serling was the most honored writer in the history of television *before* The Twilight Zone, that when he first announced the series it was seen as a disastrous artistic compromise, a signal of the collapse of his ambition. Which Serling addresses, to an extent, in the interview, although he argues that he will not be using the show to examine social issues. I suppose he just couldn't help himself when it came to injecting adult social commentary into television dramas, even those rooted in fantasy and the supernatural.

By: billysumday

billysumday — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:27:31 -0800

These are great. Thanks. Also: Holy Cow Look At All That Cigarette Smoke.

By: Astro Zombie

Astro Zombie — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:30:33 -0800

I know. It's not surprising Serling died after a series of heart attacks when he was only 50.

By: krautland

krautland — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:51:42 -0800

fantastic. more, please.

By: Artw

Artw — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:00:15 -0800

Richard Matheson wrote all my favourite ones though, Serling was always too fond of stories where someone meets an angel and learns the error of their ways, or somesuch. (Charles Beaumont also deserves props as the third major writer on the Twilight Zone as well. Poor guy died shockingly young from Alzheimers, which is probably part of why he's less well known.)

By: Sys Rq

Sys Rq — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:22:01 -0800

Also: Holy Cow Look At All That Cigarette Smoke. I know. It's not surprising Serling died after a series of heart attacks when he was only 50. And yet somehow Mike Wallace is a working nonagenarian.

By: tkchrist

tkchrist — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:13:48 -0800

Astro, I love you. The sort of love that creates a sparkling pink luminous plasma gas to waft out my ears. The Twilight Zone (and Serling in particular) being perhaps my very favorite thing on earth.

By: philfromhavelock

philfromhavelock — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 17:52:56 -0800

Thanks for posting this. The visual editing seems so quiet compared to contemporary television interviews.

By: Grimgrin

Grimgrin — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 18:41:23 -0800

It's hard listening to this interview, I keep expecting Mike Wallace to turn out to be Satan.

By: JHarris

JHarris — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:21:32 -0800

Thanks for posting this. The visual editing seems so quiet compared to contemporary television interviews. We hates the influence of music video editing. We hates it forever!

By: pxe2000

pxe2000 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:33:13 -0800

I'm especially fond of the part where he starts discussing Lassie. Not for the content, necessarily, but for the way it sounds coming from someoen with such clipped, stentorian delivery.

By: lilnemo

lilnemo — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:34:43 -0800

You can find this interview on the Treasures of the Twilight Zone.