The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic | 
 enlarge | Author: Martin Grams
Publisher: OTR Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $49.95
Buy New: $39.45
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Avg. Customer Rating:  6 reviews
Sales Rank: 31766
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 816
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.7
Dimensions (in): 9.7 x 7 x 1.7
ISBN: 0970331096
EAN: 9780970331090
ASIN: 0970331096
Publication Date: September 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Very few television shows withstand the test of time, and Rod Serling'sTHE TWILIGHT ZONE is one of the notable exceptions. Proven to be an important part of American culture since its debut on CBS in October 1959, many Hollywood producers, screenwriters and directors have been inspired and influenced by this series. Comic books, magazine articles, numerous television revivals, a major motion picture and even modern audio productions have been produced, showcasing the continuing popularity of this television classic. This definitive history presents a portrait of the beloved Rod Serling and his television program, recounting the major changes the show underwent in format and story selection, including censorship battles, production details, and exclusive memories from cast and crew. The complete episode guide recalls all 156 episodes of the series in detail that has never before been accomplished in any publication. This book will make you want to look back at the episodes once again, whether you are a casual fan or serious enthusiast of the series. Unlock the door to a television classic by reading about the in-jokes, bloopers, and other trivia associated with the behind-the-scenes production of . . . THE TWILIGHT ZONE!
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File this one under 'E' for Excellent! November 18, 2008
This is simply put a remarkable and groundbreaking historical book on The Twilight Zone. I have three from other authors and I enjoyed each of them. But compared to previous volumes this is the best. Rod Serling and Twilight Zone scholars will be using this as a reference for decades to come.
Why am I doing cartwheels?
First off, the extraordinary research put into this work was incredible. The execution and presentation of the material is easy to understand and intriguing on its own, yet, the more fact presented, the more material I needed to have. Take the music cues. Laid out in a simple easy-to-follow format you can become familiar with each music score sequenced.
Additionally, by collecting what I take was nearly everything ever written or presented previously on Twilight Zone the author reveals the errors in previous Twilight Zone tomes and the true facts citing sources for the correct information. In other words, the author offers the reader a true, factual behind-the scenes account of each and every production.
I was surprised to see the inclusion of some stories I've always considered to be impossible to unearth -- take the six video taped episodes. The author goes into detail regarding the tightening of budget for the second season production, Buck Houghton's fight against CBS and Rod Serling putting his foot down and telling the network what he thought of their idea to use videotape. The author spared no expense -- financial records are included!!!
Achival data from Universities and the author's personal collection was gleaned for accuracy. The trivia for each episode is probably the best part of the book if the reader is seeking behind-the-scenes stories. The author points out trivia I never noticed before. When Arthur becomes Adolph Hitler in "The Man in the Bottle" the swastika on the flag hanging on the wall is backwards! For "The Rip Van Winkle Caper," the flight schedule for the actors and production crew to film on location is featured on page 395. Charles Beaumont suggested Wally Cox and Tony Randall to play the lead in "Dead Man's Shoes". Joey Bishop once asked to play a role on the series but never got the opportunity. A microphone can be seen on the screen in an early scene in "On Thursday We Leave for Home". Ralph W. Nelson's sketches and layouts for the naval destroyer for "The Thirty-Fathom Grave" is reprinted on page 546. Arch Oboler wrote a script titled "What the Devil?" for the Twilight Zone. It was purchased and never produced. Details regarding the origin of the story, hosting narratives, plot and the reason why it was never produced is revealed.
I did a favor for the author some time ago and knew there was going to be another book about The Twilight Zone in near future. While some books are coffee table picture books and others are script reprints, I always wanted one that was as fun as Marc Scott Zicree's and with a lot more going for it. Well, this is it.
Overall, this is a brilliant book. I also want to thank an author of two Twilight Zone books for bringing this to my attention. While his postings on other web-sites were negative about this book (and I believe he is a member of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation), my curiosity was peaked. I investigated and now, after three days reading I offer the following summation: A superior REFERENCE that readers everywhere will enjoy.
a history and an encyclopedic guide to the popular TV series November 17, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Twilight Zone's aficionados--the legions of them--will want to go through the content from front to back to run across material they never would have thought about or expected anyone could have ever gotten. One such item is a schedule of Rod Sterling's business trips from 1961 to 1963. Grams introduces this with, "As an indication of how busy Rod Sterling's schedule was,...." The TV show's dedicated viewers will thank the author for this and numerous other bits of fetching trivia in the text and frequent insets. Such material is found mostly in the first section "History of 'The Twilight Zone'."
The kinds of specifics one expects and would typically be looking for in a work on a staple of popular culture can be found handily enough with the reference book-like organization and tools such as chronological chapters and two indexes. Each of the show's 156 episodes beginning in 1953 on CBS are treated individually in the following section "The Episode Guide" with a chapter for each of the five seasons. The format for each show is roughly the same. Each show is identified by production number and title followed by date of initial telecast, copyright holder, dates of filming, and date of shooting script. Then comes the cast, stock music cues with title, performer, and length in seconds. After this is producer, director, and stage crew; then plot and finally trivia. Before and after the plot are the introductory and closing quotes for each show which were one of the show's most popular and memorable features. "In the parlance of the twentieth century, this is an oddball. His name is James B. W. Bevins and his tastes lean toward stuffed animals, zither music...," goes one; with the reader hearing it in the slightly incredulous, essentially matter-of-fact tone of the narrator of the voiceover.
Grams, steeped in television history and lore and author of over 12 other books, has included in the book everything which would inform and entertain Twilight Zone and TV buffs. This is a definitive guide to the series and welcome companion to reruns of it or of single shows.
THANK YOU, MR. SERLING !!! November 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Even at 800 plus pages I hesitated buying this book. I thank my lucky stars that my boss gave me my Christmas bonus early. This book is worth every penny. For years I used to think Zicree's book was the final word but like others before me I began to see the light and begged for more. Zicree had errors and commentary instead of facts. Recollections from people he interviewed were incorrect. Even with a revised edition, Zicree never made the corrections. Sad.
Thankfully this Grams book not only chronicals every episode with all the extra info you could want, i.e., cast lists, shooting locations, production costs and dates but has so much great behind-the-scenes stuff it makes me want to dust off the DVDs and rewatch the episodes for the umpteenth time.
There is so much here I cannot even begin to describe how good the book is. My favorite episode is "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?" so I will turn to that episode entry and cite the trivia listed underneath spanning pages 406 thru 408 to give you an idea.
A summary of a 1958 Serliing-scripted premise titled "The Night of the Big Rain" is included, offering me a glimpse of what Serling initially intended before revising it for this 1961 telecast. Amazing how he actually thought space aliens in the form of dogs would take over thhe world! Serling had intentions of writing the script for the first season and was commissioned to write "The Missing Martian." The original script title for this episode was "Nobody Here But Us Martians." The interior of the diner was filme don stage 19 at MGM and the highway countryside on stage 11. The snow effects cost $600, more than the cost to design the diner which was $550. Morgan Jones, who played the role of Trooper Dna Perry, had to record his lines later in the month, weeks after filming was completed, because his voice did not track completely on the finished film after it was produced. Thus many of his lines were dubbed into the soundtrack!
John Archer recalls what it was like to do the episode. The name Cayuga Bus Lines on the side of the bus is an inside joke. Cayuga was the name of the production company responsible for the production of The Twilight Zone. The bus passenger names Olmsted was named after Connie Olmsted, Serling's secretary. The bus passengers Peter and Rosee Kramer was another inside joke -- his wife's maiden name was Kramer. The oddball character played by Jack Elam was named Avery, after a friend of Serling's named Ira L. Avery. The character of Ethel McConnell was named after the casting director, Ethel Winant. The differences between the first draft and the final draft of the script is revealed. The sponsor for the program was Oasis cigarettes and this episode, prompted by pressure from the sponsor features numerous people smoking the entire time. Even the sponsor's slogan was uttered in the episode! Tracy's Pond referened was named after a real pond an hour from Serling's NY home. props in this episode were reused for "A Hundred Yards Over the Rim" including signs on the wall and the jukebox. The music cue from the on-again off-again music box was also featured in "The Lonely." And there's more!
I bought two Serling biographies and was disappointed. I bought four of those Serling script books at $55 a pop from Gauntlet Press because they had more material than Zicree and that was how I started realizing Zicree's book was lacking good material. But I have to tell you that if you want to buy one and only one book that will give you everything you want to know, buy this Grams book. If I had known this was going to be released in this kind of detail level, I would never have bought any of the previous Zone/Serling books.
Waiting for 25 years October 6, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Absolutely incredible! This is the book of my favorite show I've been waiting for for years. The detail is unmatched as is the genuine love the author brings across for this one-of-a-kind series. This book has answered questions that I've wondered about forever. Thank you Martin, worth every penny and much more!
Also, love George Clayton Johnson's forward, met him at the Twilight Zone convention in LA in '04. Helluva great guy!!!
It's a Phone Book ! September 25, 2008
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
The size of a phone book, the core of the paperweight is the episode guide broken down by season. Among the essentials are production dates; production costs; complete cast credits; music score and stock cues; alternative narrations; proposed casting; talent fees and story origin. This is not a critical analysis of the episodes, thank goodness. Tired of reading that. Facts are presented in an easy to read format. Revealing bloopers are nice.
I was a long-time subscriber to THE TWILIGHT ZONE MAGAZINE which was responsible for publicizing Marc Scott Zicree's book. For years that book was the Bible of all things Twilight Zone. Of recent I discovered there were errors. "Long Distance Call" had the wrong broadcast date. William Froug mis-credited the cost of "Owl Creek Bridge." Very little facts and the author devoted too much opinion. His book has become "obsolete."
Reprints of advertisements at a science-fiction convention in Chicago in the early sixties are a nice touch. So is the forword by George Clayton Johnson. Thank goodness someone took the time to do justice and do it right. Stay in the Zone and buy this today. Or as Talky Tina said in "Living Doll," . . . . . "You'll be sorry."
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