The Twilight Zone Companion

by Marc Scott Zicree

The Twilight Zone has captivated, teased and haunted the imaginations of countless millions of viewers from its 1959 debut through its 156 subsequent episodes and many years of steady rebroadcast.

"The Twilight Zone Companion" is the complete show-by-show guide to one of television's all-time greatest series, covering from inception to cancellation, through syndication and subsequent offshoots and remakes, and is fascinating reading for even the most casual fan.

Coverage of each episode includes a plot synopsis, Rod Serling's narrations, critical commentary, behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes from the original artists who created the series, a complete list of cast and crew, and over 200 production photographs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Tv, Horror, Film, Audiobook, History

447 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Dan Fitzmaurice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved The Twilight Zone since I was young. My favorite part of summer was watching two episodes every weekday at noon. I bought the series on DVD a few years ago but never had the time to watch everything until I retired. I watched every single episode and every bonus feature. I would watch the episodes at night prior to going to bed. Then, the next morning, I would read about each episode in this book. If you are a fan of The Twilight Zone, I believe that you will enjoy this book

[Trisha Drape · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most worn-out book I own; it is referred to often throughout the years, and I actually have read it cover to cover. Most importantly, it was essential in my quest for finding and watching every single Twilight Zone episode every aired. It took a few years, but I accomplished the goal a year ago (a strange and misunderstood goal, I know). But the various writers who contributed to The Twilight Zone and, of course, Rod Serling, are among the most creative storytellers ever.

[Brenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has tons of errors. For years I thought this to be the Bible of all things Twilight Zone, but recently I acquired a book titled "Thw Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic" by Martin Grams and WOW! Someone finally gave the TV series justice.

Don't get me wrong. Zicree's book is a nice read, but no facts. "Four O'Clock" and "Mr. Garrity and the Graves" is left to one paragraph of commentary and opinion. Information regarding "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" is so wrong regarding the cost and the reason why they used a French film for a Zone episode.

What you don't know may not hurt you, but once you see the Grams 818 page book, you'll see what I mean by Zicree's book is laden with errors. Why read about a TV show when there are mistakes?

By the way, broadcast date for Long Distance Call is inaccurate in the Zicree book. Yeah, it has errors!!

[Tom Harold · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pretty fantastic, far better than I had predicted. I thought it would amount to no more than a recounting of episodes, but there is a great deal of background concerning the show, Serling himself, and the other writers involved. Numerous episodes feature particular notes related to the writing, music, or filmography involved. This is a great resource for any fan of the show.

I began this review before I finished the book, and now that I am done my opinion has not changed. The amount of research Zicree must have performed to bring all of this information together seems staggering. It's an amazing wealth of knowledge on one of television history's classics. Note: If you're just getting into the writing that went on behind the scenes, this is not a bad place to pick up on significant names on which to follow up.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

i don't want to sound like a teenager (i never want to sound like a teenager, but look at me, 18 years old and writing in all lowercase because it's popular and i like the way it looks and it's honestly easier to type this way), but this book sucked.

i am a super mega ultimate twilight zone fan. i specifically remember joining my father for parts of a twilight zone christmastime marathon on the syfy channel at the age of 5 or 6 or 7, specifically specifically the episodes time enough at last (i'm still crying tbh) and living doll ("i am talking tina, and i am going to kill you"), and watching as many as i could find for years to come. (does that sound dramatic? it feels dramatic.) a summer or two ago i made it a plan to watch/rewatch every single episode, and i finally succeeded earlier this year. i've seen a lot of the two reboots, am concerned about the upcoming reboot, and have listened to parts and pieces of the radio dramas, too. never seen the movie from the 80s, but i know the horror stories about the deaths of those poor child actors and it has marred my interest.

i love talking about the philosophy behind episodes, the ups and downs of the writing (serling>beaumont for dialogue, but serling=beaumont for plot, most of the times), i've memorized opening and closing monologues, i can sing the instrumental theme song loud and proud, i know fun facts about actors (burgess meredith and jack klugman each have 4 episodes to their name, the most of any recurring actors on the show; ida lupino was the only person to star in an episode, the sixteen-millimeter shrine, and direct an episode, the masks, and also the only woman to direct an episode, etc. etc. etc.), and backstories, political messages and social contexts to many an episode. so, yes, i consider myself pretty well versed in the twilight zone.

in addition to some interesting enough biographical and historical information about the making of the show, zicree relates the monologues and summarizes each episode, following up with a commentary or analysis of some or all aspects of that episode, which isn't really ever a commentary or analysis. many episodes are waved aside with a single sentence along the lines of "decent acting, bad writing, good special effects" (coincidentally many of the heavier political episodes are dismissed this way), followed by six paragraphs to the next episode detailing just how hard it was to find the right special effect (a thing about machines, the lonely). next, there may be a testament to a specific actor's performance (eye of the beholder, or one of the meredith episodes), right after a paragraph on the network's reaction to a potentially politically incorrect episode (the encounter). i completely understand that each episode may have different highlights and low points, but it's not fair to judge each on only one or the other. at times i question if he really saw an episode, like when he claims the main character in living doll, the brusque stepfather, is meant to be sympathized with, or when he decides that at the end of the new exhibit that the murderous wax figures are to be trusted when they convince the main character that he was the killer right before killing him.

this book was frustrating and arrogantly written. this man does not share any of the passion that i have for this show, and i'm an 18-year-old Texan living decades after the show and the era has ended. i did learn some interesting facts to add to my library of twilight zone trivia, though, so 2 stars for trying.

[Lou Salvaggio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good to just rifle through. Just saw and episode and what to know if that dashing young buck was a youthful Robert Duvall? Just whip out this book...that's what I did. Best part is I found this in the trash by my job.

[Aaron VanAlstine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the early 80s I lived in a house with some friends and we enjoyed many late evenings watching “The Zone.” One of my roomies had this book and it became a fixture during those hazy beer & pizza nights. A great reference on individual episodes, it also contains a lot of background information on the actors. I recently found the audiobook version and so I decided to give it another “read.”

Each episodic chapter begins with Rod Serling’s opening narration, a brief synopsis of that episode, and the closing narration. The chapter’s main body describes the human story behind the episode with input from the writers, producers, and actors. Vastly more comprehensive books on the Twilight Zone have been published in recent years, but this has the benefit of the author’s access to many of the show’s writers and producers. It’s not for everybody, though; you really have to be familiar with the show (and be a fan) to enjoy reading about every episode.

[CaliGirlRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite reference guide for one of my fave spec antho shows of all time. I love that this shows and describes all the episodes including the opening and closing narration by Serling. I wish there was more objective commentary and behind the scenes as the author tends to give his opinion a bit too much (which shifts it away from a true companion guide). But all in all a good resource that every T-Zone fan should have on their shelf.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandfather gave me this book, too. I used to watch The Twilight Zone when i would visit him and drink coke and eat toast and bread & butter sandwiches. I didn't read it for a few years (seems to be a running theme), but not for as long. Now i own the entire DVD collection and it's one of my favorite TV shows, ever. Thanks grandpa!

[Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who was that in the episode when...? When was that episode on? Where does that episode fit into the whole? What was that episode called? These answers and the answers to most questions on this landmark series will be found here.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You're travelling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind; a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead -- your next stop, the Twilight Zone!"
Rod Serling.

It was fun to revisit "The Twilight Zone" and learn about the characters and background that went into each of the 156 episodes. "The Twilight Zone" was Rod Serling's brilliant creation which persuasively played on human fears, prejudices and dreams. For the most part Serling did not deal in the macabre but nevertheless introduced a metaphysical horror that was quite chilling. Lasting five seasons and starting in 1959 the Zone was pioneering work for the new black and white television medium; many were hooked and I was fascinated.

[Conal Cochran · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Twilight Zone was one of my gateway drugs into appreciation of the horror genre, and back when I was getting into it, I read this book dozens of times. The only problem with the book is that the quality sort of oscillates depending on the author's interests, and not necessarily with the importance of the episode--thus something seminal like "Occurrence at Owl Creek" gets the shaft.

Still, it's an engaging and well-illustrated resource, and is especially good when talking about the early days of television and teleplay writing.

[Tabatha · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book could be so much better, with revision. As it contains good stats and trivia, readers can reference which episodes are written by a certain author or by similarly themed episodes... and make their own mini marathon... If interested, fans can learn about Rod Serling before and after the series aired and read highlights, like finding his Playhouse 90 contributions that won Emmys such as Patterns or Requiem for a Heavyweight. (These are currently on youtube with hilarious commercials from the sponsors).

If Zicree could have left well enough alone, all could have been well! Could he not have have enjoyed the privilege of being given access to undeveloped scripts and visiting the attic of Rod Serling, without “going there”? He came to know so many sci fi writers through writing this book... but instead. he completes his book by inserting himself into the proceedings in the most annoying and unwarranted way... Zicree forgets that he is the biographer, not the genius, and he is arrogant enough to criticize and armchair referee, which is in poor taste and over the top.

Why does this happen to my favorite writers and filmmakers? Anton Chekhov from literature and plays; David Lynch from film. Chekhov scholar from Oxford U. Ron Hingley refused to translate much of Chekhov’s work, because it wasn’t “worthy of the name of Chekhov?!” David Lynch was forced to reveal Laura Palmer’s killer and then cancelled for low ratings after the reveal... Serling was bullied into selling the Twilight Zone rights to CBS, whose executives told him he went over budget and they would never recoup their money.... The writers and creators are maligned and misunderstood, cheated out of earnings, given short shrift? Is it jealousy, kind of a Salieri to the Mozart?

Whatever makes people do this, I truly feel compelled to defend the genius of Rod Serling... who is often torn apart by Zicree in the most backhanded way. In one instance, he introduces Richard Matheson’s first script “The Last Flight,” by making jabs at Serling. “Matheson had none of Serling’s sentimentality or nostalgia and none of his affection for ‘the little people,’ those insignificant, slightly eccentric characters so in evidence in many of Serling’s scripts.” This is not merely a contrast as it could have been... it is a value judgment to elevate Matheson for his ‘objectivity,’ and to berate Serling for the social commentary that drew him to sci fi in the first place! Why is nostalgia so undesirable? Who is Zicree to claim this? Why does he build a career based on this book in which he both capitalizes on and takes swings at Serling? He writes, “Matheson’s approach to writing was one that suited The Twilight Zone perfectly...” implying that Rod’s wasn’t for the above reasons. I absolutely respect Matheson’s skill, but this is not the point. Matheson can be celebrated without backhanding the genius of Serling. And if Zicree couldn’t celebrate Serling’s strengths and his prolific ideas, then why write the book?

It has been years since I picked up this book, and did so because I wanted to review the trivia but honestly, this is just as bad if not worse than I remembered... This book definitely deserves an edit to take out Zicree’s ratings and judgments. As they say, “Just the facts, ma’am!”

[Alexei Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well organized and put together. The author's personal position as a Hollywood insider certainly added a degree of legitimacy to the work, in general. However, the work is seriously marred by the fact we read mostly about Marc Zicree's personal opinions and anecdotes and very little about the actual twilight zone episodes. Indeed, some episodes have no more than a paragraph devoted to them, all of which is merely the author's opinion of the episode. Very unsatisfying. This deficiency is not helped by the fact that Mr. Zicree seems to passionately hate at least 50% of all twilight zones made, and whether or not his criticisms are valid, it is NOT what a die hard Twilight Zone fan wishes to pay money to read about. They wish to relive the pleasure of the episode by learning more indepth details, which they may not have known about, had they not read your book. Rather than expend ten pages on your withering dissection of a particularly reviled twilight zone episode, Mr. Zicree, perhaps we could have trivia about the actors, details about how the production of said episode went (including all relevant bloopers or mix-ups) or something else, similar, which would appeal to actual Twilight Zone fans. For a true fan, the excessively long passages devoted to negative criticism are so distracting they make the reading almost unbearable. Surely, you are aware that fans would prefer trivia or other snippets of information, which really are not all that hard to research, particularly for an insider, like yourself. True fans, such as I describe here, were your target market, Mr. Zicree, so either you need to hire a better marketing consultant, or you dropped the ball, as far as appropriate book concept goes. It's my understanding Mr. Zicree had a veritable monopoly on the Twilight Zone manual market for many years and that's likely why it was so popular, in the 80s and 90s. Luckily, nowadays, there are many competing works that cover the subject in a way much more appealing to those of us who actually like the Twilight Zone.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first edition of this book when it came out way back in the day. This was before Twilight Zone: The Movie and well before the second incarnation of the series in the 80s. This second edition discusses both, although with far lesser coverage than Zicree gives for the original show.

The Twilight Zone Companion was probably the first serious attempt to write about the show and it still holds up well, but more recent books have gone into more detail. Here, for all practical purposes, when an episode was good, more was written about it. The less successful episodes sometimes only get a sentence or two, which is too bad. Even the lousy episodes deserve better treatment. Still, this is a good resource for fans or newcomers.

[SheriC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read through this while binge-watching TTZ series before it's dropped from Netflix at the end of the month. It's an excellent guide, providing an overview and some history on the program, but even better, lists every episode with notes on all aspects - writers, directors, actors, production, and interesting anecdotes. I only give it four stars because the order in which the episodes are listed is confusing. It seems to be by aired date, which apparently doesn't correspond to the episode number. and the episodes aren't listed in the table of contents, so it took some page shuffling to find a particular episode that I was watching. This is probably a non-issue in e-book format, though.

Paperback, came with a DVD set for Season 1.

[carl theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good overview for the Zone fan. In the late 80s before
cable was omnipresent we'd watch the reruns after the news
at 10:30pm. This book was key to figuring out what season
the episode was from, if we had seen them all, who was
that actor, etc.


With this I was able to figure out I probably saw the
original airing of 'Nightmare at 20000 feet' with the
long before Star Trek Shatner. My folks woke me up
to see it cause I liked monsters. I viewed the
terrifying gremlin behind the curtain on the
wing, and then was put back to bed, I didn't
sleep for 2 days and I sure didn't look out
the window.

[Ted · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost as freaky as the show.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must read for any diehard Twilight Zone fan. Filled with fun little tidbits and lots of background information, it really fleshes out the show.

[P.J. MacNamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm the kind of guy who gives practically everything five stars. That's because (A) I'm a pretty good judge of what I'm going to like and if I think I'm not going to like a book I just don't buy it, and (B) being a writer myself, I know how devastating it is to get a bad review for something you've slaved over and put your heart and soul into for years. To me, anyone that actually manages to get a book out into the world deserves three stars for effort, patience and self-belief, and if I actually like it, it's worth at least four. I make it a general rule to not review books I don't like. It's very hard to create something from nothing, but it's oh so easy to destroy, and a bad book is just as hard to write as a good one.

I've actually bought this book three times. I got the first edition in the late 80s and loved it. Then not too long after I discovered there was an expanded second edition that included series 2 and 3 of the 80s series and I bought it again. In around 2003 the whole series came out in 5 DVD box sets, so of course I bought it again even though I had off-air VHS recordings of all but 4 or 5 episodes....and with the series one box, this book came free again, only it was the long since obsolete first edition again. As it was part of the box set I foolishly sold my expanded second edition and have for many years now been wishing I hadn't. It really is very good. At some point I'm going to have to buy this book for a fourth time.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

In discussions here at SFFWorld I have mentioned before how important the TV series The Twilight Zone was and is to the genre. In short, from 1959 – 1964, over five seasons and 156 episodes, it was regarded, at its peak, as one of the most important television series out there. It dealt with human issues – life, love, racism, fascism and death, and also space exploration, aliens, the devil, time travel and the threat of nuclear apocalypse.

Much of this broad remit was down to the show’s creator and lead scriptwriter, Rod Serling. Rod wrote 92 of the 156 episodes, something unprecedented at the time, although Michael J. Straczynski managed something similar with the seven series of Babylon 5 (1993- 1998.) It also helped that with Rod there were other wordsmiths such as George Clayton Johnson, Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson, who all created a quality that was often beyond the usual ‘monsters in space’ format.

When I was young in the 1970’s and ‘80’s I was very, very jealous of those of you who had seen the series. Reading an episode guide in Starlog #15 in August 1978, and knowing of the series’ reputation, I was desperate to see this series. In the UK I didn’t get chance to see any episodes until the BBC showed a limited selection late on a Saturday night in 1983. (I may have even seen the later Rod Serling series Night Gallery on late-night television before it.)  As technology developed, to see more Twilight Zone I had to buy (at a ridiculously high price!) DVDs from the USA and run them on a multi-region DVD player (again, more expense!)

Today, I’m lucky enough to own the complete series on Blu-ray (for less than the price of one season on DVD!), with pristine images and superior audio. Presumably, now that this has just become available as a complete box set in the US and the UK, this has led to the republication of this book, now revised and updated in its third edition.

If you are someone watching the series for the first time, or watching again for the umpteenth time, you need this book to widen your experience.

The book’s layout is fairly traditional now. Each season is taken in turn, and each episode of the season, in production order, is given a synopsis. Each summary starts with Rod’s initial speech ‘into the Twilight Zone’, and usually ends with his outro.

For me the decision to present them in production order, though clearly explained by Zicree in the book, is a misstep. Whilst I accept that by showing the episodes in order of production it shows some of the difficulties and developments of the series, personally I would prefer to watch them in the order that they were shown on television. Each episode has the transmission date given and I guess that that’s what your DVD/Blu-ray selection button is for. But it is annoyingly fiddly!

It might have been an idea to cross-reference those in this third edition too, especially as Marc takes time to point out that there are fifty-two interviews that he collated for the Blu-rays online. There is an episode list at the front of the book for anyone who wants to look up a particular season/episode.

The summaries are generally thorough and not always as positive as you might expect. Each episode is also analysed and often given a context which is not always apparent from watching the episodes or reading the synopses. As well as the episode synopsis, there is a detailed overview of each season and an explanation of the trials and tribulations of making such a series.

What elevates this book above many that are similar is the wealth of additional detail given throughout. It is these extra details that elevate this book from a mere programme summary. There are minutiae included here, based on interviews with many of the still-surviving cast and crew (or at least those still with us in 1982), or their relatives that will be of interest those watching it a first time, or those, like me, who are watching the series more than once.

What amazes me now (but really shouldn’t!)  are the stories about the battles between the production and the money-men, the television executives and the sponsorship which are well documented here – some things clearly don’t change!  With all of this in mind, I am surprised at the quality of what came out, even the less-successful episodes, considering what was going on. Rod was clearly affected by it, and the ill-health that he endured in his later years may in no small part be due to the stress of having to continue to be successful, to helm a series that was, at first, a runaway success.

The book has been difficult (or very expensive!) to obtain for a while now (the second edition was first published in 1989), and so this new edition is much appreciated. Bringing the book up to date there are more interviews - now with added George Takei, interviewed in 2017, and Rod’s daughter Jodi, for example - and there’s been time for a critical summary and some analysis of the cumulative effect of the series by 2018. Marc doesn’t shy away from the 1980’s version, although he is more complimentary than I’d expected, and brings us slap-bang up to date with the news of a new version of TZ, overseen by Jordan Peele.

It is sobering to realise that the first and second editions were both written before the Internet was invented/widely used. At times the self-referencing (“Look at these pictures/scripts/interview transcripts online!) is a little annoying, but it can’t be denied that there’s a lot of work been done on collating this material (online – got it?)

In short, this book is a knowledgeable and enjoyable read. It should sit next to your Blu-rays or streaming device, to be read before or after each episode. (Be warned though – there are spoilers if you’re reading beforehand!) It is essential for anyone who wants to know more about the series, and now, with a wider audience than ever before, the highs and the lows of a seminal creation can be appreciated.

An essential reference work.

[Don LaFountaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book about Rod Serling’s TV show, “The Twilight Zone”. It is one of my favorite shows and the book adds a lot to the enjoyment of watching it.

The book gives the reader/fan an introduction to Rod Serling, his background, and what he had written for television prior to “The Twilight Zone”. The ending gives the reader/fan an account of what Rod did after the series was cancelled, as well as other efforts to revise the series in a movie and TV shows during the 80’s. The bulk of the book is a breakdown of each episode that aired on the original series from 1959 – 1964. Some write ups are longer than others, but the basic format of the write up is: a) the introduction to the episode by Rod Serling, b) a synopsis of the episode, and c) the concluding monologue to the episode, d) the book’s discussion of various things about the episode.

Some of the cool things the reader/fan will learn in the book include:
- How Death Valley was too much for the actors and crew while they filmed “The Lonely”
- How heavy makeup was used on Kevin McCarthy to be able to shoot the death scene in “Long Live Walter Jameson” in one continual shot.
- How they filmed the scene in “Eye of the Beholder” where Janet Tyler’s bandages are being removed.
- Why there were 6 episodes in the 2nd season on “tape”
- How actor Joseph Schildkraut was able to bring such emotion to his character in “The Trade-ins”
- How the special effect of the painting melting in “The Midnight Sun” was achieved
- Why the title changed from “The Twilight Zone” to “Twilight Zone”

There is a lot more interesting tidbits throughout the pages of the book that readers will love. Another enjoyable part of the book is that though it is written with knowledge and understanding of the show, it’s producers and writers, the reader is free to agree/disagree as to the worth of the episode. In this way, it is kind of like a top ten list that is subjective to the reader. I would highly recommend this book to any fan of “The Twilight Zone”.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is specifically for the 3rd edition of the book, released last year.

If you're looking for a book that covers the overall history of the show, gives little episode recaps so you can figure out just which one you're looking for, and gives some insight into the behind-the-scenes goings on with production, this is the book you want. The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic acts as a good companion to this book, but this provides the base information most fans are looking for.

As for the third edition: I had the second edition for over a decade and picked this up to see what had been added for this 2018 edition. The majority of the update is in photos - this adds a ton of episode photos which balance out the written content and illustrate the episodes well. Textual updates are disappointing - Zicree largely makes these about himself rather than the show, focusing on where his initial opinions of an episode were too harsh, or speaking to the interviews he did for the book rather than adding any additional details from Serling's archives. That's a little disappointing for the first update to the book in around 40 years. Web resources pointed to are frustratingly disorganized - Zicree oversaw the recent Blu-ray edition of the full classic show, and the bits on the site to support this book feel like a hodge-podge with no structure. There are also typos in the text of this edition that aren't present in the previous edition - someone should have gone through as they were updating the layout to make sure this stayed cleaned up. All of these sloppy details in the production of the new edition make it so I can't give this a full five stars.

[Bob Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, deeply rewarding book on Rod Serling's classic TV series "The Twilight Zone." With its captivating summaries and insightful reviews of every "Twilight Zone" episode ever made, this book is clearly the definitive work on the subject. Yet, this book is much more than just a reference guide. Author Marc Zicree writes in a style that is warm, illuminating, and sincere, guiding the reader into the very heart of this iconic TV show. With grace and class, Zicree journeys through the entire history of "The Twilight Zone" in a way that humanizes the series, introducing us to the spectacular talents of the real people who put in the hard work to make the show happen. Thanks to Zicree's meticulous research and his own compelling gifts as a storyteller, this volume becomes nothing less than a breathtaking volume on the art of storytelling itself.
- Bob Rich, February 2017

[R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read around the same time as Something Wicked This Way Comes. At the time, Twilight Zone wasn't available on VHS...the only knowledge I had of it was from parents, grandparents talking about how old episodes related to present situations...or comic book adaptations found in flea market bins (4/$1 was the usual asking price). I cozied up (I believe I was struck with a bad cold, thus the book-gorging) and read this from cover to cover between servings of graham crackers and bowls of chicken soup.

***
It's 2 a.m. and the fear is gone: http://youtube.com/watch?v=a1sf2CzEq0w

Get Lasik before the Pockylips, Cap'n Walker: http://youtube.com/watch?v=RrMmIO9z_GA

Shit. I should probably explain the Captain reference: http://youtube.com/watch?v=CVK4iCHJ2gQ

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

"twilight zone dissected...but sometimes out of order"

like many of the things i like today, my love of twilight zone ressurrected from my childhood fear of some key episodes. fear turned into interest and then into fanaticism. this provides any twilight zone fan more than enough reading material, although the a number of the author's episodic verdicts i do not agree with. however, thats what made much of the book a great read, seeing as how many people my age do not/have not watched an episode. however, BUYER BEWARE! if you are a newcomer to twilight zone and have not seen all the episodes, try not to read. many a time i found my self spoiling episodes by reading the synopsis of the the episodes before i could get my hands on the actual episodes.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up watching old black and white episodes of The Twilight Zone, I watched the movie and sought out the rebooted '85 series on dvd as a teenager. I've always loved the show, so I wanted to find out more about how it was created, and the behind the scenes antics.

This book is as much about Rod Serling as it is about his show. It expands upon his legacy, his involvement in the show as well as the aftermath of the eventual cancellation.

It also goes into some detail about the movie and the resurrected series of the eighties. A definite read for anyone who loves this show.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before the internet and Wikipedia, one had to rely on actual books for information on a particular topic (and in the age of the Internet and Wikipedia, one still - usually - has to rely on actual books for facts as opposed to opinion). This amazingly entertaining book was the be-all and end-all on everything ZONE and I read it cover to cover many, many times. If you like Serling's masterpiece, you should really scare up a copy.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summaries of each episode, complete with casting stats and critiques of each episode. Nice light reading. I have to say that the critiques are very short and not really that interesting. Not unpleasant, either. I should say, nothing spectacular. Perhaps, this book is good as a bathroom reader?

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't agree with all the reviews...then again, that IS the point of literary and TV/film criticism! One of the most thorough, brilliant, and groundbreaking guides ever published. In other words, it's an emminently suitable companion for such a brilliant and groundbreaking series.