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Rating:  -
Missed any Twilight Zone episodes? Find it here. Bring back memories. Excellent resource for anyone that LOVES the classic "Twilight Zone".
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Because of the many, many twilight zone episodes, this book is almost a necessity if you are a big fan of TZ,there were so many stories in the span of the time of this show that it is not easy to remember them all,but this book, has em all along with what the episodes were about, and then it starts to all come back to you, and the price is right also.
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I've had a copy of this book for most of my adult life. Its an invaluable guide for all fans of the show. When I lost my original copy, I was glad to find another copy on Amazon. I keep it near the TV (with other TV related books), so we can refer to it anytime we want.
What is really cool is when you recognize an actor from the past and can look up who it is in the book, then cross reference it online at imdb.com or someplace. Twilight Zone featured many of the big stars of the day and many who were soon to become stars.
Excellent book!
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Really, this book is a four and a half stars. I give it a half-"Brown Dwarf"-star because Zicree is overly critical of many of the TZ episodes. As a writer (he wrote the Roswell episode of "Deep Space Nine"), he needs to know when an episode goes good and why it goes bad. However, form the point of view of a casual fan, this annoys. Yes, not every TZ is a Shakespeare-but the Bard had a few of his own bombs (Titus Andronicus?). Furthermore, a mediocre episode of TZ is still better than most of the rot on television-then or now.
Aside form the overly-critically reviews of SOME of the episodes, this books is as close to perfection as you could hope for. In fact, I believe it should be used as a templette for future TV series companions. Even if you are nominal fan-that is, you have seen four episodes in a row during a marathon-then get this book.
So here is the book's format:
The books has an intro with a bio on Serling, and a view with what he did prior to TZ, the road to TZ, and his original pitch and the deal.
The center of the book is divided up into the shows five season. Each season is divided up into the episodes. The entry for the episode has the title, air date, cast and crew listing, a paragraph-long episode summery, plus Serling's opening and closing narration. Depending on the episode, Zicree either gives a personal reaction (which generally is critical), trivia, and behind the scenes factoids.
Zicree went whole-hog with the research. He interviewed actors Billy Mumy, Burgess Meredith, and several of the writers. Of particular interests was about Ray Bradbury's non-role in the series (p. 271ff). He also puts his finger on why TZ resonates with us-it is about the human condition, the possible human condition, and about the universal "fear of the unknown working on you." (p. 62). How many of TZ contemporaries can oyu name, or have been revived twice, and turned into a radio series? There is something special about what Serling did.
Zicree rounds out the book with a section on the cancellation of TZ, and the unused pitch called "Rod Serling's Wax Museums," which later morphed into "Night Gallery."
In the Second Edition, he included an Addendum that covered the TZ movie, and the revival series (1985-1989). Zicree is critical of both. I think this criticism is well placed for the film. Spielberg, who directed one segment for the "Night Gallery" pilot, did change the tenor of the stories from the gritty, dreadful, and sometimes nihilistic edge that TZ had, to a more kid-friendly, schmaltzy, and Spielberg-ized film that had a happy ending to the bizarre settings. It was like the film "AI"-neither Spielberg fish nor Kubrick fowl, and was carried over to his rival series "Amazing Stories."
If Zicree ever does a third revision, I would like to see what he thought about the UPN TZ revival, and the TZ radio programs. I have not see any of UPN's third revival (we can all guess what Zicree would probably think), but have heard some of the TZ radio programs. They are well done, but the only problem is that they are remakes-radio rehashes-of the original series scripts. Are they going to radiotize the original five seasons? And are we doomed to the 156 original episodes? I hope not.
I cannot laud this book enough. Except for Zicree's editorializing, this book as no flaws. As you relive your favorite episodes and learn the behind-the-secrets, you will fall in love with the TZ all over again.
PS-"Crazy As A Soup Sandwich," page 461.
Rating: -
"The Twilight Zone Companion" offers reviews and details of every "Twilight Zone" episode from the original TV series. Zicree also writes about the history of "The Twilight Zone" and the work of Rod Serling, the creator of the series, before and after "The Twilight Zone." Actors, writers, and producers are also covered. All in all, the book serves as a useful and enjoyable guide to the original TV series.
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