7/05/2011

Twilight Zone: Where Is Everybody?

Just to show how old I am, I remember when the Twilight Zone series was on the CBS (I think it was CBS....could be wrong) lineup each week. Yes, it was in black and white. I can't watch it in color for some reason. There are episodes that were "colorized" for some reason. I just can't watch Rod Serling smoke those cigarettes in color. It was those cigarettes that ultimately killed Mr. Serling. He was a young 50 years old at the time of his death. After the Twilight Zone, Rod Serling went on to host "Night Gallery," an equally macabre horror series. But, to me, the Twilight Zone was the better of the two. Humor was mixed in with political statements that didn't really come across as political. For example, a lot of the Twilight Zone episodes dwelled on nuclear annihilation. The Cold War was really "hot" during this time period. That reflected in many of the episodes.

I suppose everyone has a favorite episode of the Twilight Zone. I have always liked "Willoughby." I liked "Walking Distance" as well. But, my favorite episode has to be "Where is Everybody?" It involved a man that woke up from a sleep, found himself in a military uniform and struck out into an unfamiliar town. The problem was that there was no one around. Coffee was still hot at a cafe, jukebox is playing, newspapers were in the rack, and other signs of life. He became paranoid, striking out at everything. He just lost it. Finally, he pushes a "walk button." As we later find out, it was actually a panic button. He was part of a military experiment to test the effects of isolation for a manned trip to the moon. "Where is Everybody" stuck with me as a kid and on up to my adult life. I eventually wrote a novel somewhat similar to this. "Diary: Alone on Earth" is due to be released in ebook format sometime this year. I quit trying the traditional publishing route or self-publishing.

"Where is Everybody" is my favorite Twilight Zone episode as I stated. It is difficult to pick just one. I like most of them. But, "Where is Everybody" is the one that had the most effect on me. I find the entire plot, storyline fascinating.




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