Rod Serling

[Goony]

I was a kid when I watched his "Twilight Zone" TV series many years ago.
Having spent a great deal of time with people of other cultures of
the world, I notice that some of his stories are timeless, beyond
cultural bounds, simple in construct but difficult to renovate. They
represent human conditions that are universal and sometimes, painfully
I must say, persistent.

I like to ask your opinion, criticism, or what not about Serling and
his work. Was he representative of many authors of his time, or he
was a revolutionary with a cause?

[Hobbit]

There are some comments HERE (http://www.sffworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=885) goony.

Often the things that are hardest are those that seem simple. Looking back over the series, hearing of the battles that Serling had to get the series on the air, producing quality scripts week after week, the series is a marvel.

Yes, it has dated. Those used to MTV/ER style fast cuts will find the series difficult, staid and a little dull. And yes, some of the stories have become cliches, some of the acting could've been a little better, the series was struggling as seasons continued.

The later reappearances of the series in the 1980's & beyond don't have that sparkle.

But as someone who had little experience of them (they were rarely shown here in the UK) until their appearance on the definitive edition (and they are a wonderful job!) I am impressed.

Let's not also forget their legacy, that the filmakers of today - Spielberg, Dante - were inspired by the series. No Twilight Zone= no Spielberg?

Serling, admittedly using a team of fantastic writers, was able to create quality literate TV, on time, on a limited budget, at a time when quality SFF was a rare thing indeed. In that respect he was better than a lot of that time.

His scripts such as that of Planet of the Apes show that although Twilight Zone was his baby, it wasn't his only talent.

Hobbit