Anne Serling, Rob Zombie, and Me, Quoted in The New York Times About Twilight Zone? Yep, It Happened

Just over a decade ago, I got a surprising phone call: A New York Times reporter wanted to interview me about The Twilight Zone.

I knew there were more qualified experts out there, but I wasn’t about to say no, especially if it meant I might be quoted in such a prestigious newspaper.

The reason for the story: CBS had just released a new DVD set of the series. So reporter Erik Piepenberg and I chatted for a little while one day late in 2013, and a few days later, there I was, opining about TZ’s longevity to thousands of readers.

Even more remarkably, Piepenberg had interviewed some truly famous people about the Zone, including Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, musician/director Rob Zombie, and Rod’s younger daughter, Anne. They even got a quote from Lin-Manuel Miranda, shortly before he wrote his smash-hit musical “Hamilton.” What an interesting mix! The Zone‘s appeal is incredibly broad.

So for the benefit of those who don’t have a Times subscription, here’s the full article, “Crossing Over to an Area We’ll Call … ” (December 5, 2013):

When a strange little show called “The Twilight Zone” was first broadcast in 1959, the executives at CBS probably had no idea they had a game changer on their hands. The anthology of dark morality tales — with an occasional detour into brainy comedy — did well in the ratings but was canceled after five seasons. It wasn’t until the series started running in syndication at night and on weekends that its popularity soared. Shows like “The Walking Dead” and “American Horror Story” owe their popularity to its sharply written blend of horror, science fiction and thriller.

Serling Fest 2022: A Stellar Line-Up Set to Appear in Binghamton August 12-14

That’s right, fifth-dimension fans. It hasn’t even been a full year since the 2021 “Serling Fest,” but we’re getting set to gather again — this time on the second weekend of August.

But a couple of things haven’t changed, I’m glad to say. As usual, we’ll meet in Rod’s hometown of Binghamton, New York. And just as before, a great line-up of presenters and programs are on the slate. Check it out:

So we’ll get:

• Anne Serling, Rod’s younger daughter and author of “As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling“
• Tony Albarella, editor of “As Timeless of Infinity,” a 10-volume set of Serling’s Twilight Zone scripts
• Marc Zicree, author of “The Twilight Zone Companion“
• Nick Parisi, president of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation and author of “Rod Serling: His Life, Work, and Imagination“
• Mark Dawidziak, author of “Everything I Need to Know I Learned in the Twilight Zone”
• Mark Olshaker, a friend of Serling’s and author of numerous books, including the “Mindhunter” ones with John Douglas
• Courtland Hull, the artist who painted the Zone-themed panels at the Recreation Park carousel that inspired “Walking Distance”
• Jonathan Napolitano, director of “The Carousel”

Here’s what they’ve got lined up over the three-day period:

“Rod Serling: His Life, Work, and Imagination”: A Review

Looking for a book about Rod Serling and The Twilight Zone? Until a few years ago, your options were pretty limited.

Many fans have a dog-eared copy of Marc Zicree’s “The Twilight Zone Companion,” but not simply because it’s a good book: For a long time, it was the only game in town.

But now? Take your pick.

You can read books by experts such as Amy Boyle Johnson (“Unknown Serling: An Episodic History, Vol. 1”), Martin Grams (“Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic”), Steven Rubin (“The Twilight Zone Encyclopedia”) and Mark Dawidziak (“Everything I Need to Know I Learned in the Twilight Zone”).

There’s also Anne Serling’s “As I Knew Him: My Dad, Rod Serling”, a heartfelt portrait of everyone’s favorite ambassador to the fifth dimension. There are books about the philosophy of TZ, the music of TZ … the list goes on.

So why would you pick up a new, 584-page book by Nicholas Parisi called “Rod Serling: His Life, Work, and Imagination”?

Serling Fest 2018: Celebrating TZ — and More — in Rod’s Hometown

My disappointment over Syfy ditching the July 4th marathon was, I’m happy to say, fairly short-lived. On July 5, I hit the road for “Serling Fest 2018” in Rod’s hometown of Binghamton, New York.

It was a first for me. I’d never been there before.

Surprised? I don’t blame you. Considering how long I’ve been fanning publicly over Serling’s work (starting when I set up my Twitter page in September 2010), you’d think I’d have visited long before now. But the timing or the money (or both!) was never right — until now.

It was a long drive (four hours one-way), but well worth it. It’s one thing to read about Serling’s childhood experiences, or to view pics online. It’s another to walk the streets he did and reflect on the fact that you’re in the very spot where, for all intents and purposes, The Twilight Zone was born.

A Cherished Inscription for a Grateful Rod Serling Fan

Ever been asked to name a famous individual from history that you’d want to have dinner with? I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that Rod Serling tops my list.

You can imagine the questions I’d have for him. I doubt one meal would give us enough time to cover everything I want to know.

Somewhere on the list of topics would be his opinion of what I do on social media to spotlight his work. Does he like it? Am I presenting it well? What can I do to improve it?

Sadly, of course, I can’t know what he thinks. He’s been gone for over 40 years. But I have something that’s almost as good — a special book with an inscription that always makes me smile.

Rod Serling and Model Airplanes: Winging It

One of my favorite anecdotes from Anne Serling’s book:

My dad loved building model airplanes. He would sit at a wooden table and, although not very mechanically minded, assemble these tiny warplanes, gluing and painting them.

Rod Serling and Inger Stevens

His brother remembered: “I was visiting Rod in California and [he] was building a replica of the Red Baron’s Fokker triplane. He couldn’t get the glue to hold on the top wing which kept flopping. Rod finally lost his patience, threw the model on the floor and stamped it into a few hundred pieces. ‘Rod,’ I asked, ‘why the hell do you even build those things if you get so frustrated?’”

Serling the Serious vs. Serling the Silly

Anyone who’s perused my list of least-favorite Twilight Zone episodes knows I don’t really care for “Cavender is Coming,” in which Carol Burnett stars as a bumbling young lady in need of a guardian angel. But I can’t deny the charm of these behind-the-scenes pictures of her with Rod Serling.

I think it’s because they underscore a lesser-known facet of Serling’s personality: his sense of humor. As any TZ fan will tell you, part of the appeal of the series is hearing him, on-screen and off, addressing us in his famous tight-lipped way, grimly confiding the fate of that episode’s protagonist.

He was so chillingly effective at telling us how stories unfolded “… in the Twilight Zone” that it’s easy to be surprised when we learn how much he enjoyed a good joke.