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.