The Twilight Zone 50th Anniversary Celebration
Rod Serling’s Iconic Television Show First Aired October 2, 1959
Sep 29, 2009
The original Twilight Zone aired from 1959-1964 and, although CBS was reluctant to put it on their schedule, it grabbed the viewing public from first episode to last. The show has been aired around the world and of late has found a home in reruns on the SyFy Channel, which plans a 15 show marathon to be broadcast on October 2nd. The theme music for The Twilight Zone, a simple doo – doo doo-doo is instantly recognizable to most people and is even available as a cell phone ring tone.
Rod Serling Facts
- Serling was born in Syracuse, New York on Christmas Day, 1924.
- Rod Serling died on June 28, 1975
- Serling grew up in Binghamton New York and is quoted as saying, “Everyone has to have a hometown, and Binghamton is mine.” The Rod Serling Memorial Foundation is located in Binghamton.
- Rod Serling served in the United Sates Army during WWII from 1943-1945.
- He graduated from Antioch College in 1950.
- He taught at Ithaca College in Ithaca, NY from 1967-1975.
- Serling was perhaps the most prolific and award winning writer in American TV.
The Twilight Zone 50th Anniversary Celebration
While CBS is not planning to mark the fiftieth anniversary of The Twilight Zone, a host of events are planned in Binghamton, NY and Ithaca College. According to the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation, the 50th year celebration will kick off October 1st at the Holiday Inn – Triple Cities Ballroom in Binghamton.
The opening ceremonies will include the Serling family and local dignitaries, proclamations and presentations as well as guest speaker Tony Arabella, who has chronicled the works of Rod Serling in a number of formats and is currently editing a ten volume book series titled As Timeless As Infinity: The Complete Twilight Zone Scripts of Rod Serling.”
The evening will conclude with a screening of the PBS American Documentary, Submitted for Your Approval: Rod Serling which chronicles Serling’s life and was filmed, in part, in and around Binghamton.
Events planned for the remainder of The Twilight Zone 50th Anniversary Celebration include:
- A screening of the premier Twilight Zone episode, “Where is Everybody?” on Friday October 2nd at the BC Forum Theater in Binghamton.
- Saturday, October 3rd, a reading from Anne Serling from her memoir, Growing Up With The Man Behind The Twilight Zone.
- Sunday, October 4th, a special WSKB public television reenactment broadcast of two Twilight Zone scripts, “Walking Distance” and “Mirror Image.”
For a full list of venues and events, visit the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation Website.
The Twilight Zone Launched the Careers of Some Famous Actors and Actresses
It is worth mentioning that many actors and actresses whose names later became house hold words were featured on The Twilight Zone before they became famous. A partial list includes:
- Robert Redford
- William Shatner
- Burt Reynolds
- Robert Duvall
- Dennis Hopper
- Carol Burnett
- James Coburn
- Charles Bronson
- Lee Marvin
- Peter Falk
For a few days in October, fans of the show and of Rod Serling’s work have the opportunity to enter another dimension of sight and sound, Serling’s wondrous land of imagination, The Twilight Zone.
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