The Twilight Zone Companion by Marc Scott Zicree Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Twilight Zone Companion
Book Review: A must have for TZ fans
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had a copy of this book for most of my adult life. Its an invaluable guide for all fans of the show. When I lost my original copy, I was glad to find another copy on Amazon. I keep it near the TV (with other TV related books), so we can refer to it anytime we want.
What is really cool is when you recognize an actor from the past and can look up who it is in the book, then cross reference it online at imdb.com or someplace. Twilight Zone featured many of the big stars of the day and many who were soon to become stars.
Excellent book!
Book Review: As close to perfection . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
Really, this book is a four and a half stars. I give it a half-"Brown Dwarf"-star because Zicree is overly critical of many of the TZ episodes. As a writer (he wrote the Roswell episode of "Deep Space Nine"), he needs to know when an episode goes good and why it goes bad. However, form the point of view of a casual fan, this annoys. Yes, not every TZ is a Shakespeare-but the Bard had a few of his own bombs (Titus Andronicus?). Furthermore, a mediocre episode of TZ is still better than most of the rot on television-then or now.
Aside form the overly-critically reviews of SOME of the episodes, this books is as close to perfection as you could hope for. In fact, I believe it should be used as a templette for future TV series companions. Even if you are nominal fan-that is, you have seen four episodes in a row during a marathon-then get this book.
So here is the book's format:
The books has an intro with a bio on Serling, and a view with what he did prior to TZ, the road to TZ, and his original pitch and the deal.
The center of the book is divided up into the shows five season. Each season is divided up into the episodes. The entry for the episode has the title, air date, cast and crew listing, a paragraph-long episode summery, plus Serling's opening and closing narration. Depending on the episode, Zicree either gives a personal reaction (which generally is critical), trivia, and behind the scenes factoids.
Zicree went whole-hog with the research. He interviewed actors Billy Mumy, Burgess Meredith, and several of the writers. Of particular interests was about Ray Bradbury's non-role in the series (p. 271ff). He also puts his finger on why TZ resonates with us-it is about the human condition, the possible human condition, and about the universal "fear of the unknown working on you." (p. 62). How many of TZ contemporaries can oyu name, or have been revived twice, and turned into a radio series? There is something special about what Serling did.
Zicree rounds out the book with a section on the cancellation of TZ, and the unused pitch called "Rod Serling's Wax Museums," which later morphed into "Night Gallery."
In the Second Edition, he included an Addendum that covered the TZ movie, and the revival series (1985-1989). Zicree is critical of both. I think this criticism is well placed for the film. Spielberg, who directed one segment for the "Night Gallery" pilot, did change the tenor of the stories from the gritty, dreadful, and sometimes nihilistic edge that TZ had, to a more kid-friendly, schmaltzy, and Spielberg-ized film that had a happy ending to the bizarre settings. It was like the film "AI"-neither Spielberg fish nor Kubrick fowl, and was carried over to his rival series "Amazing Stories."
If Zicree ever does a third revision, I would like to see what he thought about the UPN TZ revival, and the TZ radio programs. I have not see any of UPN's third revival (we can all guess what Zicree would probably think), but have heard some of the TZ radio programs. They are well done, but the only problem is that they are remakes-radio rehashes-of the original series scripts. Are they going to radiotize the original five seasons? And are we doomed to the 156 original episodes? I hope not.
I cannot laud this book enough. Except for Zicree's editorializing, this book as no flaws. As you relive your favorite episodes and learn the behind-the-secrets, you will fall in love with the TZ all over again.
PS-"Crazy As A Soup Sandwich," page 461.
Book Review: An Excellent Overview Of The Twilight Zone
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Twilight Zone Companion" offers reviews and details of every "Twilight Zone" episode from the original TV series. Zicree also writes about the history of "The Twilight Zone" and the work of Rod Serling, the creator of the series, before and after "The Twilight Zone." Actors, writers, and producers are also covered. All in all, the book serves as a useful and enjoyable guide to the original TV series.Book Review: a step by step revision into the fabulous twilight zone! no black holes!
Summary: 5 Stars
the book is a great source guide for the history of the television series, week by week credits to everyone involved. a fantastic book!Book Review: "You unlock this door with the key to imagination...."
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the 1st edition of The Twilight Zone Companion back in high school and was amazed at the amount of information included. I learned a lot about the show, what went on behind the scenes and aquired a greater appreciation for the genius of Rod Serling and touches on other projects he worked on, including Requium for a Heavyweight and Night Gallery. There is a brief biography about Serling and information about writers Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson and George Clayton Johnson. All of them contributed stories, though Twilight Zone was Serling's baby.
The only drawback was the fact the shows Zicree personally didn't like, he didn't spend too much time talking about (his opinions would be less biased on the Twilight Zone boxset commentaries). Everybody has their favorite and not-so-favorite episode (my list of favorites would include Nick of Time, The Hitchhiker, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street, The Fugitive, Time Enough at Last, Back There, To Serve Man, A Passage for Trumpet, Night of the Meek, In Praise of Pip, Walking Distance, On Thursday We Leave for Home, Eye of the Beholder, It's a Good Life and Nightmare at 20,000 Feet). However, it's obvious that Zicree is a passioned fan, as he has obviously spent hours of research to each show.
The latest edition includes information about Twilight Zone- The Movie (I remember watching that with my sister and the It's a Good Life sequence scared the hell out of both of us!) and the Twilight Zone series from the 1980's (there were some good moments, but without the late great Rod Serling, it wasn't the same). In addition, the index includes the different actors in the index in the original series.
The original show includes a long resume of actors including Billy Mumy, Burgess Meredith (he'd become the narrator for the movie version), Agnes Moorehead (she sure looks different without all that black mascara!), Jack Klugman (Oscar Madison), Dick York, Elizabeth Montgomery (both from Bewitched but not featured in the same episode), Art Carney (Ed Norton), Jonathon Harris (Dr Smith), Sterling Holloway, Inger Stevens, Stephen Talbot (Leave It to Beaver), Bill Bixby, Edgar Buchanan, Ann Jilian, Joan Blondell, William Demarest, Ron Howard, Jackie Cooper (fom the Our Gang), Buster Keaton, William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Russell Johnson (the Professor), Richard Deacon, Charles Bronson and many others.
If you're as big a fan as I am of The Twilight Zone, read the signpost up ahead and make your next stop the shopping cart!