Twilight Zone Marathon in April

Serling introduces Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?

I was on Twitter when a Twilight Zone fan (who is often posting cool quotes and trivia about episodes from the series) notified us diehards that Syfy was showing an impromptu marathon on Saturday, April 6^th. We could only guess it was to capitalize on Jordan Peele’s noteworthy, much-publicized reboot of Twilight Zone…Syfy often shows the series during New Year’s Eve and Day (and, in the past, July 4^th) so why not take advantage of Peele’s TZ reboot rub? Syfy doesn’t really have to get very creative and just features more or less the classics that most fans are familiar with and newbies perhaps being introduced to TZ might consider attractive enough to return to the series. I watched the popular episodes often considered the cream of the crop: Living Doll, Walking Distance, Where Is Everybody?, The Hitch-Hiker, The After Hours, Nick of Time, The Dummy, Will the Real Martian Stand Up? and A Game of Pool. Earlier in the morning, there were some lesser-regarded episodes that were featured perhaps before the real eyes start to emerge to the show during the noon or midday. The evening, of course, is reserved for episodes that I decided to skip this go-around, like Nightmare at 20,000 Feet, It’s a Good Life (which, to be honest, isn’t my personal favorite, although I recognize its status), Eye of the Beholder, and Time Enough at Last…some of these are definitely on my top list, but I prefer others that aren’t as highly regarded to them, quite frankly. Here lately others talked about on Twitter are getting good feedback which I hope continues that aren’t either slotted today like Nothing in the Dark or much later when less viewers will be tuned in such as Night Call (the latter will be shown early Sunday morning). Admittedly I’m not that wild and crazy over Hocus-Pocus and Frisby or Night of the Jockey (or Steele, with Lee Marvin, for that matter) which got slotted early Saturday morning before the marathon hits its stride around 11:00, but A World of Difference continues to climb up TZ favorites list (Howard Duff, an actor, is shaken by the possibility that his life as the character he portrays isn’t real, despite his agent, “harpy” ex-wife, and film production claiming otherwise) with each viewing and Person or Persons Unknown resonates just because the idea of it (friends, family, and co-workers do not know who you are, leaving you to question your identity while a psychiatric doc leans into the possibility that you have made it all up) is quite scary. So you have those episodes that perhaps aren’t considered “upper echelon” that just might increase in stature. I have experienced nice surprises on Twitter with folks mentioning how the likes of Come Wander with Me (an episode I have planned to review for the blog soon) are favorites. I love that, too. I love that because it just goes to show you that Twilight Zone has episodes that reach the hearts and minds of folks that we might not even contemplate. Though I have yet to see The Fear get serious consideration as a favorite episode, per se, it is not to say that someone, somewhere, out there might not feel that way. That is often a topic of conversation and interest among us on Twitter or Reddit when talking Twilight Zone—episodes shown by Syfy during marathons—when, honestly, they might not even put much thought into lineups at all. Nearly anytime I mention marathons on my blog, the topic comes up because I guess I just find the order of episodes shown by networks or channels interesting. You wonder why this or that episode is shown at such an odd time instead of the primetime when the most eyes will be available or interest is at its peak. But it could always just be the case where they randomly throw them together and plop them on television. Just the same, today, the all-day lineup, into the evening, is all about the episodes most recognizable and established by pop culture. My teenage kids spent most of the day watching them with me, asking me who Rod Serling was, why he was in the episodes, while also questioning the stories as they develop. These extraordinary, unreal plots they find curious and bewildering, it can be fun (and difficult; Person and Persons Unknown, A World of Difference, and The Dummy each were unique in how I had to describe them to my daughter and son) to try and explain their meaning. But I want the show to remain interesting to them as it was to me as a youth. Cultivate that interest early so that once I’m gone they return to the show, allowing The Twilight Zone to endure. I wish Peele all the success in the world because if his reboot maintains its audience and interest it might just bring attention time and again to the old show. I want it to remain immortal.
____________________
After writing this I did get in a few more memorable episodes, including The Invaders, To Serve Man, and two of my all-time favorites, The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street and The Masks. Despite Alien News Desk interrupting the marathon in an odd choice by Syfy to interfere with the flow of TZ classics which left me befuddled, finishing up with The Masks near midnight seemed neat even if The Midnight Sun being left out in favor of The Bewitchin' Pool was a head scratcher.