"We submit for your approval this and other frozen moments of nightmare placed on canvas." November 8, 1969: the Night Gallery pilot movie debuts. Includes Steven Spielberg's directorial debut, "Eyes." The series followed a year later. Happy 56th birthday, NG!

November 8, 1963: Twilight Zone's "The Old Man in the Cave" airs. A town living in the aftermath of a nuclear war relies on an unseen "old man" to survive—until some outsiders question their loyalty. Stars John Anderson & James Coburn. Serling adapted: thenightgallery.wordpress.com/2021/04/09/s...

"All your life, you will remember this night. And you’ll know whom you have turned loose upon the world." #S2E5 Twilight Zone’s "The Howling Man" (November 4, 1960) by Charles Beaumont stars John Carradine, Robin Hughes, and H.M. Wynant -- who's still with us at age 98!

November 3, 1961: Twilight Zone's "It's a Good Life" airs. Anthony Fremont may be a little boy, but to the residents of Peaksville, Ohio, he's a big problem — a tiny tyrant with god-like powers. Perhaps you've seen this little-known episode. 😜 (Yes, that's a joke.)

"I told you you'd be sorry." #S5E6 Twilight Zone's "Living Doll," by Charles Beaumont and Jerry Sohl, first aired on November 1, 1963.

October 30, 1959: Twilight Zone's "Walking Distance," airs. A harried executive visits his hometown years later and finds it unchanged — and ends up meeting himself as a boy, along with his late parents. Stars Gig Young and Frank Overton, with a lovely score by Bernard Herrmann.

October 29, 1972: Night Gallery's "Spectre in Tap-Shoes" airs. A woman's twin sister is dead and buried ... so why does she keep popping up? Stars Sandra Dee.

"This one I got trying to shave with a razor when three appliances in my house gave out. It occurred to me how how absolutely vulnerable we are to gadgets and electronic jim-crackery." — Serling on what led him to write Twilight Zone's "A Thing About Machines" (October 28, 1960)

The October 27, 1971 episode of Night Gallery features: — "A Question of Fear" (a man accepts a $15,000 bet that he won't spend a night in a haunted house) — "The Devil is Not Mocked" (a short "vampires vs. Nazis" story) On disc: amzn.to/3pNaHtg

October 27, 1961: Twilight Zone's "The Grave" airs. A gunslinger is challenged to plant a knife in the grave of a dead rival to prove he's not scared. Easy, right? 😵💫😱 What a cast! Lee Marvin, James Best, Lee Van Cleef, Strother Martin, Stafford Repp, and Elen Willard.

"Why are you scared? You've got to wake up sometime, even if you're electrocuted. So why don't you just sit back and enjoy it?" #S2E26 Twilight Zone's "Shadow Play" by Charles Beaumont stars Dennis Weaver and Harry Townes.

Serling wrote his first draft of the story that would become Twilight Zone's pilot episode, "Where is Everybody?", in 1952, seven years before the series began. #S1E1

Ida Lupino was only 41 when she starred in Twilight Zone's "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine." I think Rod Serling, in this homage to "Sunset Boulevard," was (again) ahead of his time in showing how Hollywood has long marginalized and discarded many "old" female stars. #S1E4

October 25, 1963: Twilight Zone's "The Last Night of a Jockey" airs. Mickey Rooney plays a crooked horse jockey desperate to clear his name -- and in true Zone fashion, winds up getting exactly what he wished for.

October 20, 1971: Night Gallery includes "The Phantom Farmhouse," a tale of werewolves with David McCallum and David Carradine, and "Silent Snow, Secret Snow," a story about an autistic boy (narrated by Orson Welles).

October 20, 1961: Twilight Zone's "The Mirror" airs. Peter Falk plays a Castro-like leader who believes a unique mirror is exposing his assassins. Some critics dismiss it—and sure, it's not top-tier TZ—but I think it teaches a valuable lesson about the seductive nature of power.

"Up there in the vastness of space, in the void that is sky, is an enemy known as isolation. It sits there in the stars waiting — waiting with the patience of eons. Forever waiting ... in the Twilight Zone." #S1E1 "Where is Everybody?" by Rod Serling

"I think I'll go in and get a shave. I wanna look proper on the day I die." #S1E3 Twilight Zone’s "Mr. Denton on Doomsday" by Rod Serling stars Dan Duryea, Jeanne Cooper and Martin Landau.

"Next week, we take you into this 8x8 hotel room and watch a penny-ante crook make a decision." — Serling's promo for Twilight Zone's "Nervous Man in a Four-Dollar Room"

October 13, 1961: Twilight Zone's "A Game of Pool" airs. An obsessive pool player gets his wish: to play the long-dead legend Fats Brown. The stakes? Life or death. Written by George Clayton Johnson. Stars Jack Klugman (in the second of four TZs) and Jonathan Winters.

October 11, 1956: Serling's Emmy-winning live teleplay "Requiem for a Heavyweight," about a washed-up boxer's quest for a future outside the ring, airs on Playhouse 90. Stars Jack Palance, Ed Wynn, and Keenan Wynn. Father and son would later have starring roles on The Twilight Zone.

"There's a man out there!" First heard on October 11, 1963. Celebrating 62 years of one of the most iconic Twilight Zone episodes ever aired: "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet." A toast to Richard Matheson and William Shatner for this piece of TV history!

October 9, 1959: Twilight Zone's "One for the Angels" airs. A kind-hearted sidewalk pitchman (Ed Wynn) battles Mr. Death (Murray Hamilton, 16 years before he was Amity's mayor in "Jaws") to save a little girl's life. A sweet tale with a nice touch of humor. 🥲

October 7, 1960: Twilight Zone's "The Man in the Bottle" airs. A pawnshop owner and his wife release a genie who grants them four wishes — and discover the downsides of getting what you really want. Joseph Ruskin, the genie, later did the voice of the Kanamit in "To Serve Man"!

Have "A Fear of Spiders"? So does the October 6, 1971 episode of Night Gallery. This Serling-scripted tale (one of four stories in this episode) stars Patrick O’Neal and Kim Stanley. Also includes Serling's "The Academy." On DVD ($12.79 US) and Blu-ray: www.amazon.com/Night-Galler...

October 6, 1961: Twilight Zone's "The Passersby" airs. A Confederate sergeant meets a grieving widow—and a long line of wounded, weary soldiers—on his way home. Stars Joanne Linville and James Gregory. One of two Civil War-themed TZs Serling wrote during the war's centennial.

"You're the eyes that pick our pockets. You're the lure, the bait... we lust for you, and for what those eyes hold out." Night Gallery's "The Girl with the Hungry Eyes" (Season 3, Episode 2) stars Joanna Pettet, James Farentino and John Astin.

"We could have gone through some kind of a sound barrier ... but no kind of a sound barrier I've ever heard of." #S2E18 Twilight Zone's "The Odyssey of Flight 33" by Rod Serling stars John Anderson.

October 4, 1956: Playhouse 90 debuts with “Forbidden Area,” Rod Serling’s adaptation of a novel about a Russian sneak attack on the U.S. Stars Charlton Heston (born #OTD 1923), Vincent Price and Jason Wingreen (later the 1960 conductor in Twilight Zone’s “A Stop at Willoughby”).

It's Buster Keaton Day! If you're a fan, consider following @busterlove1895, @buster_fans, @BusterKGifs, and @BusterKeatonSoc. Twilight Zone fans know Buster from Season 3's "Once Upon a Time," but his silent films (like "The General") better showcase his talent. Check them out!

October 4, 1963: Lee Marvin's second Twilight Zone episode, "Steel," airs. In a future society where only robots can box (1968!), he plays a manager who takes the place of his broken machine. Written by Richard Matheson. Later remade as "Real Steel" (2011) with @RealHughJackman.

"Our story is called 'The Howling Man' by Charles Beaumont. It's designed for the young in heart but the strong of nerve." — Serling's next-week promo for Twilight Zone's "The Howling Man" #S2E5

Edited by yours truly. ☺️ Check it out!

Imagine opening TV Guide on Friday, October 2, 1959, and seeing this ad. Would you tune in? "Where is Everybody?" premiered 66 years ago today. "Best wishes for success as Twilight Zone premieres on CBS." — CBS head Frank Stanton in an October 2, 1959 telegram to Rod Serling

"Rod was a good-looking son of a bitch, wasn't he? Geez, he looks like the Reader's Digest version of Cary Grant." — Robert Serling, Rod's older brother

Jeanette Nolan — who appeared as Granny Hart on Twilight Zone's "Jess-Belle" — played another witch on Night Gallery's "Since Aunt Ada Came To Stay." Prior to "Jess-Belle," she starred in TZ's "The Hunt" as the Old Woman. #NGS2E3

"Have you ever read Shakespeare? Or Keats or Shelley?" "Those books were banned many years ago." #S5E17 Twilight Zone’s “Number 12 Looks Just Like You” by Charles Beaumont and John Tomerlin stars Richard Long and Collin Wilcox.

September 30, 1960: Twilight Zone's second season opens with "King Nine Will Not Return." A WWII pilot (Robert Cummings) awakens alone next to his wrecked plane in the desert — and wonders where his crew is. Inspired by the true story of the World War II plane "Lady Be Good."

Hope everyone enjoyed #NationalCoffeeDay!

September 29, 1961: Twilight Zone's "The Shelter" airs. When an air-raid alarm hits a neighborhood where only one family has built a bomb shelter, an ugly and panicky fight for survival ensues. This Rod Serling-penned classic stars Jack Albertson and Larry Gates.

"There's nothing to be afraid of. They're just a lot of wax." "Perhaps not, young man. Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of the man standing next to you?" #S4E13 Twilight Zone's "The New Exhibit" by Charles Beaumont stars Martin Balsam.

"This is the Pilgrim I, the first space ship sent up to colonize the outer regions." #S4E16 Twilight Zone's "On Thursday We Leave for Home" stars James Whitmore. Note the date: "Erected August 1991." I guess in 1963 it was reasonable to assume we'd have space colonies by then!

"I suppose I'm just being stupid." "No, you're not. You're just -- " "Don't say it. 'Superstitious'." #S2E7 Twilight Zone's "Nick of Time" by Richard Matheson stars @WilliamShatner and Patricia Breslin.

Picked up Twilight Zone #1 this weekend. It's the debut issue of a new anthology series from @idwpublishing.com. “Blanks” is by @danpgwatters.bsky.social and @morganbeem.bsky.social. Good stuff!

September 27, 1985: The first Twilight Zone reboot began its three-season run, with stories from Alan Brennert, Harlan Ellison, @straczynski.bsky.social, @jmdematteis.bsky.social, and many others. Wes Craven directed several episodes. Not streaming, but it's on DVD ($26 US): amzn.to/3xWXDoA

"I'm not sick. I just want to have a drink with you. I don't want to be alone. I keep hearing those voices, and Willie is bugging me." #S3E33 Twilight Zone's "The Dummy" by Rod Serling stars Cliff Robertson and Sandra Warner.

September 27, 1963: Serling's "In Praise of Pip" opens Twilight Zone's fifth season. A father (Jack Klugman in the last of four TZ roles) yearns for one last chance to spend time with his dying son — and maybe save his life. Co-stars Billy Mumy in his third and final TZ role.

September 25, 1965: "The Vespers," an episode of Serling's 1st post-TZ show, "The Loner," airs. A pre-"Hawaii 5-0" Jack Lord stars in this Serling-penned tale as a gunfighter-turned-preacher on the run. All 26 episodes of "The Loner" are on DVD ($13 US): amzn.to/2GaPcxE

There we are in Binghamton last weekend! (That’s me on the far right, next to RSMF President Nick Parisi; Anne Serling has a hand on her dad’s statue.)

September 22, 1969: "The New People," an ABC show about plane-crash survivors on an island, debuts. Rod Serling wrote the first episode for producer Aaron Spelling as "John Phillips." It lasted only one season. Sample this painfully dated episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=4it0...