THIS EVENING, WHILE we sat here in our home, totally captivated by this episode, WHERE IS EVERYBODY?, we were unaware that this was the first episode of the great series. Whereas it bore so many of the traits and psychological twists and turns that became series' trademark, there was much yet to come.
THE ON-SCREEN PRESENCE of writer/creator, Mr.Rod Serling, as Host and narrator had not been yet been established; although he does do the voice-over narration work in such a style as to make the job his own to keep. It is a case of being perfect for giving a voice for the written word; which was largely his own.
THE PRODUCTION TEAM had gone a great distance, employing many a plot twist and seemed to enjoy toying with us, the audience. After all, we had all seen the announcements and promos that hyped this new THE TWILIGHT ZONE project as being something different and we were expected to react in an extreme manner.
THEY HAD US wondering what was going on. Was it related to alien beings from other worlds? Was it the result of a thermo-nuclear war? Was the main character some sort of captive in a bizarre prison setting?*
IN THE FINAL analysis, they really got us with the throwing a sort of psychological curve ball; and we went for it. Instead of a mystery originating in outer space, the strange occurrences were from what we can only call 'inner space'; being the depths of the human mind.
THE MUSIC WAS haunting and appropriately tense; which did an excellent job in underscoring and even amplifying the story. The score was very well tailored to what THE TWILIGHT ZONE represented. It made us think of the fine work done by the Maestro, himself-Bernard Herrmann.
WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY because it was done by Bernard Herrmann! Go figure!
NOTE: * This aspect of this, the initial episode (or Pilot) put us in the mind of Pastrick McGoohan in THE PRISONER Series (1967-68). We wondered if this half hour drama's story could be ancestral, in that respect.
THE ON-SCREEN PRESENCE of writer/creator, Mr.Rod Serling, as Host and narrator had not been yet been established; although he does do the voice-over narration work in such a style as to make the job his own to keep. It is a case of being perfect for giving a voice for the written word; which was largely his own.
THE PRODUCTION TEAM had gone a great distance, employing many a plot twist and seemed to enjoy toying with us, the audience. After all, we had all seen the announcements and promos that hyped this new THE TWILIGHT ZONE project as being something different and we were expected to react in an extreme manner.
THEY HAD US wondering what was going on. Was it related to alien beings from other worlds? Was it the result of a thermo-nuclear war? Was the main character some sort of captive in a bizarre prison setting?*
IN THE FINAL analysis, they really got us with the throwing a sort of psychological curve ball; and we went for it. Instead of a mystery originating in outer space, the strange occurrences were from what we can only call 'inner space'; being the depths of the human mind.
THE MUSIC WAS haunting and appropriately tense; which did an excellent job in underscoring and even amplifying the story. The score was very well tailored to what THE TWILIGHT ZONE represented. It made us think of the fine work done by the Maestro, himself-Bernard Herrmann.
WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY because it was done by Bernard Herrmann! Go figure!
NOTE: * This aspect of this, the initial episode (or Pilot) put us in the mind of Pastrick McGoohan in THE PRISONER Series (1967-68). We wondered if this half hour drama's story could be ancestral, in that respect.