New Year's Tradition: Twilight Zone Marathon

[HardyGirl]

I was trying to explain this to my kids when they were watching "Long Distance Call" and wondering why it looked different. But they didn't get it.
My comparision of "Happy Days" (film) vs. "Three's Company" (video) seemed to go over their heads but I used those two as an example because I still recall my brother and I noticing the difference between the two formats back in the day. Yeah, TV geeks even back then.

When I was a kid, I noticed stuff like that too. I used to think it was b/c the film was bigger (for video taped stuff). I dunno if someone told me that, or I worked it out in my own mind. That the frames and the space between them was a different size than standard film. One show changed format from film to video (Doc w/ Bernard Shaw on CBS), and I remember not liking it as much.

[kingdom warrior]

I always loved this series but my two favs are the episode with Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery as two soldiers on opposite sides of a War....and of course The Episode with William Shatner who sees the gremlin outside the airplane. My Son watched it with me and it scared him he loved it!

[The Toyroom]

For those that are unaware, as an experiment, Rod Serling did a few episodes on videotape and mostly in the same manor as if they had done them live (not completely).

It really wasn't an "experiment" but moreso a cost-cutting method enforced on Serling by the network, as the price tag per episode in the 2nd season was getting pretty high. In all, only 6 episodes were done this way:

"Night of the Meek"
"Static"
"Long Distance Call"
"Twenty-Two"
"Lateness of the Hour"
"The Whole Truth"

If things had worked out, they probably would have done more videotaped episodes as opposed to film, but as the technology was new it had limitations at the time that prohibited them carrying on the process further.

I actually enjoy the video-tape episodes as it gives the feel of a live stage production...also reminds me of old episodes of "Dark Shadows" (which were also video-taped).

I was trying to explain this to my kids when they were watching "Long Distance Call" and wondering why it looked different. But they didn't get it.
My comparision of "Happy Days" (film) vs. "Three's Company" (video) seemed to go over their heads but I used those two as an example because I still recall my brother and I noticing the difference between the two formats back in the day. Yeah, TV geeks even back then.

[mego73]

I caught an episode here and there. It basically served as an inducement to break out my Twilight Zone DVD's (have the entire series on DVD) and see a few episodes in a better way.

How many were jarred the first time they showed episodes like "Night Of The Meek" off the original video tape, instead of film?

For those that are unaware, as an experiment, Rod Serling did a few episodes on videotape and mostly in the same manor as if they had done them live (not completely).

For a long time, they were only seen on film made from the video. But now they show them from the video tape.

It was quite a shock to see these episodes I only thought were on film suddenly be on videotape.

One of the greats, "Night Of The Meek" is a videotape one.

It was something else on TV New Years day. Twilight Zone marathon on Sci-Fi, Honeymooners marathon on WGN (the classic 39 were shown uncut, although they were time compressed), TV Land marathoning Leave it To Beaver in the morning, Brady Bunch in the afternoon and Andy Griffith in the evening, Tom and Jerry marathon on boomerang and (although I didn't know about this) Looney Tunes marathon on Cartoon Network..

[The Toyroom]

^ "The Grave"....what I like about TZ is it's not just pure sci-fi...you get all types of genres...some they do better than others. The couple that were played more for laughs didn't fare very well. I dig the ones with the western slant though.

[kryptosmaster]

I caught one last night that I had never seen from beginning to end before. Although I still didn't catch the title, it was a star-studded episode. Had Lee Marvin, Lee Van Cleef, the guy that played Chief O'Hara on Batman, the guy that played Roscoe on Dukes of Hazzard and I know I've seen the other guy before too but couldn't place him.
Had to do with a town killing an outlaw and Lee Marvin was the bounty hunter that was after him. They bet Lee that he wouldn't visit the grave of the outlaw at midnight.
Rich

[HardyGirl]

I've been watching Twilight Zone since I was about 5. And I really too many eps to name faves. I was glad that this year, the Sci-Fi channel didn't run the episode loop, (i.e.: playing 12 hours of eps and just repeat the loop), as they've done in years prior. I pretty much leave it on all day and night (I fall asleep, wake up, watch a little, and go back to sleep). Sadly, this year I was in bed all of New Year's Day w/ a really BAD headache, and couldn't enjoy it like I wanted. I was disappointed that "It's A Good Life" was on so late (11:30PM) last night, b/c I fell asleep a little after 10 last night. I did enjoy the intros by Rod Serling and the old CBS station idents from back then. Cool stuff.

[Bizarro Amy]

"Threats from a doll?!"

You know, even though Living Doll is one that they show all the time, I'm still not tired of it. I finally sat down and looked up the make of doll they used for that episode so I can get my own Talkie Tina. The name is Brikette and she was made by the Vogue. There are a few variations, but the one in Twilight Zone looks like either brunette or maybe a redhead. The doll came in 16" and 22" versions, but I think Talkie Tina was the 22". Another fun fact that I never realized before? Not only did June Foray voice Talkie Tina, she also provided the sayings for Chattie Cathy, the inspiration for Tina. Some of you probably knew that, but I thought it was pretty cool.

[jayihdz]

I watched a few of them all day since I woke up, I do it every year....

[jwyblejr]

^ Oh, wait...I meant Boomerang.....Nevermind.

Boomerang has a Tom & Jerry marathon. I've been doing alot of flipping today. Going between there and CN and Sci-Fi.

[The Toyroom]

It's not worth the trouble of watching the marathon, unless you want to sit thru an extra five minutes of commercials per episode...

When they show episodes in "primetime", they also show the episodes uncut...because of the extra commercials as opposed to what original was alloted for during the original run back in the 50s-60s, the commerical breaks don't fall where they normally would and throw the whole timing of the episode off.

[The Toyroom]

My name is talking Tina and i'm going to harrass Telly Savalas

"Threats from a doll?!"

[apes3978]

It's not worth the trouble of watching the marathon, unless you want to sit thru an extra five minutes of commercials per episode...

[Bizarro Amy]

^ "An Occurence at Owl Creek Bridge"....I think I've seen it only once....bleeech

I've never seen that one, but it was based on a short story I remember reading in high school.

[Mikey]

My name is talking Tina and i'm going to harrass Telly Savalas