There Is a Fifth Dimension . . . The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone first aired sixty years ago today, on October 2, 1959, and opened with the following voiceover by its creator Rod Serling [1924-1975]:

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space, and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

Employing a variety of genres, notably science fiction, the episodes were often moral tales with a bizarre psychological twist. The show was filmed in black and white, and ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959-1964, totaling 156 episodes. The Twilight Zone has had enduring appeal, and has seen several reincarnations over the decades.

Serling can be seen here pitching the original concept for his series. An early interview with Mike Wallace can also be viewed here. The very first episode was entitled "Where Is Everybody?" and an excerpt is available online. Serling was a highly imaginative and prolific screenwriter, playwright, and television producer, and despite conflicts with Hollywood over corporate censorship, he garnered multiple Emmys and other awards for The Twilight Zone and several of his other works.

A native of upstate New York, the Rod Serling Archives are today preserved and accessible at Ithaca College Library.

Support Net Neutrality Today

Take Action today by contacting Congress to show your support for Net Neutrality.

Net Neutrality Is Being Upended

Net neutrality is the principle that all data or content should be treated equally, without discrimination, by every Internet Service Provider (ISP). Net neutrality thus ensures that all stakeholders share an equitable platform for communication, commerce, and other purposes.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be voting on December 14, 2017 to approve or reject Chairman Ajit Pai's draft order to undermine the current framework as articulated in the FCC's 2015 Open Internet Order. Organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), among many others, are partners in the Battle for the Net coalition, which is actively advocating for the complete rejection of Chairman Pai's new order.

To learn about what you can do to make your voice heard, visit the Battle for the Net website, which provides links to an online petition, information about upcoming protests around the United States, and details about contacting your elected officials as well as communicating your views directly to the FCC.

Never Trust Anyone (or Anything) over 30?

Whatever the answer to that question, MTV, or Music Television, is now officially over the hill. Launching at 12:01am on August 1, 1981, the inaugural music video was The Buggle's "Video Killed the Radio Star." Eighty-seven videos were shown the first day, with The Who's "You Better You Bet" the first to go into rotation, being played twice; Rod Stewart was the first performer to have multiple videos played. For the curious or nostalgic, a number of videos from the first day are compiled at MTVtheFirst24 on YouTube.

At the other end of the cultural spectrum, a "shout-out" is due Herman Melville, who on August 1, 1819 was born in New York City.