How One Classic Twilight Zone Episode Gave a TV Writing Legend His Big Break

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Currently, The Twilight Zone (often broadcast on SYFY) is widely recognized as a show orchestrated by writer Rod Serling, yet devoted fans are aware that he wasn’t the sole influential figure behind it. Other literary greats, such as Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont, also played significant roles in defining the show’s distinctive atmosphere, and they both penned iconic episodes for the series.

Besides coming up with their own brilliant concepts, Beaumont and Matheson also played a crucial role in helping bring a renowned Twilight Zone episode to life. In doing so, they provided a major career boost for a friend of theirs who later became a prominent figure in TV writing.

For More on The Twilight Zone

1. In the popular series “The Twilight Zone,” Rod Serling’s iconic catchphrase was rarely used. When did Rod Serling first appear on the show?

2. Although often associated with it, Rod Serling didn’t begin narrating “The Twilight Zone” originally.

How The Twilight Zone episode “Long Distance Call” gave Bill Idelson his big break

In the show’s second season, “Long Distance Call” stands out as one of the most chilling episodes in the original The Twilight Zone. The narrative revolves around a boy (Bill Mumy) who receives a toy telephone from his overbearing grandmother (Lili Darvas). After her passing, he can still communicate with the grandmother through the toy phone. However, it becomes clear that Grandma isn’t merely speaking to the boy; she’s urging him to follow her into the afterlife.

The episode originated from William “Bill” Idelson, who was an occasional child actor and TV writer aspirant, juggling a day job selling real estate at the time. As described in Marc Scott Zicree’s book, “The Twilight Zone Companion”, it was Idelson’s mother who sparked the story idea when she gifted her grandson, his son, a toy telephone for his birthday. Although nothing ominous occurred, as per Idelson, the plot concept suddenly materialized in his mind like a sudden flash of inspiration.

Luckily for Idelson, his friend Matheson reviewed his script and presented it to Cayuga, the production company of The Twilight Zone. Although the producers initially rejected the script, a second opportunity arose when another friend of Idelson’s, Beaumont, became interested in the idea. He proposed a deal: Would Cayuga buy the script if he collaborated with Idelson on writing it? Cayuga agreed to this proposition, and “Long Distance Call” marked Idelson’s first significant sale as a TV writer, thanks to the support of Matheson and Beaumont.

Idelson remembered playing a significant role in shaping the episode, such as rewriting one of the final speeches spontaneously upon Serling’s instructions. When “Long Distance Call” was finally aired, his writer friends threw a special viewing event for him to celebrate.

When the television series premiered, Chuck Beaumont, Dick Matheson, and Bill Nolan, fellow science fiction writers, visited my home. They all praised my work, making it an incredibly exciting moment for me.

After selling “Long Distance Call” to The Twilight Zone, Idelson didn’t write for it again, but the deal opened a new opportunity. He swiftly moved towards scriptwriting in the realm of TV comedy. For the next quarter-century, he became a significant figure in comedy television, penning scripts for popular shows like The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched, The Flintstones, Get Smart, and That Girl. Moreover, he played a crucial creative role in The Andy Griffith Show, writing 19 episodes of the series and 23 episodes of its spinoff Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. His contributions also extended to The Bob Newhart Show and Love, American Style as both a writer and producer.

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2025-01-29 02:01