Before Playing Leonard on Community, Richard Erdman Was Freezing Time on The Twilight Zone

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For six thrilling seasons, Dan Harmon’s popular series Community captivated viewers each week, offering them a rollercoaster ride of zany adventures starring the charismatic Jeff Winger, once a disgraced lawyer, and his loyal study group.

The influx of fascinating supporting characters who were students at Greendale Community College significantly elevated an already excellent TV show to timeless status. For instance, Leonard Briggs, portrayed by the late Richard Erdman, added authenticity and vitality to the college setting, even with the series’ outrageous antics.

It’s worth noting that before Erdman’s passing in 2019 at the venerable age of 93, he had a long and distinguished acting career spanning seven decades in both movies and television. Apart from his iconic role as Leonard, one of his memorable performances can be seen in the original Twilight Zone series, which continues to be broadcast on SYFY.

For More on The Twilight Zone

1. The First Draft of the Twilight Zone’s Debut Script Was Discarded as It Was Too Ominous

2. In Its First Season, The Twilight Zone Brought a Slot Machine to Life in an Unforgettable Manner

3. A Remarkable Episode from The Classic Twilight Zone Series Featuring William Shatner Turned Anxiety into a Terrifying Monster

Remembering Community star Richard Erdman’s appearance on The Twilight Zone

Specifically, in Season 5’s episode titled “A Kind of Stopwatch” (1963), Erdman played Patrick Thomas McNulty, a boisterous know-it-all whose constant talking and lack of substance was criticized by Rod Serling’s opening narration as setting back conversation by a millennium. Essentially, he’s a hollow cloud of unimportant thoughts, false facts, and an annoying catchphrase: “You ponder that now!” As written by Serling (based on Charles D. Rosenthal’s story), the character was intended to be incredibly irritating, and Erdman excelled in this role, giving one of the most grating performances you can imagine.

In a twist of events, a bar patron named Potts (Leon Belasco) gives McNulty an unusual gift – a magic stopwatch that can pause time. This wish of many to see McNuty quiet down is partially granted. However, instead of using the time freezes to reconsider his abrasive actions and make personal improvements, McNulty persists in talking, seeking attention even though he’s the only one moving while everyone else remains frozen, effectively unconscious. It’s a futile attempt at interaction given that no one can respond while time is paused.

In the heat of the game, it dawns on me: I can exploit this time-freezing watch to pull off a bank heist, amass fortune, and secure the recognition I yearn for. The operation runs smoothly until the last moment when McNulty, hauling a cart loaded with cash from behind the counter, unwittingly knocks over his unique trinket, shattering it – just like poor Henry Bemis’ glasses in “Time Enough at Last.” Yet, unlike the hapless character in that story who was an innocent victim of cosmic cruelty, McNulty’s fate serves as a fitting retribution for his thoughtless disregard for those around him and the very essence of reality itself.

In my gaming world, no matter how often I press the game’s pause button, time refuses to advance. Everything and everyone is stuck in a perpetual standstill. In this frozen moment, a sense of self-awareness, heavy with anguish, washes over McNulty, making him vow to change his ways if, just once, something would stir or make a sound. Tragically ironic, the man who reveled in the sound of his own voice, will now be left to listen to nothing but his own echoes… in The Twilight Zone.

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2025-03-26 20:31