BuddyRey
03-03-2008, 03:12 AM
I don't know how many of you are fans of the original Twilight Zone series (1959-1964), but for people who love their speculative fiction with a heavy emphasis on stories rich in imagination and possibilities, with well-developed characters and writing that never talks down to the viewers, it is perhaps the finest example from, that or any other era, of thinking man's (or woman's) television.
Rod Serling, the host of the series and the creative literary genius behind many of the show's most loved stories, was usually considered a political liberal. Still, he had a very strong anti-statist, individualist bent that displayed itself quite prominently in the bulk of his scripts, many of which were unflinchingly devoted to tackling very touchy (for the time) social issues like racism, war, and political oppression. Even today, many people who talk about the series' remarkable impact on television history completely neglect the fact that, during its five-year run, it was one of the bravest, most daring, and consistently topical programs on television.
"The Obsolete Man", a 1961 episode starring Burgess Meredith and Fritz Weever, is one of many great achievements in the series that vies for the title of "Ultimate Libertarian Classic TV Moment" in my book. If you have 20 minutes to spare, enough time to watch a taught human drama with a decidedly anti-authoritarian message, you will not regret having spent it on "The Obsolete Man". Enjoy!
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPrpxwj-lwI
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1fqzziKsjU
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMhjE2PdJ14
Rod Serling, the host of the series and the creative literary genius behind many of the show's most loved stories, was usually considered a political liberal. Still, he had a very strong anti-statist, individualist bent that displayed itself quite prominently in the bulk of his scripts, many of which were unflinchingly devoted to tackling very touchy (for the time) social issues like racism, war, and political oppression. Even today, many people who talk about the series' remarkable impact on television history completely neglect the fact that, during its five-year run, it was one of the bravest, most daring, and consistently topical programs on television.
"The Obsolete Man", a 1961 episode starring Burgess Meredith and Fritz Weever, is one of many great achievements in the series that vies for the title of "Ultimate Libertarian Classic TV Moment" in my book. If you have 20 minutes to spare, enough time to watch a taught human drama with a decidedly anti-authoritarian message, you will not regret having spent it on "The Obsolete Man". Enjoy!
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPrpxwj-lwI
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1fqzziKsjU
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMhjE2PdJ14