“Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone” invite comparability. They’re each early science-fiction tv which might be nonetheless classics as we speak. They did not really air on the similar time (“The Twilight Zone” ran 5 seasons between 1959-1964, whereas “Star Trek” aired three seasons between 1966 to 1969) however retrospectively, they really feel like merchandise of the identical TV period. Each applications additionally mirrored the social consciences of their creators, Rod Serling and Gene Roddenberry respectively, through the use of sci-fi tales largely as allegory.
However whereas “Star Trek” may be often scary, “The Twilight Zone” was usually a full-on horror present. One of many scariest episodes is “It is A Good Life.” (The episode, scripted by Serling himself, was primarily based on a brief story of the identical identify by Jerome Bixby.) The episode’s monster is Anthony Fremont (Invoice Mumy), slightly boy however not an strange one. Anthony is a god in corporeal kind, one who has all of the maturity and knowledge you’d anticipate a six-year-old to have. He is walled his hometown Peaksville off from the remainder of the world, controlling the townspeople’s lives, leisure, meals provide, and so forth. They do not even have freedom in their very own heads as a result of Anthony can learn minds. If anybody a lot as thinks a foul thought, then Anthony sends them to the Cornfield. What’s that? It is most likely for one of the best we do not know.
“It is A Good Life” holds up as some of the well-known “Twilight Zone” episodes. It is also one of many many “Twilight Zone” episodes which have been became “Treehouse of Horror” segments on “The Simpsons,” particularly “The Bart Zone” in “Treehouse of Horror II.” (Bart, naturally, is Anthony.)
The 2002 “Twilight Zone” revival additionally included a sequel to “It is A Good Life,” titled “It is A Nonetheless Good Life.” Written by Ira Steven Behr (a reputation Trekkies would possibly acknowledge from his work writing on “Star Trek: Deep Area 9”), the episode adopted a grown-up Anthony. Mumy, who was now nearly 50 and nonetheless a working actor, reprised his function, as did Cloris Leachman as Anthony’s mom. (Anthony’s father, performed by the then-retired John Larch, had since been despatched to the Cornfield.)
As a result of Anthony was by no means challenged, he by no means needed to develop up. He is nonetheless as self-centered and vindictive as slightly baby usually is. Worse, he additionally has a daughter named Audrey (Mumy’s actual daughter Liliana), who has inherited his powers.
“It is A Good Life” is such a well-known “Twilight Zone” episode that “Unusual New Worlds” can say the phrase “cornfield” and nonetheless belief its viewers will choose up its which means. Not like Anthony, Trelane at the least has mother and father who’re in a position to put him in his place.
“Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” streams on Paramount+, and new season 3 episodes premiere on Thursdays.
