“Star Trek” and “The Twilight Zone” invite comparability. They’re each early science-fiction tv which are nonetheless classics as we speak. They did not truly 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 packages additionally mirrored the social consciences of their creators, Rod Serling and Gene Roddenberry respectively, by utilizing sci-fi tales largely as allegory.
However while “Star Trek” can be occasionally 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 based mostly on a brief story of the identical title by Jerome Bixby.) The episode’s monster is Anthony Fremont (Invoice Mumy), slightly boy however not an extraordinary one. Anthony is a god in corporeal type, one who has all of the maturity and knowledge you’d count on 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 many others. 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 nasty thought, then Anthony sends them to the Cornfield. What’s that? It is in all probability for the most effective we do not know.
“It is A Good Life” holds up as one of the well-known “Twilight Zone” episodes. It is also one of many many “Twilight Zone” episodes that have been turned into “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’s A Good Life,” titled “It’s A Still Good Life.” Written by Ira Steven Behr (a reputation Trekkies may acknowledge from his work writing on “Star Trek: Deep House 9”), the episode adopted a grown-up Anthony. Mumy, who was now nearly 50 and nonetheless a working actor, reprised his position, 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 little one 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 that means. In contrast to Anthony, Trelane at the very least has dad and mom 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.
