The Twilight Zone Moment

I was one of the fortunate few ("few" being a relative term) to have seen The Twilight Zone when it originally aired from 1959 to 1964. It aired on CBS on Friday nights at the late, late hour (for me) of 9pm EST. My Dad and I always watched it together and we always loved it--even though I would occasionally be so frightened by a particularly scary episode that I'd stay up the entire night (much to Dad's chagrin).

Back then, there really was such a thing as quality television. Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone's creator, came out of the "tele-drama as literature" generation that also produced Paddy Chayefsky and Dalton Trumbo. He proved that one could create a half-hour video "short story," with the elegance, rhythm and impact of the best short fiction. It's no surprise that some of the finest writers of the time--guys like Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury and Harlan Ellison--were regular Twilight Zone contributors.

But what made The Twilight Zone truly special was how it would consistently surprise its audience with the unanticipated plot twist at every conclusion. Whether it was Burgess Meredith breaking his eyeglasses at the end of "Time Enough at Last," or the panicked face of the hapless hero in "To Serve Man," as he suddenly realizes he's going to be an alien's dinner, The Twilight Zone ending was always the show's defining moment.

I never miss a chance to watch The Twilight Zone when it pops up on TV (usually at odd hours of the early morning). But most importantly, at least in how I create products and services within my business, I always try to experience a "Twilight Zone Moment." In my creative process, I endeavor to reach a point where that sudden, unanticipated "left turn" happens, producing a much more unique and generally more valuable result.

Does the practice always work? Nope. But it makes thinking fun.