THE SOPRANOS creator David Chase talks about THE TWILIGHT ZONE and the impression it made on him

The twilight zone It’s my favorite TV series ever made. The series is a timeless masterpiece that transcends generations, with its thought-provoking and often disturbing tales of the human experience that are still relevant today.

Creator Rod SerlingHis genius lies in his ability to use science fiction and the supernatural to explore fundamental aspects of human nature, morality and social issues. The anthology format of the show allows for a wide range of stories, each with its own unique twist.

After all these years the show continues to inspire and resonate with viewers, reminding us of the extraordinary power of storytelling to challenge our beliefs and provoke self-reflection.

The creator of the Sopranos David Chase recently shared his thoughts on The twilight zone with Variety and discussed the impression the show had on him as a storyteller. He has written:

“The Twilight Zone” aired in 1959, my freshman year of high school. And it made a gigantic impression. No one had ever seen anything like it. From the opening, where writer Rod Serling came out in his herringbone jacket with his cigarette and introduced the show: That, in itself, was fun. I just wanted to hear what Rod had to say about the mystery of the universe this time.

Now, if you are 13 years old, you might be easily scared by the stories told in “The Twilight Zone.” But even now, as an adult, if you watch an episode, it gives you chills. Think of the episode “I Shot an Arrow Through the Air”: it depicts astronauts who the viewer believes have landed on an asteroid. The entire 30 minutes are taken up with panic and violence between them: they fight over how much water they have and only one survives, through murder. And it turns out, as he walks up the crest of the hill, that they’ve been on Earth the whole time. All the hatred and violence was useless. When I was 13, this blew my mind. Were they there the whole time?! This was my introduction to the twist. My first writing lesson. Sure, you can argue that twisting is one of the cheapest art forms. But it wrecked my brain and I never forgot it. I also think it has something to do with the psychedelic revolution that happened later. The kids watching it were sort of ready to accept what happens with LSD, or to be curious about LSD. Without “The Twilight Zone,” perhaps it wouldn’t have been such a revolution.

As I began working professionally, I learned more about how to describe Serling’s work. The discussions between the astronauts had touched on issues of American life, like all the episodes, just like when Tony Soprano says: “I feel like I’ve reached the end.” It wasn’t about the mafia. It was about this country. Or “Christopher,” the episode everyone hates: It’s about America at its ridiculous worst.

The “The Twilight Zone” years were the beginning of life under the thermonuclear cloud. Then came the Cuban missile crisis. During “The Sopranos” it seemed like something was going wrong. As I worked, I gained a new appreciation for how rare a show like “The Twilight Zone” is. As interesting as Rod Serling was, I’d like to get into the brains of the people at CBS who said OK to this series. I have attended thousands of meetings. TV used to be ruled by fear and greed, and network executives, unfortunately, are often not so bright. So what happened with “The Twilight Zone”?

It has had other impacts on my work. I dabbled in surrealism in “The Sopranos”: this is a show about a boy with a psychotherapist in an era of talk therapy. For me, the dream sequences must be part of a show descended from Freud. It was exciting to be there, spending money to shoot those surreal things. Along with Salvador Dalí (who I also discovered when I was 13), there was “The Twilight Zone.” It was absolutely original.

Next favorite, Jackie Gleason.

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