ROD SERLING GETS STAMP OF APPROVAL

‘Early TV Memories’ Stamps Commemorate Golden Age of Television

BEAVERCREEK, OH — “You are traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land of imagination. Next stop, the Twilight Zone!” Rod Serling’s famous words — the introduction to his sci-fi television show, which originally ran from 1959 to 1964 — will live on forever for those who tuned in every week, and for later generations watching Twilight Zone reruns.

Serling, who earned his B.A. in 1950 from Antioch College in Yellow Springs, OH, and whose career can be traced through the WLW broadcasting franchise in Cincinnati, is featured on the U.S. Postal Service’s new Early TV Memories commemorative stamps.

The Postal Service will honor Serling’s Twilight Zone, along with 19 other TV shows, at a stamp unveiling and TV marathon, 11 a.m., Friday, August 21, at The Greene – Town Square, 4428 Glengarry Drive, Beavercreek, OH. The event is free and open to the public.

The event will include episodes from the featured Early TV Memories’ stamp shows playing on a large-screen TV, free popcorn and prizes, and postal employees dressed as their favorite TV characters including Lucy Ricardo and Ethel Mertz of I Love Lucy, Howdy Doody, Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet and the Lone Ranger. Lassie will also make an appearance, thanks to the Purebred Rescue Organization of Ohio.

“What better place to recognize Rod Serling than in Ohio where his career began,” said Retail Specialist Janette Degen. “Many of these shows, including The Twilight Zone, had a big influence on people’s lives. It’s history for many of us.”

The Twilight Zone

The Twilight Zone, a thought-provoking anthology series focused on the imaginary and the bizarre, began in a half-hour time slot in 1959 and ran for several seasons, ultimately expanding to a full hour. Its creator, a prolific young playwright named Rod Serling, served as the show’s narrator and wrote many episodes.

This intelligent series cautioned viewers not to be too sure of anything. The best scripts for The Twilight Zone dealt with the shadowy area of the almost-but-not-quite; the unbelievable told in terms that could be believed. Time travel was a frequent subject, and so was contact with aliens from outer space. The contest between humanity and technology was another characteristic theme.

The Early TV Memories sheet of 44-cent First-Class stamps celebrate 20 productions from television’s golden age: The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; Dinah Shore Show; Dragnet; Ed Sullivan Show; George Burns & Gracie Allen Show; Hopalong Cassidy; The Honeymooners; Howdy Doody; I Love Lucy; Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Lassie; The Lone Ranger; Perry Mason; Phil Silvers Show; The Red Skelton Show; Texaco Star Theater; The Tonight Show; Twilight Zone; and You Bet Your Life.

The stamps will be available at the event for $8.80 per sheet.