REQUIRED READING for any aspiring or established television screenwriter -
Rod Serling was the television industry's original show runner. His screenplay, "Patterns," aired on January 12, 1955, launched his career. Within hours, Jack Gould of the New York Times wrote, "Nothing in months has excited the television industry as much as the Kraft Television Theatre's production of Patterns, an original play by Rod Serling. The enthusiasm is justified. In writing, acting and direction, Patterns will stand as one of the high points in the TV medium's evolution." An overnight success, Serling immediately found himself in the company of the Golden Age of Television's elite writers including Paddy Chayefsky, Reginald Rose, and Gore Vidal; and the recipient of his first of six Emmy awards. Serling would later write a semi-autobiographical screenplay, "The Velvet Alley," describing such a meteoric rise to fame and success.
"Patterns," the book, was Serling's first foray into the world of publishing. What is invaluable is not merely the actual screenplays, but Serling's comments on each and his twenty five plus page dissertation on writing for television during its' Golden Age. What is different about this new edition is Mark Dawidziak's insightful forward explaining the relevance of "Patterns" to Serling's prolific body of work. Given Serling's dissertation and Dawidziak's analysis, it is worth repeating that this is, without question, REQUIRED READING for anyone involved in the creation of intelligent television.
Rod Serling was the television industry's original show runner. His screenplay, "Patterns," aired on January 12, 1955, launched his career. Within hours, Jack Gould of the New York Times wrote, "Nothing in months has excited the television industry as much as the Kraft Television Theatre's production of Patterns, an original play by Rod Serling. The enthusiasm is justified. In writing, acting and direction, Patterns will stand as one of the high points in the TV medium's evolution." An overnight success, Serling immediately found himself in the company of the Golden Age of Television's elite writers including Paddy Chayefsky, Reginald Rose, and Gore Vidal; and the recipient of his first of six Emmy awards. Serling would later write a semi-autobiographical screenplay, "The Velvet Alley," describing such a meteoric rise to fame and success.
"Patterns," the book, was Serling's first foray into the world of publishing. What is invaluable is not merely the actual screenplays, but Serling's comments on each and his twenty five plus page dissertation on writing for television during its' Golden Age. What is different about this new edition is Mark Dawidziak's insightful forward explaining the relevance of "Patterns" to Serling's prolific body of work. Given Serling's dissertation and Dawidziak's analysis, it is worth repeating that this is, without question, REQUIRED READING for anyone involved in the creation of intelligent television.
