{"id":2174,"date":"2024-10-10T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/?p=2174"},"modified":"2024-10-09T21:53:23","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T21:53:23","slug":"episode-109-david-j-brokaw-the-twilight-zone-the-monsters-on-maple-street","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/?p=2174","title":{"rendered":"Episode 109: David J. Brokaw, The Twilight Zone &#8211; The Monsters on Maple Street"},"content":{"rendered":"<!--powerpress_player--><div class=\"powerpress_player\" id=\"powerpress_player_7573\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-2174-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/inside_the_box_the_tv_history\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/episodes\/Inside_the_Box_ep_109_David_Brokaw_Monsters_On_Maple_St.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/inside_the_box_the_tv_history\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/episodes\/Inside_the_Box_ep_109_David_Brokaw_Monsters_On_Maple_St.mp3\">https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/inside_the_box_the_tv_history\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/episodes\/Inside_the_Box_ep_109_David_Brokaw_Monsters_On_Maple_St.mp3<\/a><\/audio><\/div><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_links_mp3\">Podcast: <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/inside_the_box_the_tv_history\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/episodes\/Inside_the_Box_ep_109_David_Brokaw_Monsters_On_Maple_St.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_pinw\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Play in new window\" onclick=\"return powerpress_pinw('https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/?powerpress_pinw=2174-podcast');\" rel=\"nofollow\">Play in new window<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/media.blubrry.com\/inside_the_box_the_tv_history\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/episodes\/Inside_the_Box_ep_109_David_Brokaw_Monsters_On_Maple_St.mp3\" class=\"powerpress_link_d\" title=\"Download\" rel=\"nofollow\" download=\"Inside_the_Box_ep_109_David_Brokaw_Monsters_On_Maple_St.mp3\">Download<\/a><\/p><p class=\"powerpress_links powerpress_subscribe_links\">Subscribe: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/?feed=podcast\" class=\"powerpress_link_subscribe powerpress_link_subscribe_rss\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Subscribe via RSS\" rel=\"nofollow\">RSS<\/a><\/p>\n<p>This week join Jonathan and Steve in conversation with fellow academic, David Brokaw to discuss his new book, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Monsters-Maple-Street-Twilight-American\/dp\/0813197848\">Monsters on Maple Street: The Twilight Zone and the Postwar American Dream<\/a><\/em>. We discuss the false dichotomy between &#8220;good writing&#8221; and &#8220;bad television&#8221; during the 1950s, the psychology of advertising within 1950s culture, the effect Rod Serling&#8217;s service during World War II had on his later writing, and where <em>Twilight Zone<\/em>-style social commentary can and can&#8217;t be found today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/book-cover.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"667\" height=\"1000\" data-id=\"2178\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/book-cover.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/book-cover.jpg 667w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/book-cover-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/book-cover-160x240.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 667px) 100vw, 667px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"2179\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot-240x240.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Noon-on-Doomsday1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"334\" height=\"340\" data-id=\"2180\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Noon-on-Doomsday1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Noon-on-Doomsday1.png 334w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Noon-on-Doomsday1-295x300.png 295w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Noon-on-Doomsday1-236x240.png 236w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 334px) 100vw, 334px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Not everyone was as enamored with Rod Serling&#8217;s Noon on Doomsday teleplay from 1956 as we were. Courtesy of the Rod Serling Memorial Foundation (https:\/\/rodserling.com\/) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Time-Enough-at-Last.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"512\" height=\"372\" data-id=\"2183\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Time-Enough-at-Last.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Time-Enough-at-Last.jpg 512w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Time-Enough-at-Last-300x218.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Time-Enough-at-Last-240x174.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">One of the most memorable of The Twilight Zone episodes, Time Enough at Last from Season 1, Episode 08, starred Burgess Meredith and aired November 20, 1959.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"769\" data-id=\"2181\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street-1024x769.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street-768x577.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The_Monsters_Are_Due_on_Maple_Street.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Monsters are Due on Maple Street is one of the most famous of The Twilight Zone episodes and the inspiration for Brokaw&#8217;s book&#8217;s title. Starring Claude Akins, it was the twenty-second episode from season one and aired on March 4, 1960.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/A-Quality-of-Mercy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"769\" data-id=\"2177\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/A-Quality-of-Mercy-1024x769.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/A-Quality-of-Mercy-1024x769.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/A-Quality-of-Mercy-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/A-Quality-of-Mercy-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/A-Quality-of-Mercy-240x180.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/A-Quality-of-Mercy.jpg 1439w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Quality of Mercy was the fifteenth episode from season 03 of The Twilight Zone, starring Dean Stockwell. A U.S. soldier gets a different perspective on the war thanks to Rod Sterling. Aired December 29, 1961.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Thirty-Fathom-Grave.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" data-id=\"2182\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Thirty-Fathom-Grave.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2182\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Thirty-Fathom-Grave.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Thirty-Fathom-Grave-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Thirty-Fathom-Grave-240x180.jpg 240w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Thirty-Fathom Grave was the second episode of the fourth season of The Twilight Zone chronicles a WWII survivor of a lost submarine. Aired January 10, 1963.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week join Jonathan and Steve in conversation with fellow academic, David Brokaw to discuss his new book, Monsters on Maple Street: The Twilight Zone and the Postwar American Dream. We discuss the false dichotomy between &#8220;good writing&#8221; and &#8220;bad television&#8221; during the 1950s, the psychology of advertising within 1950s culture, the effect Rod Serling&#8217;s service during World War II had on his later writing, and where Twilight Zone-style social commentary can and can&#8217;t be found today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2179,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[455,451,460,502,499],"tags":[232,613,612,611,610],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/David-J.-Brokaw-headshot.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2174"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2174"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2174\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2185,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2174\/revisions\/2185"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2179"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tvhistorypod.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}