In the first half of the program, writer Marc Zicree and Carol Serling, wife of the late Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling, discussed Rod's life and work, and the legacy of his popular anthology series. Carol said Twilight Zone was an escape for Rod, a place where he was free to do or say what he wanted without fear of the censorship prevalent in that era. According to Carol, Rod believed television was not only a vehicle for entertainment, but should be used to educate and make statements as well. The show was a labor of love for Rod, she continued, noting that the first three seasons of the show were the best. Carol also mentioned her ongoing work managing Rod's literary estate.
Zicree, who grew up watching Twilight Zone in syndication, said the series continues to have as much validity now as it did when it first aired. It still speaks to children and adults, and to people from all cultures, he added. Zicree referenced a couple of Twilight Zone episodes, including "Eye of the Beholder" and "The Purple Testament", and commented on the show's influence on contemporary television and film. Zicree also announced his upcoming 12/10/10 screening of the documentary film The Table and 12/12/10 The Twilight Zone Companion book signing (event details), as well as his latest spec script which features Rod Serling as a character on the AMC series Mad Men (download script).
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During Open Lines, George offered a special line for callers to share their scary stories. Jeremy in Knoxville, Tennessee recalled a frightening encounter he had with some suspicious men in a car while he was out alone exploring the Gaza Strip in Israel. Jeremy said he was so concerned about his safety that he hid from the men, who immediately started looking for him. Jeremy eventually eluded them and claims to have captured the whole event on video.
Sue from Minneapolis, Minnesota, told George about the time she and her husband narrowly avoided a car accident on a rural ice-covered road. Sue said the other car was heading right for them (they could even see the other driver's panicked expression), when it suddenly shifted and missed their car. Sue said it felt as if somebody had placed a little bubble of protection over the car.
A call came in from a Mission Viejo man who talked about the writings of past-life regressionist and hypnotherapist Dolores Cannon, how experiences, remembrances, and emotions can imprinted into a soul, and the importance of conquering fear. Another caller, Naomi in Fullerton, California, reported on an adverse reaction she had to a Shingles vaccine. She later found out the vaccine contained curious ingredients, including bovine calf serum, hydrolyzed porcine gelatin, and neomycin (antibiotic).