October Origins: 'Peanuts' and 'The Twilight Zone'

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

According to information that I came across in today's issue of "The Writer's Almanac," two important landmarks in American culture made their appearance on this date in the 1950's, and, in keeping with the theme of this blog from the past two days, both individuals behind these cultural achievements were children of the Great Depression.

The iconic comic strip, "Peanuts," penned by cartoonist Charles M. Schultz, first appeared in newspapers on this date in 1950.  The deeply profound children and animals who populated the strip became an important component of Americana during the comic's five-decade run as they stepped beyond the pages of domestic and international newspapers and made appearances in such venues as comic books, television specials, movies, advertisements, and even stage musicals.  Today Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus Van Pelt, Snoopy, Woodstock, and all of the others are still as recognizable and beloved as they were during their heyday, a period of time that encompassed the entire second half of the twentieth century.

The gang from "Peanuts" spoke to social issues in ways that were less confrontational than bold news headlines, yet they still managed to deliver commonsense messages on things that mattered like race, gender, war, education, families, and the importance of kindness.

And Rod Serling's amazing television series, "The Twilight Zone," made its first appearance on America's original small screens - television - in 1959.  Serling, an experienced television writer had grown weary of trying to address important topics through television drama, only to have his work chopped and diced by censors.  In 1959  with the creation of "The Twilight Zone," he managed to get his passions onto the screen by cloaking them in science fiction.   "The Twilight Zone" featured shows that often contained surprising twists and uncomfortable moral messages.

(Most evenings my mother sat in front of the television and did hand-sewing, knitting, and needlework.  She didn't care what was on the screen - it was just background noise for her sewing.  But on Friday nights when "The Twilight Zone" came on everyone was expected to get quiet and not interfere with Mom's show - and, of course, the rest of us enjoyed it, too!)

"Twilight Zone," like "Peanuts,"  managed to bring attention to issues by presenting them in a more non-traditional manner than a straight dramatic effort - and both are now recognized as significant milestones in the evolution of modern entertainment and enlightenment.