The Twilight Zonehas many elements that made the show part of pop culture and that became synonymous with the show, but one of them, directly tied to Rod Serling, wasn’t used as much as I thought. Back in 1959,The Twilight Zonearrived to give viewers a good dose of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and drama. Created and hosted by Rod Serling,The Twilight Zoneis an anthology series, meaning that each episode is a standalone story, each with elements of horror, sci-fi, or both, though some episodes leaned more towards a more lighthearted, even comedic tone.
Manyepisodes ofThe Twilight Zoneare now must-watchclassics, and some scenes, characters, and lines have become part of pop culture. The show itself is quite iconic and one of the most influential TV shows of all time, and things like its theme, opening sequence, title card, and Serling’s introductions also became iconic and popular. However,one of the most famous elements ofThe Twilight Zone, and, more specifically, Serling’s introductions, was only used three times, but it became unbelievably iconic.
Rod Serling’s Iconic “Submitted For Your Approval” Line Is Only Said In 3 Episodes
Surprisingly, The Iconic Line Wasn’t Used Much
During its initial run from 1959 to 1964,The Twilight Zonewas hosted by Rod Serling, who provided the opening narration of each episode and later appeared during these introductions. The show’s title is always used in these introductions, but perhaps the most iconic part of these was the line “submitted for your approval.” The line became so iconic that it became linked to Serling and his style of presenting these stories, but the line wasn’t used as often as many might think.
The Twilight Zonedidn’t use the line “submitted for your approval” until its third season, withthe first episode that carried it being “Cavender Is Coming.”This is one of the weirdest, not-very-popular episodes ofThe Twilight Zonedue to its comedic approach, but it’s part ofThe Twilight Zone’s history as the first episode to use the “submitted for your approval” line (and for being a failed backdoor pilot).
The line wasn’t used again until season 5, in its premiere episode. Titled “In Praise of Pip”, the episode follows Max Phillips (Jack Klugman), a crooked bookie who, after learning of his son being critically injured in the war, encounters a childhood version of his son. “Submitted for your approval” is the first line spoken in “In Praise of Pip”, and it was used again three episodes later.Season 5’s fourth episode, “A Kind of a Stopwatch”, also opens with this line, and it follows a man who gets his hands on a stopwatch, with which he can stop time whenever he wants.
In season 2’s episode “The Trouble with Templeton”, Serling’s opening line is “pleased to present for your consideration.”
Although these are the only times Serling said the line “submitted for your approval” in the original run ofThe Twilight Zone, there was a similar line earlier. In season 2’s episode “The Trouble with Templeton”, Serling’s opening line is “pleased to present for your consideration”, but the line as everyone now knows it didn’t arrive until season 3.
Why “Submitted For Your Approval” Became Such A Popular Catchphrase From The Twilight Zone
The Twilight Zone Has Some Elements That Became Part Of Pop Culture
As simple as the line is, and even though it was used only three times, “submitted for your approval” is one of the most popular elements associated withThe Twilight Zone. The tone in which Serling delivered the line every time was serious without being aggressive, adding to the mystery of what the audience was about to watch.The line also makes the audience part of the story, bringing them in and inviting them to enter the twilight zone and open their minds to what they are about to see.
The simplicity of it, along with Serling’s delivery, was key to making “submitted for your approval” so iconic and easy to remember, which is also why it’s easy to see why the line is widely believed to have been used a lot more often than it actually was.The Twilight Zonewouldn’t be the same without Rod Serling’s iconic line, which adds to the show’s legacy.
