The Bard (Season 4 Finale) - Twilight-Tober Zone

"The Bard" is a comedy featuring black magic, William Shakespeare, Burt Reynolds as a parody of Marlon Brando, satirical takes on Hollywood politics, and some returning Twilight Zone stars. Does the Season 4 finale end on a high note? Find out now!
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"The Bard" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It was the final episode of The Twilight Zone to be one hour long. A direct satire of the American television industry, the episode features a parody of Marlon Brando by Burt Reynolds, and concerns an inept screenwriter, who through the use of black magic, employs William Shakespeare as his ghostwriter.
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[@ChannelAwesome]

Thoughts on Season 4 of TZ? Liked the hour long episodes? Dislike them? Watch the new NC here - kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIO7p6uXfbWdj8k Watch more Twilight-Tober Zone here - bit.ly/TwilightToberZone Follow us on Twitch - www.twitch.tv/channelawesome

[@melissacooper8724]

The only hour long episodes that were worthy to be an hour long are "On Thursday We Leave For Home" and "The New Exhibit".

[@underwolf6730]

I swear they did half hour edits of these episodes that aired on TV in more recent years.

[@jessetorres8738]

4 Seasons down, just 1 Season to go.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

Apparently, Rod Serling wrote this episode as a reaction to him dealing with advertising executives when making Twilight Zone

[@mst3KGf]

Exactly that. You can tell he was using this to take out some frustration with his chosen industry. He once snarked that "you couldn't ford a river if Chevy was the sponsor."

[@wstine79]

Rod did say in an interview that he hated having to conform his stories to the studio norm just to sell some toothpaste.

[@ghettomarc50]

He was spot on with the advertising fatigue.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

I always loved the scene of the executives switching out a turnip for an onion, because of Serling's real life story about the time a coffee sponsor make him take out a reference to tea.

[@tremorsfan]

When he wrote Noon on Doomsday they had to remove Coca-Cola bottles from the set lest anyone thing it was set in Georgia.

[@trinaq]

Burt Reynolds as Rocky Rhodes was the most memorable aspect of overall subpar episode, and worth watching to see him channel Marlon Brando.

[@trinaq]

This was an alright episode, but I felt that it could have been even better had it involved Julius learning to be a better writer from Shakespeare, and teaching him about television in turn. Instead, Julius keeps on summoning spirits, seemingly not learning his lesson, and Shakespeare can understand television perfectly.

[@galaxyskeleton]

Lol I haven't seen the episode or watched the video yet, so this is so funny out of context 😆

[@fshoaps]

Because it wasn’t meant to be this great story of learning, growth or frankly of substance. It was a comedy episode lambasting the entertainment industry. Remember Rod was a person.

[@musclesforsupes]

I hope Walter continues this annual tradition after season 5 is done. Pleaseeeeeeeee continue with the 1985 Twilight Zone seriesssssss….peasssssss😅

[@kylehunter2674]

No mustache Burt Reynolds resemblance to Marlon Brando is insanity. Wow!

[@mst3KGf]

Burt Reynolds is frighteningly good in his Brando impersonation. It's easy to mistake him for the real thing. Plus it also works as a spoof of over the top Method acting (like that whole spiel about what's his motivation to...walk through a door).

[@Gojiro7]

funny to think that even back then Brando was well known in the industry for being a full of himself asshole XD

[@louisduarte8763]

I think that came from just talking to Brando after 5 minutes. I forget who said it, but one directoranswerd an actor asking "What's my motivation?" with "Your paycheck."

[@Leon-zu1wp]

Other interesting facts is that Burt Reynolds grew his iconic mustache to specifically distance himself from his similar appearance to Brando. Funnily enough Brando would later claim to hate Reynolds during the shooting of Apocalypse Now for... bringing Native Americans to a movie premiere to virtue signal.

[@louisduarte8763]

@@Leon-zu1wp Which movie did Reynolds take Native Americans to?

[@Leon-zu1wp]

@@louisduarte8763 Cat Dancing

[@fredrikcarlstedt393]

Good for Serling that he got some of his frustrations out of his system.

[@SeenAGreatLight]

Hey, Howard McNear! So good to see Floyd the Barber in the Zone. He was such a fun and kind gentleman.

[@ericjanssen394]

Wasn't he also one of Frisby's gas-station buddies in "Hocus-Pocus and Frisby"?

[@wolfofthepride]

So, given that we have one season left, and it will likely end altogether next year if my math is right, I am going to begin campaigning that Walter give all his takes on the next iterations of the Twilight Zone (80's, 00's, 2019). I can't be the only person who doesn't want this to end. I'd also ask for The Night Gallery and the movie. But wait, there's more! What about The Outer Limits and its iterations? We could even go for Tales from the Crypt! I'm pretty sure there's more, but I can't remember them right now. The point is, please continue after next year, Walter! Like this is my Halloween highlight now that I'm an adult.

[@animefan77]

Shakespeare- someone who historically had a ghostwriter according to some rumors do his work is now angry at being a ghostwriter himself figuratively and literally is ironic in of itself

[@wstine79]

Rod Serling's parody of scriptwriters in Hollywood in the 60s was Pitch Perfect.

[@Nasser851000]

What a way to end a season than have a famous person involved ;)

[@jamesgarrett8833]

Already were done with season four and now on to season five, which has some really amazing episodes. Oh I can’t wait for Walter to cover them

[@jordanhunter3375]

Season 5 had 36 episodes, so excluding the first 4, next year's Twilight-ober Zone will have one extra.

[@julieporter7805]

As a Shakespeare fan, I love how the character is played and how Serling enacted his vengeance to the television industry. I find it amusing how this episode treats Tennessee Williams as a flash in the pan writer when now in the 21st century, he's regarded as every bit a legend as Shakespeare in his own way.

[@TramiNguyen-oi3kp]

I love this The Twilight Zone episode!

[@denardoellisjr]

Now I see where Bill & Ted's get their inspiration from lol😂

[@shenloken2]

Well the ending where you have all these prominent figures from American History together in one room has some potential. Especially when they clash ideologically! And the idea of Shakespeare decking someone isn’t too far-fetched. He was from an era where no fks were given to people hurt physically and psychologically. He probably wasn’t the effete pantaloons wearing ninny he’s stereotypically depicted as. And that’s about the most interesting things I have to say about this ep! Season 5 includes Nightmare at 20,000 Feet…and boy oh boy am I really looking forward to the review on that one!!

[@claytonrios1]

Burt Reynolds in The Twilight Zone. Does this make up for Cop And A Half?

[@theshenpartei]

Yes

[@michaelwhitehead6594]

After season 5 I hope you move on the the 1980's reboot, the movie and the other two reboots as well, and after that, maybe into other similar franchises like the outer limits, tales from the darkside, ray bradbury's mystery theatre, perversions of science, Crypt Keeper and so on! there's enough material to go for many more years to come for you. I been following this twilight tober zone since it started, and love every presentation so far.

[@brettrobson5739]

Gotta say, I loved Reynolds in this. I watch it just for him.

[@Razgriz85]

I remember Jack Weston from The Incredible Mr. Limpet where he played the best friend named George Stickel.

[@miroslavtomic7038]

This was first of three collaborations between Jack Weston and Burt Reynolds. They appeared together in Fuzz in 1972 and Gator in 1976. At the time of this episode, Reynolds was starring on Gunsmoke, appearing in both series in the week this episode was broadcast.

[@Torgo-and-the-Lucifer-Cat]

This was a pretty solid episode exposing the hypocrisy of media entertainment and Commercial World however it had to be stretched out to an hour which I think is the Achilles heel of this version of the series❤

[@Karuminu2]

I would love to see William Shakespeare deck today's Hollywood producers in the shnozz.

[@Daniel-sh3os]

This show really sheds some light on the tape of Brando complaining about B.R. on the set of Apocalypse Now.

[@Omar-wq9dz]

While the comedy episodes are disliked, you have to credit Rod Serling for at least trying to do something different from just doing dark/serious cautionary type stories, even if the results are not positive

[@mst3KGf]

There are good comedy episodes of the series, but they tended to be ones that Serling didn't write. Charles Beaumont in particular was very skilled at dark humor, as any view of his episodes show. And "A World of his Own", the S1 finale which is widely considered a good comedy, is a Richard Matheson effort.

[@trinaq]

Preach, the show was at its best when it was thriller or straight drama, and not so much with comedy.

[@Alexvander10]

I recognized Jack Weston in this episode from "Short Circuit 2" as the villain that tricks Johnny 5. I used to love that movie as a kid.

[@GameplayandTalk]

Oh man, I'm glad to know Season 4 is over. I watched this one last night and was like, "Ughhh, not another dud filled with unlikeable characters."

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content guys 😊😊😊❤❤❤

[@mw7937]

One of the more painful Twilight Zone’s to sit through. Spot on analysis.

[@gmg9010]

Just seeing Floyd from Andy Griffith was cool.

[@louisduarte8763]

Burt Reynolds had to have known Marlon Brando personally to get his portrayal THAT accurate.

[@Other_Robots]

Sponsors in this episode are basically modern day studios giving notes to their directors

[@amyfisher6380]

Apparently Brando didn’t appreciate the episode’s dead-on parody, and held a grudge against Burt Reynolds for the rest of his life.

[@louisduarte8763]

Seems imitation is not the best form of flattery.

[@precious_muse]

I had no idea that was Burt Reynolds. I thought it was hilarious seeing Shakespeare argue with what I thought was at the time called the best actor of all time.

[@amyfisher6380]

I grew up watching Bewitched before I ever saw an episode of TZ. Once I finally watched The Bard, I could see Bewitched all over that episode, from the main characters dealing with the sponsors, to the special effects, to an early episode in which Samantha conjures up historical figures to help her write a play, to later episodes when other historical figures accidentally get zapped into the Stephens house, to the gimmicky use of a spellbook, and to Jack Weston himself, who appeared in season 2 as Gladys Kravitz’s brother. So The Bard felt very comforting to me. The only thing I don’t like about it is the padded out hour length of the episode.

[@MoonlitLycan]

If I had a nickel for every time The Twilight Zone had an episide involving magic and Shakespeare I'd have two nickels, which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice.

[@wstine79]

I remember an interview with Rod Serling talking about how he dislike the network using his stories to sell toothpaste

[@job489]

2:24 - 2:40 That reminds me of when 4Kids dubbed Pokemon. As I recall, the voice actor for Brock mentioned at a convention that rice balls were called jelly donuts in the English dub, because they thought everyone in the West wouldn't know about rice balls. They went with jelly donuts assuming that was more recognizable food.

[@miroslavtomic7038]

This was one of episodes from original series that was remade in the 80s incarnation under the title Act Break in 1985.

[@etrisb]

I know Marge Redmond from The Flying Nun, but it's interesting to find out that she was married to Jack Weston. This episode isn't a favorite of mine, but there are two things I like: John Williams (because I like him in anything), and seeing Burt Reynolds without a moustache (because I hate moustaches).

[@Sovreign071]

I actually kinda want to see Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant discussing their history. They could've had this whole thing be a bottle episode! Moomy is given one last chance to give a winning script about *history,* instead of his usually wild tales. Not content with that, he starts spicing up historical accounts with swashbuckling tales and heroism! Through black magic or unknown means, historical figures appear to set him right.

[@raymondwatt9773]

You forgot to mention how this episode was featured in the finale of The Sopranos

[@scientistservant]

Excited to see you get to Season 5’s The Box, with Sterling Holloway!

[@badoocee1967]

I've been watching these episodes and I REALLY APPRECIATE you the on these Twilight Zone episodes. Tha k you VERY MUCH for all of the uploads!!!!!

[@carlocalderon3659]

Fun fact Marlon Brando didn't like Burt Reynolds because of this episode. It's also because the two look almost alike. In fact Burt Reynolds turned The Godfather (He was originally cast as Michael) because of it.

[@Nasser851000]

To comment or not to comment, that is the question!

[@elder-woodsilverstein7716]

THE SEASON IS OVER!! WE'RE FREE! Now, to go back to good old half-hour vignettes this show was known for. No more drawn-out, boring stories. WE'RE FINISHED!

[@sarysa]

I didn't even catch the Brando reference at the time, but now i can't unsee it. Looking up his history, i found him to be a bit of an overrated primadonna... especially with how he bogged down the Superman movies with his extreme pay demands. Nice shot, Serling.

[@benjaminsvideochannel7189]

I'm Not Gonna Lie the Part Where He brings out all the historical Americans made me really laugh

[@tremorsfan]

I don't think I've ever seen you like a comedy episode.

[@betamaxblocker]

My students love when I show Twilight Zone episodes to tie in with stories or concepts that we are studying. I showed them this before we began our Shakespeare unit. The kids loved John Williams as Shakespeare and everything Burt Reynolds did (they may be too young to know he is spoofing Brando but they know enough about annoying theater kids to appreciate the performance.) They hated Jack Weston though, with many of his extended gags drawing nothing but groans. I think if they'd reined Weston in a bit and given Williams more to do it would have been better.

[@ValgardDerithos]

I read somewhere that Burt Reynolds had an option to play young Vito Corleone in The Godfather II (would've been perfect, btw), but Marlon Brando was so pissed off by this imitation of himself that he firmly opposed to that casting. I don't know the veracity of any of this.

[@miroslavtomic7038]

Supposedly this episode was envisioned as Rod Serling's subtle sign of dissatisfaction with hour long episodes and Season 4, which he openly attributed to bad writing.

[@519djw6]

*Maybe this episode was the impetus for Marlon Brando's unabashed hatred for Burt Reynolds--assuming he watched TV at all.*

[@DPK365]

Burt Reynolds is really funny in this

[@antonmassopust568]

I remember this episode it has some memorable moments remember Rod Sterling once said it's really hard to be dramatic or interesting when you have to interrupt your show with a group of talking rabbits selling aspirin so he said it was just very very hard to write a script in the interesting bringing back William Shakespeare to write for television very funny

[@majinsole8554]

Another great TTZ season 🙂 Thanks, Walter! ~_~

[@cherylcampbell9369]

The man who says turnips, everybody knows turnips...lady in Dubuque, was later on Newhart (the one at the Vermont inn) as the mayor. That voice gave him away. Other better-known actors here, but I really enjoy him.

[@scott238colin]

I was expecting him to tell me why Heroquest was so great ….

[@ThePkmnYPerson]

There's another episode that features William Shakespeare. It's called Act Break.

[@JoseMorales-lw5nt]

For anyone looking to see a tour de force performance by Jack Weston... WAIT UNTIL DARK Any film fans out there might wanna check this one out. Jack Weston as a villan is quite a sight. Speaking of sight, Audrey Hepburn plays a blind woman in this thriller. Highly recommend it...😊❤

[@gaminggoof1542]

Can’t believe that’s Burt Reynolds. Not even his accent is present.

[@Randomlad.0737]

For what it was, the hour long episodes were an interesting experiment that had a few gems. Through overall, most (if not all of the hour long) episodes never got into the Zeitgeist/pop culture like the 22 minute episodes.

[@miroslavtomic7038]

Jack Weston and Marge Redmond appear together in this episode. They were husband and wife in real life at the time.

[@entertainmentlife430]

I am a huge shakespeare fan so i have mixed feelings about this one. I like it but i dont love it so generally i think it is just ok

[@jabbarmuhammad8804]

A interesting episode to say at least I can't wait for next year's twilight zone episodes

[@NerdsterStein]

I really hope that once you finish the original series you do the newer one I remember when I was like 4 seeing my first one ever and it was like these dolls coming to life and turning the baby sitter into one of them

[@ryancoulter4797]

Wait. Was that Margaret Hamilton in the bookstore?

[@jeremytung1632]

I’ve seen the entire classic TZ and I don’t remember season 4 at all. Which speaks volumes don’t it?

[@crh1985]

If you see this question, after this year you will have 32 episodes, are you going to do a extra episode of do 1985-1989 episodes the year after

[@dennisanderson3895]

The issue with the 1 hour format was they needed the right stories that would engage viewers for the hour in relevant ways. TOO often through season 4, it feels like the half-hour story is simply being dragged out to make the network happy they have a full hour to pit against The Outer Limits (which would have benefitted from a more precise 30-minute format). Still Great, but like the Statue of Liberty, you see the magnificence tarnished green rather in the brilliant bright polished copper first installed.

[@ericjanssen394]

Rod’s revenge on sponsor changes, and Burt Reynolds’ Brando, is the only thing keeping this episode from being another I Dream of Genie or Cavender is Coming. Rod had a lot of trouble being funny, and he needed a point to even do that. And as the TZC points out, there wasn’t much point in Julius conjuring up historical characters in the end, since his problem wasn’t research, but that he was a goofy incompetent writer to begin with.

[@TheCreepypro]

good idea not sure if it was executed that well

[@jlev1028]

Also, I prefer the '80s version where the protagonist is forced back to Shakespearian times and has to write the bard's plays for him while recieving no credit.

[@timothylyons1529]

At your last 2 episodes our classic

[@ProfessorGardevoir]

Shakespeare here looks like he could have been played by Christopher Lloyd

[@weareallbronies9031]

Any else kinda reminded of the calliope issue of sandman?

[@SulliMike23]

Woah! Burt Reynolds was in this episode?!

[@bbarrett726]

That's not his name. He's Turd Ferguson

[@jonathanzuckerman520]

Jack Weston was married to “Sister Jacqueline”? News to me!

[@jonathanzuckerman520]

And Isn’t that Floyd?

[@keiththompson9435]

This wasn’t the last time we get this concept: I believe an Anime in recent years I believe pulled it off better. The episode may feature the Bard but the Bandit stole the show

[@jayman4566]

One of the things my dad claims is that season 4 was the start of "fluff" Science fiction. In everything from Star Trek to stuff in the late 90s you would have 10-12 minutes of padding which added to the run time but rarely advanced a shows story.

[@smiththeinspiringanimator7042]

Awesome and cool! ^_^

[@Oppeldeldoc1]

Nearly my only problem with this whole episode is the self-consciously "whacky" music. And you can find that kind of music problem in a thousand comedies, including ones made right now.

[@aidanhever3369]

Rocky Rhodes ? Isn't that the same name as the rooster from Chicken Run and being voiced by Mel Gibson ?

[@someguythatlookslikeme8306]

I loved them all, TZ episodes, but the hour long ones always felt forced. Like, the story was done in 45 minutes so they made every scene a little bit longer, or added something unneeded. I never felt that way with the half hour shows. Burt Reynolds was AWESOME!!

[@hollowman7168]

Such a weird way to end a season. I guess u could take this episode as a metafor for the difficulties of making these episodes, but I dunno I don't think one hour comedy is wat people expect from twilight zone especially when it's not really hitting ....high marks....although im glad I had an excuse to go through it,because I discovered some of my favorite TZ episodes.

[@aaronmccarthy875]

After you finish season 5, are you going to do the Twilight zone revival?

[@TheMegazonyx]

Is this the last episode of this years TZ?

[@melissacooper8724]

This episode reminds me of an episode of Family Guy where Brian was trying to sell a TV pilot to the network. Unlike Moomer, Brian didn't have to summon a ghost writer to write it for him! I can see why Shakespeare was appalled at all the changes the network made to his script. I also understand why Moomer was a sellout. He was so desperate to sell a script to them that he feared being fired if he objected to their changes.

[@jessetorres8738]

4 Seasons down, just 1 Season to go.

[@matthewterlaga3022]

Wait…there’s still 4 days left in October, is he just going to end this now and not do 4 more episodes starting season 5? I thought the whole premise of this endeavor was literally a twilight zone video every day of October

[@Noa_Tay]

He will continue Season 5 thru Oct 31. Luckily Season 5 has 36 episodes so that's enough for the rest of this month and finish up the episodes by the end of next Twilightober. 😀

[@matthewterlaga3022]

@@Noa_Tay Thank you, great to know!

[@mysticranger6894]

Wonder of he will cover the other twilight zone...amd the one with peele

[@soren3569]

Yeah, those music cues are.... painful. It's the auditory equivalent of mugging for the camera.

[@timothylyons1529]

Feel sorry for Shakespeare and characters from American history being used as writing to that guy

[@TakeScareMedia]

Bill and Ted didn’t it better!! STATION!!

[@petetrbovich7575]

Seriously, nobody else said "Bill and Ted's" plot? Most totally bogus!

[@MforMovesets]

Nice, so an entire season this time. But season 4 had many episodes feeling like the worst of Star Trek rather than the best of Twilight Zone.