Movies - TV
Why Carol Burnett’s Twilight Zone Episode Had Rod Serling Saying Sorry
By MICHAEL BOYLE
While not all 156 episodes of “The Twilight Zone” are beloved among fans, some viewers have debated whether specific stories are good or bad.
Even showrunner Rod Serling and actress Carol Burnett disagreed about the quality of the episode they worked on together, Season 3’s “Cavender is Coming.”
Serling’s daughter, Anne, said he felt the comedy fell flat and was so embarrassed that he sent an apology letter to Burnett saying he would buy her a pastrami sandwich.
Anne added in an interview with HuffPost, “She [Burnett] said something like, ‘Oh, it wasn’t so bad, but I don’t like pastrami.’”
The episode was meant to have a laugh track, but it was removed. While the missing track makes the jokes feel awkward, adding one likely wouldn’t have worked with the show’s tone.