Why? While I have no problem watching movies and TV shows in B&W, I don't think that was an intrinsic part of the original Twilight Zone. The stories are the most important part, IMO. That seems like needless nostalgia.
New version of The Twilight Zone to be on CBS All Access
- Thread starter Shaka Zulu
- Start date
Why? While I have no problem watching movies and TV shows in B&W, I don't think that was an intrinsic part of the original Twilight Zone. The stories are the most important part, IMO. That seems like needless nostalgia.
I feel it adds to the creepiness. I cannot imagine some of those classic episodes in color. Also, I'd like to see them make a bold choice like that.
I'm going to take a wild guess and suppose that CBS might believe that they'll get more subscribers for shows in color than for shows in black and white.
I don't doubt that. It's just my personal taste.
I would not be surprised if they do an occasional black and white episode.
There's a different art to shooting in black and white. It would be a real commitment.
Personally, I'd love to see the show done in black and white. Not only do I love the original Zone, but I love black-and-white movies and black-and-white photography in general. Unfortunately, we live in a world where classic movies have to be colorized (or remade with trendy faces) before kids will watch them. It would certainly be nice to see an episode done in black and white as a nod to the original, though.
Good thing it's a lot easier to turn a color production into black and white than the other way around. So if you really wanna watch it that way, you can. 
(And yes, I'm aware that just removing the color isn't the same thing as shooting it in black and white, but the show was never going to be shot on film anyway, so any theoretical B&W final product was still going to be achieved digitally.)
(And yes, I'm aware that just removing the color isn't the same thing as shooting it in black and white, but the show was never going to be shot on film anyway, so any theoretical B&W final product was still going to be achieved digitally.)
^^ That's true. I'm reminded of the DVD release of The Mist, which actually had two discs-- one for the color version and one for the black-and-white. It probably wasn't really necessary, but maybe they were able to give better grayscale that way or something.
Black Mirror did an episode in b&w.
Also, the original Twilight Zone had a partially silent episode starring Buster Keaton.
Also, the original Twilight Zone had a partially silent episode starring Buster Keaton.
That is possible, but I always like to watch things the way it was originally intended. My dad, on the other hand, insists on watching everything in 16x9. And not even pan/scan. He has to have it stretched. So when watching old tv series, everyone is short and fat, and in movies, everyone is tall and thin.Good thing it's a lot easier to turn a color production into black and white than the other way around. So if you really wanna watch it that way, you can.
Lets keep in mind that the original Twilight Zone wasn't shot in black and white for artistic reasons. It was shot that way because that was the way most shows were shot in those days.
Wanting the new show to be shot in black and white is a nostalgic thing that I don't get, perhaps because I grew up in the black and white TV era and always longed for color.
On the other hand, if all the episodes could be shot in black and white with Alfonso Cuaron directing and doing the cinematography, I might be willing to give it a go.
Wanting the new show to be shot in black and white is a nostalgic thing that I don't get, perhaps because I grew up in the black and white TV era and always longed for color.
On the other hand, if all the episodes could be shot in black and white with Alfonso Cuaron directing and doing the cinematography, I might be willing to give it a go.
It's true that Twilight Zone was shot in black-and-white out of necessity, but that's also true of all TV shows, movies, and still photography prior to a certain point in time. But the thing is that an artistry evolved as a result of that limitation that creators used to communicate with the audience, which still works just like any other form of artistry. This is why many photographers and a few (mostly independent) filmmakers still work in black-and-white. It would be perfectly appropriate, artistically, for TZ to continue to work in black-and-white for the sake of that artistic tradition-- although not likely to be commercially successful.
Umm, if you say so. There may have been some black and white TV shows that fit this description, but I'd be hard pressed to name any of them.
The thing that made the Twilight Zone special, what makes it as loved today as it was in the 50's and 60's, was some of the greatest writing in TV history. I doubt many loved (or love), the show for it's presentation of cinematic artistry in black and white.
In fact, the writing was so good that IMO, TZ would be thought of the same way whether shot in black and white or color.
It had to be black and white so they actually got a lot of camera operators and cinematographers who worked during the black and white era of film. It was the best possible people to use.
We don't really have that anymore.
We don't really have that anymore.
I can only partially agree here. There was a quality to the directing and the cinematography that helped present the story in very visually striking ways. I admit that color vs. black and white isn't necessarily a vital factor, but it was never about JUST the story. Television is by nature a visual medium, and TTZ got the visuals right just as often as it got the story right.
BY analogy: The best joke in the world is still going to stink if the wrong person tells it and ruins the delivery. Likewise, The Twilight Zone wouldn't have been so good if the directing and cinematography were of a lower quality.
Looks promising. Fingers crossed.