Gramma (The Twilight Zone)
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"Gramma" is the first segment of the eighteenth episode from the first season (1985–86) of the
television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
''
The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...
''. This segment, about a boy who is afraid of his grandmother, is based on the short story of the same name by
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
, published in the collection ''
Skeleton Crew A skeleton crew is the minimum number of personnel needed to operate and maintain an item such as a business, organization, or ship at its most simple operating requirements. Skeleton crews are often utilized during an emergency and are meant to ...
'' (1985).


Plot

Eleven-year-old George is left alone with his infirm grandmother, while his mother leaves to visit George's brother in the hospital. George's mother is concerned since George is frightened of "Gramma", but George insists he has grown out of his fear. Gramma asks George for tea. As George brings tea, he recalls how his mother and her siblings discussed how dangerous Gramma is now that she is senile. Her hand reaches out from the bedclothes. This startles George, and he drops the tea tray and flees the room. Regaining his composure, George returns to clean up the mess. He opens a panel in the floor. He takes two books from the concealed hole and runs out with them. One of the books is the ''
Necronomicon The ', also referred to as the ''Book of the Dead'', or under a purported original Arabic title of ', is a fictional grimoire (textbook of magic) appearing in stories by the horror writer H. P. Lovecraft and his followers. It was first menti ...
'', while the other is a diary which discusses
witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...
and summoning the dead. He realizes Gramma is a witch. George returns to Gramma's room and tries without success to rouse her. He finds she has no pulse. Thinking she is dead, he runs to the phone to call the hospital, but the line is tied up. He returns to her room to cover up her face. Gramma reaches out and grabs him, and they seem to merge into one being. George's mother returns and finds George sitting at the kitchen table with his grandmother's books. He explains that Gramma died and he was scared. She comforts him, saying that Gramma will still always be with them...while failing to notice that George now has glowing red eyes like Gramma.


Production

''The Twilight Zone''s staff writers were unhappy when they were told that CBS had acquired the television rights for
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
's " Gramma", feeling that it would be almost impossible to adapt, since it consists mostly of internal monologues. Faced with the choice of producing a segment from it or swallowing the considerable cost of licensing a Stephen King property, they turned the unenviable task of writing the teleplay over to story consultant
Harlan Ellison Harlan Jay Ellison (May 27, 1934 – June 28, 2018) was an American writer, known for his prolific and influential work in New Wave speculative fiction and for his outspoken, combative personality. Robert Bloch, the author of '' Psycho'' ...
.
William Friedkin William "Billy" Friedkin (born August 29, 1935)Biskind, p. 200. is an American film and television director, producer and screenwriter closely identified with the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in documentaries in t ...
, who had previously directed the segment " Nightcrawlers", was originally slated to direct "Gramma", and in fact had cast all the characters and fully prepped the set when a familial obligation forced him to drop the job. Bradford May, ''The Twilight Zone''s director of photography, had long held aspirations of being a director and stepped in as Friedkin's last-minute replacement. The segment was shot on sets at the
CBS Radford Radford Studio Center, alternatively CBS Studio Center, is a television and film studio located in the Studio City district of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. The lot has 18 sound stages from , of office space, and 223 dressing rooms. T ...
. When George opens up the floor panel in Gramma's bedroom, the sounds which emerge are a collage of bacon frying,
cicada The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into two ...
s singing, and Harlan Ellison making raspy vocalizations. Ellison also provided one of the voices of George's family, while
Piper Laurie Piper Laurie (born Rosetta Jacobs; January 22, 1932) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films ''The Hustler'' (1961), '' Carrie'' (1976), and '' Children of a Lesser God'' (1986), all of which brought her Academy Award no ...
voiced Gramma.


Reception

Gilbert Cruz ranked "Gramma" at number 9 out of 27 in a list of Stephen King television adaptations on ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
''. Cruz remarked that Harlan Ellison's script does an astoundingly good job of making the uneventful story work for television and bringing out its emotional and metaphorical heart.


References


External links

*
Postcards from the Zone episode 1.44 Gramma
{{Harlan Ellison 1986 American television episodes The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series season 1) episodes Television episodes written by Harlan Ellison Television shows based on works by Stephen King Television shows based on short fiction Television episodes about death Television episodes about witchcraft