Don Draper, You Have Just Entered the Twilight Zone

While researching a Psychobabble piece for the coming Halloween season (yes, these things take time, folks), I came across a truly fascinating artifact that slipped under my radar when it made news late last year. Marc Scott Zicree, television writer and author of the indispensable Twilight Zone Companion, composed a spec script for AMC's "Mad Men" in which dashing, duplicitous Don Draper encounters "Twilight Zone" creator Rod Serling! Late last December, Blastr slipped Zicree's spec script, in which Draper attempts to lure Serling, moping after his show's cancellation, into a pitchman position.



This script is not the first time "Mad Men" has taken a side trip to the "Twilight Zone". In the series' second episode, "Ladies' Room", the characters Paul Kinsey and Peggy Olson have an exchange in which Paul slips into Serling-speak. The impersonation draws a blank stare from Peggy, who then confesses her distaste for science fiction. In 2008, "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner told AolTV.com that Serling's was the show that most inspired his, saying, "You can't have the '60s without The Twilight Zone... It was not just science fiction, it dealt with social issues. It's filled with the texture of real life."

You can download the full script in pdf format on Blastr. It's unlikely it will ever be produced, so don't sweat the spoilers.