Today’s Birthday Boys 7/10

Earl Hamner Jr.

Earl Hamner Jr.

Today, July 10, is George Clayton Johnson’s 85th birthday and Earl Hamner, Jr.’s 91st birthday.

Among their vast and impressive writing credits, two have a special symmetry.

George Clayton Johnson’s “The Man Trap” was the first aired Star Trek episode (1966) – while Earl Hamner Jr.’s “The Bewitchin’ Pool” was the last aired episode of Twilight Zone.

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George Clayton Johnson

And two more items of birthday trivia:

  • In today’s paper there is an article about NASA officially giving up on trying to revive a satellite. The NASA spokesman remarked, “It’s dead, Jim.”  Of course that’s from Star Trek – and it’s in the first aired episode by George Clayton Johnson that Bones says, “He’s dead, Jim.” 
  • Earl Hamner worked on Falcon Crest, a series where the late Don Matheson (whose passing was reported earlier today) had a role.