OSB's John Newland

Some have accused him of being sort of a leech, feeding off other people's dramas and real-life struggles to make his television mark... For, unlike his American counterpart, Rod Serling, who wrote himself and, therefore, entirely made up his terrible tales of the bizarre, Newland was simple retelling, in his haughty British way, the tragedies already written out by destiny itself...!

Then again, comparing Newland to Serling is like comparing British-style of gentlemanliness to Americano machismo; style and substance despite Alcoa Aluminum sponsorship versus formulaic ransacking of ideas from other sources, always doctored with some more in order to please 1001 sponsors rather than just one; heck, ultimately, it is like comparing rumoured queerness and chain-smoking manliness? Both leading to oblivion - hmm?

John Newland was actually American-born, though so many mistook him for a Briton - and his body of work, especially as a director is so impressive: it reads as what's what of American classic television, featuring quite the who's who too! Just take a look at it here!

He may have done some ransacking of his own brand - pillaging the horrific accounts of others' tragedies in order to make a living - but he also dipped into pure fantasy and make-believe, from Peyton Place and The Man Who Never Was all the way down to Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Wonder Woman! He even had a sense of continuity through it all, having directed a series titled The Next Step Beyond nearly decades after his legendary stint on One Step Beyond...! He also directed a gem of a Made For TV film (back when those could still be, once in a blue moon, gems indeed!) called Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark - one of my all-time favorites - and that one is enough to excuse any faux pas, almost!

And it is high time OSB shows up here on S.O.S, by the way!

Was John Newland a good guy - that should be our only concern here, on S.O.S.!

All thespians who worked with him agreed that he was - what's your impression on that?