In 1957, a segment appeared on Desilu Playhouse. “The Time Element” presented audiences with a sample taste of what would go on to become one of the greatest television shows of all time. Created by Rod Serling, The Twilight Zone features stories “in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events...often ending with a surprise ending and a moral”*
The original 1959 series would survive being canceled twice before finally seeing its end after five seasons and over 150 episodes. However, the legacy and influence of the show can still be seen today, both in several reboots and other shows like Black Mirror.
While thinking of new topics for lists, I decided to do one based on the original Twilight Zone, featuring my favorite episodes. However, this idea proved to be overly burdensome for me. I did manage to narrow down the list of episodes to twenty-five, but the final act of ordering them lead to me reconsidering the list entirely. It was also around this time that I became intent on watching the 80’s and 90’s reboots. Thus, an alternative idea formed – Twilight Spotlight.
Instead of a list, I could take some time to chat about episodes that stood out to me the most (good and bad). As I make progress through the reboots, I can go ahead and add them as I see fit (yes, this includes the newest Jordan Peele version).
This will be a series that should be up once or twice a month (starting in May) that features one to three episodes each, depending on how much I want/have to say. There will additionally be a few special posts that compare certain iconic episodes that have been redone over the years (Ex. The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street).
*quote from The Twilight Zone Wikipedia
The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street gif from giphy.
Posts
Social Icons