"The Twilight Zone" (1959) TV series 1959-1964

User Rating:

9.6/10   

Creator:

Rod Serling

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

2 October 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Plot:

Rod Serling's seminal anthology series focused on ordinary folks who suddenly found themselves in extraordinary, usually supernatural, situations. The stories would typically end with an ironic twist that would see the guilty punished.

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Moral | Cult Favorite | Surrealism | Supernatural Power

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 8 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 8	5:30 AM	SYFY	Still Valley	#3.11
Mon. Nov. 9	5:00 AM	SYFY	Once Upon a Time	#3.13

Cast

Rod Serling

...

Narrator / ... (156 episodes, 1959-1964)

Also Known As:

The Twilight Zone: The Original Series (Australia)
Twilight Zone (USA) (new title)
Ai confini della realtà (Italy) [it]
Além da Imaginação (Brazil) [pt]
Dimensión desconocida (Spain) [es]
En los límites de la realidad (Spain) [es]
Hämärän rajamailla (Finland) (new title) [fi]
Hämärän rajamailla - mielikuvitusta vai totta? (Finland) (original subtitled version) [fi]
La dimensió desconeguda (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
La dimensión desconocida (Argentina) [es]
La quatrième dimension (France) [fr]
Mystery Zone (Japan) [ja]
Quinta Dimensão (Portugal) [pt]
Tweeduister (Netherlands) [nl]
Unglaubliche Geschichten (West Germany) [de]

Runtime:

51 min (18 episodes) (season 4) | 25 min (138 episodes) (season 1-3 and season 5)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:TV-PG | Australia:M (some episodes) | Australia:PG (some episodes) | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Cayuga Productions

Trivia:

Series creator Rod Serling made up the phrase "Sixth Dimension" to use in season one's opening narration. William Self of CBS-TV asked him what was the fifth dimension (given that dimensions one through three are exemplified by a line, a plane, and a cube, respectively, and the fourth is time). Serling answered, "I don't know. Aren't there five?" He then changed the narration to "There is a fifth dimension..."

Quotes:

[Opening narration - season 2]
Narrator: You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: Svengoolie's TV Graveyard: Zoned Out" (2005)

Soundtrack:

Twilight Zone Theme

The signpost up ahead...

It is completely impossible to narrow down the best episodes of this classic TV series...everything about it (writing, acting, production values) is leaps and bounds above anything around today! That being said, since the Christmas season is approaching, Serling made two holiday episodes that are worth taking the time to watch all over again: "The Night of the Meek" with Art Carney and (my personal favorite) "The Changing of the Guard" with Donald Pleasance. Both are timeless classics, and show a very sentimental side to the Twilight Zone...Every year at the holiday season I like to sit back and take these episodes in; they get better and better with each repeated viewing! Merry Christmas & Enjoy!