History Series / TheTwilightZone1959

->''"There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to Man. It is a dimension as vast as space, and as timeless as infinity. It is the middleground between light and shadow, between science and superstition; and it lies between the pit of Man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call...the Twilight Zone."''

!!Submitted for your approval, multiple tropes, each unique in their very own way... in the [=Tropelight=] Zone:

One of television's most revered series, ''The Twilight Zone'' (Creator/{{CBS}}, 1959–64) stands as the [[TropeCodifier role model]] for all subsequent GenreAnthology shows. Its trenchant sci-fi/horror/fantasy parables explore humanity's hopes, despairs, terrors, prides, and prejudices in deep, metaphoric ways which more conventional drama cannot.

The series also possessed a remarkable ability to take rather silly story concepts and combine them with [[{{Anvilicious}} preachy, moralistic writing]] to produce some truly outstanding episodes. (Seriously, you think ''Series/TheWestWing'' was heavy-handed? Creator/AaronSorkin's got ''nothing'' on Rod Serling in full-on righteous anger mode.) The ghost of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler travels to the early-'60s United States and teaches Creator/DennisHopper to become an effective demagogue? [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS4E106HesAlive It works]]. A former Nazi commander returns to Dachau after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and gets put on trial by the ghosts of his victims? [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E74DeathsHeadRevisited It works]]. Creator/WilliamShatner hams it up yelling about the monster on the wing of the plane? [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E123NightmareAt20000Feet It works]].

[[Series/TheTwilightZone1985 An often worthy]] {{revival}} series ran on CBS from 1985–87, and in FirstRunSyndication from 1988–89. [[Series/TheTwilightZone2002 Another revival]] ran on Creator/{{UPN}} in the 2002–03 season, which reunited Bill Mumy and Creator/ClorisLeachman in a sequel to the classic TZ chiller "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E73ItsAGoodLife It's a Good Life]]". [[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 A third]] helmed by Creator/JordanPeele began airing in 2019 on CBS All Access, lasting for two seasons before ending in 2020. A [[LicensedPinballTable licensed]] {{Pinball}} game, ''Pinball/TwilightZone'', was released in 1992, filled with references and {{Shout Out}}s to various episodes, and is today one of the most popular pinball games of all time. However, it's the daring original series that shows every sign of lasting the ages as the literature that it is.

One of television's most revered series, ''The Twilight Zone'' (Creator/{{CBS}}, 1959–64) stands as the [[TropeCodifier role model]] for all subsequent GenreAnthology shows. Its trenchant sci-fi/horror/fantasy parables explore humanity's hopes, despairs, terrors, prides, and prejudices in deep, metaphoric ways that more conventional drama cannot.

[[Series/TheTwilightZone1985 An often worthy]] {{revival}} series ran on CBS from 1985–87, and in FirstRunSyndication from 1988-89. [[Series/TheTwilightZone2002 Another revival]] ran on Creator/{{UPN}} in the 2002–03 season, which reunited Bill Mumy and Creator/ClorisLeachman in a sequel to the classic TZ chiller "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E73ItsAGoodLife It's a Good Life]]". [[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 A third]] helmed by Creator/JordanPeele began airing in 2019 on CBS All Access, lasting for two seasons before ending in 2020. A [[LicensedPinballTable licensed]] {{Pinball}} game, ''Pinball/TwilightZone'', was released in 1992, filled with references and {{Shout Out}}s to various episodes, and is today one of the most popular pinball games of all time. However, it's the daring original series that shows every sign of lasting the ages as the literature that it is.

[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/twilight-zone.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:330:Picture, if you will...]]

One of television's most revered series, ''The Twilight Zone'' (Creator/{{CBS}}, 1959–64) stands as the [[TropeCodifier role model]] for TV [[GenreAnthology anthologies]]. Its trenchant sci-fi/horror/fantasy parables explore humanity's hopes, despairs, prides, and prejudices in deep, metaphoric ways conventional drama cannot.

Creator Creator/RodSerling wrote the majority of the scripts, and produced those of such now-legendary writers as Creator/RichardMatheson and Charles Beaumont. The series featured such soon-to-be-famous actors as Creator/RobertRedford, Creator/WilliamShatner, Creator/BurtReynolds, Creator/RobertDuvall, Creator/DennisHopper, Creator/CarolBurnett, Creator/JamesCoburn, Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/LeeMarvin, Creator/PeterFalk, Creator/DonaldPleasence and Creator/BillMumy, as well as such established stars as SilentMovie giant Creator/BusterKeaton, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/ArtCarney, Creator/MickeyRooney, Creator/IdaLupino, and Creator/JohnCarradine.

''The Twilight Zone'' had a rather remarkable ability to take silly story concepts, combine them with [[{{Anvilicious}} preachy, moralistic writing]], and produce some truly outstanding episodes. (Seriously, you think ''Series/TheWestWing'' was heavy-handed? Creator/AaronSorkin's got ''nothing'' on Rod Serling in full righteous-anger mode.) The ghost of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler travels to the United States and teaches Creator/DennisHopper to become an effective demagogue? [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS4E106HesAlive It works]]. A former concentration camp commander travels back to Dachau after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and is put on trial by the ghosts of his victims? [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E74DeathsHeadRevisited It works]]. Creator/WilliamShatner hams it up and yells about the monster on the wing of the plane? [[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS5E123NightmareAt20000Feet It works]].

Almost all episodes ended with {{A|nAesop}}esops; "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," "Be tolerant," "Democracy is good," etc. Occasionally, you'd get a HardTruthAesop; notably, the episode "Time Enough At Last," which starred Creator/BurgessMeredith and seemed to tell the viewer, "Even if you are a good and decent man, you can still have horrible things continually happen to you and end up with no hope at all", and became one of the most famous episodes of the original series.

The series became so iconic that it's received [[Franchise/TheTwilightZone a number of reworkings and continuations in various media]] over the decades, starting with a ComicBookAdaptation that was launched while it was still in production and outlasted it by several years. ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'', a big-screen version that featured individual segments directed by Creator/StevenSpielberg, Creator/JoeDante, Creator/JohnLandis and Creator/GeorgeMiller was released in 1983. Tragically, the movie is [[OvershadowedByControversy best remembered]] for a [[FatalMethodActing horrible accident]] in which three actors (including Creator/VicMorrow and two children) were killed during shooting of an action scene in Landis' segment.

Creator Creator/RodSerling wrote the majority of the scripts, and produced those of such now-legendary writers as Creator/RichardMatheson and Charles Beaumont. The series featured such soon-to-be-famous actors as Creator/RobertRedford, Creator/WilliamShatner, Creator/BurtReynolds, Creator/RobertDuvall, Creator/DennisHopper, Creator/CarolBurnett, Creator/JamesCoburn, Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/LeeMarvin, Creator/PeterFalk, Creator/DonaldPleasence and Bill Mumy, as well as such established stars as SilentMovie giant Creator/BusterKeaton, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/ArtCarney, Creator/MickeyRooney, Creator/IdaLupino, and Creator/JohnCarradine.

''The Twilight Zone'' had a rather remarkable ability to take silly story concepts, combine them with [[{{Anvilicious}} preachy, moralistic writing]], and produce some truly outstanding episodes. (Seriously, you think ''Series/TheWestWing'' was heavy-handed? Creator/AaronSorkin's got ''nothing'' on Rod Serling in full righteous-anger mode.) The ghost of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler travels to the United States and teaches Creator/DennisHopper to become an effective demagogue ("He's Alive")? It works. A former concentration camp commander travels back to Dachau after UsefulNotes/WorldWarII and is put on trial by the ghosts of his victims ("Deaths-Head Revisited")? It works. Creator/WilliamShatner hams it up and yells about the monster on the wing of the plane ("Nightmare at 20,000 Feet")? It works.

See also the episode [[Recap/TheTwilightZone1959 Recap page]].

The show has a [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/BestEpisode/TheTwilightZone Best Episode Crowner]].

[[Series/TheTwilightZone1985 An often worthy]] {{revival}} series ran on CBS from 1985–87, and in FirstRunSyndication from 1988-89. [[Series/TheTwilightZone2002 Another revival]] ran on Creator/{{UPN}} in the 2002–03 season, which reunited Bill Mumy and Creator/ClorisLeachman in a sequel to the classic TZ chiller "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E73ItsAGoodLife It's a Good Life]]". [[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 A third]] helmed by Creator/JordanPeele began airing in 2019 on CBS All Access, lasting for two seasons before ending in 2020. A [[LicensedPinballTable licensed]] {{Pinball}} game, ''Pinball/TheTwilightZone'', was released in 1992, filled with references and {{Shout Out}}s to various episodes, and is today one of the most popular pinball games of all time. However, it's the daring original series that shows every sign of lasting the ages as the literature that it is.

The series became so iconic that it's received [[Franchise/TheTwilightZone a number of reworkings and continuations in various media]] over the decades, starting with a ComicBookAdaptation that was launched while it was still in production and outlasted it by several years. ''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'', a big-screen version that featured individual segments directed by Creator/StevenSpielberg, Creator/JoeDante, Creator/JohnLandis and Creator/GeorgeMiller was released in 1983. Tragically, the movie is [[NeverLiveItDown best remembered]] for a [[GoneHorriblyWrong horrible accident]] in which three actors (including Creator/VicMorrow and two children) were killed during shooting of an action scene in Landis' segment.

Many television shows have [[AffectionateParody borrowed liberally]] from ''The Twilight Zone'', especially ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''[='=] ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'', ''[[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends Garfield's Tales of Scary Stuff]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s "[[ShowWithinAShow The Scary]] [[AffectionateParody Door]]" and "Anthology of Interest". There's also a popular thrill-ride inspired by the series in the Ride/DisneyThemeParks, Ride/TheTwilightZoneTowerOfTerror which inspired its own [[Film/TowerOfTerror non-canon TV film]] in 1997.

Many television shows have [[AffectionateParody borrowed liberally]] from ''The Twilight Zone'', especially ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons''[='=] ''WesternAnimation/TreehouseOfHorror'', ''[[WesternAnimation/GarfieldAndFriends Garfield's Tales of Scary Stuff]]'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s "[[ShowWithinAShow The Scary]] [[AffectionateParody Door]]" and "Anthology of Interest". There's also [[Ride/TheTwilightZoneTowerOfTerror a thrill-ride]] inspired by the series in Ride/DisneyThemeParks which inspired its own [[Film/TowerOfTerror non-canon TV film]] in 1997.

''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'', a big-screen adaptation that featured individual segments directed by Creator/StevenSpielberg, Creator/JoeDante, Creator/JohnLandis and Creator/GeorgeMiller was released in 1983. Tragically, the movie is [[NeverLiveItDown best remembered]] for a [[GoneHorriblyWrong horrible accident]] in which three actors (including Creator/VicMorrow and two children) were killed during shooting of an action scene in Landis' segment.

[[Series/TheTwilightZone1985 An often worthy]] {{revival}} series ran on CBS from 1985–87, and in FirstRunSyndication from 1988-89. [[Series/TheTwilightZone2002 Another revival]] ran on Creator/{{UPN}} in the 2002–03 season, which reunited Bill Mumy and Creator/ClorisLeachman in a sequel to the classic TZ chiller "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E73ItsAGoodLife It's a Good Life]]". [[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 A third]] helmed by Creator/JordanPeele began airing in 2019 on CBS All Access, lasting for two seasons before ending in 2020. A [[LicensedPinballTable licensed]] {{Pinball}} game, ''Pinball/TheTwilightZone'', was released in 1992, filled with references and {{Shout Out}}s to various episodes, and is today one of the most popular pinball games of all time. But it's the daring original series that shows every sign of lasting the ages as the literature that it is.

See Franchise.TheTwilightZone for information on this series' many adaptations.

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!!''The Twilight Zone (1959)'' subpages:

[[index]]

[[Series/TheTwilightZone1985 An often worthy]] {{revival}} series ran on CBS from 1985–87, and in FirstRunSyndication from 1988-89. [[Series/TheTwilightZone2002 Another revival]] ran on Creator/{{UPN}} in the 2002–03 season, which reunited Bill Mumy and Creator/ClorisLeachman in a sequel to the classic TZ chiller "[[Recap/TheTwilightZoneS3E73ItsAGoodLife It's a Good Life]]". [[Series/TheTwilightZone2019 A third]] helmed by Creator/JordanPeele began airing in 2019 on CBS All Access. A [[LicensedPinballTable licensed]] {{Pinball}} game, ''Pinball/TheTwilightZone'', was released in 1992, filled with references and {{Shout Out}}s to various episodes, and is today one of the most popular pinball games of all time. But it's the daring original series that shows every sign of lasting the ages as the literature that it is.

Guess what? [[spoiler:Your whole life has been a dream, one of your family members is a robot, and that nice man that just moved into town is a Martian. Welcome to the Twilight Zone. Hey, look at that weird mirror!]]

->''"There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to Man. It is a dimension as vast as space, and as timeless as infinity. It is the middleground between light and shadow, between science and superstition; and it lies between the pit of Man's fears, and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call...the Twilight Zone."''

Creator Creator/RodSerling wrote the majority of the scripts, and produced those of such now-legendary writers as Creator/RichardMatheson and Charles Beaumont. The series featured such soon-to-be-famous actors as Creator/RobertRedford, Creator/WilliamShatner, Creator/BurtReynolds, Creator/RobertDuvall, Creator/DennisHopper, Creator/BurgessMeredith, Creator/CarolBurnett, Creator/JamesCoburn, Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/LeeMarvin, Creator/PeterFalk, Creator/DonaldPleasence and Bill Mumy, as well as such established stars as SilentMovie giant Creator/BusterKeaton, Creator/ArtCarney, Creator/MickeyRooney, Creator/IdaLupino, and Creator/JohnCarradine.

''Film/TwilightZoneTheMovie'', a big-screen adaptation that featured individual segments directed by Creator/StevenSpielberg, Creator/JoeDante, Creator/JohnLandis and Creator/GeorgeMiller was released in 1983. Tragically, the movie is [[NeverLiveItDown best remembered]] for a [[GoneHorriblyWrong horrible accident]] in which three actors (two of them children) were killed during shooting of an action scene in Landis' segment.

Creator Creator/RodSerling wrote the majority of the scripts, and produced those of such now-legendary writers as Creator/RichardMatheson and Charles Beaumont. The series featured such soon-to-be-famous actors as Creator/RobertRedford, Creator/WilliamShatner, Creator/BurtReynolds, Creator/RobertDuvall, Creator/DennisHopper, Creator/CarolBurnett, Creator/JamesCoburn, Creator/CharlesBronson, Creator/LeeMarvin, Creator/PeterFalk, Creator/DonaldPleasence and Bill Mumy, as well as such established stars as SilentMovie giant Creator/BusterKeaton, Creator/ArtCarney, Creator/MickeyRooney, Creator/IdaLupino, and Creator/JohnCarradine.

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