The Twilight Zone is one of the most popular and best-loved programs in the history of television. Unique, original, and decades ahead of its time, the original Twilight Zone only lasted five seasons, but produced such ground-breaking television that its stories are still being recycled, parodied, and talked about today. Ask ten Twilight Zone fans for their ten favorite episodes and you’ll get dozens of different answers. However, there are certain TZ episodes so time-honored that they have seeped into the national consciousness and still influence the science fiction and horror genres today. Here are the Top 10 Best Twilight Zone episodes:
10. People Are Alike All Over
Warren Marcusson, an eternal optimist, and his cynical shipmate, Samuel Conrad, crash land on Mars. Though Marcusson is killed in the crash, Conrad survives. Terrified at first, Conrad is relieved to find that Martians are compassionate and even human-like. Though they communicate telepathically, the Martians care for Conrad and even give him his own home. However, Conrad quickly realizes that, in the Twilight Zone, things are never as they seem. In the end, Conrad is forced to confront man’s inhumanity toward other creatures, and learns that people are indeed alike all over.
9. Eye of the Beholder
Originally titled “The Private World of Darkness,” “Eye of the Beholder” provided an astute commentary on the definition of beauty and societal norms. When viewers are first introduced to Janet Tyler, her face is swathed in bandages. Viewers are told that this is Janet’s eleventh and final attempt to have her facial abnormalities corrected so that she can fit in with the rest of society. If her surgery fails, the State will send her to a segregated community for outcasts like herself. When doctors finally remove the bandages from Janet’s surgically “repaired” face, viewers learn, in a twist still shocking more than forty years later, that one society’s idea of beauty is not necessarily another’s. This episode remains as relevant today as it was during the burgeoning Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.
8. Kick the Can
Can one hold on to his youth simply by remaining young at heart? This is the question posed to Ben Conroy, a residentof Sunnyvale Rest, a nursing home for the elderly. When a fellow resident, Charles Whitley, declares that the secret to remaining young is to act young, Conroy dismisses him as crazy. One night, when Whitley wakes all the residents of the home to play kick the can, Conroy decides he’s had enough of Whitley’s nonsense and alerts the home’s supervisor. But when Conroy and the supervisor head outside to round up the residents and discipline Whitley, Conroy discovers thetrue secret to remaining young. One of the saddest and sweetest episodes the TZ ever aired, “Kick the Can” remains a favorite among the TZ devotees, and was adapted for Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983.
7. Mirror Image
If the TZ is any indication, few things in life are scarier than realizing that you’re experiencing a different reality from those around you. This is the setting for “Mirror Image,” which starts out, innocently enough, with young Millicent Barnes waiting for a bus. Soon enough, odd events begin to unsettle Millicent: people answer questions she hasn’t asked, she learns her luggage has already been checked, the washroom attendant comments that she was just in the restroom. As the episode progresses, Millicent learns that reality and dimension are flexible and can be manipulated in the struggle for survival, not just by those on our dimensional plane, but by those on others as well.
6. To Serve Man
An episode of any series is truly preserved in immortality when it’s lampooned by The Simpsons, as “To Serve Man” was in the first “Treehouse of Horror” in 1990. Earthlings are at first startled by the landing of the Kanamits, who have arrived on Earth from elsewhere in the universe. Earth’s fears, however, are quickly put to rest when the Kanamits immediately prove themselves trustworthy, helpful, and kind. To show their goodwill towards man, the Kanamits leave a book, written in code, entitled “To Serve Man,” at the United Nations. Decoding expert Michael Chambers, along with millions of other earthlings book passage to the Kanamits’ home planet, but not before he and his assistant, Pat, attempt to decode “To Serve Man.” In a classic TZ ending, the lowly assistant Pat finishes decoding the book, allowing her to avert the fate that so many others did not. “To Serve Man” is a classic TZ swipe at man’s sense of self-importance within the cosmos.
5. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?
Forced off the road during by a damaged bridge during a snowstorm, a bus driver and his six passengers stop in a greasy spoon to wait out the storm. They are soon shocked to learn that a UFO reportedly landed nearby, and that footprints in the snow lead from the ship to the diner. Their panic increases when they realize that, though there were only six passengers on the bus, seven passengers now occupy the diner. In a scathing social commentary on paranoia among neighbors at the height of the Cold War, the passengers become increasingly suspicious and begin to turn on one another as they attempt to flush out the alien. The twist-within-a-twist at the end of the episode ensures that even the most astute observers are caught off guard.
4. The Midnight Sun
Decades before fear of global warning was known to the masses, the TZ took up the task of scaring the bejesus out of viewers by depicting life on a quickly warming planet. In “The Midnight Sun,” Earth has abruptly changed its solar orbit, and is heading ever-closer to the sun. While most of New York City has fled in a desperate attempt to survive, Norma and her landlord, Mrs. Bronson, remain in their apartment building. In this corner of the Twilight Zone, every hour of the day is high noon, every day the hottest. When Mrs. Bronson dies from the heat and a man breaks into Norma’s apartment and drinks the last of her water, Norma is left, alone and doomed, to face her death alone. Or is she? The turn of events at the end of the episode leave viewers pondering the many ways in which the earth might cease to exist.
3. Nightmare at 20,000 Feet
The real genius of the TZ was its unfailing ability to play upon the secret (and not-so-secret) fears of its viewers. When it comes to phobias for many Americans, flying is right up there with spiders and monsters in the closet. In this classic TZ episode, which many fans count as their favorite, Robert Wilson, played by William Shatner, has been recently discharged from a sanitarium after a nervous breakdown, and is on his way home to reunite with his family via airplane. Glancing out the window during the flight, Wilson sees a gremlin on the wing of plane who seems determined to bring the plane down. As continues to watch the creature attempt to destroy the plane, his pleas for help go unheeded by the rest of the passengers and crew, who find Wilson’s story unbelievable. The perceived line between sanity and insanity blurred, viewers never learn if Wilson is vindicated in his heroic efforts to save the plane, or indeed, if the plane ever really needed saving. Another TZ masterpiece, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” was brilliantly parodied by The Simpsons in “Treehouse of Horror IV.”
2. Time Enough at Last
When the average viewer talks about their favorite TZ episodes, “Time Enough At Last” is one of the most frequently-mentioned. This chapter in the series has all the hallmarks of a great TZ episode: the destruction of Earth, one man left alone, and a twist of an ending to remind viewers that they are in the Twilight Zone. Henry Bemis’ one salvation in a life with a shrewish wife, an overbearing boss, and an unfulfilling bank job is his love of books. Having snuck into the vault of the bank to read during his lunch hour, Henry is rendered unconscious by a shockwave. Upon awakening, Henry discovers that the world has been obliterated by nuclear war. Left alone in a barren landscape, Henry determines to kill himself when he happens upon a library. Thrilled at the prospect of spending his remaining days tucked away in the pages of a book, Henry pulls all the books he intends to read from the shelves and settles in to begin. What ultimately happens to Henry probably accounts for the large number of Americans who currently sport contact lenses.
1. It’s a Good Life
If there was one set of common themes in the TZ series, it was that things are often not what they seem and that evil can exist where one least expects it. Such is the case with “It’s a Good Life,” set in the tiny town of Peaksville, Ohio. In the episode’s introduction, Rod Serling tells viewers that a monster has laid siege to the town of Peaksville, cutting it off from the outside world. Residents are so terrified that they do nothing but feign happiness in an attempt to please the monster, who can read their every thought and emotion. If the monster is displeased, he grotesquely disfigures the residents or sends them into the cornfield, a fate worse than death. But when viewers finally meet “the monster,” who is firmly in charge of everyone and everything in Peaksville, he is a blue-eyed, angel-faced six-year-old boy named Anthony Fremont. What could be more frightening than an entire town full of adults left to the mercy of the capricious whims of a six-year old child with a penchant for gruesome punishments? Turns out, nothing. “It’s A Good Life” is the scariest TZ episode ever aired, not so much because of what viewers see, but what they don’t see. Viewers never learn what is in the dreaded cornfield or what specifically Anthony has done to render the entire town so terror-stricken in his presence. Rather, it’s the look of horror on the faces of the townspeople at the prospect of someone upsetting Anthony that tells the entire story.
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1. Bruce - May 5th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I never saw this show. Too creepy. My little brother used to watch it tho, I’d always hide my head under the covers.
2. John - May 5th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
YES!!!!! I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!!! I catch it every time it’s on Sci Fi (often).
3. Adele - May 5th, 2009 at 11:13 pm
My daughter loves this show. I’ve caught half of “To Serve Man” once or twice (does that make it whole? lol) and it seems all right.
4. Janice - May 5th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
I still vividly remember watching “Eye of the Beholder”/”The Private World of Darkness” with my mother when I was young; I think it was a tape she had, or maybe it was a rerun. Anyway, that doesn’t matter. What matters is the incredible and relevant message that this story holds. I don’t want to spoil it for any body (though I’m sure you can guess the twist from luther’s description and the original title) but it taught me a lot about how to treat others and the true meaning of beauty…. WOW.
I remember going to school the next day and talking about it with Abby, my friend. She hadn’t seen it, but from my description we were both able to learn a valuable lesson. Before, we had seen people who weren’t like us in the way that Janet wasn’t like, and we didn’t understand what they were going through. We didn’t understand the word racism when people talked about it on the news. It may sound silly but that one episode of the Twilight Zone really did change the way I looked at and related to people who weren’t like me. I grew up in a mostly white area too, so it’s not like I had a whole lot of exposure to these problems.
We could all still stand to learn a lot from stories like these, especially with people like Carrie Prejean “Miss California” dominating the airwaves with her fake breasts. The artificial standards that we continue to put on people, 40 years after civil rights and 30 years after the women’s movement, are just disgusting. When are we going to open up our eyes and see that people are just people? When are we going to see how we hurt others with prejudice and hate? When will we finally wake up?
5. Jake - May 5th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Great list, Luther! Loved this show since childhood. “The Midnight Sun”….that one always came to mind on particularly hot summer days in my nyc apt.
6. Ruth - May 5th, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Ugh, sci-fi? Really? Really? I couldn’t stand this show or Star Trek or any other crap my brothers used to watch.
7. Crackalackin109 - May 6th, 2009 at 1:39 am
Nice list..i seen “time enough at last” and I have to say that - thats some messed up stuff. Now in the f*** can someone survive the mother of all blasts and about to have all the time in the world to do what you like to do and come to find out your dream has been crushed by some stupid accident. Makes me wanna puke, but I have to say that the person that created the stoty is a genious and has alot of imagination.
Again..nice choice
8. BootzMob - May 6th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Ruth—how in the heck can you dislike twilightzone? I have never met anyone that could not resist it. The ending twists, plot and the lessons that the show teaches you are amazing. I smell hypocrisy and/or stubborness. i think you are one of those people that watched a bad episode and vowed never to see it again. You gotta at least give the show a chance.
Another show that you guy should give a chance is:
Naruto and Bleach anime.
The show are awesome to any fan of action or anime
9. Ruth - May 6th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Maybe….I’ve just never been a big fan of sci-fi! My brothers used to occupy the television watching Twilight Zone and other stuff, keeping me from watching MY shows (cartoons and stuff).
Anime is like animation right? Maybe I’ll check it out. Thanks for the rec!
10. Jim - May 6th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Ooo, man, I was just thinking about “Mirror Image” the other day! I was (you guessed it) waiting for the bus when someone came up to me with a bag labeled “David”...not my name! Guy didn’t even end up looking that much like me lol, we just had similar hair.
11. Jake - May 6th, 2009 at 10:17 am
@crackalackin - Yeah, I love that ep too! I feel like it’s been ripped off a bunch of times though.
I mean, if he’s alone in NYC, couldn’t he find a glasses shop and find some similar prescription? Not that hard…
12. Elmer - May 6th, 2009 at 10:27 am
I remember watching Kick the Can with my friends…terrifying then and even more terrifying now as I approach 60!
13. Cujo27 - May 6th, 2009 at 11:04 am
Elmer—I really didn’t think Kick the can was terrifying. It was just a really good lesson staying young. I think the only terrifying part of kick the can was not being able to be with your friends and dying alone. Sorry for the spoiler.
14. momma90 - May 6th, 2009 at 11:13 am
It’s a good life is my all time favorite twilight zone flick. It will scare the living crap out of you. Well not scare but creep you the heck out. If you wanna know true mental torture and stress off the scale watch “it’s a good life. They even made a movie out of that I think. One scene I would never forget was when that little boy was pissed at his sister for talking to much. So what he did was put her ass in a video game and let the video game monster chase after her and kill her. that was just WRONG. If I were ever in the situation i would have beat that kids ass.
15. Larry - May 6th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Look at the devil pointing!!
16. Yas - May 6th, 2009 at 11:19 am
Momma90—I have to agree with you on that but I am not gonna be the one he chooses to fu** with. because if it was my turn he would have put my ass on the moon.
17. DonnaSlate - May 6th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Do you guys remember the twilight zone episode where the nazi guy went back to his old tortore camp and reminised about is old inmates. After a while he started seeing his old inmates in real life and the inmates got their revenge. Do you guys remember that episode?
18. topnotch291 - May 6th, 2009 at 11:30 am
That is some funny stuff momma90 and I even believe that kid would have been scared of you. But I have to agree with yas on that one though I think that kid (what was his name again) would have really jacked me up if i got my hands on him.
19. Yoda - May 6th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Nightmare at 20,000 feet was pretty cool too. Don’t ever doubt your gut. Thats a pretty good one too but It’s a good life beats them all. That little fart was ruling things he had everyone in control even the supposed “in-control” people. If you even showed one flinch of anger he would have your ass and would have really messed you up. A little kid with all that power is just disastrous and kids can really really do some cruel stuff to each other and I can’t imagine if they had the power, what they would do to adults. I guess “It’s a good life” is an answer to that question.
20. Elmer - May 6th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Cujo, i guess I can see where you’re coming from - but isn’t being left all alone plenty terrifying?
21. Dionne - May 6th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Never saw this guess I’m missing out lol. Have to catch it sometime I guess.
22. Don - May 6th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Janice, where do YOU get off lecturing all of us? Honestly, get off your pedestal. In case you haven’t noticed this is a post racial society and those things don’t matter anymore. You’re the one who’s racist for pointing it out all the time.
23. Jason - May 6th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Haven’t seen “To Serve Man”, but I love the Simpsons reference! That’s definitely the mark of quality for me.
24. Evan - May 6th, 2009 at 11:53 am
“Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” still terrifies me every time I get on a plane (once or twice a year). Thanks for giving me nightmares tonight Luther!
25. Juliet - May 6th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Haha I’m with Jason only know this thru the Simpsons references! Love Treehouse of Horror lol
26. Manice - May 6th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Sorry for the short comment..But thanks for the list and twilight zone rocks
27. Mitch - May 6th, 2009 at 11:56 am
momma90, I’m with Yas - I would not mess with that kid no matter what! Actually I would probably up and move out of town but thats just me I guess
28. BigMike - May 6th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Mitch—The only problem is is that this kid would kill you if you left. So you had no choice but to stay and be tortured. The only options are be humble or fight (probably die) and for me i can’t go down like that. if he is going to kill me anyway I am going to put my dukes up and start punching.
29. Mitch - May 6th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
BigMike - guess it’s been a while since I’ve seen that ep bc you’ve def. got a point! What’s stopping the kid from global domination? Dream big, Anthony!
30. Toby - May 6th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
I had to chuckle when I seen It’s a good life on the list. That boy was the boy to be scarred of when I was a kid. If you ever want to meet pure evil this boy has it and more. Just look at his eyes its just filled with pleasure of torture I bet this guy gets off from fullfilling someones nightmare. Luther, you got a great list here. keep them coming
Also, I have seen time enough at last. A true all time classic and one of my favorites but its a good life bakes the cake. I haven’t seen any twilight zone episode that tops its a good life. genious
31. Randy - May 6th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Yoda - I don’t think the problem in 20,000 feet was the protagonist not trusting his gut so much as others not trusting his gut! But yah it’s a good life was great….great show!
32. Toby - May 6th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
One more thing.
You got it right. That boy is a monster and eats other smaller monsters.
33. Wayne - May 6th, 2009 at 12:20 pm
wow..cool list..great work
34. Mike - May 6th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Toby, no kidding! I had nightmares upon nightmares about Anthony. The kid next door looked a little like him and I was terrified he’d put my a** on the moon if I ever teased him!
35. Seil - May 6th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
twilight zone is one of my all time favorites. But didn’t you guys get fooled when you seen the movie “Twilight”? It was a movie targeting teensagers and vampire lovers. I gotta admit the stuff the vampires did in twilight was real cool, but i am too old for that stuff now. I just feel i got ripped when seeing twilight, I was expecting something totally different. I think they strategically named the movie “twilight” to attract the older crowed into seeing the movie. Well I still have something to look forward to they are making a full movie out of “People Are Alike All Over”.
36. Jessica - May 6th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Crimeny, I never thought much of It’s a good life…. i always thought i could have taken anthony down i was a pretty confident kid. hah. but i guess i need to watch it again judging from its place on the list and all of y’all’s comments. great list! i love “to serve man”
37. Sally - May 6th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Seil, I don’t think that’s true…they came from a hugely popular series of books also called twilight. I think it’s more referring to the time of day twilight since that’s when vampires can come out (at night). So I think you’re wrong there. I wish twilight had been like the twilight zone though lol that movie sucked
38. Sabash - May 6th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
LOL Seil I was thinking the same thing when I seen the title. I was like - thank god they finally came out with another twilight zone movie. I was shocked to hear that my daughter had seen the movie as she is really could take or leave watching the classic twilight zone flicks. So I read the introduction of twilight and low and behold it was a love story!! I agree that its cruel for them to name that movie twilight I feel like going back to the theater and getting my money back.
39. Shaina - May 6th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I used to watch this on cable as a kid….my friends would talk about “Are You Afraid of the Dark” and I’d just be all about this. Are You Afraid of the Dark was great though. Not a lot of similarities…. Are You Afraid of the Dark would always be much cornier, and of course it was all about kids. Still there was a lot of suspence, and they had more like vampires and ghosts than The Twilight Zone. I really like that The Twilight Zone had so many aliens, I loved aliens when I was a kid lol
Seriously though Luther why didn’t you write about “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street”? That one was great. It’s all about this street whose power goes out, and they end up attacking each other and rioting and stuff. Well anyway it turns out that it wasn’t the neighbors at all, it was actually aliens controlling their moves. That’s not even the best part because the whole thing is an allegory for like McCarthyism and the Red Scare. It’s all about how people get worked up over absolutely nothing. Sad but true still today. I’m with Janice above thinking about this just makes me think about how little we’ve changed.
Another good one is “The Silence” did anyone ever catch that? It’s about a man who bets that he can go without speaking for a year so he has his vocal chords cut out and then it turns out that he can’t get paid because the guy he made the bet with went broke! Not supernatural at all I guess but really awesome. There are a bunch of others… wow I’ve written a lot! I think I need to pony up some cash to buy the DVDs now, thanks luther for helping me remember what a great show this is!
40. Seil - May 6th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Sally..Yeah thats true but I didn’t know it was a popular book until I seen the movie afterwards. i seen the author and she is pretty HOT too
41. Annette - May 6th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
WTF is this bull? I thought this was about Twilight the movie/book. Where’s Edward and Bella?
42. Sally - May 6th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Seil - you really think so? I wasn’t impressed lol. Edward is pretty hot though let me tell you.
43. Wendy - May 6th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Great post Luther! I must be the only one on here who watched some of these in their first run…but I still love catching re-runs with the young’ns on Sci Fi!
44. John - May 6th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Shaina, like you I love the political overtones of “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” but “The Silence” was really really weak to me. Personally I thought that the twist was dumb and overwrought. I guess you couldn’t see it coming, but that’s not enough for me. “He’s Alive” (warning: about Hitler) was really strong for me, very timely with awesome political overtones.
45. PROTECT MARRIAGE - May 6th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Janice, how dare you criticize the beautiful Carrie Prejean? What has she ever done for you besides stand up for her beliefs? You must be fat and ugly if you’re criticizing her.
46. Harry - May 6th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Anyone ever see “The Incredible World of Horace Ford”? Pretty moving….really taught me a lot about appreciating what i have.
47. Callie - May 6th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Harry, I missed that one, but I loved “On Thursday We Leave For Home”. Really moving, a lesson kind of like “Kick the Can” - don’t get left behind because of pride!
48. TonyK - May 6th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
Annette—You are a funny person.
You just like thousands of other americans were GOT
49. rhirhi - May 6th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
lol i thought this was about twilight like vampire twilight. U should do a list on the ten hottest vampires ever haha itd be like edward cullen… edward cullen… edward cullen…. u get the point. haha no this is a good site though you should write about twilight and like young people stuff
50. Soho - May 6th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
rhirhi Wow thats a good idea. But are you talking about hottest guy vampires or hottest girl vampires? It really matters because I don’t wanna be looking at a guys ass.
51. rhirhi - May 6th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
W/E TonyK Your just sad that your OLD. Y cant young ladies like Annette n’ me enjoy our stories just like you enjoy the “twilight zone”
52. Mira - May 6th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Yes, you should not talk about Carrie Prejean like that, Jenice. Although it doesn’t make you fat and ugly like PROTECT MARRIAGE said, but you should respect other peoples beliefs you know.
53. Janice - May 6th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Don, really? Have I really offended you that much? And do you really think this society is post-racial? Please, open your eyes honey. We’re not even close.
Anyway, I stand by my original point. This society is not past prejudice, as several of the comments on here evidence – looking at you, Don and “protect marriage”. We need subtle and relevant shows like Twilight Zone on today to continue to serve and teach our society.
54. I am going to KillBill - May 6th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Shaina—I think “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” was a good episode too but if this was a top 15 list it would be in the 11th spot just above “people are a like all over”. Coming to think of it this list really dosen’t do twilight zone justice. I really should have been a top 20 list considering how many great episodes twilight zone had.
55. Janice - May 6th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Mira, I see no reason to respect her beliefs when she doesn’t respect my son’s right to marry as he chooses. People like her are the reason that I might never have grandbabies. When her beliefs directly restrict the rights of my loved ones - when she refuses to tolerate others - I see no reason to respect or tolerate her or her beliefs.
56. Shaina - May 6th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
KillBill, you are totally right. This list is not long enough. Luther, maybe a part two is in order?
57. Gordon - May 6th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Live for marathons of this show. I’m with you Shaina – I need to just go ahead and buy the DVDS!
58. Marcy - May 6th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
“Time Enough at Last” taught me the value of taking REAL good care of my glasses. I’ll have to start catching this in reruns!
59. DeeDee - May 6th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
i swear to god my sister brandi is just like that kid anthony in it’s a good life lol ruining everything
60. Don - May 6th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Janice, if you insist on maintaining your ignorance, then I won’t interrupt you. Be sure to tell all of your friends how racist you think they are too. Keep your head in the sand.
61. Cameron - May 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Ew, I hate this show! It’s so creepy and corny and I feel like I’ve seen them before. Not worthy of a Simpsons reference and not worthy of this list!
62. Bruce - May 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Ho Ho!
Anthony Fremont, right? This is my favorite episode from the Twilight zone, and I used t have dreams fighting him and saving the day!
Getting nostalgic….
Luther, how do you always find cool stuff like these to write about?
63. Torsha - May 6th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Its always a surprise to me how simple shows like the Twilight Zone made that much wave- they did not have special effects, sounds and camera technologies like today. All they had is makeup!
But sometimes I think they were more disgusting and creepy, sometimes creepier than the TV shows that we see nowadays.
64. Jake - May 6th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Shaina, if you love “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street” you’ll have to check out “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?” as referenced on this list. It’s a great McCarthyism cautionary tale.
65. Penn - May 6th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
When’s the next marathon on Sci Fi? Anyone got any clue? Great list! Definitely a few of my faves on here
66. Julie - May 6th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Great post, Luther! Loved this show since childhood. It’s really telling that it still gets such a reaction today.
67. Mira - May 6th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Jenice, I understand what you mean. But its that kind of guys who don’t get anything but boobs, you see what I mean? And yet they are sometimes in majority to make other people’s lives suck. In a place like that (where you get judged by your boobs) one pair of pumped boobs is more than necessary to make others invisible.
There will always be people who sees and girls who shows, you know. But good thing is, there are still places where you don’t need to worry about those stuff.
68. protect marriage too - May 6th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Janice im sorry your such a bigot. Next time get your facts straight tho Carrie Prejean doesn’t have implants lol your either jealous or a lez
right on don and mira
69. Janice - May 6th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Mira, I see where you’re coming from. I shouldn’t be hateful about Carrie Prejean’s body. That’s not what I have a problem with.
Don, I’m not responding to you anymore.
Protect marriage too, read the news once in a while.
70. Bonnie - May 6th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
june thanks from me too. i was looking for a way to procrastinate studying for finals lol. thanks a bunch.
71. Randy - May 6th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
damn you june ha ha. now i’m not going to get any work done today. oh well twilight zone is better
72. Laurel - May 6th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
what is this nerdy sh*t i thought that there was a twilight tv show i had no idea about oh well
73. bellaswan91 - May 6th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Well unlike rhirhi and annette I’m a twilight fan that was excited to see this list! I went to cbs.com at June’s suggestion and watched some classics - it was a pretty fun afternoon!
74. Elmer - May 6th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Horace, I saw that one when I was young…taught me a similar lesson and I still think about it when I over-romanticize my youth.
And Georgia, I’m answering that call!
75. Elmer - May 6th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Oops, I meant to add to my Georgia-shout out - I’m 63 and still kicking it! Hopefully for many years to come….
76. Tae - May 7th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Rod Serling is one of a kind. Not even the outer limts can top twilight zone. That guy is like Michael Jackson on steroids when it comes to fu**ing with your brain. And how thought of the spiral cone in the introduction of the show and that tone of voice of Rod is the stuff. he should have won many oscars for many of the shows he masterminded.
77. Marva - May 8th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
With all the ground breaking twilight zone shows there were alot of TZ duds too. I can’t remeber the actual name of the shows but the B rated episodes always featured a person not really knowing they were dead. In some cses these shows aireinf back to back and it was the most boring thing. I remember they were all late night shows. I guess they had to make some money somehow on those dud shows.
78. Marva - May 8th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
One more thing Rod Serling rocks. He is the man.
79. ToneL - May 8th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Old Geezer here. twilight zone was a world breaking show when it first came out. It was different thinking from all the shows that aired past and present during the showing of twilight zone. I was up every night and had my eyes glued to the TV waiting for valued lesson the character was suppose to teach us. Just like Marva said some lessons were good some were bad but i think the only reason they were bad was because of the bad acting. I remember one lesser know episode, I forget the name but the persons husband died and she morned heavily for him. Ever night she missed her husband. A genie appeared and granted her a wish. And of course she wished her husband to be alive forever. At the funeral her husband woke up out of the coffin and started screaming loudly. Come to find out the wife forgot to include in the wish that he should be alive and well. Thats what happens when you take a wish from the wrong person.
80. PaperChaser - May 8th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Wow..ToneL
Thats just crazy. i wonder what episode that is. That goes to tell you be happy for your health while you are alive. Ans sure hope educate your loved ones never to wish you back alive after you dye.
81. Grace - May 8th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Nice best of list - Being a myself twilight zone had some sexy ladies in the show. I especially liked when bewitched girl (Samatha I believe) played in one of the episode. The show started out when a man and a lady were fighting in a war but on opposite sides. The war ended and so the the rest of the world. So they both were enemies technically even though their were no more governments. They eventually fell in love and lived happily ever after. I think this was one of the best episodes Rod Serling made. Not all twilight zone shows end bad.
82. Pancer - May 8th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
OMG..Thank you for this. Awesome and love the writing. I have seen so many episodes from twilight zone its ridiculous. Again Rod Serling you are the man. There are too many episodes that are my favorite. Its a good life is a real good one. Im an old geezer myself and seen many of the episodes when they first aired on TV. So I know too how it is waiting for the next episode to run. twilight zone was way ahead of its time as it pointed out in the article and they took risky chances by horrifying viewrs without all the blood and gore. The final lessen made you really made you think and appreciate the lesser things in life. I know there were many episodes that sent chills down my spine and made me think back in my life if I have ever fulfilled or went against the lesson. I just hate to see these premium types of shows to go off air just because fewer people liked them.
83. ThePusher - May 8th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Well said Pancer. watching twilight zone back to back can be a brainfu** if you know what I mean. Twilight zone is the best sci-fi show in the world. I have never seen such twists in the end. I am still amazed by its a good life episode a true master piece at work. I am not an old geezer but i am not young either. The plain black and white shows are awesome even though they are old. They have held up very well over time and Rod Serling should be proud.
Some of the newer twilight episodes are pretty good too. Not as good as the originals though.
84. Elvira - May 8th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
I have watched shows like lost and the x-files but they are nothing compared to twilight zone. Go ahead and purchase the full box DVD set believe me you will not be disappointd. you will love every bit of it even of you have already watched most of the episodes. I myself have watched the episodes many times. I like watching them with my kids when Im feeling a little spooky.
For those of you who are tales from the crypt fans I will tell you this. Buy the tales from the crypt dvd set and buy the twilight zone set. Watch them alternately and come back here and let us know which one you enjoyed the most. Although, tales from the crypt does have some spooky scenes, the twilight zone shows will stay with you for a life time and more memorable. Again nice list Luther but I would have to agree with Shaina the “Monsters due on maple street” should have been included on the list or least listed it as a Honorable mention. This list should have ben a top 20 list instead of top 10. . There are just too many cool episodes left out.
Also, one more thing. If anyone is interested in buying my new season twilight zone collection hit me up and maybe we can make a deal for about $1,000,000 per CD
. Just kidding. As you can see I am a huge fan of twilight zone.
85. Toe to Toe - May 8th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
I have to give it Rod Serling. He practically horrified many people with only make up and an imagination. Even though most of his plots dealt with the supernatural, aliens or paranormal the plot was still awesome and a joy to watch. I purchased twilight zone as a gift for my son in law 2 years ago and he watches it till this day. Before that he could care less about watching it but I made him sit hia ass down and watch it. The first one we seen was not that good but it still caught his interest and we stayed up all night watching shows back to back. Now he is making one of his friends watch it with him. funny huh. Twilight is just a magnet and it really makes you think about life in general.
86. Wiskey - May 8th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
#85..No one made me watch it. It was just the fact it was the only thing worth watching late at night. I watched many bad twilight zone but when I watched its a good life it creeped me the hell out. I know everyone is talking about its a good life but that show is just something totally different then a regular show on tv. Every since then I was a true fan and I even started to like the"not so popular” shows too.
87. The Man - May 11th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Rod Serlings rocks and twilight zone rules. Thank you for this list. It is on point.
88. Caren - May 12th, 2009 at 9:21 am
I love Twilight Zone! My friends and I used to stay up late in high school and watch it on the weekends. When my husband and I got married we found it on Net Flicks and revisited all the episodes. I love it, but then again I am a geekys Sci fi buff do I guess I’m particular to the paranormal shows.
89. Gus - May 12th, 2009 at 9:22 am
One of my favorite episodes of Twilight zone is where this man visits his home town where he grew up and finds out that his young self still exists. I have no idea why but I have always been partial to it. It always makes me think what if I could go back and give my young self a second chance.
90. Lacy - May 12th, 2009 at 9:23 am
You know, Twilight Zone has always freaked me out as well. I could never really get into it because it made my mind race and like other sci fi just seemed so unrealistic! I know that is the point, hence the fiction in “science fiction”, but it’s just not for me. I’ll stay in the real world, Thanks.
91. Zane - May 12th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Great list, and very on! You have listed a few of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes as well. I think the plot twists and the unique story lines are amazing and take you to a different place, The Twilight Zone, where everything is different and bizarre. It’s a great show.
92. Millard - May 12th, 2009 at 9:24 am
The best part about Twilight Zone is it does not rely on that “Boo” factor that modern shows and movies seem to focus on for shock value. No, Twilight Zone just creeps you out and makes you think about what if this really could happen. I really find that appealing. I think this is why such an old show, in black in white none the less, has stuck through the years and is still well recognized today. I’s timeless, it was creepy then and it still is now. It’s a classic.
93. Stacey - May 12th, 2009 at 9:25 am
When watching Twilight Zone the sanity line really does get blurred! Nightmare at 20,000 Feet was a great episode and really did display that well. Half the time with Twilight Zone you never quite figure out if they stepped into an alternate reality or have just gone completely insane. I think that is what keeps you pulled into the show, your just waiting and waiting to find out what is really going on…sometimes you never do though.
94. Jim - May 12th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Twilight Zone has always just seemed so overrated to me. I mean it’s still in black and white and the ideas are more weird then bizarre. I guess at one time the show could have been cutting edge, but standing in the modern day it’s boring. None the ideas you wrote about are really that interesting in a story line, and these are the top 10! I imagine at one time with was creepy stuff, but that as then and people are still obsessed with it, I don’t get it. I’ll pass on Twilight Zone.
95. Ron - May 12th, 2009 at 9:40 am
I grew up watching Twilight Zone! When I was younger it really held a punch. I would lay in bed at night with that show racing through my mind. “Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up” was one of my favorites, the end had a great twist. This makes me want to tune in to some old favorites.
96. Sara - May 12th, 2009 at 9:45 am
#94, the whole draw of the show is that it is simple and makes you think! Old black and white shows hold an appeal modern ones don’t because they aren’t good because of flashiness. Twilight Zone is just a simple classic scifi show, cut and dry and still fun to watch to this day! Maybe you need to watch a few more, they really pull you in!
97. Nick - May 12th, 2009 at 9:49 am
HAHA, my dad loves this show! When I was younger he would always watch it. I thought it was ok, I liked it a lot more when I was younger and the shows actually seemed to creep me out. Now it is an ok show to watch if nothing else is on TV.
98. Emanual - May 12th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Luther thanks for creating this list it is so awesome man.
Gus, I remember that twilight zone episode too. As a matter of fact I seen that one when I was a kid, I wasn’t too freaked out about it but it did start to make me think about life in general. i guess all teilight zone episodes do. According to the list it says “It’s a good life” ranked second to none and I couldn’t have agreed more. The monster kid took fuc**** charge and he fullfilled the dreams of other kids out there. If they would have made him less of a monster and he did not do cruel things to people like that, that episode would have been a legend in the eyes of children. I love my parent alot but there are times when I would like a chance to woop their ass. This kid had a chance to do that. But he did it in such a cruel way. That was the only downfall of the show.
Jim #94, I totally disaggree. Twilight zone was under rated to say the least. it should have gotten triple the awards that it had already received. This type of thinking was radical in its time. especially in the older episodes. Twilight zone and of course Star Trek are the grandaddies of sci-fi. To this day no show has came close to the entertainment level of these two shows.
99. Bethany - May 12th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Have any of you watched night gallery? I think it was made by the same people who made the Twilight Zone and was put out after the original Twilight Zone. I was watching Twilight Zone one night and my Fiancee was talking about it. Apparently they walk around and you look at a painting and it takes you into it and tells you a Twilight Zone like story about that painting. Anyways, it may be worth looking into for anyone who loves Twilight Zone.
I personally love this show! 83 is totally right, they have amazing Twists! It has stood the test of time because it’s well written. It’s not telling you everything like modern shows tend to do. You have plot twists and surprises! I will never get tired of the original ones, the new ones are ok but not nearly as great. Thanks for writing this post and letting us visit a few favorites.
100. Tintin - May 12th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Bethany, I remember that show. I seen some previews of it but never got a chance to looking at the show. How that show doing now?
101. Suzyne - May 12th, 2009 at 10:17 am
Are you kidding, how can some of you put down a classic? When Twilight Zone first came out it was unique and dare I say a first for it’s time. It has paved the way for many modern shows and movies of it’s type. It made a genre even, and dare I say few have even come close to touching Twilight Zone in that genre. The fact that it’s black and white only make it better, time has done nothing to it.
Emanual, you worded it perfectly! Twilight zone and of course Star Trek (another amazing classic) are the grandaddies of sci-fi! And they will always hold a place in many peoples hearts. Can you imagine how interesting it must have been to watch Twilight Zone when it first came out and their was nothing like it! It paved the way for so many things.
What a nice list you have, Thanks for writing it!
102. Bethany - May 12th, 2009 at 10:27 am
Tintin, I don’t think Night Gallery is anywhere near as popular as Twilight Zone. My Fiancee is a big scifi geek (which I love, it’s fun to watch these types of shows together) and he said h used to watch it when it came on very late night TV when he was in high school. We found a few episodes and watched it and I really liked it! It is defiantly worth the watch if you can be lucky enough to find it. I am not going to say it is as good as Twilight Zone, but if you want more Twilight Zone like shows to watch go for it! It’s really cool! I do think it’s better then more modern twilight zone, it falls between the original and modern is greatness I think.
You know, I always loved that with Twilight Zone you always wonder how it would feel if it was real! Like the Mirror Image episode would be interesting to live in! n
103. Tifa - May 12th, 2009 at 10:31 am
I don’t remember when I first saw twilight zone but I do remember how it made me feel when I was it. I put that wizzy feeling in my stomach when an episode ended and the final lesson was taught. Then you here Rod Serling talking about the lesson in his unqie voice. He is cool. Now one other show, well its not a show but a video game. Final Fantasy 7, for some reason gave me that same feeling in my stomach not because it was creepy but because it was touching. An epic game too bad they never made a storyline lie that ever since. But i just wanted to give my 2 cents.
Great list, btw
104. Charles - May 12th, 2009 at 10:38 am
I always loved the intro to Twilight Zone! “This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call…The Twilight Zone”. It is so cool! It gets you syked to watch the show.
I like that you have several of the Martians theme ones on the list. I loved anything to do with aliens as a kid so when any Twilight Zone episodes involved them I would get so excited! HAHA, I think ‘Will the real Martian please stand up’ was always my favorite. I actually heard my son tell a ghost story similar to this and had to laugh because he said his friend’s dad told it at a Halloween party, so funny that he would use a Twilight Zone episode as a scary story to tell kids. Of course he simplified it a bunch. Just goes to show that good classic story’s never go out of style! I think it is time I show my son this show, long overdo!
105. Dudley - May 12th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Love this List Blog by the way! Twilight Zone is awesome. I loved that a previous poster mentioned “The Silence” That is one of my personal favorites. Sometimes i conceder being locked in a glass box when stupid people around me won’t shut up!
Sometimes they have late night marathons and you can lose sleep, I know I do. If they come one one after the other I will end p sitting on my couch and watching them all night tell I happen to catch a glimpse of the clock. Time flys watching these shows, then your mind is to alert to sleep. The Twilight Zone really makes you think! They don’t make shows that require that anymore it seems.
106. Layla - May 12th, 2009 at 11:01 am
How about if The Midnight Sun episode happened in real like?! Twilight Zone takes peoples fears and escualtes them times a thousand! With all this talk of global warming I think that is a great episode for people to watch, way ahead of it’s time. Plus, it makes you wonder what i must be like to only have a drink of water left, and then for it to be stolen! I would be so mad. I want to find this episode now and watch it.
And oh that twist, I think at the end she was sick and dreaming it all. But in reality the world was freezing. Just goes to show that you always want the far opposite of what you have when you should really want a happy medium. Twilight Zone always has good messages.
107. Lane - May 12th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Oh cool, time enough to last is #2 and my favorite episode! Time Enough at Last is so ironic. I wear glasses and would be in so much trouble if hey broke and there was no one to fix them. Poor guy spends his life trying to sneak away for a few seconds to read and then wakes up and the world ends. Instead of being depressed he finds the good in it, more time to read, and then something happens to still make things go wrong. I love Twilight Zones twists and ironic actions. What a great list you have.
108. Janet - May 12th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
I’ve never even watched Twilight Zone. I have heard of it but never thought to watch it. I’m not big in this type of genre, plus older shows never hold my interest. Maybe I will give it a chance if I ever run across it on TV, guess it has to be ok to still be talked about after all these years. Some of the ideas could be good I suppose. Is it supposed to be scary or just shows about a fiction alternate reality? At one time I bet it was scary, back when TV rarely showed anything not wholesome.
109. Travis - May 12th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Wow, I haven’t watched this show in ages! I may have to find a DVD to borrow so I can watch all these old good episodes. I have not watched some of the ones on this list though. Where can you rent the DVD anyway. I guess it may be just about anywhere, much more popular still then I would have guessed. I remember ’ Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?’ though! Other ten that most of these I have not seen, I’m missing the best ones I guess! I always loved the long introduction. Anyone remember exactly what it said?
110. Lynedsy - May 12th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Janet, you have never watched Twilight Zone! WOW, I’m very shocked! I thought everyone has seen it at least once in their lives. You really should watch it! It’s much better then other things you have probably watched in this genre. It is kind of both, it’s fiction kind of set up in an alternate reality. Some episodes are creepy, some shocking, some weird, some eery, and some just insightful. It is way ahead of it’s time so you may like it even if old shows are not your cup of tea! Give it a try Janet, you may enjoy it!
111. Willow - May 12th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Oh wow, walk down memory lane! I remember when us kids would gather around the TV and all obsess over the show, The Twilight Zone. Why can’t shows still be simply good like this now. Just good story lines with surprising plot twists. My little sister would always ask my mom if the show as real, I don’t think my mom nessarely liked us watching it but never stopped us. Plus, they always had an underline good message of some sort it seemed so I think she felt silly telling we could not watch it just because of the ocasonal monster or something. Besides, it’s never been about being scary…more just imaginative fiction.
112. Lana - May 12th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
Travis, I looked up the into for you: 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 a signpost up ahead: your next stop: the Twilight Zone!
You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension: a dimension of sound, a dimension of sight, a dimension of mind. You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into… the Twilight Zone.
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 middle ground 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”.
113. Rena - May 12th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Oh and don’t forget the cool Twilight Zone music with that intro. It’s iconic, every time you hear that music you think Twilight Zone!! Great list, it includes some of my favorite. I would add a few more but all in all great average of the best episodes. I’m really liking your blog, it’s a really cool idea to throw random topics into one list blog so there is is something new every day.. Anyways, back to Twilight Zone, very cool retro show that I still watch every once in awhile. Staying power really says something about a shows quality I think.
114. Nata - May 12th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Travis, I saw it on my net flick cue list and I think they have it at Blockbuster to if you want to go check it out. They may even have some episodes on line. Go get it now, it’s a cool show. So, I never got why this show went off the air. I guess not enough people watched it enough or something ,which is weird since it’s so popular still. But, I guess they figured it out later since thy brought back spin offs and such. Oh well, their loss since it could have made them more money with it’s ever growing popularity.
115. nekalette - May 12th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Janet, The show was a interesting collection of random tales that range from the tragic to the funny. They may be scary or just leave you wondering. Most episodes have unexpected twist endings and a moral lesson. But, no matter what, it’s a journey to a new world almost! Defiantly worth the watch.
My aboslote favorite is that one with talking Tina! I can not remember the exact name of the episode but I love it. “My name is Talking Tina and I don’t forgive you”, it’s creepy but kind of funny to when she says “My name is talking Tina and I’m going to kill you”. I’m really surprised this one is not on the list, espcally with so many people scared of dolls.
Off of the list though I like ‘Eye of the Beholder’ the best! It has a great message and is really cool. Thier are a few off the list I have not seen that I may look up and check out.
What is everyone else’s favorite episodes that are not on the list? I would love to find the time to watch all the ones I have not seen, may be cool to find the DVD and do it this weekend even!
116. Ronald - May 12th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
I always thought twilight zone was a tiny bit overrated, but not a bad show all in all. It’s not the show I seek out to watch, but the show I will flip to late at night when nothing but infomercials are on and be mildly entertained by. It’s an old show that was probably really great in it’s time that is ok now. I know some people are obsessed with it though. I don’t really recognize any on the list, but I may have seen them when I was just to tired to really remember.
But, I do respect that it paved the way for many shows I like! I love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and when I was younger this cool show called ‘So Weird’, both which are the same genre as Twilight Zone. It paved the way for many shows I like so it’s pretty cool in that sense.
Plus,like others said you have to imagine that at the time these were cutting edge episodes and when the super natural was not being talked about much I bet that was really killer to turn on the TV and see erry stuff that was unique for the time period.
117. Natheny - May 12th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Wasn’t “Where is Everybody?” the first episode of The Twilight Zone? I always loved that one! It is where this man finds himself alone in a strange town. He is dressed in an Air Force jumpsuit, but he does not remember who he is or how he got there. The town seems deserted, but everywhere the man goes, he seems to find proof that someone had been there recently — food is cooking on the stoves, water is still dripping in the sinks, and cigarettes are still burning in the ashtrays. He grows more and more unsettled as he wanders through the empty town, looking for someone, anyone, to talk to. By this time you are dying to know what is happening.
He finally collapses next to a street crossing, and presses a button labeled WALK. It is revealed that the walk button is in fact a panic button. He is really an astronaut confined to an isolation room for 484 hours, testing to see if he can stay sane cooped up in a small spacecraft for the duration of a trip to the Moon. The town was a complete hallucination, an escape valve for his sensory-deprived mind.
Now that is a twist!! That show started off with a bang. Ever since I saw that one I was 100% hooked. It was so cool and unique.
118. Brittney - May 12th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
When did The Twilight Zone come out? It had to have been awhile back right. Anyone know the history of it? I remember watching it a few times when I was younger but never realized it was actually popular or anything. I do know my best friends dad loved it and would watch it a bunch though.
119. Rayne - May 12th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Brittney, I found a quick history of The Twilight Zone because I was curios to. So for anyone who wants to know the first episode was, as Natheny said, “Where is Everybody?”. It was released on October 2, 1959. In 1865 the original Twilight Zones last season was going to air, it had only 5 seasons.
But I guess people missed it because in 1983 The Twilight Zone movie was released. Then in 1985 they made another Twilight Zone show that went on to have 3 seasons befor going of air.
The 2nd revival was in 2002 with one season. They also had some spin off series I think, like others that people said.
And don’t forget Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, it is still considered the pilot episode of The Twilight Zone that was on the radio in 1958, so I guess it started there. It was a screenplay befor then called the “The Time Element”.
Wow The Twilight Zone had a bunch or revivals. People must love it! It inspired a bunch of other science fiction things as well. Hope that answers all the history questions everyone has. Really cool article! Hope you write more soon, cool blog. Hope to see more.
120. Buddy - May 12th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
I like the Perchance to Dream episode. It’s where a man with a heart condition, believes that if he falls asleep, he’ll die. On the other hand, keeping himself awake will put too much of a strain on his heart. He seeks out the aid of a psychiatrist and explains that he has been dreaming in chapters, as if in a movie serial. In his dreams carnival dancer lures him onto a roller coaster in a fun house in an attempt to scare him to death. Realizing that the doctor can not help him, he starts to go, but stops when he realizes that the s receptionist looks exactly like the carnival dancer. Terrified, he runs back into Rathmann’s office and jumps out of the window.
Then we get to the twist! In reality, the Doctor calls his receptionist into his office - where the guy lies on the couch, his eyes closed. The doctor tells the receptionist that he came in, lay down, immediately fell asleep-and then a few moments later let out a scream and died.
That one is my personal favorite. Nice list, it has a few others I like on it. Keep on writing, I like it!
121. Rahannon - May 12th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Oh, this show still comes on Sc Fi channel all the time! It’s so retro and good. Definently an oldie but goodie.
Janice is 100% right, Eye of the beholder has an awesome message! I love when they remove the bandages to reveal a beautiful women and they are so disapointed, it just shows that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. This teaches a great lesson. The Twilight Zone seems to do this a lot. The just don’t make it like the used to, back when ever weird shows taught a great lesson.
I really enjoyed your article thanks so much for writing it.
122. TerryLyn - May 12th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
You have an awesome website Luther. I rarely comment in blog but the comments here are amazing.
How about “Top 10 Pointless Twilight Zone Episodes”? Mat be hard to find but I know of many.
123. Mike - May 12th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Six-year-old Anthony Fremont looks like any other little boy, but looks are deceiving. He is a monster, a mutant with godlike mental powers, OH YEA!!! It’s a good life for sure deserves to be on that list. When I was the kid the fact that the adults tiptoe nervously around him, constantly telling him how everything he does is “good”, since displeasing him can get them wished away “to the cornfield”, where they are presumably met by a less-than-happy ending. What kid would not love that, HA HA HA! I used to imagine how lucky he was whenever I got mad at my own parents, I know, I know ...I was so horrible. I never quite got the end though, I guess his dad was telling him to do it all…not sure.
I love “Entering into The Twilight Zone”! Every time I heard that when I was a kid I would run into the living room a plop my excited butt right in front of the TV. Good times. Nice to be able to read this, lifted my day a bit to read about an old favorite. Love it Love it Love it! heep writing please.
124. Sam - May 12th, 2009 at 4:47 pm
TerryLyn, I love the idea of The “Top 10 Pointless Twilight Zone Episodes”. I love Twilight Zone but some of them can be slightly pointless such as that one where the girl the guy of her dream to fall in love with her or something along those lines and she enlists the aid of a local witch who casts a spell that makes him fall madly in love her. The she starts transforming into a leopard from midnight until dawn and becoming mean and becomes a witch herself. The two arrange to be married, but a hunting party finds the leopard and shoots it, and it disappears. I forgot what else happens, but I never got that episode.
But all in all I think it’s a really nice show and you wrote a really nice article over the best and most well known Twilight Zone episodes. Please keep writing more.
125. Zander - May 12th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
For those curious about Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse it had one episode called
“The Time Element” where a man visits a psychoanalyst, complaining about a recurring dream in which he imagines waking up in Honolulu just prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. erling drafted the fundamental elements that would distinguish the series still to come: a science-fiction/fantasy theme, opening and closing narration, and an ending with a twist. Sound fimilar?
126. Mister N - May 12th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Laurel, it may be nerdy but it’s a good show! Besides, Twilight Zone was the beginning of all that paranormal fake vampire stuff such as Twilight. It paved the road for the paranormal shows and movies. It is a classic. Anyways,Thank you for this list and great writing. I have seen so many episodes from twilight zone its ridiculous.
127. Bill - May 12th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
I’m personally more of a fan of Serling’s later work, Night Gallery, but this is a fairly decent list, nonetheless. Steven Spielberg didn’t do a Twilight Zone episode, though.
I remember seeing Time Enough At Last on one of those old UHF stations when I was younger. Being a bearer of corrective vision, I would put that in my own number one as I cried for days after seeing it.
You should make a list of how many UFO’s have appeared in Twilight Zone episodes, or better yet, a list of episodes that involve apocalypse scenarios. It would probably be too long.
Where are the good Outer Limits lists? I mean, Twilight was good for its time but there have been so many better series with the same premise since. Pfft to you, I say. Outer Limits owns.
I like seeing the old pictures of Martians back before computer animation or makeup. You either get a guy in really bad paint or someone who looks like they have a seconds-to-death tumor in their head. It just makes me giggle. Like Klingons in old Star Trek episodes, who, though from another galaxy, look just like human except for those exotic glued on ears and - how intriguing! - brown vests! Damn, no one ever wears brown vests on earth. And cue the nerd rage.
A good list, but I also enjoyed “A Pitch for the Angels.” I liked the unlikeable characters who eventually became admirable towards the end. And while someone’s commenting on Night Gallery, I should mention that much of what Gallery did, Twilight did first. The pilot almost straight ripped out the themes and ideas of “Judgment Night” with its third story, and btw, Spielberg didn’t direct a Twilight Zone episode - but he directed the movie. Do your research, sheesh.
I always always always always always loved Twilight Zone, every episode I’ve seen! But did they ever do any Christmas episodes? Those must be strange, if so.
If they DID do a Christmas episode, it probably involves Santa being a Martian and blowing up the world at the end, with a sudden twist at the end, like he gets AIDS or something.
Twilight’s not a show, you half-wit. They already did one in the 90’s - it was called Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you’d been born in an era where caking on black eyeshadow was an eyesore, you might know that Twilight Zone was one of the first great series of sci-fi or fantasy. Vampires are so 1995.
The only thing I remember about the Twilight Zone was that music. The weird dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee still gives me chills. Makes me think aliens are gonna suck out my brain or some stuff, man.
Ok I’m done!
128. Danny - May 12th, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Bill, what language do you speak? LOL! First of all, The Twilight Zone: The Movie was produced by Steven Spielberg in 1983. But, anywho.. I love Bills comments on the Christmas show. Twilight Zone actually did do a Christmas show. It was called Night of the Meek. In it a drunk, out-of-work department store Santa finds a magical sack that can create Christmas presents and soon becomes the real Santa Claus. Why is it they always make the drunk guy Santa anyways?! But I think they only did one Christmas show out of all the seasons which is a bit weird. Maybe Christmas specials just were not the rage in the time period.
I actually recently watched Room 2426. I found the synopsis of it, it’s really good.
A scientist named Martin Decker is locked away in a filthy, rat-infested cell. Soon, guards come to take him to an interrogation room. Hooked up to a myriad of electrodes, Martin is soon electrocuted in an effort to make him reveal the location of some mysterious notebooks, through which Martin discovered a lethal bioweapon while looking for a way to decrease famine. The “doctor”, Ostroff, insists that he must reveal the answer or he’ll suffer and never be freed. Martin, after being returned to his cell, is soon joined by another inmate. This new inmate, Joseph, is knocked around by the guards and Martin gives him some of his water. Martin asks Joseph what brought him here. He implies that he knows Martin very well, although they had never met before. He claims that he is there to help Martin escape, through many friends on the outside.
Joseph also claims that using his mind he can transport to anywhere he wants. Martin is very skeptical and initially scoffs at Joseph’s claims. Before long, Joseph shows Martin exactly how to transport and they do so. Meanwhile, Ostroff steps up his assault on Martin to discover the whereabouts of the notebooks. Martin bravely keeps the information from being leaked out because he knows that it will only bring mass destruction. Later, Martin still believes that their “trip” was just drug-induced. They try to keep their sanity by playing a “virtual” chess. Joseph finally convinces Martin to try doing the transporting himself.
Before long, Martin passes out and wakes up in a house, finding Joseph there making him a cup of tea. Martin, still skeptical, puts his hand in the tea, to burn himself, making certain he’s not dreaming. Joseph suddenly becomes concerned about the notebooks, about the necessity of destroying them. Martin suggests that he go get them, but Joseph thinks it’s a bad idea because Martin is so well-known by the authorities. Martin warily goes along and tells Joseph that they are in a false wall in a university lecture hall. Joseph leaves to get them. Still skeptical, Martin goes for the window, only to find speakers on a wall, blaring the street noise he thought was real. Joseph, however, has gone to Ostroff and it’s apparent Joseph was betraying Martin all along. Martin, still using the method Joseph taught him, actually disappears in a brilliant flash of light. Ostroff and Joseph are mystified as to how he escaped. It was just a trick, Joseph tells Ostroff, he couldn’t have actually done it. Martin is now in a field with the notebooks, burning them in a campfire.
Great list, I love reading about everyone favorite episodes to!
129. Jay - Jun 8th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Hey Bill, looks like the aliens already sucked out your brain, ya’ moron. It’s A Good Life is my top episode. Other greats not on the list are: “Elegy”, “Printer’s Devil”, “The Parallel”, “Steel”, and “Of Late, I think Of Cliffordville”.
130. Jay - Jun 8th, 2009 at 10:12 pm
“To Serve Man” was one of the worst! The dialogue is dreadful. How about a top 10 worst list: “Black Leather Jackets”, “The Bard”, “Cavender is Coming”, “Mute”, “The Mirror”, “The Mighty Casey”, “The Grave”, “The Gift”, “Ring A Ding Girl”, and “Twenty Two” Actually, most of the 5th season was awful
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