This series by Rod Serling is an absolute classic of American television. The stories were simple and easy to relate to, but they always ended with a twist that left you with your mouth hanging open in awe. It dealt with many of the most basic fears of men: fear of the dark, nightmares that seem almost too real, paranoia, death, and concepts of evil. Mingled with these stories are ones that are 'what if?' situations, like "Probe 7: Over and Out", "Five Characters in Search of an Exit", "Eye of the Beholder", "The Night of the Meek", and "Time Enough at Last". A great many of the episodes were also chill-inducing in their own right; "Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up?", "To Serve Man", "It's a Good Life", and "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" all played with the viewers' minds and were much more effective in scaring people like myself than the so-called 'horror' films of today. The more psychological disturbing, the better...at least that's the case for this show.
Serling's appearances in the beginnings of the shows only added to the mystery surrounding each player, each situation, and each object. His monologues were beautifully delivered at the beginning and end of each episode, adding a sense of the supernatural to each installment. Serling also had help from many other writers for the show, like Ray Bradbury, and with great actors of their time (Mickey Rooney, Jack Klughorn, Agnes Moorehead, and Burgess Meredith), the show will always be one my favorites as long as I live.
"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!"
Serling's appearances in the beginnings of the shows only added to the mystery surrounding each player, each situation, and each object. His monologues were beautifully delivered at the beginning and end of each episode, adding a sense of the supernatural to each installment. Serling also had help from many other writers for the show, like Ray Bradbury, and with great actors of their time (Mickey Rooney, Jack Klughorn, Agnes Moorehead, and Burgess Meredith), the show will always be one my favorites as long as I live.
"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!"