"The Twilight Zone" is one of the classic old shows that will never die and that still has a big audience today, thanks to having stood the test of time. It is often recognized as the beginning of science-fiction in television, which is certainly indisputable looking at the ideas some of the episodes explored. However, this series is not only science-fiction - it also falls into the category of horror, the episodes of this genre working better than the sci-fi ones for me due to not being a huge sci-fi fan (although whatever genre the episodes explored, I was game). We are not talking about the modern, overly graphic and violent horror either, but the more suggestive horror that was primarily used in the day. The implied is often better than the overt, and while both have their place, the former tends generally to be more conceptually interesting due to leaving more food for thought for the viewer to digest. It is this very concept that makes the show work in its strange stories and odd plot twists, and that has continued to make it a classic throughout the years.
It is really incredible to think that "The Twilight Zone" ran only five years while other shows just as great ran even longer. The series could have probably continued for a couple decades if they had let it - due to a lack of consistent characters in the show as a whole. "The Twilight Zone" is without a single premise featuring true 'stars': each episode is its own distinct story, and all of them are absolute masterpieces. Sometimes, the episodes are more like ghost stories; other times, they deal with well-known scientific concepts like space travel to other planets; while others still are just plain odd. Only one character in each half-hour episode remains consistent: the narrator, Rod Serling, who introduces in a masterful voice-over the premise at the beginning, and provides a spine-tingling final narration that leaves the viewer wondering as to what really happened. The icing on the cake is this, and it brings each episode to a perfect close every time.
The stories are always brilliant and masterfully written, the acting superb, and the building suspense always terrific. Well-known episodes include "Nightmare at 20,00 Feet", "Living Doll", and "The After Hours", to name a few. They are just about perfect, each one being a solid entry to the series, and I have yet to see an episode that I didn't think was brilliant (though I am aware there were a few people consider to be poorer ones). Each one keeps the audience engaged to the end, all the way up to the final twist that leaves them to guess what really happened. As stated above, I tend to favor the horror ones over the sci-fi, but all of them are outstanding overall, each one a masterpiece in television history.
All in all, "The Twilight Zone" is one of the greatest shows in television history ever made - it keeps the viewer thinking with brilliant stories, and does so without explicit or graphic material that today tends to be Hollywood's trademark. It is by implication that the episodes work, not by shocking the audience with imagery that solves the puzzle for them. It is because of this aspect alone that has caused it to be remembered even now, and also the reason why it is actually better than most shows today - too bad film companies are too much into violence, language and sex to take a lesson from Rod Serling. This is the kind of television we should be mainly be seeing today, so catch it on MeTV while it's still being aired.
It is really incredible to think that "The Twilight Zone" ran only five years while other shows just as great ran even longer. The series could have probably continued for a couple decades if they had let it - due to a lack of consistent characters in the show as a whole. "The Twilight Zone" is without a single premise featuring true 'stars': each episode is its own distinct story, and all of them are absolute masterpieces. Sometimes, the episodes are more like ghost stories; other times, they deal with well-known scientific concepts like space travel to other planets; while others still are just plain odd. Only one character in each half-hour episode remains consistent: the narrator, Rod Serling, who introduces in a masterful voice-over the premise at the beginning, and provides a spine-tingling final narration that leaves the viewer wondering as to what really happened. The icing on the cake is this, and it brings each episode to a perfect close every time.
The stories are always brilliant and masterfully written, the acting superb, and the building suspense always terrific. Well-known episodes include "Nightmare at 20,00 Feet", "Living Doll", and "The After Hours", to name a few. They are just about perfect, each one being a solid entry to the series, and I have yet to see an episode that I didn't think was brilliant (though I am aware there were a few people consider to be poorer ones). Each one keeps the audience engaged to the end, all the way up to the final twist that leaves them to guess what really happened. As stated above, I tend to favor the horror ones over the sci-fi, but all of them are outstanding overall, each one a masterpiece in television history.
All in all, "The Twilight Zone" is one of the greatest shows in television history ever made - it keeps the viewer thinking with brilliant stories, and does so without explicit or graphic material that today tends to be Hollywood's trademark. It is by implication that the episodes work, not by shocking the audience with imagery that solves the puzzle for them. It is because of this aspect alone that has caused it to be remembered even now, and also the reason why it is actually better than most shows today - too bad film companies are too much into violence, language and sex to take a lesson from Rod Serling. This is the kind of television we should be mainly be seeing today, so catch it on MeTV while it's still being aired.